Professor Diane Ravitch — Monica Ratliff for Los Angeles School Board There is a big race in Los Angeles on May 21. It is a run-off that will determine who controls the board. There are two candidates. One–Monica Ratliff–is a working classroom teacher, the other worked on the staff of corporate-friendly Mayor Villaraigosa and has […]
Recently, a debate between Diane Ravitch and Patrick Wolf highlights how the dogmatic scholar looks today. Mercedes Schneider examines that debate by first addressing Wolf’s credentials, Endowed Chair in School Choice, Education Reform, University of Arkansas. Both Schneider and Ravitch raise concerns about the conflict of interests when a scholar holds a chair in a department that is heavily funded […]
From the Answer Sheet Valerie Strauss Key education activists protesting in D.C. next week Education activists opposed to corporate-based school reform are converging on Washington D.C. next week for the second annual United Opt Out National event on the grounds of the U.S. Education Department. Among those who will be speaking at the event are education historian […]
Marc Tucker confronts Diane Ravitch‘s recent stance against the Common Core State Standards (CCSS), not surprisingly in an EdWeek blog. To understand why Tucker is wrong, and Ravitch is right, consider this reposting of a piece of mine challenging Tucker (Daily Censored, July 7, 2011): The historical and current focus on test-based accountability to drive […]
Disclaimer: The publishers of this document, Truth in American Education, have some very disconcerting right-wing membership and advisors. I mean really right wing, like Heritage, Koret, the Teabaggers, and other assorted birthers and Birchers. However, this Common Core State Standards Primer document appears on the Hoosiers Against Common Core site that Professor Ravitch mentions in […]
“Wouldn’t it be refreshing to hear someone say that ‘eliminating poverty in America is the civil rights issue of our day’? Since poverty is the single most reliable predictor of poor performance in school, poor health, poor attendance, dropping out, and almost every negative indicator, wouldn’t it be wonderful to hear some of the politicians […]
The virtual connectedness of the Internet era—through the magic of blogs, online publications, Twitter, and other social media—I often find myself in discussions by email, Twitter, or online discussions with advocates for and leaders in the corporate education reform movement, what I have labeled “No Excuses” Reform. A disturbing aspect of that reform movement is […]
“There is no evidence that standards and tests improve school achievement. The money budgeted for standards and tests to enforce the standards should be used to protect children from the effects of poverty.” — Professor Stephen Krashen The following is my edited commentary in response to comments by a CCSS supporter on the Professor Ravitch […]
“When you go to doctors, they don’t take all your blood, they only take a sample.” — Professor Stephen Krashen Professor Diane Ravitch had a brief comment entitled The True Goals of Education? this morning where a reader suggested a sort of whole child approach based on virtues as opposed to tedious test preparation. That […]
Indiana has recently released its “report card” assessments of its public schools. I’m sure I don’t need to go into the reasons the grades themselves are only political and have nothing to do with the welfare of our children but rather the welfare of our business managers. In fact Diane Ravitch had a brief post […]
@dianeravitch thinks we’re cool. Cool. #edreform #p2
More folks than you can believe are excited for the roll-out of the new At the Chalk Face. Diane Ravitch definitely having some words about it. You know, I must say, it goes down a lot better than the new Fish McBites. So, yeah, there you have it.