Gary Rubinstein has written a wonderful, thoughtful review of “Reign of Error.”
There are many highly quotable observations in his review, I liked this one best, because it goes to the heart of why we educate. If you get that wrong, then you can’t get anything else right.
He writes:
“For me, my favorite section was an eight page chapter, chapter 24, called ‘The Essentials of a Good Education.’ In this section Ravitch writes poetically about what the purpose of school is. In contrast to ‘raising test scores’ the ultimate goal of reformers, this section reminds us that schools is not about beating other countries, but about raising citizens who will one day vote and serve on juries. This chapter which would make Dewey proud and would probably make Michelle Rhee nauseous, really resonated with me. As I was reading it just before beginning my new school year, it really helped me put things back into perspective as I mentally prepare for what I am trying to achieve with my students this year. I expect this eight page section to be excerpted, maybe someplace like Reader’s Digest, and to be widely read and contemplated.”
Diane Ravitch's blog 
“The schools did not cause the achievement gaps, and the schools alone are not powerful enough to close them. So long as our society is indifferent to poverty, so long as we are willing to look the other way rather than act vigorously to improve the conditions of families and communities, there will always be achievement gaps.”
It’s funny he goes on to draw a comparison between teachers and doctors here, because this is actually the whole discussion in health care right now.
Reformers would be on the wrong side of the modern health care argument, because we’re moving away from treating the disease to treating the person. We’re doing that because treating the disease doesn’t produce good outcomes BROADLY in public health, although it was quite profitable.
Public health practitioners found they could not isolate “medical care” from the family, community and environment in which “high needs” (poor) patients live. They could offer the best and most expensive interventions, but what was needed was CONSISTENT “ordinary” care to get good, broad public health outcomes.
Replace “schools” with “health care system” or “doctors” in Dr. Ravitch’s paragraph and you’d be reciting the newest public health policy, and one that we’re adopting all over the country. In public health, then, ed reformers would be the “status quo”. They’re adopting a model for public education that we are right now rejecting in public health as a failure.
Folks,
Do you know the fundamental purpose of public education? Where can that information be found? What does it say?
Hint, there’s more than one although some may say the same thing.
Diane, the fundamental purpose of public education is to create the next generation of citizens who are able to sustain and improve our society, able to vote wisely, able to serve on a jury and decide the fate of their fellow citizens, prepared to meet their responsibilities as citizens.
I bring this up because many educators do not know where to find that information (each state’s constitution) and that sometimes our practices contradict/contravene the stated purpose of public education. Over a year ago you had stated the purpose and it was different than your statement here.
I contend that many practices might be considered unconstitutional just as “separate but equal” was deemed unconstitutional. For example, standardized testing in which some students are rewarded and others sanctioned has pretty much the same effect of denying some the benefits of education to students (much as separate but equal did) who through no fault of their own end up at the bottom of a practice that is designed to have a top and bottom. Should public schools discriminate (through various rewards or sanctions) against students because of inherent biological traits? With those traits in essence no different from a biological sense than skin color, gender, etc. . . .
I contend that standardized test is as discriminatory a practice as was “separate but equal” and that these abominations of educational policies need to eventually be challenged as discriminatory in the courts.. This discriminatory effect of standardized testing is inherent in the process and therefore should be abandoned “with all due haste”.
Depressing, but worthwhile:
http://www.cleveland.com/metro/index.ssf/2013/09/cleveland_mayor_frank_jackson_12.html
The mayor of Cleveland got burned by charter school operators. He thought he was being given some regulatory authority over existing charter schools in return for agreeing to more of them, but he has no regulatory authority and the schools are opening.
The three schools are in the infamous White Hat chain, run by a corrupt GOP donor.
When are public school supporters going to stop falling for this? I mean, really. At this point it’s absolutely predictable they’ll get screwed. Every. Single. Time.
“the fundamental purpose of public education is to create the next generation of citizens who are able to sustain and improve our society, able to vote wisely, able to serve on a jury and decide the fate of their fellow citizens, prepared to meet their responsibilities as citizens.”
Mission Accomplished!!!
Public “Education” has created generations of citizens that have sustained the
society we live in. The “Improved” society has yielded a historic concentration
of Wealth.
The ability to vote “Wisely” has produced “Representatives” entrusted to
broadly benefit the public, while increasing income concentration to a minority.
Mandated Public “Education” IS AN INSTRUMENT OF GOVERNMENT.
A “Poetic” description of “Public Education” doesn’t HIDE the actions of
Government or the instruments of social control, or the SOCIETY of today.
Fundamental dishonesty, (Democracy of, by, and for the people), and humanist
rhetoric (Mental Enrichment), serve to continue the social hierarchy, pitched
under the patina of intellectual legitimacy. Plain and simple, Wealth defense
through deception.
A prepackaged version of political reality, taught to the masses, continues the
collective complacency, required to keep people in “Their Place” to serve the
system. The system of concentrated wealth.
Is it REALLY that hard to see the ELITES have “Pitched” a system for their own
profit and aggrandizement, with toadying acedemics behind them every step
of the way?
NB,
If I assume you are not a teacher, am I correct?
If “the ELITES have “Pitched” a system for their own profit and aggrandizement” what can you do about it and what “system” do you propose to replace it?
If there are “toadying acedemics” (sic) do they make up 100% of teachers? Is an academic different than a teacher? If so, how?
If “Mandated Public “Education” IS AN INSTRUMENT OF GOVERNMENT” why is that so?
If the things you say are true what can/should ought we do to change SOCIETY?
Duane
.” Become incredulous and indignant. Avoid discussing key issues and instead focus on side issues which can be used to show the topic as being critical of some otherwise sacrosanct group or theme. This is also known as the ‘How dare you!’ gambit, or
‘Show me your papers.’
“. Demand solutions. Avoid the issues by requiring opponents to solve the crime at hand completely.”
” . Play Dumb. . Hear no evil, see no evil, speak no evil. Regardless of what you know, don’t discuss it — especially if you are a public figure.”
D,
In the words of Madison, “All Governments rest on opinion”. Opinion, or indoctrination, is required to bolster the credibility of those in power. Social hierachy based on social
legitimacy, is formed through consent.
An instrument of government, engineers consent by perpetuating the themes and
myths that serve the power elite, by selling illusory “Salvation”. “Public Education”
was NOT the product of public discussion, but rather the product of private
“Elite” discussion. The “Product” was designed to MAINTAIN power, NOT to
share it. Point in fact: INCOME DISTRIBUTION
I won’t “Wide Brush” 100% of teachers as being involved in political indoctrination,
as some subjects are politically neutral.
The Government response to TRUTH (Wiki,Manning,Snowden) reveals it’s
weakness. Teach TRUTH.
Capital is power. Where we place our Capital (Consumer Demand) determines
WHERE Employment/Taxbase exists.