If the Broads, Waltons and Gates really want to fix America's schools, a good place to start would be by purchasing a copy of Dr Ravitch's book for every Washington bureaucrat, senator, representative, state legislator, mayor, school superintendent, school board member, and principal. That could set the whole system moving in the right direction.
We are being sold a business model for education. Well, I just saw a business model and it wasn't working. Dr Ravitch doesn't oppose charters, but rather feels that the structure itself doesn't mandate success. As in conventional schools, there will be good ones and bad ones. Ravitch pulls no punches but is not a pessimistic doomsayer. Ravitch is right that our students need basic skills in literacy and numeracy but then says, wisely, "but that is not enough."
She documents ALL that she argues. By the way, I agree this was no doubt the most important book about education of the past decade.
Her ideas on how and what to change are spot on. Diane Ravitch covers the entire spectrum of reform efforts and her evaluations are thoroughly referenced.
Ravitch provides an alarming look at how these rich and powerful foundations sometimes use their clout to promote their own agendas and philosophies of education. Why is this allowed to happen?
They have been rewarded for doing well on tests by any means possible. I hear informally that a few (or maybe more than a few) schools wink at cheating because the competition to avoid being penalized is so harsh.
First, doctors would find ways of lowering temperatures (alcohol rubs, etc.) without improving underlying conditions. But even if temperature figures were not to get gamed in this way, any improvement in fever scores could not reasonably be interpreted as improvement in the overall health of the patients. I had never heard of Diane Ravitch or her book - I had been too busy to be able to check out the world outside my school. I had planned to write my own book about my experiences down the rabbit hole. This is an amazing book! Diane Ravitch does a marvelous job explaining the history of accountability and choice in public education in plain language.
Ms Ravitch explains why so many billionaires are falling all over themselves to "improve" public education, it's not about the children, it's about the money. Once you read this book you will have a much better insight about what is happening in Wisconsin and Ohio and Florida and Indiana. Most of these foundations seek business people who lack experience in the education field to lead their programs and charter schools. Like many politicians, these groups also define student achievement very narrowly by looking at standardized test scores. She notes that the Obama administration is linking increases in federal funding to mandated adoption by other districts of the same programs that have already failed Mr Duncan and the children of Chicago. Teacher-bashing, so in vogue among the "reformers" dominating the national discussion, is rejected by Dr Ravitch.
We are being sold a business model for education. Well, I just saw a business model and it wasn't working. Dr Ravitch doesn't oppose charters, but rather feels that the structure itself doesn't mandate success. As in conventional schools, there will be good ones and bad ones. Ravitch pulls no punches but is not a pessimistic doomsayer. Ravitch is right that our students need basic skills in literacy and numeracy but then says, wisely, "but that is not enough."
She documents ALL that she argues. By the way, I agree this was no doubt the most important book about education of the past decade.
Her ideas on how and what to change are spot on. Diane Ravitch covers the entire spectrum of reform efforts and her evaluations are thoroughly referenced.
Ravitch provides an alarming look at how these rich and powerful foundations sometimes use their clout to promote their own agendas and philosophies of education. Why is this allowed to happen?
They have been rewarded for doing well on tests by any means possible. I hear informally that a few (or maybe more than a few) schools wink at cheating because the competition to avoid being penalized is so harsh.
First, doctors would find ways of lowering temperatures (alcohol rubs, etc.) without improving underlying conditions. But even if temperature figures were not to get gamed in this way, any improvement in fever scores could not reasonably be interpreted as improvement in the overall health of the patients. I had never heard of Diane Ravitch or her book - I had been too busy to be able to check out the world outside my school. I had planned to write my own book about my experiences down the rabbit hole. This is an amazing book! Diane Ravitch does a marvelous job explaining the history of accountability and choice in public education in plain language.
Ms Ravitch explains why so many billionaires are falling all over themselves to "improve" public education, it's not about the children, it's about the money. Once you read this book you will have a much better insight about what is happening in Wisconsin and Ohio and Florida and Indiana. Most of these foundations seek business people who lack experience in the education field to lead their programs and charter schools. Like many politicians, these groups also define student achievement very narrowly by looking at standardized test scores. She notes that the Obama administration is linking increases in federal funding to mandated adoption by other districts of the same programs that have already failed Mr Duncan and the children of Chicago. Teacher-bashing, so in vogue among the "reformers" dominating the national discussion, is rejected by Dr Ravitch.
About the Author:
Teachers are the low men on the totem pole in education, but always pointed to as the main problem in education. replace car windshield.
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