Sunday, March 15, 2020

CORONAVIRUS EDITION: DID YOU MISS DIANE RAVITCH'S BLOG CATCH UP NOW Diane Ravitch's blog A site to discuss better education for all

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


DID YOU MISS DIANE RAVITCH'S BLOG  CATCH UP NOW

 Diane Ravitch's blog 

 A site to discuss better education for all


TODAY

Bloomberg Aide: If GOP Attacks Hunter Biden, the Trump Children Will Be Exposed as Grifters in a “Scorched Earth” Fusillade

Tim O’Brien, who wrote a book about Donald Trump, worked on the Bloomberg campaign and is now an advisor to Bloomberg. A few days ago, he appeared on the Joy Reid show on MSNBC and warned the GOP that if they dragged Hunter Biden into the presidential campaign, they would be subject to a “scorched earth” attack on the Trump family that would expose them as grifters. He warned that Ivanka, Donald
CSPAN Book TV: My Conversation about SLAYING GOLIATH with Susan Solomon in San Francisco

When I was in San Francisco, I talked about SLAYING GOLIATH with Susan Solomon, president of United Educators of San Francisco. It was videotaped by CSPAN Book TV and has been broadcast . Now that most public gatherings have been canceled, I am happy to share this conversation with you. Please let me know what you think about the discussion. I appreciate your feedback. If you read the book and li
Erica Green Clarifies CDC Story in New York Times

Erica Green of the New York Times wrote to ask me to delete the post saying that the New York Times was wrong in reporting that the CDC recommends that schools close for eight weeks. She asked me to delete my post. My posts includes links to the CDC guidance. I recommend that everyone read the CDC guidance. She wrote me personally defending her story, and included an email to a reader as follows:
My Failed Effort to Correct Fake News about the CDC’s Advice to Schools

Something very strange happened yesterday. Some site or sites on Facebook reposted a post I wrote, saying that the CDC recommended an eight-week recess for schools. This was not my opinion. It was based on an article in the New York Times , which made this assertion in the opening of the story. My original post began: Erica Green of the New York Times writes today that the federal government has
New York: A Petition to Governor Cuomo and State Board to Close the Schools

In response to the global pandemic, New York has banned large public gatherings. But thus far, public officials have not closed the public schools, many of which gather hundreds of children and adults in close contact. A significant group of parents and educators are calling upon Governor Cuomo and the members of the state Board of Regents to close the public schools, as many other states have do

YESTERDAY

Washington State: Schools Will Close Until at Least April 27; Testing May Be Canceled

Governor Jay Inslee closed the public schools across Washington State until at least April 27. Inslee said schools must close by the end of Monday and will remain closed through at least April 24. The earliest possible date students could return to class would be April 27, Inslee said. The closures will affect more than 1.2 million students. Standardized testing will likely be suspended. That’s p
NEA, Nation’s Largest Union, Endorses Biden

The National Education Association has endorsed Joe Biden for the Democratic nomination for president. The Los Angeles Times reports: Joe Biden continued to consolidate support in his campaign for the Democratic presidential nomination today when he won the endorsement of the National Education Assn., the country’s largest labor union. With 3 million members, the union’s announcement will probabl
Washington Post: Trump is Breaking Every Rule in the CDC’s 450-page Playbook for Health Crisis

The Washington Post published this cautionary story by Carolyn Y. Johnson and William Wan about the rules for dealing with a public health crisis. Above all: Be honest. Level with the public. Let the experts lead. Have a consistent message to develop public trust. Trump has broken all the rules. Amid an outbreak where vaccines, drug treatments and even sufficient testing don’t yet exist, communic
Correction: This is What the CDC Recommends for Schools During This Time of Crisis

I earlier quoted a story in the New York Times that said the CDC recommended that schools should close for eight weeks. The story said : The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention advised schools on Friday that closings for at least eight weeks might be the most effective way to contain the coronavirus. The Education Department released school districts from a slew of testing and accountabili
Steve Hinnefeld: Now is the Time to Cancel State Testing

Steve Hinnefeld reports that Indiana’s education leadership is showing real leadership by seeking to cancel the state tests. The time to do so is now, because children and families are under stress, and schools will be closed for an undetermined number of weeks. The last thing children should have to worry about is being tested the minute they return, if school re-opens this spring. Superintenden
Center for Disease Control Recommends That Schools Close for Eight Weeks, and ED Department Waives Testing Rules

THE ARTICLE QUOTED HERE WAS INACCURATE. THE CDC DID NOT RECOMMEND CLOSING SCHOOLS FOR EIGHT WEEKS. SEE THE CDC GUIDANCE HERE . Erica Green of the New York Times writes today that the federal government has finally offered directions for schools faced with the global pandemic: WASHINGTON — The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention advised schools on Friday that closings for at least eight wee
A Controversial Interview about SLAYING GOLIATH with Larry Mantle of NPR, Southern California

This interview on KPCC-NPR in Southern California by Larry Mantle was conducted a few days ago. Mantle made it clear–at least to me–that he favors charter schools, so I was constantly asked to defend my criticism of them. I later learned that Los Angelenos know Mantle as a charter champion. One of the hypothetical questions are posed was “what would be wrong with a district that was half public s


Katherine Stewart: Trump Gives Rightwing Christian Nationalists Whatever They Want

Katherine Stewart is the author of a new book, The Power Worshippers: Inside the Dangerous Rise of Religious Nationalism. This article, which appeared as an opinion piece in the New York Times, is essential reading to understand the 


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