Schools Matter: Valerie Strauss Interviews Diane Ravitch

Schools Matter: Valerie Strauss Interviews Diane Ravitch

Valerie Strauss Interviews Diane Ravitch

by Jim Horn

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Q) You know the history of education policy -- and the effects -- as well or better than anyone. What are the biggest mistakes the Obama administration is making right now?

A) The biggest mistake they have made is that they bought into the consensus around high-stakes testing, this NCLB belief that someone must be punished if scores don’t rise every year, especially "bad" teachers. They adopted Republican ideas about accountability and choice, and they have used Race to the Top to promote more privately managed schools and more high-stakes testing.

Living outside the Beltway, I am struck by the fact that the education think tanks in DC are like an