I read on Twitter just now that I compared “school choice” to a Nazi invasion.
. @DianeRavitch likens school choice to Nazi invasion. Yes. You read that correctly. http://bit.ly/Y7svLC”
To say the least, I was taken aback because I had never written or implied any such thing.
But consider the source.
It comes from Jeb Bush’s Foundation for Excellence in Education (“excellence” in this case meaning the promotion of vouchers, charters, and advancing the interest of for-profit entrepreneurs in the public sector).
The post in question was https://dianeravitch.net/2013/02/19/what-about-the-good-charters/.
Jeb Bush–or whoever writes his foundation’s tweets–deliberately misconstrued the post, as well as its authorship.
It was not written by me.
It was written as a comment by a reader on the blog.
I post many readers’ comments, for the sake of discussion, not because I endorse them.
The comment was in response to an earlier post by Mark Naison and Bruce Bernstein: https://dianeravitch.net/2013/02/16/how-to-tell-if-your-local-charter-school-is-avaricious
I am delighted to learn that Jeb Bush and his staff are reading this blog closely.
Maybe they will learn something new.
Maybe they will hear the voices of parents, teachers, students, school board members, and others who are not invited to their corporate conferences.
I hope they spend some time working to improve their ability to comprehend what they read.
Decoding will get you just so far, and no farther.
Diane Ravitch's blog 
I think this is a pretty good example of why the colon is important.
One might even dare to suggest the use of quotation marks, to indicate that someone is being quoted.
Aren’t you using WordPress? If you want to indicate that you’re quoting someone else, it’s very easy: Highlight the text with your mouse, and then click the little button that has quotation marks on it. (It’s right next to the buttons for making text bold or italics). It’s really your fault, though, if you quote someone with no formatting or indication whatsoever — any reader might think what follows is still your own words.
That works on my regular computer. It does not work well on my ipad or iphone, where I write many posts. And by the way, the post was introduced with a clear statement that this was a comment written by a reader. Anyone who can read would have read the opening sentence. This is just another manufactured controversy by people with nothing better to do.
Sorry, I don’t think the original post was clear at all. It began:
“This parent takes issue with Mark Naison and Bruce Bernstein, who wrote a post about how to tell whether your local charter school is avaricious. The few “good charters” are used by the corporate charter chains to clear the path.
[THERE IS ABSOLUTELY NOTHING TO INDICATE THAT A QUOTATION FROM THE PARENT WAS STARTING HERE.]Superb list. Very true. However, I must disagree with this sentence: “We will not categorically write off charter schools because there are some great ones.” [FOR ALL ANYONE KNEW, YOU WERE DISAGREEING WITH SOME PARENT WHO HAD WRITTEN THE WORDS THAT WERE SET OFF BY QUOTATION MARKS, AND THE REST OF THE POST FOLLOWING WAS YOUR OWN WORDS]
get over it. I said what I have to say.
“Get over it” is a command that you should take seriously. Your original post was awkwardly written at best, and it is wrong to blame anyone for misunderstanding (as did many of your regular readers).
Move on Jeb! We’re all set here. You’re the
Only one still confused.
JB wrote, “‘Get over it’ is a command that you should take seriously.”
It’s also the sort of thing that overly aggressive, hostile hecklers hear just before they are dropped into the bit-bucket alongside the con artists and spammers prohibited from commenting on a site.
It’s her blog, bub. Her blog, her rules.
Don’t like ’em? Start your own blog.
JB, she’s engaged with the commenters, taken criticism to heart, backed off her initial reaction, revised this post, and revised the original post to acknowledge the potential confusion. It’s commendable.
Flerper, your approach is very generous, as in this very thread she is still mocking anyone who misunderstood the original post as being unable to read.
That is your opinion. Really it is time to move on. Don’t you have other things to do?
Let it go….go for a walk…have a glass of wine. Read a book..preorder Diane’s.
Obviously this really is much more than the original post for you.
I usually use colons. But please bear in mind that the first sentence of the post said that the comment came from a reader. I updated the post to clarify these issues.
Diane is a target of the Bush smear machine. She should wear that badge with honor.
The Bush smear machine, the TFA smear machine, who’s next?
To flerper:
After reading many of your posts these past couple of days, you seem desperate to either make fun of or mock Diane or you are anxious to find a mistake.
That seems to be your primary purpose here. Am I misreading you? If not, why?
I think you’re misreading me. I can be cranky, but I think it’s safe to say I’m not alone in that here.
Okay…I wasn’t sure…no you’re not alone. It seems to be directed towards Diane though.
Jeez. Any possibility this guy is embarrassed by what he has written?
I’M “the guy who wrote it”, Mark. And no, I’m not “embarrassed” by what I wrote. Are you?
Maybe you should take a look at my postings from yesterday. It might bring you up to date.
The comment was directed towards Mike, not you. Are you Mike at ExcelinEd? So no, I’m not embarrassed. Why you thought I was responding to you is beyond me. Youi’re not even in the comment thread until now.
I am not particularly a charter advocate, however, if you take a close look at many public schools, we are doing an injustice to our kids. Read my book, as a former teacher counselor and principal and see if you want your child in a school like this particular one in Georgia. I think you would like to have a choice. In rural areas, we don’t have any choice unless someone opens a charter. “Yes, We Are STUPID in America!” is sold on Amazon and B&N.com. Inner city schools are not the only ones with problems, but that is all we hear about. Rural schools in America make up 40% of schools in Georgia.
40% in United States, not Georgia.
I’m a parent, Vicky, that’s where I’m coming from. Now, see if you want your child in a school like this particular one in Florida: http://articles.orlandosentinel.com/2012-12-01/features/os-northstar-charter-high-husband-20121201_1_charter-school-schools-use-public-money-state-auditor
Or this particular one in Ohio: http://www.cleveland.com/metro/index.ssf/2013/02/lion_of_judah_charter_school_l.html
Or this particular one in Ohio: http://www.daytondailynews.com/news/news/local-education/charter-schools-pay-off-for-ceos-family/nTWKT/
Or this particular one in Oregon: http://www.oregonlive.com/education/index.ssf/2013/01/oregon_charter_school_founders.html
Want more?
Like you like to say, it’s your blog and you can do what you want, but it’s not exactly good form to have edited the post in question without noting that you’ve done so.
It’s ludicrous to say that Bush or his PR flacks deliberately misconstrued the post as it was originally presented. Plenty of regular readers were confused as well.
Including readers who wrote:
“I might be alone on this, but sometimes the way you introduce quotes from others makes readers who aren’t careful confused about who wrote what (I’m one of those readers). Perhaps there is a better way to format this? Not sure what that might be, but thought I’d point out the potential issue.”
and:
“Without a colon distinguishing what the parent said or a link to the parent’s post, I’m not sure who said what now!!”
and:
“I don’t think Diane is comparing privatization of education to National Socialism. She’s using a legitimate comparison of those who start wars to those who defend themselves against aggressors.”
and:
“Exactly. Had Diane said Pearl Harbor in 1941 instead of ‘Poland in 1939,’ the Godwin card would not have been played.”
Agreed. Especially if Diane is going to write a post that accuses someone of misinterpreting her prior post, she shouldn’t change the formatting and content of the prior post without including an “UPDATE” section that mentions the changes. It’s not too late for her to add that, though.
Ken,
anyone who read the original post, even with the poor formatting, could see that I was introducing the comment of a reader. It takes a malicious reader to claim that the words quoted were mine. I think that it is also malicious and stupid to say that no one is allowed to make any analogies to historical events. People do that all the time. In this case, it was not my analogy, but I think that free speech permits anyone to use analogies to slavery, Jim Crow, Hitler, the Holocaust, Chamberlin, Pearl Harbor, or any other historical event to make a point. It is your choice to like their analogy or not like it, but it insults the intelligence of everyone to say that all historical analogies are out of bounds.
That is ridiculous.
Diane
“…but I think that free speech permits anyone to use analogies to slavery, Jim Crow, Hitler, the Holocaust, Chamberlin, Pearl Harbor, or any other historical event to make a point. It is your choice to like their analogy or not like it, but it insults the intelligence of everyone to say that all historical analogies are out of bounds.
That is ridiculous.”
Thank you!
The original post started with “this reader”. What was confusing about that?
“anyone who read the original post, even with the poor formatting, could see that I was introducing the comment of a reader. It takes a malicious reader to claim that the words quoted were mine.”
Diane, if that’s true, then you have a lot of malacious readers on your blog, because a lot of them thought they were your words. I know this because I had to disabuse them of that notion.
It’s good practice generally to indicate whenever the content of a post has been updated. It’s especially true when you link back to that updated post in a new post that accuses someone of deliberately misinterpreting it. This isn’t controversial. Why not just make clear that the post has been updated? What’s the cost of doing that? It can’t be any more difficult than it was to go back and edit the post to make clear that you were quoting a reader.
Ken, please be sure to read the Update, which I tweeted and posted.
Give it up Ken…is this all you got? Lame!
Perhaps those at “Excellence in Education” would like to take a reading comprehension test and, just perhaps, their results could be published.
Anybody, regardless of position on educational issues, who is familiar with Ravitch’s work and character should know instantaneously and be prepared to swear on all they hold dear in life, that she NEVER could have said what was attributed to her. First, of course, she has a moral sensibility and awareness of history. Also, she could never be guilty of such intellectual sloppiness. I used to send occasional original commentaries to her and I tended to pepper my rants with allusions, as an unpersuasive gimmick for dramatic effect, to storm-troopers, etc. She would none of it. She is a vessel for the conveyance of the dignity of truth. Her genius is in optimizing the ability of the truth to speak for itself.
This is a Bush.
Lying is in their blood. Reminds me of Lillian Hellman:
Everything she says, including a, an and the is a lie.
Thank you. It was Mary McCarthy who wrote that about Lillian Hellman.
WordPress offers a free plug-in that adds shortcodes to the editing toolbar, so that you can easily highlight a block of text and tag it with a shortcode that will make it display in a format different from that of atandard body text. Among the preset shortcodes are shortcodes for formatting text as a quote, a testimonial, a note, a warning, or a pull quote. Using shortcodes could go a long way toward distinguishing text belonging to one author from text belonging to another.
http://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/synved-shortcodes/
Wow – just took a look at some of the crap on their site. And they have the nerve to accuse you of hyperbole? Their stuff is so full of inaccuracies and bias-posing-as-research that it isn’t even funny. They are truly desperate to destroy public education and make money from its destruction.
“I read on Twitter just now that I compared “school choice” to a Nazi invasion.” That right there sets it straight for any thinking individual.
But “thinking individual” excludes most of the Ed Deform community.
I think it might help to have someone who knows html code that can assist with editing. (Someone like me.)
It ain’t the first time “reformers’ “ have screamed over a poster who noted a similarity in their tactics and those of the innovators of the blitzkrieg. The wailing is another tactic. It aims to misrepresent the perpetrators of ed reform fraud as the victims.
Tactics like these are part of the rules of disaster capitalism. Naomi Klein wrote the book on how the U.S. applied it to the Iraq War. Now it is public education’s turn to suffer privatization.
We remember Arne Duncan applauding Hurricane Katrina as the best thing that ever happened to New Orleans schools — a natural disaster which “reformers’ ” were quick to capitalize upon. Man-made disasters, however, require a relentless propaganda machine. It must be supported by local, state and federal budget cuts to starve public schools so they can be closed and turned into private charters. The propaganda provides the cover story for a heartless style of capitalism.
“Reformers“ are still trying to persuade people that public schools are a disaster. We know the litany: failing schools, lazy and greedy teachers, low US scores on PISA, and parents as status quo-loving luddites firmly against innovation and “personalized” instruction.
There are a few very big winners — the rich on Wall Street and in Silicon Valley will get richer — and many more losers, especially the children.
Wikipedia:
“The Shock Doctrine: The Rise of Disaster Capitalism is a 2007 book by Canadian author Naomi Klein, and is the basis of a 2009 documentary by the same name directed by Michael Winterbottom.[1]
“The book argues that the free market policies of Nobel Laureate Milton Friedman have risen to prominence in some countries because they were pushed through while the citizens were reacting to disasters or upheavals.
“”Part 5 introduces the “Disaster Capitalism Complex”, where the author describes how companies have learnt to profit from disasters. She talks about how the same personnel move easily from security-related posts in US government agencies to lucrative positions in corporations.
“Part 6 discusses the occupation of Iraq, which Klein describes as the most comprehensive and full-scale implementation of the shock doctrine ever attempted.
“Part 7 is about the winners and losers of economic shock therapy – how narrow groups will often do very well by moving into luxurious gated communities while large sections of the population are left with decaying public infrastructure, declining incomes and increased unemployment.”
It would be very worthwhile if Naomi Klein would contribute her thoughts on the privatization of public schools.
I’ve heard lots about this book but haven’t read it. Perhaps it’s time I use my Powell’s Books gift card and order it.
Yes, it is definitely time. Quite possibly the most important book you will ever read.
Please do read The Shock Doctrine!
Does anyone know the real story about Samuel and Prescott Bush and his business in Germany? Why would they want to bring this kind of attention to themselves? I am posting as a holocaust survivor’s child.
jaded, I suggest you read Kevin Phillips book: “American Dynasty: Aristocracy, Fortune, and the Politics of Deceit in the House of Bush” (2004) Phillips was a Republican strategist who chronicles the Bush family’s involvement in WWll, international finance, shady oil deals secret weapons sales, and how they used their wealth, personal connections and influence in government to advance their personal wealth and power.
This family will do ANYTHING to get what they want. It’s shocking to learn how entire family is amoral.
Thank you jc. I will read that book.
Also, in an age of data collection take a look at the book “IBM and the Holocaust” by Edwin Black. Data in the wrong hands concerns me. Looks like Brad Pitt is making it into a made for TV movie.
http://www.vulture.com/2012/09/brad-pitt-to-produce-ibm-and-the-holocaust.html
or theater
Wow! The frustration of the “reformers” has caused them to revert to grasping at straws to disparage Dr. Ravitch. It’s an old trick. All one has to do is “accuse” another of alleged wrong-doing and float it out on the Internet.
This trick will not work this time, however, because their chicanery is easily detected under the vigilant and illuminating light that Dr, Ravitch shines on educational issues through this blog and her other scholarly publications combined with the tens of thousands of her dedicated readers.
Really, the efforts of Jeb Bush and his ilk in this regard are almost laughable.
readingexchange: I agree with you. This is just another manufactured “kerfuffle” that reflects badly on the accusers’ sense of honesty and decency. Viewed from another angle, however, it reveals how much impact this blog is having. Nobody would stoop to this level of shameless behavior unless the stakes were really big and they felt so desperate to land a blow, any blow, that they went ahead and did something so outrageously unfair that it disqualified them. *Anybody remember Mike Tyson biting off a bit of the ear of Evander Holyfield?*
But to return to reality-land for a moment…
“Diane Ravitch’s Blog A site to discussion better education for all” is a freewheeling and wide open discussion of education and closely related issues. The rules are few and fair. Last I checked, she’s a human being [and I am assuming all the posters on this blog too], perhaps unlike Michelle Rhee prone to making and admitting a mistake here and there.
Pertinent digression. I recall a discussion from about 20 years ago with a very devout Christian who was a young Cuban-American. He was anti-Castro but he was also very troubled by those in the Cuban exile community who used violence against people of this country who felt that Cuba was being unfairly treated by the US government. Among those he disagreed with were members of his own extended family. But he stuck to his guns even with family. While we were far from complete agreement about a lot of things, I told him I admired his sticking up for his principles even when it was messy and personally difficult and complicated. He then half-jokingly/half-seriously said to me that we all are going to stumble around, getting some things right and some things wrong, because “There was only one perfect person and he died two thousand years ago!”
We both smiled and quietly laughed. His point was well taken. It’s still valid. Diane, this blog, and every single last person who posts on it, aren’t perfect. Never will be. It’s just like being in a classroom. Let’s make corrections as best we can, move on, and get back to the very serious business of discussing “a better education for all.”
I hope I’m not violating some code of separation here—truthfully, I’m not what you’d call a religious person—but I remember reading somewhere that “To err is human, to forgive divine.”
How’s about we get on the side of the angels on this one and get back on task?
🙂
Even in rereading it, I honestly thought the quote ended with the quotes mark and that the paragraph starting “Maybe…” was resuming your thoughts… but I never claimed to be able to read and I make Nazi comparisons somewhat frequently, so who care what I think.
Maybe good ol’ Jeb was making a text-to-self connection!
You made my day with this one!
🙂
I don’t notice, Diane Ravitch, that you deny thinking what Jeb Bush’s tweety bird mistakenly construed from the comment by some other person. And now you’ll be all insulted. ‘To think that anyone should have to defend herself against such a charge.’ A lot of old time Reds were caught in the same crunch when the Hitler-Stalin pact became known. My impression, Diane, is that you are probably a red diaper baby, ready to defend socialist oppression by being anti Nazi. But to avoid inflammatory labels, it does seem to me that in essence you do rather incline to thinking that the effort to destroy the public school systems by reforming them into charters is a good deal like an ideological take over of education by those on the right. Of course, you know ME, Diane, and my opinion that it’s about time and a good thing to free the American educational system from its control by the anti-patriotic, Internationale-oriented, progressivist, anti-capitalist leftie teaching corps and bring them into submission by making them wage slaves. If one can’t defeat the unions in contract negotiations, then the next best thing is to shut down their power base (the public schools) and off the same services from many small independent suppliers. You need to expect the people to fight back against big government in any way we can, especially when your leader is doing such a magnificent job of illustrating the unconstitutional thrust of big social democrat government. The continuing mystery is WHY the administration should be aiding and abetting the public school destruction agenda of Bush, Duncan, et. al. UNLESS he is in on the hedge fund investment in private education cronyism we are seeing. In any case, I say clear venality is better than progressivism masquerading as holy, good, people looking out for the welfare of others because of their semi-religious devotion to the welfare of the working class. Naked profit better than false piety.
Sorry, Harlan, wrong. I was not a Red diaper baby. My parents were Texas Yellow-dog Democrats. They loved FDR but were not politically active. They just worried about taking care of a family of 8 kids.
Your first few sentences make a good point: Even though Ms. Ravitch didn’t literally write the Nazi comparison herself, she was impressed enough with the parent’s analogy to reprint it without a word of disagreement.
It’s not clear why this isn’t just as discreditable as having made such an over-the-top comparison in one’s own words.
Get a life. You are very boring.
Another manufactured crisis…
” Ravitch says charter schools are like SS Troops.”…
Blah Blah Blah
Whatever.
You have gathered facts. You have spoken truth. You have called them out.
They will make every effort to discredit you.
They will continue to move the goal post, obfuscate, dissemble, and good old fashioned distract and divide.
Anything to divert attention form the real issues.
Hang tough.
Don’t be distracted.
Don’t let them frame the issues.
Go get ’em!
Ang,
Bet on me. They don’t scare me. Bullies are cowards.
Yep, they are cowards, but often darn persistent little pests!
I am sure you will soon be accused of being a Nazi, a Communist, a socialist, a thespian, a Kenyan born impostor, a unapologetic misuser of commas and quotation marks…and anything else they think will stir people up and divert attention from the raid on public schools.
But I know a bunch of Texans so…I am not too worried for you!
😉
some great back issue articles on JB on the Mother Jones site, the one I liked in particular was “Jeb Bush’s Cyber Attack on Public Schools”
JB,
I’m sorry that the Cialis and Viagara did not work for you. Go out and chop some wood or something.
Your pent up frustrations should not be aired on line on any blog…especially this one.
Big man …who cares about a ” “…Ugh!
Viagra..but you know what I mean. Right JB?
Jeb has plastered his face in the Amplify video, coming from the Murdoch empire.
http://www.amplify.com/company#intro
http://openchannel.nbcnews.com/_news/2012/11/27/15485391-jeb-bushs-reputation-as-education-reformer-gets-a-second-look?lite
“I’ve been very impressed with the thoughtfulness of his policies,” said Joel Klein, who ran New York City schools for eight years and now heads News Corp’s education division, Amplify, which donates to the Bush foundation…
Bush foundation donors include family philanthropies, such as those established by Microsoft founder Bill Gates and New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg. Corporate donors include Connections Education, a division of global publishing giant Pearson; Amplify, the education division of Rupert Murdoch’s News Corp.; and K12, a publicly traded company that runs online schools.