DIANE IS ON A ROLL TODAY! - Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all

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

DIANE IS ON A ROLL TODAY! 

Take a Tour of the Luscious Cherry Blossom Trees in the Brooklyn Botanic Gardens

by dianeravitch / 14min

Right now, the cherry blossoms are at their peak . Usually, the Brooklyn Botanic Gardens would have large crowds of people, who want to see this wonderful explosion of color. Now the gardens are empty. But open the link and enjoy the splendor.

Bill Becker: What Is Joe Biden’s Vision for Climate Change and Energy?

by dianeravitch / 1h

Bill Becker worked for two decades in the U.S. Department of Energy. Bill is the executive director of the Presidential Climate Action Project. I had the good fortune to meet him at a conference at Oberlin College a year or so ago. I have been on the mailing list for his blog ever since. He wrote: Wanted: A Vision for America By William S. Becker Joe Biden has just released an updated clean-energ

Shawgi Tell: Charter Entrepreneurs Cash in on Public Funding During Pandemic

by dianeravitch / 1h

Shawgi Tell, professor at Nazareth College in New York, describes the multiple ways in which corporate charter chains are cashing in during the pandemic. He begins: While private businesses like non-profit and for-profit charter schools have been seizing enormous sums of public money for decades,1 they continue to seize hundreds of millions of public dollars during the “COVID Pandemic”—a move tha

A Brief History of Anti-Government Rhetoric

by dianeravitch / 2h

Donald Cohen of the nonpartisan “In the Public Interest” has assembled a brief history of anti-government rhetoric. He has assembled quotations from the anti-government crowd. It is only 12 pages and a quick, enlightening read. It is called The Anti-Government Echo Chamber . Here is the introduction on the ITPI website: “They play to your fear, government plays to your fear.” “Will you resist the

Steven Singer: Save Our Schools from the Biggest Budget Cuts in History

by dianeravitch / 3h

Steven Singer warns that public schools are facing deep cuts in state funding due to revenue losses caused by the pandemic. Hey, it’s Teacher Appreciation Week, just the time to start mobilizing against cuts that could cause the layoff of nearly 300,000 teachers. That means larger class sizes, fewer electives, cuts to the arts, to everything that is not tested. Don’t expect Trump to stand up for

How New Zealand Effectively Eliminated Coronavirus

by dianeravitch / 4h

An article in the National Geographic describes how New Zealand effectively eliminated coronavirus. New Zealand has had a small number of infections and fewer than two dozen deaths. Travel journalist Aaron Gulley was in New Zealand when the pandemic was recognized. He writes: If there is a bright spot in the global response to the pandemic, it is surely New Zealand. While governments worldwide ha

YESTERDAY

New Evidence That Children Transmit the Virus

100+by dianeravitch / 14h

The New Tork Times reported two studies that found that children transmit the virus. Among the most important unanswered questions about Covid-19 is this: What role do children play in keeping the pandemic going? Fewer children seem to get infected by the coronavirus than adults, and most of those who do have mild symptoms, if any. But do they pass the virus on to adults and continue the chain of

New York: Parent Groups Denounce Cuomo Outreach to Gates

6Kby dianeravitch / 21h

Well, that was fast! Only minutes after news broke that Governor Cuomo had asked Bill Gates and his foundation to help “reimagine” education in New York, parent groups responded with a loud NO! Don’t mess with New York parents! Remember, they started the biggest opt-out from state testing in history. Here is their public letter: May 5, 2020 To Governor Cuomo: As educators, parents and school boar

Trump and Conway Have a Slugfest on Twitter

by dianeravitch / 22h

If you are ready for a hilarious read, read this. Kellyanne Conway’s husband George is a conservative lawyer. He despises Trump. He is now leading an anti-Trump group of prominent Republicans called the Lincoln Project. They recently aired an ad called “Mourning in America,” on FOX News. Trump saw it and went crazy. He began tweeting insults at George Conway, who fielded them with grace and wit,

Nightmare Vision for New York Schools Post-Pandemic

27Kby dianeravitch / 23h

Governor Andrew Cuomo announces that he is working with Bill Gates to re-imagine education in New York after the pandemic. @ ZackFinkNews .@NYGovCuomo says New York State will be working with @gatesfoundation to develop a blueprint to “reimagine education” in New York State in post-COVID19 world. Obviously Cuomo knows that Gates is one of the richest men in the world. Obviously he does not know t

Washington Post: Trump Blocks All Oversight by Congress

56by dianeravitch / 1d

James Hohmann of the Washington Post summarizes Trump’s calculated effort to destroy all oversight of his administration, including firing independent Inspectors General and refusing to send anyone to testify in hearings conducted by the House of Representatives. He believes he rules by divine right. He has all the makings of a fascist dictator. Do not be surprised if he cancels the November elec

“The Economist” Says Schools Should Reopen Immediately

25by dianeravitch / 1d

The Economist is an influential publication based in London. It writes, as its name suggests, about world economic affairs. In its current issue, the publication makes the case that the schools must quickly reopen in order to restart the economy. The Economist contends governments across the world should open schools as soon as possible. It argues that so long as schools are closed, the achieveme

Mercedes Schneider: Why is Eva Moskowitz Laying Off Staff While Hiring New Staff?

by dianeravitch / 1d

Mercedes Schneider describes a great puzzle at Eva Moskowitz’s celebrated Success Academy charter chain. Moskowitz laid off staff, allegedly because of state budget cuts, which cost her chain $60 million. At the same time, she is hiring new staff. And the chain has $60 million in reserves. And if it is austerity time, why didn’t Eva cut her own compensation of $889,000 a year? You know, as a gest

Study: Watching Sean Hannity Contributed to Spread of Coronavirus

32by dianeravitch / 1d

A new study reported in VOX contends that viewers of the Sean Hannity program on FOX News were likely to spread the coronavirus because of his assurances that it was not dangerous. Throughout the coronavirus pandemic, media critics have warned that the decision from leading Fox News hosts to downplay the outbreak could cost lives. A new study provides statistical evidence that, in the case of Sea

Joe Biden and Elizabeth Warren: There’s No Oversight of Coronavirus Relief–Because That’s What Trump Wants

20by dianeravitch / 1d

Presumptive Democratic nominee Joe Biden and Senator Elizabeth Warren wrote this opinion piece, which appeared in McClatchy newspapers across the country, including the Miami Herald. Please open the link and read it in 

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