KEEP UP/ CATCH UP WITH DIANE RAVITCH'S BLOG A site to discuss better education for all

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

KEEP UP/ CATCH UP WITH DIANE RAVITCH'S BLOG 

A site to discuss better education for all

Little Rock: Parents and Activists Fight Against Sham of “Restoring Local Control”

by dianeravitch / now

In Arkansas, the governor and the legislature does not want the citizens of Little Rock to have democratic control of their public schools. They took over the schools five years ago and were supposed to return it to the people but passed a hoax of a bill. Now activists have filed a lawsuit to expose the hoax and demand a real return to democratic control of their schools. Max Brantley, veteran jo

Peter Greene: Why AI Will Not Drive Trucks or Replace Teachers

by dianeravitch / 1h

We have been told that technology can’t be stopped and that we are heading for a jobless economy. We have been told that anyone who disagrees is an old fogey standing in the way of progress. Peter Greene says “ nonsense .” Do you remember the predictions about 15 years ago that MOOCS would drive most institutions of higher education out of existence. Didn’t happen. Except for job-oriented and/or

YESTERDAY

New York Times: Trump Lies, Boasts, Lies, Boasts

by dianeravitch / 12h

This evening the New York Times published a story about a Trump’s repeated lies, boasts, and ignorance about the pandemic. The story did not include a Trump’s assertion yesterday on the Sean Hannity show that governors were inflating their need for ventilators, followed by orders to GM and Ford to start producing ventilators. One day he proclaims there is no crisis. The next day he responds to th

Robert Kuttner Explains Why Conservatives Want to Limit Unemployment Insurance

22by dianeravitch / 18h

ON TAP Today from the American Prospect MARCH 27, 2020 Kuttner on TAP Oh, No! Better Unemployment Benefits Raise Low Wages. The Republican senators who tried a last-ditch effort to water down the stimulus bill had one major concern: If federal unemployment benefits were increased, companies that depend on low-wage labor might have trouble coaxing people back to work for a pittance. Oh, the horror

Sing “Happy Birthday” to the Woman Who Wrote the Song

by dianeravitch / 19h

Today is the birthday of Patty Smith Hill, who wrote “Happy Birthday to You.” I recall that she was a leading advocate for early childhood education and play while a professor at Teachers College, Columbia University, in New York. Garrison Keillor wrote this about her. It’s the birthday of the woman who wrote “Happy Birthday to You,” Patty Smith Hill, born in Anchorage, Kentucky (1868). Most of h

Garrison Keillor: Today is Typhoid Mary’s Birthday

53by dianeravitch / 20h

Garrison Keillor tells this story at “The Writer’s Almanac”: On this date in 1915, the woman known as “Typhoid Mary” was put into quarantine in a cottage in the Bronx. Her name was Mary Mallon, and she was a large and fiery Irish-American woman about 40 years old. She worked as a cook in and around New York City, and every household she worked in seemed to suffer an outbreak of typhoid fever. Typ

New Fear Expressed by Scientists: Their Work Is Viewed as a Hoax

46by dianeravitch / 21h

A story in the Washington Post today. Trump’s lies could kill many people because scientists are not believed. I n the one month since the first U.S. coronavirus death, America has become a country of uncertainty. New cases of infection and casualties continue multiplying. New York and Louisiana hospitals are grappling with a flood of patients that threatens to overwhelm their health-care systems

Stephen Dyer: Ohio Legislature Continues to Be Obsessed by Vouchers

23by dianeravitch / 22h

Stephen Dyer of Innovation Ohio is a former legislator and is currently the most astute analyst of the legislature’s efforts to undermine public education. In this post , he describes the legislature’s current approach to vouchers. He writes: Yesterday, Ohio’s legislature passed their COVID-19 emergency package. And while there were some much needed and positive things in it (no standardized test

Why Nationwide Mail-In Voting Will Be Problematic

by dianeravitch / 23h

The concurrence of primary voting for the 2020 voting and the onset of a global pandemic caused many to worry about whether the pandemic would disrupt not only primaries but the November elections. One answer seems to be to ramp up balloting by mail. Veteran journalist Stephen Rosenfeld warns that absentee and mail-in balloting is rife with problems. Why nationwide voting by mail isn’t a silver b

Toronto Symphony Orchestra Challenges Rotterdam Symphony Orchestra!

43by dianeravitch / 1d

The Rotterdam Symphony Orchestra performed Beethoven’s exhilarating “Ode to Joy,” a tribute to theh7man spirit, as each musician was isolated in his or her home. The Toronto Symphony Orchestra responded by performing Aaron Copeland’s “Appalachian Spring” in their homes. The website SlippedDisc posted both and invites viewers to vote. Bottom line: creative artists are learning to collaborate while

An Interview with a Conservative Talk Show Host in St. Louis

29by dianeravitch / 1d

Several days ago, I was interviewed by Dr. Randy Tobler of radio station KFTK in St. Louis about SLAYING GOLIATH, which is pro-public school and anti-privatization. When the interview was scheduled by my publisher, I wasn’t familiar with the station or the host. As I waited a few minutes for the show to start, I heard an advertisement for Rush Limbaugh, whose syndicated talk show would air later

MAR 26

Harold Meyerson: How Mean Are Senate Republicans?

55by dianeravitch / 1d

In this editorial, Harold Meyerson plumbs the depths of meanness in the Senate’s majority party. It would be better for the unemployed if more of them were quarantined and unable to vote: ON TAP Today from the American Prospect MARCH 26, 2020 Meyerson on TAP The Senate’s OTHER Vote Last Night—Along Party Lines. As every news-following American knows, the Senate voted unanimously last night to pas

A Wise Superintendent Offers Counsel for Our Times

500+by dianeravitch / 1d

Michael Matsuda is Superintendent of the Anaheim Union High School District in California. He served on the board of the Network for Public Education. Important Message Sent on Behalf of Superintendent Matsuda Fifty years from now, when our students are old, when they have children and grandchildren of their own, they will look back and say, “Do you remember what happened?” I picture them pensive

Art Conquers Isolation! Watch, Listen, Share

by dianeravitch / 1d

The Rotterdam Symphony Orchestra members are confined to their homes. But music cannot be denied. Here they are playing the closing section of Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony, the stirring “Ode to Joy,” each of them in his or her own home. If this stirring rendition doesn’t move you, check your pulse.

Jennifer Senior: Trump’s Press Conferences Are Propaganda

100+by dianeravitch / 2d

Jennifer Senior has been one of my favorite writers for many years. Her columns are always incisive and intelligent. She is now an opinion writer for the New York Times. In this column, she expresses the extreme frustration I feel whenever I watch Trump speak to the press, surrounded always by people chosen for their obeisance and loyalty. She writes about a recent press conference. A friend who

John Richard Schrock: Distance Learning Is Inferior to Human Interaction

200+by dianeravitch / 2d

John Richard Schrock was a professor of science education at a Emporia State University for many years. He also taught in middle and high schools, as well as in Hong Kong. He frequently writes about education issues. Screen Reading and Online Coursework Inferior The forced closure of classrooms and shift to online learning from home has revived the hopes of big Ed-Tech companies that they can reg

MAR 25

Randi Has a Good Idea for the End of the School Year

57by dianeravitch / 2d

Randi Weingarten proposes an alternative to end of the year tests. This is such a good idea that Congress should consider making it a replacement for annual standardized tests, which are inherently an assertion that teachers can’t be trusted to judge their students’ progress. Furthermore, Randi’s idea of testing what students know and can do will inspire student thoughtfulness and creativity, whi

George Packer: Trump Is Winning His War Against Our Institutions

27by dianeravitch / 2d

George Packer writes in The Atlantic about Trump’s success in destroying the institutions and norms of the federal government and bending them to his will. It is a brilliant and disturbing article. Trump calls the apolitical civil service “the deep state.” He is determined to destroy it and replace it with loyalists and lackies. This article echoes the themes of Michael Lewis’s The Fifth Risk , a

Washington State: Gov. Inslee Signs Bill Aiding Gates’ Charter Schools

200+by dianeravitch / 3d

Washington State has experienced a long history of turmoil over charter schools. It has held four state referenda over whether they should be allowed in the state. They are opposed by school boards, teachers’ unions, PTAs, and civil rights groups. Bill Gates and his billionaire clique really wanted the state to have charter schools. So in 2012, they amassed a war chest and outspent the parents, t

Jeff Bryant: The Pandemic May Blunt the Drive for High-Stakes Testing and Privatization

84by dianeravitch / 3d

In this recent article, Jeff Bryant examines Florida’s shameful response to the pandemic. As usual, legislators and Governor DeSanris took advantage of the crisis to add another voucher program, which will drain another $200 million from public schools to support for woefully inadequate voucher schools. He writes: “The COVID-19 crisis reveals the true intentions of people,” Kathleen Oropeza told

MAR 24

Watch and Enjoy the Chamber Singers at Chino Hills High School in California

44by dianeravitch / 3d

When their performance was canceled due to the pandemic, the Chamber Singers at Chino Hills High School in California found another way to perform. Watch this beautiful performance of “Over the Rainbow.” This video was widely reposted and went viral. Creativity! Hope! Persistence! Resilience!

NPE Action Endorses Joyce Elliott for Congress in Arkansas!

by dianeravitch / 3d

NPE Action is pleased to endorse Joyce Elliott for U.S. House District 2 in Arkansas. Joyce is an outstanding state senator and she will be an outstanding Member of Congress, representing the people of Little Rock and nearby areas. She is running against a Trumpian Republican, who is outspending her by enormous margins. Joyce plans a grassroots campaign to overcome the big money against her. This

A Desperate Mother’s Prayer as She Homeschools

93by dianeravitch / 4d

Please watch as this mother prays for relief from her new role as a homeschooling mom. She laments: “Ah, Lord, the spirit of Common Core has taken over my house…”

Politico: Republicans Oppose Student Debt Relief As Part of Crisis Deal

23by dianeravitch / 4d

Politico Morning Education reported yesterday that the coronavirus legislation in Congress has been delayed because Republicans and Democrats disagree about including college student debt relief. Of course, other issues between the parties have stymied an agreement, especially the $500 billion economic recovery fund that would be administered by Treasury Secretary Mnuchin. Republicans want him to

MAR 23

Garrison Keillor: It Was on This Day That…

by dianeravitch / 4d

The following appeared today in Garrison Keillor’s free daily “Writer’s Almanac”: It was on this day in 1775 that the lawyer Patrick Henry spoke at the Second Virginia Convention in Richmond, a meeting of American colonial leaders that included George Washington and Thomas Jefferson. The four-day assembly turned into a fierce debate about whether or not to raise a militia and arm Virginia in the

Jan Resseger: Is Ohio Senate Using the Crisis to Expand Vouchers?

by dianeravitch / 4d

Jan Resseger writes here about gridlock in the Ohio State Senate. The Senate is supposed to review its dramatic expansion of the state voucher program by April 1, but action has been stalled by the coronavirus crisis. Based on faulty data, the state is over-identifying good public schools as “failing” in order to divert public funds to religious schools. Why don’t public education advocates organ

Los Angeles: Schools Discover Snafus of Distance Learning

34by dianeravitch / 4d

The Los Angeles Times published a disturbing article about the problems and obstacles that students and teachers are encountering as online learning becomes the new normal. For many children, instruction is inaccessible. The gaps between the haves and have-nots are glaring. “ Misti Kemmer, a fourth-grade teacher at Russell Elementary School in South Los Angeles, is working hard to keep her studen

Mercedes Schneider: A Letter from Louisiana’s Teacher of the Year to the Class of 2020

by dianeravitch / 4d

Mercedes Schneider posts a letter from Louisiana’s teacher of the year, Chris Dier, to the class of 2020, which is unlikely to have a senior prom or graduation ceremony. The teacher is a personal friend of Mercedes’. This letter from a teacher to his students is very moving. It begins like this: Dear High School Senior, On Friday afternoon a few seniors came into my classroom after the last bell

An Appeal to Educators and Scholars of Color: Please Sign This Statement!

69by dianeravitch / 5d

Kevin Kumashiro , leader of a Deans for Justice and Equity, has written an appeal addressed to Educators and Scholars of Color. It invites their endorsement of a statement opposing failed “reforms” that have stigmatized and harmed children of color and other vulnerable students. Please share this statement with your friends and colleagues. Invite them to sign to demonstrate that they do not belie

Stephen Sawchuk: This Was the Week We Learned How Vital Our Public Schools Are

300+by dianeravitch / 5d

This is one of the best articles I have ever read in Education Week . It is not an opinion piece. It is a news article by veteran journalist Stephen Sawchuk. He begins: This was the week that American schools across the country closed their doors. It was the week that our public schools—often dismissed as mediocre, inequitable, or bureaucratic—showed just how much they mean to American society by

MAR 22

AFT Endorses Joe Biden

37by dianeravitch / 5d

For Immediate Release March 22, 2020 Contact: Oriana Korin 202-374-6103 okorin@aft.org http://www.aft.org American Federation of Teachers Endorses Joe Biden for President WASHINGTON—The American Federation of Teachers’ executive council voted today to endorse former Vice President Joe Biden in the 2020 Democratic primary as the party’s nominee for president in 2020p. The union represents 1.7 mill

New York Times: Trump’s Response to Crisis

by dianeravitch / 5d

On page one of the New York Times: “Used to Meeting Challenges With Bluster and Force, Trump Confronts a Crisis Unlike Any Before,” by Peter Baker and Maggie Haberman: “Mr. Trump is no stranger to crisis. He has spent a lifetime grappling with bankruptcy, fending off creditors, evading tax collectors, defending lawsuits, deflecting regulators, spinning reporters and dueling with estranged wives,

Is Congress Using Crisis to Suspend IDEA?

200+by dianeravitch / 5d

I received this notice from two trusted allies. From: Maggie Hart Date: Fri, Mar 20, 2020 at 3:23 PM Subject: Threat to ALL Special Education by COVID-19 Hi Everyone: I’m sorry to be bothering you with something work related but Senator Alexander has attached an amendment to the next proposed relief package that includes a full and complete waiver of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Ac

Arthur Camins: A Bernie Supporter Says “Vote Blue”

by dianeravitch / 5d

Arthur Camins writes about the importance of voting Democratic in November. He says he supports Senator Sanders but recognizes that he is unlikely to win the nomination, given the double-digit losses sustained by his personal choice. The stakes are high, he writes, and he’s prepared to support former Vice President Joe Biden. https://www.dailykos.com/story/2020/3/19/1929172/-A-Time-to-Every-Purpo

A Mother’s Lament about Distance Learning

100+by dianeravitch / 5d

This video went viral after it appeared on Twitter.

Robin Lithgow: Why Did A Wealthy Plantation Owner Bring an American Poet to El Salvador to Tell Its Story?

by dianeravitch / 6d

Robin Lithgow titles this wonderful post Flores y Canciones: The Poet as Witness. She writes about a culture that values its poets. She writes: I’ve just finished a riveting memoir titled “What You Have Heard is True,” by Carolyn Forché. It is about the lead-up to the civil war in El Salvador in the 80s. I recommend it highly because of the perspective Forché gives on our troubling history with C

MAR 21

Lawrence Baines: A Short Video about the Dangers of Privatization of Our Public Institutions

67by dianeravitch / 6d

Take five minutes and watch this excellent video about the startling advance of privatization, not only in schools, but in the military, in prisons, and in other sectors that used to be public. The video was made by Lawrence Baines, who wrote a short and excellent book with the same title as the video. You will consider this five minutes well spent. Send it to your friends. It is an well-made bri

Advice from Your Online School Nurse

35by dianeravitch / 6d

A veteran school nurse offers advice to parents to help them while they are schooling their children at home. A huge google Doc with parent resources from RelentlessSchoolNurse, link at bottom of page: The Relentless School Nurse: Dear Parents, A Message From Your School Nurse The Relentless School Nurse: COVID-19 Survival Guide for Parents and Kids Who Are Home Related FB group: https://www.face

David Leonhardt: What Trump Has Said About Coronavirus

200+by dianeravitch / 7d

The main reason that the U.S. was unprepared to respond promptly to the coronavirus was that Trump repeatedly told the public that it was not a problem, that it would disappear spontaneously, and that it was under control. None of this was true. Even now, almost half of Republicans do not believe that the virus is a genuine public health problem. Now, we are learning that there are real life-and-

Lessons from the 1918 Flu Pandemic, When Many Schools Closed

42by dianeravitch / 7d

I was recently contacted by a journalist who asked me if there was any precedent for the current school closings in response to a health crisis. My first impulse was to say “no,” based on my knowledge of history, but I started 

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