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Sunday, March 19, 2017

The Weekend Warrior Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all

Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all:

The Weekend Warrior Diane Ravitch's blog 
 A site to discuss better education for all




Germany: Trump is Wrong: We Don’t Owe NATO Anything More Than We Pay Now
by dianeravitch / 3h
The German Defense Ministry sharply disagreed with Trump’s claim that it should pay more to NATO. Trump tweeted that he had a “great” meeting with Angela Merkel, but his famous art-of-the-deal left her unconvinced. The U.S. keeps 62,000 military personnel in the European Union, compared to 1.7 million from EU states. “On Sunday, German Defense Minister Ursula von der Leyen called the criticism “i
Webster’s Definition of “Trumpery,” 1983 Edition
by dianeravitch / 4h
1. Deceit, fraud 2. Anything calculated to deceive by false show; anything externally splendid but of little intrinsic value; worthless finery. 3. Things worn out and of no value; useless matter; trifles; rubbish; nonsense. That’s the 


by dianeravitch / 1min
I am not much of a cook. When I was a little girl, I hung out in the playground, played baseball, read books, or climbed trees. I never hung out in the kitchen to learn about how to cook a dish or make a meal. But now as an adult, I do know how to cook a few things. I have what you might call a very limited repertoire. I 


What to Ask About Russian Hacking in the Hearings Tomorrow
by dianeravitch / 43min
Tomorrow, the House of Representatives intelligence committee will hold hearings to investigate allegations of links between the Trump campaign and the Russian government. Members will also ask questions about Trump’s claim that Obama ordered the wire tapping of Trump Tower during the presidential campaign and that this alleged surveillance was carried out by the British spy service. It should be
Democratic Senator Will Introduce Neil Gorsuch at His Hearing for Supreme Court Justice
by dianeravitch / 1h
Democratic Senator Michael Bennett of Colorado will introduce Neil Gorsuch at his Senate confirmation hearings for the U.S. Supreme Court. Gorsuch is from Colorado. Bennett is one of the most fervent advocates for school privatization in Congress. Before entering the Senate (he was appointed to fill a vacancy, then was elected), he was superintendent of Denver, where he promoted high-stakes testi
New York: State Regents Consider Eliminating a Redundant Standardized Exam for Future Teachers: Do It!
by dianeravitch / 2h
It is rare to report that any state has eliminated any standardized test at all, but that is exactly what may be about to happen in New York. A committee of the New York Board of Regents has proposed to eliminate the “Academic Literacy Skills Test for Teachers,” which is a useless hurdle. For now, the test has been suspended. Its future will be decided in July at a meeting of the full Board of Re
Mercedes Schneider: My Most Difficult Students End Up Loving Me the Most
by dianeravitch / 3h
Mercedes Schneider shares her wonderful bonds with her most challenging students: https://deutsch29.wordpress.com/2017/03/17/many-of-my-most-difficult-students-end-up-loving-me/ “Just thought I’d share one lesson I have learned from my public school students: “The ones who tend to push me the most and require the toughest discipline usually end up loving me the most. “They also learn to respect a

YESTERDAY

In Vitro Babies Born to American Mothers Are Not Americans Unless the Sperm Donor Was
by dianeravitch / 20h
In its infinite wisdom, or lack thereof, the U.S. State Department does not grant citizenship to babies born in vitro unless the American-born mother can prove that the egg or sperm donor was an American. A child adopted by an American from another country is American. But a child born to an American via in vitro fertilization cannot claim American citizenship without proof that the donor was Ame
A New Entry in the Online Urban Dictionary: “DeVos’d It”
by dianeravitch / 22h
Carol Burris forwarded this really cool new definition to me; it came from her adult daughter. There is a new verb. If you go for a job interview, do a truly horrible job, and get the job anyway, you say, “I DeVos’d it.”
Gail Collins at Her Best on Trump’s Madness
by dianeravitch / 23h
Gail Collins used to be editorial page editor of the New York Times. Now she writes a column. What I never knew about her is that she has a wonderful sense of humor. Today she has a hilarious column about the madness of King Donald (she didn’t call it that, but that’s what it is). Whatever Donald Trump has, it’s spreading. We’ve got a president who makes things up, and won’t retract when he’s cor
Are You a School Board Member? Join NPE Action to Protect Public Schools!
by dianeravitch / 1d
The Network for Public Education invites School Board members to join our new group dedicated to fighting privatization of public schools. https://npeaction.org/2017/03/03/7286/ We will keep you informed about political activity in your state and introduce you to other dedicated School Board members.
US Postal Service Honors Civil Rights Hero Dorothy Height
by dianeravitch / 1d
Read about this great civil rights icon here: https://about.usps.com/news/national-releases/2017/pr17_006.htm President Bill Clinton awarded her the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation’s highest civilian honor. Here is a question for you, dear readers: To whom will Trump award the Presidential Medal of Freedom? WASHINGTON — The U.S. Postal Service today kicked off this year’s Black History
Ken Previti: 80 Programs that Trump Wants to Defund
by dianeravitch / 1d
Ken Previti lists 80 programs that will be eliminated if Trump’s budget is approved. IRTA: These 80 Programs Would Lose Federal Funding Under Trump’s Proposed Budget They are all programs that help people. Trump will invest instead in expanding the military although we have a bigger military than the next seven nations put together.


Alexandra Petri: How Trump’s Lean Mean Budget Will Make America Great Again
by dianeravitch / 1d
Alexandra Petri writes a satirical column for the Washington Post. She explains the glories of Trump’s budget here: https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/compost/wp/2017/03/16/trumps-


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