DID YOU MISS DIANE RAVITCH'S BLOG TODAY? 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 TODAY? 

A site to discuss better education for all

Grassroots Arkansas: An Open Letter to Superintendent Mike Poore of Little Rock

by dianeravitch / 12min

Grassroots Arkansas is a coalition of parents and civil rights activists. When reading anything about Arkansas, bear in mind that in the background is the Walton Family. They pull the strings. Grassroots Arkansas sent the following letter to Mike Poore, the state-appointed superintendent of the Little Rock School District: Mr. Poore, We realize that you have been serving the LRSD community as Sup

The Intercept: Rightwing Media Planted in Trump News Conferences

by dianeravitch / 12min

Robert Mackey of The Intercept reports that the White House plants far-right journalists in Trump’s press conferences and he makes sure to call on them. In the past, these fringe media never had White Gouse press credentials. He writes: IN AN APPARENT effort to make his daily news conferences even more like campaign events than they already are, the White House press office has been packing the b

Trump Defends QAnon Conspiracy Theorists as “People Who Love Our Country”

28by dianeravitch / 1h

Trump defended the QAnon conspiracy theorists at a news conference as “people who love our country.” President Trump on Wednesday offered encouragement to proponents of QAnon, a viral conspiracy theory that has gained a widespread following among people who believe the president is secretly battling a criminal band of sex traffickers, and suggested that its proponents were patriots upset with unr

New York: Demand Cuomo Restore School Funding!

by dianeravitch / 2h

Governor Cuomo slashed school funding across the state of New York. Other governors have found ways to protect their schools and children. Please sign the petition of the Network for Public Education Action , calling on Governor Cuomo to restore school funding. Schools cannot safely reopen with less money.

A Shameful Shortage of School Nurses

by dianeravitch / 2h

The New York Times reports today on the shameful shortage of school nurses. Students are returning to schools even when there are no trained health professionals there. The previous post described the response to the pandemic a century ago. At least in the cities, every school had a nurse and some had doctors. That was the Progressive Era. This is the Regressive Era, where schools are expected to

What Schools Did During the Spanish Flu Pandemic a Century Ago

by dianeravitch / 3h

CNN published a very good article about what happened to the schools and their students during the so-called “Spanish Flu” pandemic of 1917-18. Many schools closed. Three large urban districts stayed open because officials believed that children were better off in schools than in their crowded tenements. The striking point in the article is that the schools were well-supplied with nurses and doct

Gail Collins’ Annual Contest for the Worst Trump Cabinet Member

by dianeravitch / 4h

Gail Collins, regular columnist for the New York Times, former editor of its editorial page, conducted her annual contest for the worst member of Trump’s Cabinet. Previously, the contest was won by Betsy DeVos. This year there was a new winner. She writes: If you run into Attorney General William Barr over the weekend, be sure to congratulate him. The readers have spoken! Barr was the runaway win

My Reaction to Day 3 of the Virtual Democratic Convention

by dianeravitch / 13h

I really really like Kamala Harris. I find her warm, intelligent, thoughtful. I love her smile and her laugh. But Barack Obama blew me away. He was intense, coiled, quietly angry, and very powerful. His words were gripping. The video of his speech is not yet online. The transcript is. But if you didn’t see it, you should. In the morning, I will post the video. You have to see him. You have to se

Harold Meyerson on Day 2 of the Democratic Convention

by dianeravitch / 23h

Harold Meyerson, editor of The American Prospect and a prominent spokesman for the American left, explains here what he liked and did not like about the second day of the Democratic National (virtual) Convention. I loved Bernie Sanders’ speech on the first night. I loved the roll call on the second night. In a usual convention, the roll call is a succession of politicians making political stateme

Fred Klonsky: Mailboxes Are Disappearing Across Chicago and It Matters

by dianeravitch / 1d

Fred Klonsky says there are many reasons to worry about postal service , including delivery of medicines. Open the link and see the photograph of the discarded mailboxes. Destroying federal property is a crime, isn’t it?

Los Angeles: Vote for Scott Schmerelson and Patricia Castellanos for LAUSD School Board

34by dianeravitch / 1d

Control of the Los Angeles Unified School District is up for grabs in the 2020 election. You can be sure that the LAUSD prioritizes public schools by voting for incumbent Scott Schmerelson and newcomer Patricia Castellanos. The issue now is the same issue that has drawn a sharp divide on the school board for the past decade. Will the schools be controlled by a cabal of billionaires who favor priv

South Carolina: The Hoax of School Choice

67by dianeravitch / 1d

Jen Gibson, who lives in Charleston, writes about how school choice will drain resources from underfunded public schools while not providing access to better schools or better education: Normally this time of year, my son and I are on the hunt for new shoes and the perfect pencil pouch. This year, we are struggling with masks and stocking up on hand sanitizer. Like most parents, our family is wre

Peter Greene: Rhode Island is a Henhouse Controlled by Foxes

by dianeravitch / 1d

Peter Greene turns his attention to Rhode Island and finds that it has been subject to a corporate education reform takeover. Not only is the governor a former venture capitalist who made her reputation by taking an axe to 

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