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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

TODAY

What Public School Employees Need to Know about the CARES Law

by dianeravitch / 7min

Terri Michal is a member of the elected lard of Education in Birmingham, Alabama. She writes: I love public education employees. They are the most resourceful group of people you could ever meet. They have to be. These employees work in an atmosphere of politics and nepotism. They suffer through Legislators and administrators that create policies for them even though many of these policy makers h

William Doyle and Pasi Sahlberg: This Is What Should Change After the Pandemic

24by dianeravitch / 1h

The standards and testing cabal wants to preserve the status quo ante and double down on accountability and NCLB-style measures after the pandemic. The choice crowd wants to push their agendas subsidizing anything and everything while slashing public schools. William Doyle and Pasi Sahlberg have a different vision. They want learning to be creative and joyful. They describe their ideas on Valerie

Is Distance Learning the Wave of the Future?

60by dianeravitch / 2h

We have known for a long while that the worst scandals in the charter sector are intertwined with online learning and cyber charters. Consider the bankruptcy last year of ECOT (the Electronic Classroom of Tomorrow) in Ohio, 

YESTERDAY

Dana Milbank: When You Drown Government in a Bathtub, People Die

100+by dianeravitch / 11h

Dana Milbank, opinion writer for the Washington Post, says that the a Republican right wing finally have the helpless federal government they have longed for, and people are dying because of the government’s incompetence. Is this a polite way of saying that the Tea Party libertarians have blood on their hands? Note: there are only two areas where these people are eager and willing to lavish publi

World Bank Changes Policy on For-Profit Privatized Schools

100+by dianeravitch / 19h

Until recently, the World Bank has been a vocal supporter of for-profit privatized education such as that offered by Bridge International, which had been expanding rapidly in Africa. Thanks in large part to the work of Education International , a world confederation of teachers’ unions, the World Bank has changed its policy. In a sudden and far-reaching policy shift, World Bank President David Ma

Cleveland: Billionaire-Owned Corporation Kills Local Newspaper

84by dianeravitch / 20h

Patrick O’Donnell is one of the best education journalists in the nation. He has covered charter and cyber charter scandals in Cleveland and in Ohio without fear or favor. Ohio, as you may have noticed, is awash in charter corruption. O’Donnell worked for the Cleveland Plain-Dealer until last weekend, when the newspaper pushed out its leading journalists and told them they could cover far-flung a

Wisconsin: How the GOP Sabotaged the Primary

100+by dianeravitch / 21h

Wisconsin long ago scheduled its primaries for April 7. When the dimensions of the public health crisis became apparent, Governor Tony Evers tried to postpone the election and to encourage voting by mail. Evers’s order to postpone the election was overturned by the state court, and its ruling was sustained by the U.S. Supreme Court, voting along partisan lines. Hundreds of thousands of people wer

Watch This 5-Minute Video About the Nefarious Goal of EduBusiness

30by dianeravitch / 22h

Professor Les Perelman, who taught writing at MIT , recently was honored by the New South Wales Teachers Federation for his successful effort to stop the “robo-grading” of tests in Australia. He demonstrated how easy it was to deceive the machines grading thousands of tests in only seconds. Perelman speaks here about the importance of public education, critical thinking, and the dangers posed by

G.F. Brandenburg: Who Is Getting $2 Trillion?

43by dianeravitch / 23h

G.F. Brandenburg wonders where the $2 trillion is going. A retired math teacher, he did the numbers. If every American gets $1,200, that’s $400 billion. That’s 20%. Who gets the other 80%? Politico reported on April 8 that Trump insists that there be no oversight of the $2 trillion. Apparently he thinks it was appropriated by Congress solely for him to dispense as he wishes. WATCHMEN — As the Tru

APR 09

Update: Wall Street Journal: Trump’s Daily Briefings Are a Waste of Time

59by dianeravitch / 1d

Read the new ending to this post. Trump tweeted a response. The Wall Street Journal offered some useful advice to Trump. Given his ego and vanity, he is unlikely to heed the editorial, even though it comes from his cheering section. His narcissism shields him from any criticism. He thinks that his base loves his attacks on the press. It is always surprising to see any member of the press defend t

For-Profit Colleges, Under Investigation, May Collect $1 Billion in Federal Bailout Money

100+by dianeravitch / 1d

The $2 trillion appropriated by Congress as coronavirus relief funds will benefit for-profit colleges with poor records, according to Marketwatch. They are likely to collect $1 billion. DeVos has been an investor in for-profit colleges, so don’t expect her to care. Democratic Senators have complained to DeVos but got no response this far., Dozens of for-profit colleges that are among those most l

Los Angeles: The New Reality: Overwhelmed. Isolated. Unfocused. Very Stressed.

31by dianeravitch / 1d

While enthusiasts for online learning predict a boom after the pandemic, as students and teachers get used to learning at home online, the reality is different on the ground. Stress, loneliness, and boredom are typical reactions. A team of reporters in Los Angeles reports on student reactions to the loss of face-to-face instruction. A senior at John C. Fremont High School in South L.A., Emilio He

Finland Has a Full Stockpile of Emergency Supplies

31by dianeravitch / 1d

Among the nations of the world, only one is fully prepared for an emergency like the current pandemic: Finland. While the rest of us have lived like grasshoppers, not worrying about possible disasters, the Finns are like ants: storing what is needed for whatever might happen. They long ago decided not to be dependent on the global supply chain for essential equipment. The New York Times published

A Protest Against Distance Learning

200+by dianeravitch / 1d

Parents, educators, and community activists in San Francisco formed an organization to protest the inequities in over reliance on distance learning. They call themselves StrikeReadySF. This is their manifesto.

APR 08

Save IDEA! Sign This Petition to Betsy DeVos!

100+by dianeravitch / 2d

Concerned parents and educators have created an online petition to Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos. They are afraid that she will use this period of national crisis to reduce the rights of students with disabilities. Please read their petition, and if you agree with them, please add your name. Letter to the Department of Education

Outrage: Charters Pursue Federal Small Business Funds

200+by dianeravitch / 2d

Are charters public schools or are they businesses? The charter lobby wants a slice of the $2 trillion intended to save small businesses even though the charters have suffered no loss of funding during the pandemic. Many businesses are nearly bankrupt. This money was meant for them, not charters and their lobbyists. Please sign this petition to Congress.

John Thompson: Beware the Virtual Charter Scam!

60by dianeravitch / 2d

John Thompson writes here about yet another virtual charter scam, this one in Oklahoma. He writes: After years of failing to regulate charters, especially online and for-profit charters, Oklahoma is just one state that illustrates how hard it is to catch up and hold virtual schools accountable for either education outcomes or financial transactions. In July 2019, according to an Oklahoma State Bu

Tom Ultican: Two Books You Will Enjoy Reading

by dianeravitch / 2d

In this post, Tom Ultican reviews two recent books . One is Mercedes Schneider’s guide to sleuthing through online records and following the money. It is called A Practical Guide to Digital Research: Getting the Facts and Rejecting the Lies. Schneider is an expert at “following the money,” and she reveals the secrets of her craft in this book. The book grew out of a presentation that Schneider ga

How a Country Doctor Became a Rightwing Star

34by dianeravitch / 2d

In the age of the Internet, news travels fast. The story below explains how a doctor in an ultra-Orthodox Jewish community in New York State developed a drug cocktail that has been endorsed by Trump and even the president of Brazil. Last month, residents of Kiryas Joel, a New York village of 35,000 Hasidic Jews roughly an hour’s drive from Manhattan, began hearing about a promising treatment for

Two Views on After The Pandemic: What Happens in Schools?

89by dianeravitch / 2d

Here are two contrasting views about what happens when (if?) children return to school in the fall. In an article in the Washington Post , Mike Petrilli, president of the rightwing Thomas B. Fordham Institute, proposes that all students be held back a grade to make up for the ground they lost when schools closed in March. He also suggests that this is a good time to embrace distance learning. Jan

APR 07

Trump Fires Inspector General in Charge of $2 Trillion Relief Fund

75by dianeravitch / 3d

You may have heard the news today that Trump fired the independent Inspector General in charge of monitoring the $2 trillion coronavirus relief fund. I want to explain why this is a Very Big Deal. When I worked in the Department of Education many years ago, I learned that the I.G. was nonpartisan and was respected and revered. As a political appointee, you knew that the I.G. was in charge of moni

Tennessee: Parents and Civil Rights Groups Sue to Block Vouchers

32by dianeravitch / 3d

PLAINTIFFS ASK TENNESSEE COURT TO HALT UNCONSTITUTIONAL VOUCHER PROGRAM FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACTS: Ashley Levett, SPLC, ashley.levett@splcenter.org / 334-296-0084 Sharon Krengel, ELC, skrengel@edlawcenter.org / 973-624-1815, x 24 Lindsay Kee, ACLU-TN, communications@aclu-tn.org / 615-320-7142 Christopher Wood, Robbins Geller, cwood@rgrdlaw.com / 615- 244-2203 TENNESSEE – Parents and communit

The Lost Month: A Failure to Act, a Failure to Test

by dianeravitch / 3d

The New York Times published an insightful and informative analysis of the federal government’s failure to act, as the threat of the coronavirus became clear at the start of 2020. It’s an absorbing story of bureaucratic delays, missed signals, a lack of urgency, a failure of planning and communication, and a failure to mobilize the nation in time to save thousands of lives. It’s a long read but w

The Lost Two Months: The Failure of the Trump Administration to Protect Americans Against the Pandemic

by dianeravitch / 3d

The Washington Post published the following story on April 4. It is a story of an administration that ignored warnings and then misled the American people about the seriousness of the pandemic that was about to cause massive misery and loss of life to our nation. It was reported by Yasmeen Abutaleb, Josh Dawsey, Ellen Nakashima and Greg Miller. Journalism is often called “the first draft of histo

Wendy Lecker: What We Learned About Public Schools During the Pandemic

100+by dianeravitch / 3d

Civil rights attorney Wendy Lecker writes a regular column in the Stamford (CT) Advocate. In this post , she points out that the pandemic has demonstrated how important public schools are in their communities. As states closed public school systems, the nation at large saw the wide range of necessary services schools provide to students in addition to instruction. Public schools, serving 50 milli

Paul Waldman: The Time to Reform Healthcare Is Now

by dianeravitch / 3d

Paul Waldman, an opinion writer for the Washington Post, writes here that the coronavirus pandemic has made reform of healthcare an urgent matter . Millions of people have been laid off, losing the health insurance provided by their employers. He predicts that access to health insurance will be a major issue in the November election because Trump’s war on Obamacare has stripped millions of their

APR 06

New York: Regents’ Exams Canceled This Year

25by dianeravitch / 4d

At a meeting of the New York State Board of Regents, Chancellor Betty Rosa announces that the Regents exams required for high school graduation will be canceled this year. This is a wise decision. The exams cannot be given in person. If delivered online, there is no way to know who is taking the exam. The next year should be a time to rethink the current policy of requiring all students to take t

Trump Uses His Bully Pulpit to Tout Unproven Drug

32by dianeravitch / 4d

The New York Times reported that Trump again advocated for a treatment for COVID-19 and silenced his chief medical adviser, Dr.Anthony Fauci, who does not agree with him. Other physicians warn that the side effects of the drug recommended by Trump could be dangerous. The Washington Post reported that Rudy Guiliani has advised Trump about the drug that he touts. The Washington Post writes: In one-

Missouri: Professor of Economics Renounces Award to Protest Donor Influence

by dianeravitch / 4d

This is a message from UnkochMyCampus, an organization dedicated to stopping the nefarious influence of the super-rich on campuses, starting with the Koch family. In this case, the contribution to a Missouri university came from billionaire Rex Sinquefield, a rightwing libertarian extremist. Mr. Sinquefield is a strong supporters of charter schools and vouchers. Please consider signing the letter

Esquire: This Is Not the Time for Ignorant Leaders

39by dianeravitch / 4d

This insightful article in Esquire is m ostly about Governor Brian Kemp of Georgia, the guy who was in charge of the election (as Secretary of State) in which he beat Stacey Abrams and refused to step aside to let a nonpartisan person do it. His platform was pro-gun and anti-immigrant. Kemp belatedly figured out that people who exhibit no symptoms of COVID-19 can transmit the disease. Jack Holmes

“The Prom Will Not Be Webcast”

45by dianeravitch / 4d

Eighteen years ago, a far-sighted teacher in Los Angeles presciently warned that distance learning would never be an adequate substitute for human interaction between teachers and students. Alan Warhaftig retired as a teacher in 2017. Education Week gave him permission to repost this article ,and he in turn gave me permission to post it. Educators may be pillars of the community, but their discou

After the Pandemic: My Hopes for the Future of Schooling

by dianeravitch / 4d

Maureen Downey of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution interviewed me about my thoughts about what might happen after the nightmare pandemic that has changed our lives. Would more parents decide to homeschool their children? Would distance learning replace the school as we have known it? Would policy makers take a new view of standardized testing? Here are my answers .

APR 05

Max Boot: The Worst President. Ever.

100+by dianeravitch / 5d

Max Boot writes in the Washington Post. In this article , he says that people always thought that James Buchanan was the worst president because of his failure to prevent the Civil War, the most deadly conflict in American history. But he now believes Trump has edged out Buchanan for the dubious title of The Worst President Ever. By the way, the Queen of England gave a lovely speech yesterday , t

Some Musicals and Theatrical Productions You Can Stream for Free

by dianeravitch / 5d

Thanks to our reader Dienne for suggesting this list of musical and theatrical productions that are streaming for free. One of them “Jesus Christ Superstar” is already unavailable, so make a note to catch the ones that are still streaming.

Andrea Gabor: Online Learning Encounters Obstacles

23by dianeravitch / 5d

Veteran journalist Andrea Gabor writes that students and schools are not ready for the sudden transition to online learning. Gabor writes: Online instruction has arrived overnight in U.S. schools. And nobody’s ready for it. The problem isn’t just that school systems shuttered by the coronavirus pandemic suddenly face the huge challenge of improvising home-schooling routines on an unimagined scale

Warning: “The Next Two Weeks Will Be a Combination of Pearl Harbor and 9/11”

by dianeravitch / 5d

Politico reports: G’MORNING. THE PUBLIC HEALTH EXPERTS in the administration have taken their dire warnings about the coronavirus to a new level. They’ve started comparing the next two weeks to a widespread Sept. 11 or Pearl Harbor, and they’re warning against even going to the grocery store to get food and provisions. — DR. DEBORAH BIRX, in yesterday’s briefing: “So the next two weeks are extrao

Jeanette Deutermann: A Message to Parents and Teachers: EMPATHY!

100+by dianeravitch / 5d

Jeanette Deutermann is the parent on Long Island in New York who launched “Long Island Opt Out.” It is now part of NYSAPE, New York State Parents and Educators, which has led the successful opt out movement. She read some angry posts on Facebook, with blame as the common factor. And she wrote this plea on her Facebook page, which has been widely shared: All of our Facebook feeds are filled with p

The Best Video You Will See About the Global Shutdown! (Video restored!)

by dianeravitch / 5d

I have seen many home-made videos about the COVID-19 shutdown of large parts of society, but this one is the absolute best so far! It’s a British family, Ben and Danielle Marsh and their four children, who live in Kent. They sing “One Day More” from “Les Miserables,” and they are hilarious! I loved it! Thanks to Bob Shepherd for supplying a link that works.

Joy Hakim: Online Lessons by a Storyteller

63by dianeravitch / 5d

Joy Hakim wrote a successful American history book titled A History of Us , which was pUblished by Oxford University Press, not the big textbook corporations, because it was written as factual stories, not by a checklist. She also wrote The Story of Science , which was published by the Smithsonian, for the same reason. When you read her books and compare them to the lifeless textbooks that studen

APR 04

Wonderful News! Bill Gates Will Fund Factories To Produce Vaccines!

90by dianeravitch / 6d

Bill Gates went on Trevor Noah’s “The Faily Show” to announce that he would fund the building of several factories to produce vaccines for the coronavirus. He expects that only two will be successful, which means he will “waste” a few billion dollars. But since he is worth about $110 billion, this is no big loss. This is great news, given the incompetence of the Trump administration, which expect

Valerie Strauss on the Shutdown of Zoom Because of “Zoombombing”

52by dianeravitch / 6d

Valerie Strauss writes here about a growing exodus from the Zoom platform , which benefits Microsoft’s Teams. She writes: Some school districts around the country have started to ban the use of Zoom for online learning from home during the coronavirus crisis because of growing concerns about security, and others are reassessing how and whether to use the teleconferencing platform. Days after the

New York City Department of Education Forbids Use of ZOOM Due to Concerns about Privacy, Security

500+by dianeravitch / 6d

Many teachers are using the ZOOM videoconferencing tool for their online classes, but there have been numerous complaints about ZOOM classes being hacked, and intruders interfering with the class or expressing inappropriate comments. Consequently, the New York City Department of Education is forbidding teachers from using ZOOM. New York City has banned the video conferencing platform Zoom in city

New York City Offers Free Meals to All During Crisis

45by dianeravitch / 6d

What began as “Grab and Go” locations to feed students has turned into free meal dispensaries for all who are in need of food. The city Department of Education’s 435 meal hubs for children will be expanded to serve adult New Yorkers with grab-and-go meals, meaning anyone in need of food can access it at one of the locations. Children and families can pick up meals 7:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. Adults with

Paul Thomas: Two Cases of “Epistemic Trespassing”

by dianeravitch / 6d

Paul Thomas of Furman University describes two examples of “epistemic trespassing”: Ruby Payne’s theories about poverty and the current advocacy for “the science of reading.” Epistemic trespassing occurs when a narrative is driven by people who are not experts in their field.

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

300+by dianeravitch / 6d

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

5Kby dianeravitch / 6d

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

APR 03

Experts Question Validity of Trump’s Estimate of Virus Deaths

by dianeravitch / 7d

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

47by dianeravitch / 7d

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 / 7d

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!

5Kby dianeravitch / 7d

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 / 7d

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 / 7d

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 

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