Thanks to G.F. Brandenburg for finding this astonishing piece of investigative journalism.
You have to read this article. It is amazing.
It helps us understand the cronyism between the D.C. Office of State Superintendent of Education, Arne Duncan, Michelle Rhee, the Broad Superintendent’s Academy, nd Rupert Murdoch’s Wireless Generation.
Diane Ravitch's blog 
The article is fantastic, but the comments leave me feeling set up and misunderstood.
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Flow chart of educational insanity
1) Get your students’ test scores up or…
A) Lose your jobs, and…
B) Lose your school.
2) Passing scores jump miraculously because…
A) Teachers and students suddenly take their learning more seriously, or…
B) Top-level leaders lower the passing standard and claim success, or…
C) Middle-level managers coordinate cheating to save face.
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Shameful
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The article, which names names and shows dates, is a year old – why was nothing done with this information when it was first dragged into the light of day!?!?!?
(That was a rhetorical question; I think we all know why not. :-()
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Good question. I am grateful to G.F. Brandenburg for finding the article. It may be a year old, but it is as fresh as if it had been written yesterday.
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* *
What do the following major problems have in common?
1. Severe budget cuts to schools, bashing of teachers, lack of a broad based curriculum for developing critical and creative thinking students and cheating scandals?
2. Allowing civilians to buy assault weapons that can be used to murder innocent children and adults?
3. Inadequate mental health services?
4. Unaffordable health care services and millions of uninsured?
5. High rates of poverty?
6. Global warming, climate changes with bizarre weather patterns and allowing the destruction of the planet?
7. The crash of 2008 that led to a severe economic crisis?
8. Extreme materialism and money as top priority?
9. Special interest groups and corporations having greater influence on politicians than the people?
10. High crime rates and overcrowded prisons?
All of these problems reflect a deterioration of human values- the type of values which are humane and indicative of the ideals of humanity. Values such as kindness, caring for others, love, integrity and compassion make us good human beings. These values are the antidote and solution to many problems in the world today.
Certainly there are many people who display these values, but many more people with human values are needed if we are to reach a tipping point. For us to create a world that reflects love and caring for all it must begin with each individual. To reach critical mass the consciousness of more people must be raised so that the problems mentioned are unacceptable and not tolerated.
It is for each of us to get in touch with our humanity and with others to positively influence our leaders or replace them with people who will lead with human values. Are we as a human family willing to put into action those values which will create a better world for everyone? This is a question for each of us to answer.
Raymond Gerson
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What goes around, comes around. I have a strong feeling that, as these truths continue to rise here in the cyber sphere, those responsible for lining their own pockets in the guise of “helping our poor children” will ultimately have to empty them. Criminal lawyers fees are sky high, after all. This is the civil rights issue of our time. We all need to keep our eyes and hearts focused on the “mountaintop.”
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It was another teacher who brought this article to my attention.
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As a Rhode Island teacher, I find Deborah Gist’s part in this to be very interesting. As everyone probably knows, Gist is now the Commissioner of Education in the state of Rhode Island, as well as a Broad Academy graduate and a member of “Chiefs for Change”. But this article reveals that she was trying to expose cheating in DC and apparently working in opposition to Michelle Rhee. I knew the two of them had butted heads in the past, but it always seemed to me that they were both essentially on the same (pro-corporate) team. Why, then, her apparent willingness to expose the illegitimacy of Rhee’s claims of success?
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Very smart of Gist to not get sucked into the swamp in DC.
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Not one person has mentioned Michelle Obama being a corporatist privatizer as is her husband. How can that miss everyones eyes and mind? Michelle was working for Daley and was considered one of the $100,000 club with at $132,000/year salary to privatize Chicago. Doesn’t that get anyones interest? Sure got mine. I know about Barack and since 1995 the Annenburg Foundation and almost no one knows about that one. Is it any wonder that under his administration the major push for charter schools is going forward at light speed?
All of these people are linked through the foundations and wealthy people who want to totally privatize this country and take away all of our rights. Michelle and Barack have made their living and reputations on destroying the country through privatization. I voted for him as he was the lesser of two devils. I held my nose and had on a major gas mask when I voted. The other guys are just that much crazier. Obama is not promoting human rights and education. Just look at the policies he is using and that is the end of the story. He sold us a bill of goods and is a good public speaker as was Clinton who started the selling out of the democrats with this corporate foolishness. Just think 1994 NAFTA and WTO, or the end of jobs here. Then the end of the free press with the 1996 Telecommunications Act and finally the 1999-2000 Banking Deregulation Acts which wiped out the finances of all but the super rich. Them it increased their wealth totally and as a percentage. Do you really think this is an accident? Just look at the policies of the DNC and the DFER which are supposed to be democratic party institutions and yet are very right wing in their policies.
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What a fine article! “Entrenched interests” says it all. Michelle Rhee could be the domino that takes down the whole row.
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American Thinker is a well-known right wingnut website and should not be considered a reliable source. Diane, I am an ardent admirer of your work and am as opposed as anyone to corporate education reform, but I would ask you to look further into this source before citing it. If you click the link at the end of the article inviting the reader to “Read more M. Catharine Evans and Ann Kane at Potter Williams Report,” you will find that the Potter Williams Reports features gems like, “Marx + Arlinsky = Obama and Comrades” and “Dictators Pose With Children, Take Away Gun Rights,” featuring side-by-side pictures of Stalin and Obama. In this case, I would seek independent verification before accepting the word of such authors.
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It is; but this article is well sourced and the information is easily verifiable. As one who has lived and witnessed the DC shenanigans first hand- I can attest that the article is probably 99.99% accurate.
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Evans and Kane did an outstanding, in depth job of explaining the rheeformers’ real agenda and the cover up of their misdeeds. I have colleagues who have asked for more information about the edu-reform movement. Many teachers are just waking up to what is going on. Even though this article is one year old, I will be sending my fellow teachers its link. Its content is as current as ever.
Thanks for posting this article, Dr. Ravitch.
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