Glenn Beck's Angry and Ignorant Book About Common Core | Diane Ravitch:
Glenn Beck's Angry and Ignorant Book About Common Core
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Over the years, we have seen a steady dumbing down of American culture, especially in the mass media. Whether newspapers, radio, or television, we have lost many of our well-educated, cultured, well-informed thinkers. Often they have been replaced by shock jocks, ranting talk show hosts, and an entire cable channel devoted to trashing liberals, liberal social programs, and labor unions.
I miss Walter Cronkite, Dan Rather, and dozens of other smart journalists who brought more than their opinions to their journalism. Bill Moyers is one of that breed. We need more.
Another thing I don't understand is why people on the far right like to paint their own country in the most negative tones while pretending to be patriots. I used to see a lot of this in right-wing think tanks, where people seized gleefully on every negative statistic to prove what a bad country this is; how horrible our public schools are; how dumb our teachers are; how we are doomed. Michelle Rhee's advertisements often make me think she really hates this country, that no one is smart enough or good enough for her. .
All of this is a long-winded way of disassociating myself from Glenn Beck's screed against Common Core and public education. It is called Conform: Exposing the Truth about Common Core and Public Education.
Here is a review by Hilary Tone of Media Matters that gives you an idea of how false and hysterical this book is. It is clear that Beck did not read Reign of Error. I won't be reviewing Conform. I am not interested in reading or writing about crazy right-wing attacks on our great American tradition of public education or on our nation.
In the same vein as the one now being mined by Glenn Beck is a video about a Florida legislator denouncing the Common Core because it will make all children gay. Seriously.
This is crazy stuff, and it makes it difficult if not impossible to have a reasonable Glenn Beck's Angry and Ignorant Book About Common Core | Diane Ravitch: