UPDATE: What’s Wrong with Privatization? « Diane Ravitch's blog

What’s Wrong with Privatization? « Diane Ravitch's blog:

What’s Wrong with Privatization?

by dianerav

Someone tweeted me a few days ago and asked “what’s wrong with privatization?”
I didn’t have time or space to respond in 140 characters, but fortunately someone else has done it for me.
See this article.
Let me be clear. I believe in the value and strength of the private sector. Long ago, I traveled in the Soviet Union and in China, and I developed a deep respect for the efficiency of the private sector in supplying goods to markets for consumers.
But I believe that a healthy and decent society has a strong private sector to provide goods and services (contractors, plumbers, electricians, repairs, etc.), and a healthy public sector to provide essential public services, like public education, roads, postal service, parks, beaches, transportation, government, police,

When Reform Turns Orwellian

by dianerav

The author of the article “Is Literature Necessary?” writes a comment:

Thanks for mentioning my essay. I agree that the reform movement is getting more Orwellian by the day. We are told test scores are way up when they are stagnant. We are told that poverty doesn’t matter. We are told that “enthusiasm” trumps experience.People who have spent little or no time in the classroom, like Gates, Rhee, and Coleman, are now the architects of public education going forward. Who needs algebra, literature, music, or any of the arts? In the face of an obesity epidemic among our children, the mayor mandates smaller soda cups while eliminating or reducing physical education. It all feels surreal, but it is happening all the time and unless the trend changes, I fear we may lose public education altogether.

How Prescriptive Are Common Core Standards?

by dianerav

There is usually a long distance between standards as drafted and their implementation. A reader comments:

It’s not just standards that are being handed down. There seems to be a continuous stream of “clarifying” documents, like their Publisher’s Criteria, which double down on unverified approaches to learning, teaching, and curriculum design. These aren’t just academic standards anymore. Because writing standards involves a committee of