Karen Lewis Keeps the Haters at Bay
CTU president Karen Lewis chimed in to chide TFA vice president David Rosenberg for his Twitter attack against education historian Diane Ravitch. (Chicago Teachers Union / Flickr / Creative Commons.)
On Monday, education historian Diane Ravitch posted some thoughts on her blog concerning the heroism of the teachers of Sandy Hook Elementary, noting that they were unionized. Some, such as David Rosenberg, vice president of Teach for America, were incensed by the piece, but Chicago Teachers Union president Karen Lewis lept to Ravitch's defense, writing on Ravitch's blog:
Diane has been at the forefront of the desire to lift up the beleaguered profession of teaching in each and every post. She has drawn the connections between people who wouldn’t think of sending their children to public schools and their policies that are destroying the common good. Anyone who doesn’t know that in the marrow of their bones, doesn’t read her blog.
The Ravitch post that drew ire opened with heartwarming praise for the teachers who “reacted with astonishing courage to the unthinkable, the terrifying intrusion of a man intent on murdering them and their students. With no thought of their own safety, they defended their children.”
But that’s not what’s causing all the fuss. Ravitch changed tone toward the end:
Oh, and one other thing, all these dedicated teachers belonged to a union. The senior