Trump’s Bizarre Usage of the Term “Enemy of the People” | Diane Ravitch's blog

Trump’s Bizarre Usage of the Term “Enemy of the People” | Diane Ravitch's blog:

Trump’s Bizarre Usage of the Term “Enemy of the People”

Trump has embraced terminology that has long been stigmatized.

In his Inaugural Address, he boomed out his endorsement of “America First!” Did he know the historical use of that phrase? Did he know that it was used by isolationists in the late 1930s who wanted America to stay out of the war beginning in Europe? Did he know of its association with isolationism and anti-Semitism? Did Steve Bannon and Stephen Miller, who allegedly wrote the speech, know?

Now he refers to the free press as “an enemy of the people.” Journalists who criticize him are vendors of “fake news” and thus “enemies of the people.” The New York Times says the phrase was frequently used by Stalin to demonized opponents as “enemies of the people.”

“The phrase was too toxic even for Nikita Khrushchev, a war-hardened veteran communist not known for squeamishness. As leader of the Soviet Union, he demanded an end to the use of the term “enemy of the people” because “it eliminated the possibility of any kind of ideological fight.”

“The formula ‘enemy of the people,’” Mr. Khrushchev told the Soviet Communist Party in a 1956 speech denouncing Stalin’s cult of personality, “was specifically introduced for the purpose of physically annihilating such individuals” who disagreed with the supreme leader.

“It is difficult to know if President Trump is aware of the historic resonance of the term, a label generally associated with despotic communist governments rather than democracies. But his decision to unleash the terminology has left some historians scratching their heads. Why would the elected leader of a democratic nation embrace a label that, after the death of Stalin, even the Soviet Union found to be too freighted with sinister connotations?”

Does Trump know that he is echoing the terminology of Stalin? Has anyone told him?Trump’s Bizarre Usage of the Term “Enemy of the People” | Diane Ravitch's blog:

How to Flip the States to Preserve Progressive Values

by dianeravitch / 20min

There is a little-known group called “the Flippables ,” created by smart young people to focus energy on state and local political races. They identify crucial down-ballot races and help the candidates that represent liberal, progressive values.. Over the past dozen years, Tea Party Republicans have concentrated on gaining control at the state and local levels. They have knocked out moderate Repu

One of the Bravest Letters I Have Ever Read: From A Mother to Ivanka Trump

6by dianeravitch / 1h

I know the family of the writer of this letter, Isabel Rose. Her family is one of the most prominent and philanthropic families in New York City. The Rose family endowed major gifts to the New York Public Library, the Planetarium at the Museum of Natural History, Lincoln Center, the Metropolitan Museum, and many other major cultural institutions. She wrote a public letter to Ivanka Trump , from o

Mitchell Robinson: Some Advice for Betsy DeVos

7by dianeravitch / 2h

Mitchell Robinson, a professor of music education, realizes that DeVos has been off to a rocky start. He has some advice to help her improve on the job. First he tries to explain that professors and teachers don’t tell their students what to think, they try to teach them how to think. And he feels her pain. Betsy, it looks like you’ve had a busy first week on the job, and aren’t letting your comp

YESTERDAY

Trump’s Bizarre Usage of the Term “Enemy of the People”

53by dianeravitch / 15h

Trump has embraced terminology that has long been stigmatized. In his Inaugural Address, he boomed out his endorsement of “America First!” Did he know the historical use of that phrase? Did he know that it was used by isolationists in the late 1930s who wanted America to stay out of the war beginning in Europe? Did he know of its association with isolationism and anti-Semitism? Did Steve Bannon a

SomeDAM Poet: How to Spell DeVos

5by dianeravitch / 21h

When the Trump administration put out the news that DeVos and Sessions disagreed on protecting the rights of transgender students, some were skeptical in light of the well-known DeVos family history of finding anti-LGBT organizations. The blog poet wrote: “DeV[i]o[u]s” It really is quite devious Omitting “I” and “u” It’s absolutely mischievous DeVos knows what to do

Peter Greene: Betsy Drew the Wrong Lesson from the Failure of Obama and Duncan

15by dianeravitch / 22h

Peter Greene read Betsy DeVos’s speech to CPAC and realized that she totally misunderstood why Obama and Duncan’s reforms failed. It wasn’t because they spent money. It was because they spent money on bad ideas. Now she proposes to spend money on vouchers, which have failed miserably, and on charters, which Obama and Duncan promoted. What is new about her approach? She is candid: she wants to des

A Joint Statement by the Directors of the Foreign Films Nominated for Oscars

97by dianeravitch / 22h

Trump’s Cabinet of Billionaires: He Hoaxed Working People

20by dianeravitch / 23h

This report from the Hedgeclippers details Trump’s big hoax, his pretense of being a populist who would fight for the little guy against Wall Street and bring down the elite. The joke’s on us. All the elites he railed against are running the country. Drain the swamp? He expanded it! Another joke.

Carol Burris: How Charter Schools Use Money and Political Clout to Take Over Public Schools

45by dianeravitch / 1d

Carol Burris writes here about the struggle between the parents of the John Wister Elementary School in Philadelphia and the rich, powerful Mastery Charter Chain, which longed to take control of Wister. Philadelphia has been under the control of a “School Reform Commission” since 2001 ; three of its five members are controlled by the governor. Its superintendent is a graduate of the unaccredited

Betsy DeVos, Religious Extremist: Watch This Video Before It is Deleted

200+by dianeravitch / 1d

Betsy and Dick DeVos funded the Student Statesmanship Institute in Michigan, which literally indoctrinates young students into what it considers a “Biblical world view.” This video lasts for several minutes. Don’t stop watching at pauses. It is likely to be deleted soon. Save it if you can. Listen to the leader praise Lenin, Hitler, and Stalin for their ability to brainwash the young. Watch the s

Milwaukee: The Failed Promise of Vouchers

76by dianeravitch / 1d

Milwaukee has had vouchers since 1990. The program was expanded to include religious schools in 1998. Voucher advocates, led by former superintendent Howard Fuller, insisted that school choice was the best way to raise the woeful 

Senate Democrats Question Role of DeVos Advisory Group - Higher Education

Senate Democrats Question Role of DeVos Advisory Group - Higher Education:

Senate Democrats Question Role of DeVos Advisory Group

by Jamaal Abdul-Alim

WASHINGTON — A new task force that will reportedly advise the U.S. Department of Education on issues of higher education could be “very problematic” if it seeks to weaken federal regulations meant to protect students, Senate Democrats say in a letter sent to U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos.

Liberty University President Jerry Falwell Jr., expected to head the task force, has suggested there is “overreaching regulation” in higher education.

The letter asks DeVos to clarify how the task force — reportedly to be headed by Liberty University President Jerry Falwell Jr. — will advise the department on issues of higher education. It also raises questions about whether the Trump administration plans to scrap regulations in areas such as accreditation, recruitment of students and rules that give defrauded borrowers a way to discharge their loans.

“Many of the current laws and regulations in these areas have been put in place to protect students and taxpayers from abuse,” the letter states, “and it would be very problematic if a task force were formed to weaken or consider changes to any of these rules unless the goal was helping students and borrowers.”

The letter also stresses the need for the task force to be diverse.

“Unless the task force is comprised of members from diverse backgrounds and perspectives, including students and consumer advocates, we are concerned about conflicts of interests that may be created by taxpayer-subsidized entities writing the rules for their own access to federal dollars,” the letter states.

Dr. Michelle Asha Cooper, president of the Institute for Higher Education Policy, also cited the need for more information about the task force.

Related:  Free Speech Suit Targets Student Code at Ohio University

“For decades, higher education policymaking has been informed by a multiplicity of perspectives and a new task force may very well continue this important tradition,” Cooper said in a statement to Diverse.

“But the specific role of a new task force must be purposeful and transparent, not undefined or imprecise,” Cooper’s statement said. “This task force must demonstrate an unwavering commitment to quality outcomes and making higher education accessible and affordable for all Americans.

“I, too, look forward to learning more about the role of this group.”

Diverse reached out to the Department of Education on Friday for comment but did not get a response. A spokesperson for Falwell said on Friday that Falwell was traveling and would not be available until this week.

The letter — signed by Democratic U.S. Sens. Patty Murray of Washington, Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts, Richard Senate Democrats Question Role of DeVos Advisory Group - Higher Education:

Education publisher Pearson reports biggest loss in its history | Business | The Guardian

Education publisher Pearson reports biggest loss in its history | Business | The Guardian:
Education publisher Pearson reports biggest loss in its history
Pre-tax losses soar to £2.6bn as group – planning to sell its Penguin Random House stake – is hit by slump in US textbook sales

Pearson has reported a pre-tax loss of £2.6bn for 2016, the biggest in its history, after a slump at its US education operation.

The world’s largest education publisher, which in January saw almost £2bn wiped from its stock market value after issuing its fifth profit warning in two years, reported the record loss after taking a £2.55bn non-cash charge for “impairment of goodwill reflecting trading pressures” in its North American businesses.

A spokesman said the charge related mainly to historic acquisitions of Simon & Schuster Education and National Computer Systems, purchased in 1998 and 2000 respectively, as a “necessary consequence” of the lower profit expectations announced last month.

In January, the company slashed its profit forecast for this year by £180m and scrapped its target of £800m for next year. It also announced that it planned to sell its stake in the world’s largest book publisher, Penguin Random House, to strengthen its balance sheet. 

The profit warning was prompted by the collapse of its US higher education business, which is struggling with a decline in textbook sales and the transition to digital learning. The US business accounts for two-thirds of Pearson’s revenues and profits.

The news earlier this year led to Pearson’s biggest ever one-day share price fall and prompted speculation that John Fallon, the chief executive, may be forced out of the company.

“I am a shareholder and I share the frustration of all shareholders,” said Fallon, when asked whether he should continue to lead the company. “My conversations with the chairman and the board are all about ensuring we lead Pearson through this transition as quick as possible. My job is to get on and stay very focused.”

On Friday, Pearson said that after stripping out the multibillion-dollar impairment charge adjusted operating profits were down by 21% to £635m. Revenues fell by 8% to £4.5bn.

The company has advised that operating profits would be £570m-£630m in 2017 and that it was “rebasing” its dividend policy.

Fallon said: “2016 was a challenging year for Pearson, but we remain the global leader in education, with a strong market position. Education like every other sector and sphere of life is going through this digital transformation. There is going to be a big winner in the transformation in education. We are absolutely determined to make Pearson that winner.”

The company said it was looking to sell its English test preparation business in China, Global Education, which it acquired in 2011 for $155m (£123m), and to Education publisher Pearson reports biggest loss in its history | Business | The Guardian:

Now is the time for Connecticut to conduct an Education Cost Adequacy Study - Wait What?

Now is the time for Connecticut to conduct an Education Cost Adequacy Study - Wait What?:

Now is the time for Connecticut to conduct an Education Cost Adequacy Study

In testimony before the General Assembly’s Appropriations Committee last week, the Connecticut Coalition for Justice in Education Funding [CCJEF] presented the rationale behind Connecticut conducting an Education Adequacy Cost Study in order to determine the level of resources that are really needed to ensure that every child has access to their constitutionally guaranteed right to a quality education.

CCJEF explained;

For too long Connecticut has developed education funding policy backwards and without hard data. For too long our State has let budget politics, special interests and perceived fiscal “realities” determine how much to spend on K-12 public education. State government time and time again has backed into an education funding amount and then corrupted the Education Cost Sharing (ECS) formula and other funding programs to deliver an agreed upon spending amount.

An Education Adequacy Cost Study is the necessary prerequisite to developing a new, rational and constitutional education finance system in Connecticut. Unlike the arbitrary, budget driven efforts of the past and present, an Education Adequacy Cost Study would provide hard, real-world data on student needs and what resources are necessary to meet our state constitutional responsibility to deliver an adequate and equitable educational opportunity for every K-12 public school student in our state.

CCJEF added;Now is the time for Connecticut to conduct an Education Cost Adequacy Study - Wait What?:

Still Waiting for a Transgender Superman by Jonathan Glater -Education Law Prof Blog

Education Law Prof Blog:

Still Waiting for a Transgender Superman by Jonathan Glater

Now that the Trump Administration has explicitly disavowed guidance to schools on treatment of transgender students, it is worthwhile to revisit exactly what lawyers for the Justice Department and the Education Department wrote way, way back, last May, in a now-distant era.

Last year’s guidance – which is accessible on the Web site of the Education Department – addressed the meaning of the nondiscrimination language contained in Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, 20 U.S.C. §1681 et seq.  The law states:

No person in the United States shall, on the basis of sex, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any education program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance.

This kind of nondiscrimination language in other contexts, most notably employment, has been interpreted by courts as prohibiting differential treatment based on gender identity.  (The law includes several exceptions for specific institutions and organizations, like the Boy Scouts.)

If the prohibition has this same meaning in education, then it bars schools, colleges and universities receiving federal money from treating transgender students and other students of the same gender identity differently.  For example, to require a transgender student to use a locker room, rest room, or other school facility designated for use by students of a different gender identity would run afoul of Title IX. 

Now, I mentioned that courts have found gender identity-based discrimination to constitute sex discrimination “in other contexts,” and that is because the cases cited by the two departments in the guidance did not involve Title IX – with one exception.  As discussed in more detail earlier in another post, the Supreme Court will hear oral argument next month in Gloucester County School Board v. G.G., and that case is the exception.

Gloucester County does not directly or expressly raise the question of the meaning of the nondiscrimination language in Title IX, although the Court could resolve that issue for practical purposes.  Rather, the Court ostensibly Education Law Prof Blog:

Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: WEEKEND QUOTABLES

Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: WEEKEND QUOTABLES:

WEEKEND QUOTABLES

Muhammad Ali vs. Ernie Terrell in 1967. "What's my name...?"

Dave Zirin

  Government agents had the temerity to ask Muhammad Ali, Jr., where he “got his name from.” In my dreams, he answers that question with a left hook. -- The Nation

William Owens, father of commando killed in Yemen raid

 “I’m sorry; I don’t want to see him... I told them I don’t want to meet the president. I told them I didn’t want to make a scene about it, but my conscience wouldn’t let me talk to him... Why at this time did there have to be this stupid mission when it wasn’t even barely a week into his administration? Why?” -- N.Y. Times

Keith Ellison

 “We don’t have the luxury to walk out of this room divided." -- Washington Post

Bernie Sanders

 Sanders, who had supported Ellison, said in a statement that it was “imperative that Tom understands that the same-old, same-old is not working and that we must open the doors of the party to working people and young people in a way that has never been done before.” -- Washington Post

Jimmy Kimmel

...skewered Donald Trump and the Academy’s record on diversity in his opening monologue for the Oscars, thanking the president and saying: “Remember last year when it seemed like the Oscars was racist?” -- Guardian

Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: WEEKEND QUOTABLES:

Many Predict Trump-DeVos Will Privatize with Tuition Tax Credits, Not Plain Old Vouchers | janresseger

Many Predict Trump-DeVos Will Privatize with Tuition Tax Credits, Not Plain Old Vouchers | janresseger:

Many Predict Trump-DeVos Will Privatize with Tuition Tax Credits, Not Plain Old Vouchers

Everyone is wondering exactly how President Donald Trump’s and Secretary of Education, Betsy DeVos’s plans for expanding privatization of public education will play out. Two upcoming events may provide more details.  It has been predicted that the President will lay out his priorities when he releases his budget proposal in mid-March. Even before that, however, in a major address tomorrow to a joint session of Congress, he has said he’ll outline his policy priorities. Here is Politico commenting on what is expected from tomorrow’s address: “White House officials said that after a first month driven almost entirely by policies they could enact unilaterally, the joint congressional address will focus on work the White House wants done on Capitol Hill during the rest of 2017.”

The President and his education secretary have said they will expand the privatization of education but how that will happen isn’t yet clear. One member of the House of Representatives has already introduced a bill to eliminate the federal education law, the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (now called the Every Student Succeeds Act) entirely and redirect the money now spent on Title I, ESEA’s primary program, to a school choice expansion. Others predict that Trump and DeVos will expand the one existing federal voucher program in Washington, D.C.

Some have suggested that Trump will convince Congress to go back to tinker with ESSA and pass a program Lamar Alexander and other conservatives endorsed back in 2015, Title I Portability—the idea that each poor child would be able to carry a designated amount of extra money to any public school that child chose to attend. Title I Portability was never broadly endorsed in Congress, however, because it would defeat the primary purpose of Title I, which was designed to address concentrations of poverty in particular school districts.  Schools educating concentrations of children whose families are extremely poor face an overwhelming set of challenges.  In its excellent (2010) book, Organizing Schools for Improvement, the Consortium on Chicago School Research documented the challenges for Many Predict Trump-DeVos Will Privatize with Tuition Tax Credits, Not Plain Old Vouchers | janresseger:

The Illusion of School Choice

The Illusion of School Choice:

The Illusion of School Choice

ASB funds can never be used to loan money to any group or individual”

– GHCHS’ ASB Handbook

As quoted by the LAUSD Charter School Division

Although parents were never notified, the LAUSD’s Charter School Division (CSD) issued a Notice to Cure to Granada Hills Charter High School (GHCHS) on September 21, 2016. This notice that specified “Immediate Action Required” was issued as a direct result of my investigation that found that the charter’s administration was improperly using “funds of a student body organization” for their payroll obligations. These funds were raised by the student body, are owned by the students of the school and are required to be under the direct control of the Associated Student Body (ASB) council. The law specifically prohibits these funds from being used to pay for items, like payroll, that are supposed to be paid for by the school.

As part of the Notice to Cure, it was recommended that GHCHS establish new fiscal procedures “to ensure that future payroll obligations are met without borrowing from the ASB account.” While the deadline given for this action was October 5, 2016, the Governing Board violated its charter which states that it “will meet monthly” by skipping its September meeting. However, when the Governing Board finally convened on October 17, 2016, the minutes show that “new processes and procedures” were finally implemented without mentioning the Notice to Cure.

This was not the only Notice to Cure issued to GHCHS during the last year. On June 22, 2016, The CSD found that the school was violating California Ed Code section 47695(d)(10) that specifies that “an existing public school converting to a charter school shall adopt and maintain a policy giving admission preference to pupils who reside within the former attendance areas of the public school”. Instead, it was “unilaterally” assigning students to its iGranada virtual program and “excluding them from the main campus.” While parents who had filed complaints The Illusion of School Choice:

Price Tag for Trump Voucher Program Publicized March 13th? | deutsch29

Price Tag for Trump Voucher Program Publicized March 13th? | deutsch29:

Price Tag for Trump Voucher Program Publicized March 13th?

When Donald Trump announced that his $20 billion “plan to provide school choice to every disadvantaged student in America” on September 08, 2016, at an Ohio charter school itself having low grades by the state’s standards, he did not offer details regarding where, exactly, the $20 billion would come from or even how he arrived at that figure.

However, according to the February, 22, 20117, Associated Press (AP), the Trump administration is planning to submit its budget plan to Congress on March 13, 2017.

The degree of detail in that plan remains to be seen, including how Trump’s voucher plan will be financed; whether the dollar amount will be $20 billion, and the number of years associated with such an amount.

As AP reports, Congress already expects Trump budget details to be sketchy:

GOP aides say the plan is due on March 14. They’re expecting Trump’s blueprint to contain fewer details than is typical since it’s a new administration and Office of Management and Budget Director Mick Mulvaney was only confirmed last week.

Even so, it seems that the DC voucher program– the only federally funded voucher program– is offering a definite “yes” regarding expansion of the program, as Washington Post reporter Emma Brown reports on February 24, 2017:

Kevin Mills, manager of family and community affairs for Serving Our Children, said in a telephone interview that the organization is expecting to expand because of new federal resources. He declined to say how much additional money the organization is expecting to receive, saying that they won’t have a firm number for another week or two.

Meanwhile, US ed sec Betsy DeVos has made it clear that she plans to continue to pitch voucher superiority as she continued campaigning for vouchers in her February 23, 2017, speech at the Conservative Political Action Committee (CPAC) convention using the worn-out reformer call to defy both “zip code” and “status quo.” An excerpt:

Let me ask you: Do you believe parents should be able to choose the best 

Price Tag for Trump Voucher Program Publicized March 13th? | deutsch29:

Seattle Schools Community Forum: Charters Schools: Starting a Downward Trend

Seattle Schools Community Forum: Charters Schools: Starting a Downward Trend:

Charters Schools: Starting a Downward Trend

Watching the charter school movement in the U.S. has certainly been both intriguing and discouraging.

I don't think anyone could have been against charters as they were originated - one or two classrooms in an existing school that were little hotbeds of innovation.  Successes would be sent out to other classrooms and schools and failures duly noted with lessons learned.

But that is not how it has played out.  What is the honest truth about charter schools looks like this:

• Most of them perform about the same as any given public school, meaning, no better/no worse.

• The top ones perform very well especially with at-risk kids.  However, some of that performance comes at a cost.  One issue is schools like KIPP are very segregated and use strict discipline (to the point where kids walk in a line from class to class with no talking...ever).  Another issue with high-performing charter schools is the issue of transportation.  Some are able - at a very high cost - to provide transportation but those that don't then find their population skewed to those who can get transportation to the school.  I recall from my visit to Preuss High in San Diego - a top charter school in the country - that they were open to students across San Diego and the costs of transport were becoming a problem.

• The terrible charters tend to be the ones who close up shop in the middle of the night, leaving parents and districts scrambling.  There continues to be a charter school scandal over money nearly Seattle Schools Community Forum: Charters Schools: Starting a Downward Trend:

Badass Teachers Association: One NJ Teacher's Response to DeVos' Criticism That We Are Brainwashing Children

Badass Teachers Association: One NJ Teacher's Response to DeVos' Criticism That We Are Brainwashing Children:

One NJ Teacher's Response to DeVos' Criticism That We Are Brainwashing Children

Dear former students, 

I would like to take this time to formally apologize for brainwashing all of you. I apologize for the teaching of Walt Whitman who said to "filter" from all what you have learned; I apologize for teaching Thoreau who believed in the majority of one; I apologize for Emerson and his belief in the interconnectedness of all life; I apologize for Ben Franklin and fellow skeptics. 

I apologize for the viewpoints of many women, Edith Wharton, Kate Chopin, Emily Dickinson, Alice Walker. I apologize for understanding the plights of African Americans in such plays as Fences and Raisin in the Sun; for reading Cicero, Lincoln, Martin Luther King, Plato, Jefferson, and Paine - writers who dared to question authority. For this, I'm truly sorry. 

I apologize for allowing such works as The Great Gatsby to question the hallowed state of The American Dream. I apologize for teaching the true story of Pocahontas. I apologize for Hemingway's bottle, Faulkner's Emily, and Path's suicide. 

I apologize for assigning the essays and the poems and the stories and the recitals. I also want to apologize to my journalism students who sought out facts and the truth and the stories of the marginalized and voiceless Badass Teachers Association: One NJ Teacher's Response to DeVos' Criticism That We Are Brainwashing Children: