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Wednesday, March 16, 2011

NYC Public School Parents: Diane Ravitch asks: do we live in an age of stupidity or insanity?

NYC Public School Parents: Diane Ravitch asks: do we live in an age of stupidity or insanity?

Diane Ravitch asks: do we live in an age of stupidity or insanity?

On Saturday, at an event sponsored by the Chicago's Teacher Union, Diane Ravitch asked, do we live in an age of insanity or stupidity? Vote to the right!

To a crowd of over 500, including mostly teachers and interim Schools CEO Terry Mazany, Diane criticized themultibillion-dollar testing industry, charters, Teach for America, and turnaround management organizations.

Catalyst magazine described it this way:

In a speech that painted a dismal picture of the intensifying attacks against teachers in many states around the country but was also a call for teachers to remain united and engaged, Ravitch relayed an alarming account of recent and proposed measures to downsize teaching staffs and increase class sizes.

“I’ve wondered, given all the talk of school reform and seeing how it’s playing out in the media and legislature, do we live in an age of national insanity or is it an