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

A Teacher in South Dakota: I Will Not Send Home Any Packets

by dianeravitch / 2min

A teacher in South Dakota writes here about her love of teaching, her love of her students, and how she is handling the current crisis. She writes: Let me preface this by saying that I am passionate about education. I enjoy being a student, and I love being a teacher. Of all of the things that I joke about in life, my job as a teacher is taken very seriously. Also, I love my students. LOVE THEM.

Carol Burris: Charter Schools Ask for Federal Money Though They Suffered No Loss

by dianeravitch / 1h

Carol Burris, executive director of the Network for Public Education, expresses outrage because the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools has asked for federal rescue money for charter schools, although they have suffered no losses. She writes: Shame on the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools! I have great sympathy for small businesses that are devastated by COVID-19. And I am gla

YESTERDAY

Experts Question Validity of Trump’s Estimate of Virus Deaths

by dianeravitch / 18h

Medical experts and even some Trump advisors are questioning the validity of the estimates of likely coronavirus deaths released by Trump. The estimate of 100,000-240,000 was hurriedly selected, but there is little agreement about whether it is too low or too high. Leading disease forecasters, whose research the White House used to conclude 100,000 to 240,000 people will die nationwide from the c

Utah: Governor Vetoes Voucher Proposal

44by dianeravitch / 20h

Listening to educators and the state school board, Governor Gary Herbert vetoed a voucher program for students with special needs. Critics pointed out that the state has had a. Oh her program for students with special needs for 15 years and doesn’t need another one. They also noted that Utah had a state referendum in 2007, and the public voted overwhelmingly against vouchers. The voucher advocate

Leonie Haimson Interviews Randi Weingarten About the Crisis

by dianeravitch / 22h

Leonie Haimson conducts a weekly program on public radio station WBAI in New York City. In this episode , she interviews Randi W. about the coronavirus crisis, the threat of budget cuts, and problems with distance learning.

Advice to Parents: Forget the Worksheets!

3Kby dianeravitch / 23h

Joel Westheimer has advice for parents who are at home organizing their children’s days. FORGET THE WORKSHEETS AND TRYING TO REPLICATE SCHOOL I am really struck by the variety of media inquiries I’ve been getting about the impacts of Covid-19 on education, what parents should be doing at home, and so on. The interest doesn’t surprise me (I am an education columnist on public radio), but the preoc

L.A. Times: Trump Administration Killed Program to Predict Pandemics Before They Start

89by dianeravitch / 1d

The Trump administration eliminated a $200 million program to help scientists around the world predict pandemics before they get started , according to a report in the Los Angeles Times. Is it too much to call this decision criminal negligence? What’s the old poem? “For want of a nail, a kingdom was lost?” To save $200 million, a global pandemic was unleashed that killed many thousands of people

John Merrow Proves That the Public Admires and Respects Teachers

42by dianeravitch / 1d

John Merrow released this post on April 1 but my page was already full, and anyway the post is not a joke. However, if you read it—and you should—you will spot John’s humor. He begins: Although I left reporting more than four years ago, my blood still boils when people like Betsy DeVos, the supremely unqualified Secretary of Education, Senator Rand Paul, Representative Steve King, Laura Ingraham

APR 02

David Weigel: Republicans Block Vote-By-Mail as a Democratic Plot

by dianeravitch / 1d

Columnist David Weigel of the Washington Post writes that many Republicans have turned against vote-by-mail plans because Democrats support it. Ironically, absentee balloting typically favors Republicans. He writes: Georgia Speaker of the House David Ralston called into a local interview show with bad news. It would be tough, he told FetchYourNews yesterday, to find “enough people to man” polling

The States That Are Ignoring The Virus

by dianeravitch / 1d

Teresa Hanafin of the Boston Globe writes in her daily Fast Forward column that there are 12 states whose governors refuse to issue stay-home orders: “I suppose we shouldn’t be surprised that it’s mostly governors who belong to the science-denying GOP who have been cavalierly ignoring the unanimous and increasingly frantic calls by the nation’s top epidemiologists and researchers for everybody to

University of California Relaxes Admissions Requirements

100+by dianeravitch / 1d

The University of California released this statement: The San Francisco Chronicle reported: UC system to ease admissions requirements; no more SAT, letter-grades: The University of California will temporarily suspend the SAT standardized test requirement for students applying to its campuses for the fall 2021 semester due to the coronavirus outbreak, officials announced Wednesday. UC also will di

Los Angeles: Large Number of Students Get No Instruction

29by dianeravitch / 1d

Howard Blume and Sonali Kohl’s report on the large number of students in Los Angeles who are getting no instruction during the shutdown. About one-third of some 120,000 Los Angeles high school students have not logged onto online classes every day, and 15,000 are absent from all online learning as efforts to continue distance learning fall short, according to the school district. The disappointin

Gene Glass: New Study Finds That Charter Schools Receive More Funding Than Public Schools

200+by dianeravitch / 1d

Gene V. Glass is one of the nation’s most eminent researchers and statisticians of education. He is a professor emeritus at Arizona State University. He writes: Education Policy Analysis Archives is an open access (free to read) peer-reviewed journal now in its 28th year of continuous publication. EPAA just published an article by David S. Knight (Univ. Washington) and Laurence A. Toenjes (Univ H

Happy Decade of Blogging, Jersey Jazzman!

by dianeravitch / 2d

Jersey Jazzman (aka Mark Weber) just celebrated his first 10 years as a blogger. He explains that he started blogging because he was so outraged by Chris Christie’s constant attacks on teachers, unions, and public schools. Along the way, he decided that he needed to upgrade his skills and analytical ability, so he earned a doctorate at Rutgers University. It has been my pleasure to post many of J

Georgians: Do You Listen to God or Science or Both?

by dianeravitch / 2d

Ed Johnson, a Georgian who puts a high value on intelligence and thoughtful decision making, writes about the conflict among some of his fellow Georgians . Should they listen to God or science? Johnson doesn’t think that one has to choose. God is not in opposition to science. God and science walk together. God wants people to learn about COVID-19 and take care of themselves. Will they listen?

APR 01

Teresa Hanafin: Why South Korea Has Been Successful in Slowing the Virus

32by dianeravitch / 2d

You know how politicians like to use international test scores to bash our public schools? Here’s good reason to bash the politicians in D.C. Teresa Hanafin of the Boston Globe writes: The expected numbers of American deaths from the coronavirus unveiled by the administration yesterday was pretty shocking — 100,000 to 240,000 — although those numbers have been floating around among scientists, re

DeVos Plans to Release New Rules for Title IX

32by dianeravitch / 2d

The Trump administration appears poised to take advantage of the national crisis torelease controversial changes, like announcing yesterday that it was dropping the federal fuel economy standards that were intended to reduce air pollution. Now, Politico tells us that the Department of Education is likely to revise Title IX regulations. Betsy DeVos long ago made clear that she sympathized with the

Lincoln Center Presents Concerts for Kids

51by dianeravitch / 2d

Anything from Lincoln Center is worth watching! The first concert online is today at 4 pm. Lincoln Center at Home Announces #ConcertsForKids Programming First Two Weeks Feature Concerts at LincolnCenter.org: NYC-based tap dance company and live music ensemble Music from the Sole – Wednesday, April 1 at 4 p.m. Latin-American singer-songwriter and guitarist Sonia De Los Santos – Sunday, April 5 at

The Biggest Fool on April 1

25by dianeravitch / 2d

After several weeks of denying that the coronavirus was a problem or a threat, Trump admitted yesterday that the virus would probably kill between 100,000-240,000 people. That’s supposedly the “best case” scenario. If government fails to act effectively to test people and provide supplies for healthcare professionals, the death toll could be as high as 2 million people. Here is timeline of Trump’

Carol Burnett: The Funniest Comedian?

by dianeravitch / 2d

Enjoy this . It reminded me of my family. Oy! Remember “Gone with the Wind?” You will never forget her parody . She and her wonderful ensemble did skits like this every week.

22 Musicals in 12 Minutes!

24by dianeravitch / 2d

Have fun. Emily Blunt and Lin-Manuel Miranda join James Corden to give reprises of 22 musicals in 12 minutes.

Robert Shepherd: Parody of a Trump Press Conference

by dianeravitch / 3d

Now that Trump cannot hold mass pep rallies for his base, he is holding daily press briefings to share his opinions about the coronavirus. He frequently contradicts the government experts because he knows more than they do. Robert Shepard, polymath extraordinaire, has written his own version of a Trump briefing: Moronavirus trumpinski orangii Press Briefing and Campaign Rally, Sunday, March 23, 2

Who Will Win Bigly on Easter Sunday?

by dianeravitch / 3d

I don’t know about you but my inbox is crowded with humorous videos of all kinds. Some are too raunchy to post. Some make fun of the toilet paper shortage and what it means. Some poke fun at our nation’s leaders. There is nothing funny about a pandemic, but somehow humor pops up as people seek relief from social isolation. This video was sent to me by my brother in Florida, who got it from…who kn

MAR 31

California: State Superintendent Thurmond Says Schools Probably Will Not Open Again This School Year

100+by dianeravitch / 3d

State Superintendent Tony Thurmond announced that public schools are unlikely to reopen this calendar year due to the coronavirus. California public school campuses are unlikely to reopen for the remainder of the academic school year in response to the coronavirus pandemic, state Supt. of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond said Tuesday in a letter to school district officials. “Due to the current s

Teresa Hanafin on Trump’s Change of Mind

72by dianeravitch / 3d

Teresa Hanafin writes Fast Forward for the Boston Globe. She wrote today: Good morning! It’s Tuesday, March 31, the 91st day of the year. It’s César Chávez Day in 10 states, honoring his fight for social justice on his birthday… The Old Farmer’s Almanac suggests tiring out those little people who are underfoot every day now by taking them outside to set up, dig, and plant a garden. Order seeds th

Trump Administration Lowers Fuel Economy Standards

by dianeravitch / 3d

In this time of national crisis, the Trump administration announced that it was lowering federal fuel economy standards. This move reverses many years of efforts to fight air pollution. People with emphysema, asthma, and other lung conditions, already at risk for coronavirus, will suffer even more risk as the air is dirtied by emissions from cars and trucks. This change to lower standards may sat

Leonie Haimson Interviews Randi Weingarten on April 1: Tune In

by dianeravitch / 3d

Leonie Haimson invites you to listen to her interview with Wednesday from 10-11 AM EST: Join us Wed. from 10-11AM on WBAI for “Talk out of School” when I’ll interview Randi Weingarten, president of the AFT, about what schools should & should not be doing during the time of coronavirus , how not to overstretch and overstress the capabilities of teachers and families, & how the crisis threatens to

Can Trump Suspend the 2020 Election? Will Cuomo Be the Democratic Candidate?

by dianeravitch / 3d

David Weigel of the Washington Post answers questions that readers have asked: In the old world, the one we lived in before the coronavirus, this would be primary day in Puerto Rico. A few days earlier, Joe Biden would have probably won Georgia and announced an “insurmountable delegate lead” over Bernie Sanders. Donald Trump would be holding rally after rally, flying into swing states to prove th

EdWeek: As Kids Use Tech, Privacy Concerns Grow

46by dianeravitch / 3d

Education Week published an insightful article about the dangers to student privacy during this time when students are relying on tech products to connect to teachers. Read it in full if you have a subscription. https://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2020/03/26/massive-shift-to-remote-learning-prompts-big.html Massive Shift to Remote Learning Prompts Big Data Privacy Concerns By Mark Lieberman School

Vicki Cobb: Why Trust Science?

by dianeravitch / 4d

Vicki Cobb has written many science books for children. She writes: I write science books for children. People are confused about what science is. Is it a body of knowledge? Yes, one that has been growing incrementally and exponentially for the past 500 years. How is this knowledge accumulated? By experimental procedures that are verifiable by others and corrected by others. It is produced by a c

John Ogozalek: Getting Perspective in a Time of Despair

70by dianeravitch / 4d

John Ogozalek teaches high school in upstate New York. I was outside a good part of yesterday. There are lots of jobs to do here in the country when winter starts to really end. I also went and uncovered the old spring out in one of our fields. No cell phone works there so I was truly out of touch. The idea is that if there’s a typical, garden variety power outage due to something like a bad stor

MAR 30

You Are Invited: A Webinar about the Koch Machine

36by dianeravitch / 4d

A valuable website called “Unkoch My Campus” is offering a webinar where you can learn how to identify the tentacles of the Kochtopus. Charles Koch and his late brother David have subsidized anti-government, anti-public school policies and think tanks for decades. They underwrote the voucher campaign in Arizona and other states. They work closely with the DeVos family foundations to promote their

Wired: Billionaire Philanthropists Should Not Be Responsible for Solving Public Problems

24by dianeravitch / 4d

Rob Reich and Mohit Mookim write in “Wired” about the efforts by Bill Gates, the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative, and Chinese billionaire Jack Ma to step in and do what the federal government has failed to do in responding to the coronavirus pandemic. They warn: Public health is a paradigmatic public good. We should never be dependent on the whims of wealthy donors—as philanthropy is increasingly domi

Jan Resseger is Smarter Than Me: This Post Proves It

52by dianeravitch / 4d

I wrote a post yesterday and planned to post it at this hour. It was a brief recapitulation of an opinion piece that Kevin Huffman wrote yesterday in the Washington Post, in which he boldly stated that the current reliance on distance learning would hurt students and set back their learning. Kevin Huffman is one of the leaders of the corporate reform movement. He worked for Teach for America, was

Valerie Strauss: Parents Learn to Respect Teachers Now That Children Are Home

48by dianeravitch / 5d

Valerie Strauss wrote a delightful article about parents who have a new-found respect for teacher’s, now that the pandemic has forced them to become home teachers. They have discovered that teaching is not easy. They have realized how hard it is teach two or three children and are amazed that teachers can handle classes of 24 or more at the same time. Plenty of parents around the country — and, p

The Pandemic Reminds Us of the Value of Public Schools

100+by dianeravitch / 5d

The global coronavirus pandemic reminds us of the importance and value of strong, effective public institutions. We are all in this together. “Everyone for himself” is a recipe for disaster. None of us can solve the problems on our own. The only way to address the disease is by collective action and public leadership. The widespread closure of schools has made parents and communities aware of the

MAR 29

“Teacher Parades”: I Love You and I Miss You

61by dianeravitch / 5d

In communities across the country, teachers are organizing “teacher parades,” where they drive slowly through the neighborhoods where their students live, honking and waving as their students jump up and down with excitement. Where did it start? This one was in Springfield, but I have heard that the first one was in Lawrence, Kansas. Do you know?

Michigan: Governor Whitmer is a Trump Target Because….

28by dianeravitch / 5d

This is a multiple-choice test, with a possible essay at the end. Trump lashed out at Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer because: 1. She did not praise him enough. 2. She is a woman. 3. Trump hates strong women. 4. Other (write your own guess after reading the following Document-Based Information .) President Donald Trump has lashed out at several Democratic governors who are responding to the co

Trump Cabinet’s Bible Teacher Blames Pandemic on Gays and Environmentalists

by dianeravitch / 5d

Did you know that the Trump Cabinet has its own Bible teacher? His name is Ralph Drollinger, and he is bigoted and hard of hearts. He wrote recently that the COVID-19 pandemic is an expression of God’s wrath. Why is a God angry? Gays, environmentalists, and other groups that Drollinger doesn’t like. He obviously thinks he knows what God thinks. And he thinks he is God’s spokesman on earth. This i

Tom Ultican: Billionaire Philanthropists Accelerate Attacks on Public Schools During Pandemic

100+by dianeravitch / 5d

Thomas Ultican has analyzed the billionaire funders behind the pro-Disruption, anti-democracy website “Education Post.” The major funders are the usual members of the Billionaire Boys and Girls Club: Bloomberg, Waltons, Chan Zuckerberg, and Mrs. Jobs. Please open and read his post. If you thought the Disrupters might have softened their tone during the pandemic, like, as a show of decency, you wi

Salon: Trump Is Creating a Mental Health Crisis That Will Worsen the Pandemic

25by dianeravitch / 6d

Trump continues to view the coronavirus pandemic through the lens of the stock market and his need to pump up his prospects for re-election. He briefly listened to scientists and medical experts but reverted to his usual stance of catering to his base, praising himself, and demonizing his critics. He now thinks he can talk his way out of a public health emergency. Yale psychiatry Bandy Lee says t

Nancy Bailey: How to Help Students Improve Their Reading and Writing

98by dianeravitch / 6d

Veteran teacher Nancy Bailey offers some common sense advice about how to help students become better readers and writers. Her advice is meant for students with or without disabilities. Here are first two suggestions: I welcome teachers and parents to add whatever they’d like to share, what works for you, or special resource pages or links. Handwriting Teachers don’t always focus on handwriting b

MAR 28

Trump Makes Decisions Based on Personal Grievances

100+by dianeravitch / 6d

The Washington Post reported that Trump made clear that he would reward those governors that are “appreciative” of him and punish those who were not. Have we ever had a president who was so petty, so vain, so desperately in need of praise? President Trump is a commander in chief dealing with a coronavirus outbreak in which many difficult decisions have to be made. And on Friday, he seemed to sugg

The Daily Howler: We Live in North Korea Now

56by dianeravitch / 6d

The Daily Howler covers the media. In this post, it points to the daily dose of propaganda meant to distract and impress the public, when the government is in fact lying. The lying is facilitated by media protocols that encourage deference to the authorities. That’s why you seldom see a White House reporter say simply, “but that’s not true” or “that’s not what you said last week.” Consider the wa

John Merrow: Please Don’t Call It “Homeschooling”

54by dianeravitch / 6d

John Merrow rightly says that the new stay-at-home schooling is not homeschooling. There are no bells, no crowd control, and very few real teachers. It is home LEARNING, and there is a wealth of resources available to parents. He offers many activities and links to resources. A parent recently said on Twitter that the current situation cannot be compared to homeschooling, because those parents wh

Trump Demands His Signature on All Disaster Relief Checks

62by dianeravitch / 6d

Politico reported this information from the Wall Street Journal this a.m.: SIDEBAR — WSJ: ” Mr. Trump has told people he wants his signature to appear on the direct payment checks that will go out to many Americans in the coming weeks, according to an administration official. The White House didn’t comment. Normally, a civil servant—the disbursing officer for the payment center—would sign federal

Tom Scarice: Look for the Acts of Kindness

70by dianeravitch / 6d

Tom Scarice, superintendent of schools in Madison, Connecticut, has advice for his community. He writes: In February of 2016 something magical took place in the scorched arid region of California known as Death Valley. Following years of drought and unrelenting heat, one of the hottest and driest places on the planet experienced a breathtaking phenomenon. Millions of seeds lying dormant buried un

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

100+by dianeravitch / 7d

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 / 7d

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 

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