Ravitch Weighs in on Obama Speech
Testing Remains the Problem
January 26, 2011
Diane Ravitch is the author of "The Death and Life of the Great American School System: How Testing and Choice Are Undermining Education."
President Obama's address contained no surprises about education policy. His goals are unarguable: He wants Americans to be better educated. He wants schools to encourage creativity, innovation and imagination. He wants teachers to be treated with respect.
The centralized Race to the Top discourages creativity, innovation and imagination..Unfortunately, his Race to the Top program, which he called "the most meaningful reform of our public schools in a generation," undermines these goals. It is not a repudiation of the unpopular No Child Left Behind law, but a continuation. Like No Child Left Behind, Race to the Top places high priority on tests of reading and mathematics.
The president wrongly asserted that Race to the Top is not a "top-down mandate, but the work of local teacher
January 26, 2011
Diane Ravitch is the author of "The Death and Life of the Great American School System: How Testing and Choice Are Undermining Education."
President Obama's address contained no surprises about education policy. His goals are unarguable: He wants Americans to be better educated. He wants schools to encourage creativity, innovation and imagination. He wants teachers to be treated with respect.
The centralized Race to the Top discourages creativity, innovation and imagination..Unfortunately, his Race to the Top program, which he called "the most meaningful reform of our public schools in a generation," undermines these goals. It is not a repudiation of the unpopular No Child Left Behind law, but a continuation. Like No Child Left Behind, Race to the Top places high priority on tests of reading and mathematics.
The president wrongly asserted that Race to the Top is not a "top-down mandate, but the work of local teacher