 |
THE ATTACKS BEGIN (CLICK PICTURE) |
NY Post Launches Attack Against Diane Ravitch In Review Of Her New Book
There have been attacks against Diane Ravitch in the past, but the one by Kyle Smith in the Post is particularly vicious.
Ravitch has a new book out entitled “Reign of Error: The Hoax of the Privatization Movement and the Danger to Public Schools.”
Smith, in his review of the book, accuses Ravitch of making stuff up, ignoring scientific evidence, being a hair-shirt-wearing zealot, engaging in nepotism and taking bribes from the teachers unions.
It's a hit piece that uses harangue, invective and personal attacks to try and destroy her arguments that the education reform movement is actually a privatization movement.
Smith never really engages with her arguments, however.
In the book, which I just finished reading, Ravitch very carefully lays out the history of the education reform movement going back to "A Nation At Risk" and shows how the underlying linchpin to so much of the rhetoric, so many of the reforms, has been to undercut the public schools in people's minds and promote choice, vouchers, merit pay, online schools. Teach for America, and charters.
Ravitch then presents the problems with the reforms promoted by the corporate education reform movement, shows how they never have worked and presents real reforms that while costly and not 100% guaranteed (because nothing in life is 100% guaranteed), work in the places they are applied - early childhood education, schools with full and rich curricula, experienced teachers and school staff, rich full programs in the arts, fully-funded libraries,
Ravitch has a new book out entitled “Reign of Error: The Hoax of the Privatization Movement and the Danger to Public Schools.”
Smith, in his review of the book, accuses Ravitch of making stuff up, ignoring scientific evidence, being a hair-shirt-wearing zealot, engaging in nepotism and taking bribes from the teachers unions.
It's a hit piece that uses harangue, invective and personal attacks to try and destroy her arguments that the education reform movement is actually a privatization movement.
Smith never really engages with her arguments, however.
In the book, which I just finished reading, Ravitch very carefully lays out the history of the education reform movement going back to "A Nation At Risk" and shows how the underlying linchpin to so much of the rhetoric, so many of the reforms, has been to undercut the public schools in people's minds and promote choice, vouchers, merit pay, online schools. Teach for America, and charters.
Ravitch then presents the problems with the reforms promoted by the corporate education reform movement, shows how they never have worked and presents real reforms that while costly and not 100% guaranteed (because nothing in life is 100% guaranteed), work in the places they are applied - early childhood education, schools with full and rich curricula, experienced teachers and school staff, rich full programs in the arts, fully-funded libraries,
A Parent's Guide to Corporate Education Reform: Why Rich Guys are Screwing Up Our Public Schools
A Parent's Guide to Corporate Education Reform: Why Rich Guys are Screwing Up Our Public Schools
AKA
REIGN OF ERROR.
An incisive, comprehensive look at today’s American school system that argues against those who claim it is broken and beyond repair; an impassioned but reasoned call to stop the privatization movement that is draining students and funding from our public schools.
I Got Mine and I Can't Put It Down!
How to Get an Autographed Copy of “Reign of Error” | Diane Ravitch's blog
How to Get an Autographed Copy of “Reign of Error” | Diane Ravitch's blog: How to Get an Autographed Copy of “Reign of Error”If you would like to get an autographed copy of “Reign of Error,” you can order it through the Network for Public Education.If you want it to be personalized, with a greeting to you, you can order that too.All proceeds benefit the Network for Public Education. I am contribut
Here is a tentative list of some of Diane’s Reign of Error book tour dates.
Monday, September 16:
PITTSBURGH
6:00 pm: Great Public Schools Pittsburgh at the Temple Sinai, 5505 Forbes Ave, Pittsburgh, PA 15217.
Tuesday, September 17:
PHILADELPHIA
7:30 pm: Philadelphia Free Library event in Montgomery Auditorium, 1901 Vine St. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19103.
Wednesday, September 25:
DENVER
6:30 pm: North High School, 2960 N. Speer Blvd., Denver, CO 80211. (Co-sponsored by the Denver Classroom Teachers Association).
Thursday, September 26:
SEATTLE
7:00 pm: University of Washington, location TBA
Friday, September 27:
SACRAMENTO
6:30 pm: Memorial Auditorium, 1515 J St., Sacramento, CA 95814. (Co-sponsored by the Sacramento City Teachers Association).
Saturday, September 28:
BERKELEY
7:00 pm: Martin Luther King Middle School, 1781 Rose St., Berkeley. (Co-sponsored by KPFA, Berkeley Federation of Teachers, and Oakland Education Association).
Monday, September 30:
PALO ALTO/SAN FRANCISCO
Schedule TBA
Tuesday, October 1:
LOS ANGELES
7:00 pm: Occidental College, Thorne Hall, 1600 Campus Rd., Los Angeles, CA 90041.
Wednesday, October 2:
NORTHRIDGE
7:00 pm: College of Education at California State University, 18111 Nordhoff St., Northridge, CA 91330.
Tuesday, October 8:
BROOKLYN
7:30 pm: Brooklyn By the Book, Congregation Beth Elohim and Community Bookstore, 274 Garfield Place, Brooklyn, NY 11215. (Diane will be in conversation with David Denby of the New Yorker).
Thursday, October 10:
MARQUETTE
7:30 pm: Northern Michigan University in Marquette, MI 49855.
Tuesday, October 15:
KINGSTON, RHODE ISLAND
6:30 pm: University of Rhode Island School of Education, Kingston, RI 02881.
Friday, October 18:
WASHINGTON, DC
7:00 p.m. -- Politics & Prose, 5015 Connecticut Ave. NW, Washington, DC 20008.
Friday, November 1:
ATLANTA
Schedule TBA
Monday, November 4:
PRINCETON
8:00 pm: Princeton University
Schedule TBA
Wednesday, November 13:
CHICAGO
7:30 pm: Women & Children First at First Free Church, 5255 N. Ashland Ave., Chicago, IL 60640.
Friday, November 22:
RICHMOND
Schedule TBA
Friday, December 6
LAS VEGAS
Schedule TBA
Please Note: Other dates to be announced, details subject to change. Details to be forthcoming as they become available.