Remembering Martin Niemoller
Keith Gamache, an art teacher at South Side High School in Rockville Center, Long Island, New York, ran for school board and lost. He plans to run again. He wrote the following, drawing on the inspiration of anti-Nazi theologian Martin Niemöller: First they came for the large, inner city public schools, and I did not speak out Because I did not live in the city Then they came for the poor and rura
A Fight to Save the Public Sector
In city after city, state after state, the privatization movement is seeking to take control of public sector institutions and to turn a profit. They begin by attacking the public sector as costly, wasteful, and inefficient. This is the classic use of FUD (look up the term in wikipedia, it has a long history in public relations as a way to destroy your competition): Fear, Uncertainty, Doubt. In th
Ohio: Privatization Is a Challenge to Our Democracy
Bill Phillis of the Ohio Coalition for Education and Adequacy writes the following description of the assault on public education in that state: FY2014-FY2015 State Budget Proposal: Assault on school districts and boards of education July 1, 2013 The state is responsible for a thorough and efficient system of public common schools. School district boards of education are responsible for delive
More on the Purpose of Education in a Democracy
More from a reader who calls himself “Democracy”: As I continue to point out, the U.S. already IS internationally competitive. The World Economic Forum ranks nations each year on competitiveness. It uses “a highly comprehensive index” of the “many factors” that enable “national economies to achieve sustained economic growth and long-term prosperity.” The U.S. is usually in the top five (if not 1
Reflections on the Purpose of Education and the Manufactured Crisis
A reader who signs in as “democracy” posted this comment: Education in a democratic republic has a special place and purpose. At least it’s supposed to, and public education’s purpose is most certainly NOT to make a society “more competitive.” Aristotle argued for a system of public education in ancient Athens, noting that “each government has a peculiar character…the character of democracy create
July 4 and Edward Snowden
July 4 is a day when we celebrate our independence, our freedom, and our liberties, guaranteed by our great Constitution and Bill of Rights. It is also a good day to ponder the continuing growth of the national security state. This state demands the power to watch our every move. It says that it keeps us safe by having the ability to read our emails and monitor our phone calls. It sets up hidden c
Dreier and Flacks on Progressive Patriotism
Peter Dreier and Dick Flacks review the iconic songs and speeches of U.S. history and remind us that those whose words we recall today spoke of justice, liberty, equality, and freedom for all. We do not celebrate the 1%. We do not celebrate the income inequality that mars our land. We sing of brotherhood and sisterhood, from sea to shining sea.
America, the Beautiful
Katherine Lee Bates taught English literature at my alma mater, Wellesley College. She wrote the words to this song in 1893, when she was teaching for that summer at Colorado College in ColoradoSprings. Over the years, some have suggested this songt should replace “The Star-Spangled Banner” as the national anthem, because it is easier to sing, and the lyrics are more beautiful. But the idea never
David Saville Muzzey’s Advice for Us Today
David Saville Muzzey was widely recognized for most of the twentieth century as the greatest writer of U.S. history textbooks in the nation. He was a historian at Barnard College, Columbia University, and he was a gifted storyteller. His books read as the work of a single writer, vigorous, thoughtful, and opinionated, but not in a partisan sense. He knew history and he knew how to write the great
Alabama Sets Un-American Goals for Students
I am posting this on the 4th of July because it is about one of the most offensive state policies I have seen in many years. According to the Tuscaloosa News, Alabama has created “Plan 2020,” which sets different goals and academic accountability standards based on race, disability, and economic status. This is in contrast to the unrealistic goals of No Child Left Behind, which demanded that all c
Diane in the Evenig 7-3-13 Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all
Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all: Arne Duncan’s Speech to the National Charter School ConferenceValerie Strauss posted Secretary Duncan’s speech to the charter schools conference, without comment. This is the same conference where the foul-mouthed, misogynistic rapper Pitbull was also a keynote speaker. I am tempted to raise many questions–about the predatory pract