This is a wide-ranging interview with Christine Romans on CNN.
Romans has two school-age children, and I think she gets it.
It only takes about 3 minutes, and we cover a lot of ground.
I say things that are obvious and common sense but seldom heard on mainstream television.
Diane Ravitch's blog 
It was masterful!
Diane, excellent use of those three minutes. 🙂
Agreed!
Wow, you really got a lot in and so powerfully. Thank you!!
Thank you Diane, again, for standing up for teachers. I’m getting overwhelmed in the classroom right now after 8 years. The kids are so unruly it is impossible to teach anymore. Its an absolute nightmare. The trauma from poverty against backdrop of immense wealth disturbs socialization and cognitive development in our country in pathologically frightening manner. Sad to see the kids go through this on a daily basis.
Thank you! I deal with teens. There are those who come to class to sleep. Is it my boring lessons? No. It is because they have a job or stay up too late playing video games. Also, I can’t fight the cell phone battle. Teachers aren’t allowed to confiscate cell phones. Too bad. Discipline is an issue. Public schools don’t have enough of it.
“Also, I can’t fight the cell phone battle. Teachers aren’t allowed to confiscate cell phones.”
Yes, Susan, you can control cell phone/personal technological devices (PTD) in YOUR class. I do. It’s pretty much the same as when a student comes in late. I have them sign a log so that I can keep track and at the proper time (whatever your student handbook says about how many tardies, etc. . . are allowed) write them up.
Specifically with cell phones there is a strict no PTD policy in my room. We aren’t allowed to confiscate them, so when I see any usage the students must “voluntarily” place them on my desk (there is no conversation about it as if they don’t, I stop and go over to the phone and call an administrator about repeated class disruption and they come and remove them. Realize that I hardly ever send a student to the office, I try to keep anything between them and me and the admin knows that if I do call, which usually occurs when I am subbing for another teacher and the student doesn’t know me well, the admin comes and gets them. After the bell at the end of the hour they may retrieve it after they sign my tracking sheet. Note that at that point I make sure to discuss with them the policy and that right now it’s just between them and me and that the next time I write them up. And that I really don’t want to do that and that they can prevent that from happening. Many apologize and it’s no further problem. Then if it happens again, I write them up.
Classroom discipline is best maintained through mutual respect and I discuss and reinforce that issue heavily at the beginning of the year with my level 1 students. Word gets around and the students know that I am firm but fair and handle problems in a respectful fashion.
I think it is exciting that the mainstream media is finally willing to listen to the truth and consider that something is wrong with what they have been reporting.
Eloquently succinct!
Sincerely, Ellen Nutters
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I’m very glad to know that you got a fair shake on CNN this time, Diane. Aside from your eloquence and unquestionable storehouse of knowledge (the facts!), probably a few more reasons for this–
1. Christine Romans shows WAY more intelligence than Randi Kaye (&, yes, Romans “gets it,” thank goodness!) and
2. Robert Walton is no longer the Worldwide President (or CEO) of CNN–he was at the time of the Kaye interview (and all that positive airtime given to Rhee).
My CNN boycott is over!
This should be required viewing for all CCSS facilitators. Well said!
Great! I notice that they closed the comments on CNN… Why?
My question exactly!
Oh–I forgot to say–you look fantastic, Diane–better than ever! Glad that you were able to have some rest. Happy holidays, and a healthy 2014 and beyond!
It’s good to see you out and about again, Di…. Happy Holidays!
All your interviews are good, but that was your best. Your arguments were outstanding with intellectual sound bites that the media loves. Thanks for being a tireless champion.
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Wow…comments are closed already. I want to hear about what careers are waiting for students, the issue of crushing college debt we are being driven to prepare kids for (I am still paying off mine, at 46 yrs old), and the involvement in ed-reform of corporations.
My daughter has a friend at 24 who is paying $1300 a month in student loans. Obviously she lives at home. My nephew is $90,000 in debt. I’m paying half my daughters (24) student loan at $75 a month, plus $75 a month for my other daughter (33) – that’s the loan I consigned. Both are taken out of my bank account automatically. We joke that you literally take those student loans to the grave. You can’t take your cash with you, but your student loan . . .
In the same boat as both of you with my own and kids loans.
And it’s my understanding that one’s student loans do get “inherited” and one doesn’t take them to the grave-zombie loans is what they should be called.
Oh, sh#t! They better outlive me.
I absolutely love how Ravitch in the CNN interview, digs into the “Bill Gate’s myth” that a good teacher in front of the students is all that is needed for students to achieve. Ravitch immediately responded to her interviewer’s comment about this by saying that home life is at the essence of a what a child can accomplish in school!
Yes, the student has to be ready to learn and “ready to learn” includes proper sleep, nutrition, a physically comfortable and secure place to live etc.. While the CNN interviewer seemed more cognizant of the false corporate PR spin, she seemed to have “bought into” that one extremely misleading corporate spin topic of “an excellent teacher is all it takes”.
Yet, if you look at the caption for the video, you see this:
“The key to improving American schools could be improving the quality of teachers. Christine Romans sits down with education historian Diane Ravitch.”
The spin is still there, and YES, the comments are closed.
This type of interview should spawn an hour-long special once weekly where corporate reform is exposed. Unfortunately CNN did a poor job of packaging this.
In regard to Romans, she might finally have me back as a fan. I watched her for years impressed with her intelligence and enthusiasm. I rooted for her during her last pregnancy. She was, in my opinion, one of the brightest and fairest journalists on CNN until she invited Steve Perry and a host of other deformers onto her Saturday show. The CNN mantra on education has been a message that schools are failing and bad teachers are to blame. When we had an historic pension-benefits bill in NJ that stripped away some of the collective bargaining rights of public school employees to negotiate compensation, CNN ignored it. Tens of thousands of people stormed the state capital and instead of having even a local affiliate send them the report, CNN did not cover it while its morning shows continually harped on educators and schools. I had had enough and after sending several letters and comments to CNN as to why they lost me and my family as viewers, I gave up on them and switched to MSNBC. Romans was a favorite of mine but obviously had a boss that tied her hands. If she finally gets it, she could be a voice in this fight. May be too early to tell, but I loved how she handled this interview.
Diane, you were spectacular.
Diane, great job. You speak with such clarity and poise. Any viewer on the fence should come on over, especially of they have children of the Core. The tide is shifting (and I’m mixing metaphors.)
Coming from a parent I want to thank you for standing up for kids!!! They have no voice and these stupid people are destroying there future. You are right!!! We live in Rochester,NY and it is a very good example of what you are saying. All the surrounding schools are some of the best in the country and yet the city school district has a graduation rate of 23%. It is truly what is going on here. Poverty is the problem!!! No jobs for these people. No work ethic to show the kids. You are right about the entire picture. Keep going!!!!
Home! Poverty. Professional teachers! Fed strategy wrongheaded. On the money! (pun intended) Great interview
So grateful, thank you. Great job!
Terrific interview, Diane. Parents ARE the ones who are ultimately responsible for their child’s education. But even they must adhere to school policy. Unfortunately too many building administrators permit too many parents who are children themselves to rule to roost–at the expense of their teachers. Until some sort of behavior/discipline (ultra strict cell-phone usage–like NEVER in the classroom–NEVER–NO EXCEPTIONS) rules are set and enforced, we’re not going to make much progress.
Yes, there is a spike in behaviors.
Having higher expectations with CC and direct instructions with engageNY create behavior problems b/c all students don’t fit the model.
Ironically, our district got rid of direct instruction for special students when NCLB was implemented. And today we have direct instruction (engageNY) for everyone. Go figure!
Great interview in the few minutes you were allotted. Loved your response to her misguided conclusion that the quality of the teacher is the most important factor in a child’s success. It’s what happens to that child outside the classroom – from birth and those hours after school, that has the most influence.
Brilliant!
Loved how you turn Christine’s comment on a dime when she brought up how teachers are the most important thing, and you darted in to talk about home life and higher ed certification training and supporting teachers.
The certification process many years ago had a lot to be desired. Anyone could be a teacher with mediocre effort.
However, I have to say that college instructors and professors now see what NCLB and CC are doing to students. New teachers are confused when their mentors come to observe and talk about concerns of developmentally appropriate curriculum and what they’re seeing their new teachers doing in the classroom.
At another college, they got rid of their mentors because they had a “budget” issue (yea, right..).
Uh-oh–comments closed & caption “improve the quality of teachers?”
My CNN boycott continues!
“My CNN boycott continues”
Best thing to do to the boob tube is to take a shotgun to it. If you don’t have any firearms a sledgehammer will do! Now I know that the innocent TV set had nothing to do with CNN’s policies but sometimes sacrifices have to be made, you know like not “coddling” students.
WOW!
Best 3 minutes ever.
I enjoy all your TV, radio etc. appearances, but this was out of the park.
Great job for covering a ton of ground in a very short time and being clear, easy to “get” for those with out a clue, and calm.
I wil try to be more like you when confronted by questions from clueless friends and neighbors….I tend to get a bit…well crazy sounding. Could be the stress!
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Thank you, Diane Ravitch
Because of you, I feel much better armed to discuss the shortfalls of CCSS. I wish more people from Buffalo would read your blog. Their writings are only halfway to the truth.
Hi Diane Amazing how much you covered in three minutes. Beautifully done. Roses to you. Am sending this to as many as I can and asking them to send your interview on to others. Phil Kaldahl Retired Teacher Bellevue, Nebraska
Why weren’t you at this roundtable?