E.D. Hirsch, Jr.: What Am I Trying to Sell?
E.D. (Don) Hirsch, Jr., submitted the following essay to the blog. He is the founder of the Core Knowledge curriculum and has written several books explains the ideas behind it, beginning with “Cultural Literacy,” and including “The Schools We Need,” and “The Knowledge Deficit.” He writes: Diane kindly offered me a blog slot on her site – a great opportunity to explain what I’m about. I intend to
Words to Remember and Believe In
Our frequent commenter who signs in as “KrazyTA” gave us this inspirational gem: “Always take things with a grain of salt, but Mahatma Gandhi was not far off when he said: “When I despair, I remember that all through history the way of truth and love have always won. There have been tyrants and murderers, and for a time, they can seem invincible, but in the end, they always fall. Think of it–alwa
Why Is L.A. Spending School Construction Bonds to Buy iPads?
A reader wants to know the answer: “The LA Unified School District is going to spend $1 billion on iPads at a cost of $678 per device, more than the tablets cost in stores. They come with “partially developed” educational software and are being paid for by school construction bonds. “There are currently over 16,000 repair requests across the District that have yet to receive a response. The Venic
LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH 9-3-13 Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all
Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all: Special Education Teacher: As I Begin My Final Year of TeachingArthur Getzel has been a teacher of special education in New York City since 1978. On his blog, he describes his preparations as the school year begins. It is his last year. He goes shopping for supplies and spends $200 of his own money for necessities. He cleans the cl
