I Answer Four Questions
Ray Salazar, a teacher in Chicago, wrote a blog post asking me to respond to four questions. I will try to do that here. I am not sure I will accurately characterize his questions, so be sure to read his post before you read my responses. Before I start, let me say that he obviously hasn’t read my book Reign of Error. Consequently, he relies on a five-minute interview on the Jon Stewart show and a
A Teacher Reflects on Fahrenheit 451 and BATs
Comment from a reader: I’ve been rereading FAHRENHEIT 451 and in 1951 Ray Bradbury saw today coming. He has his protagonist’s boss say, “Give the people contests they win by remembering….names of state capitals or how much corn Iowa grew last year. Cram them full of noncombustible data….and facts….. Then they’ll feel they’re thinking….And they’ll be happy because facts of that sort don’t change.
Newark Plans to Close School Praised by Michelle Obama as “Phenomenal”
Jersey Jazzman reports that Newark officials, who love to close public schools, will close a school that First Lady Michelle Obama highly praised. When she visited Maple Avenue Elementary School in 2010, she praised the staff and called the school “phenomenal.” The Obama administration loves closing public schools and firing everyone who works in them. This is called a “turnaround.” It is one of
Can You Answer This Question?
A question from a reader: Hi Ms. Ravitch, As a young person (about to finish undergrad) interested in potentially becoming a teacher but with a lack of formal educational training, I’m wondering if you might have some recommendations for me, for strong fellowship/teacher-training programs. TFA doesn’t seem to provide enough support to its teachers (and in so doing, to the students they teach). Wo
For-Profit “Turnaround” Schools in Indiana Earn an F
Charter Schools USA took over some low-performing schools in Indiana, and its three schools are still low-performing. The state paid out $30 million to five so-called “turnarounds,” but none has turned around. The chief academic officer for Charter Schools USA, which operates Emma Donnan, Manual and Howe, says turnaround is not “a quick fix.” “What is encouraging about our results as we’ve been tr
Teacher: Child Abuse in My Classroom
Mark Naison, co-founder of the BATs, sent me this story by a teacher: The Child Abuse Imposed by Testing: By Bronx Teacher Chris Whitney I had a student leave my classroom in an ambulance last year during the middle of a practice test. He was having an asthma attack brought on by panic. He kept saying, “I can’t do this.” As his teacher, I knew him. I knew that “school” was hard for him and he w
An Interview with “District Administration” on the Privatization Movement
I do my best to explain the assault on public education. It is unprecedented in American history. Public schools have always had critics, but never has there been a calculated effort to replace public schools with privately managed schools. And let’s be frank: that movement has succeeded because of bipartisan support and the availability of hundreds of millions–or billios, if you include Race to t
LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH 12-25-13 Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all
Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all: Pope Francis on the the Dangers of Poverty and InequalityI am not in the custom of quoting religious leaders, being a secular Jew, but I am nonetheless impressed by Pope Francis’ advocacy on behalf of the poor and his critique of the unfettered market. To clarify, I understand and believe in the values of a free marketplace of good