Ooops, a campaign trail misstatement!
Hillary went to a small district in rural Iowa to praise a local public school. Loose lips sink ships. She said she would close schools that were below average. Most interpreted that statement to mean half the public schools in the nation, since average means–uh–average.
She mis-spoke. Hillary understands that the federal government doesn’t close schools. Period. A mistake. A slip of the tongue. An unthinking bow to corporatist ideology. She was wrong and she knows it. She has to walk back this careless statement. We don’t need any more school closings. Such closings have had a disproportionately harmful affect on communities of color. Talk about school support, school helping, not closings. That’s yesterday.
Diane Ravitch's blog 
“Context”, my Aunt Fanny: http://curmudgucation.blogspot.com/2015/12/speedy-defense-of-clinton-no-defense-at.html
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But read this article where Bill Clinton and John Podesta needed to assure Eli Broad of Hillary’s support of charters to ensure his donation:
http://www.wsj.com/articles/clinton-views-on-charter-schools-teacher-evaluations-upset-some-democrats-1450398690
@ZaidJilani: Bill Clinton and John Podesta are privately telling donors that Hillary is lying about her views on charter schools https://t.co/O1Eo8uBhIh
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Diane Ravitch
I have seen in this blog space that Bush’s No Child Left Behind and Obama’s Race to the Top have closed many many public schools. Now you say that Federal government does not close public schools. What has changed, the phase of the moon?
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Good old Raj putting on his obtuse act again. Thanks Raj! Always good for a laugh. (Who says conservatives don’t understand humor? They just can’t deliver lines is all).
NCLB required states to choose from a menu of ‘reforms’ for ‘failing’ schools, including closure, in order to continue receiving federal funding. States complied. Some more willingly and eagerly than others, depending on which politicians were receiving the largess of ALEC supporters. As the law wore on and the stakes got higher the choices narrowed and if the other choices failed to raise test scores then closure was the only real option left, along with handing the school over to ‘private’ management or a charter chain that would not be held accountable in the same ways.
No, the federal government didn’t technically close the schools. They used extortion to get the states to do their dirty work, just like RTTT used extortion to force states to adopt CCSS and VAM.
I thought you were supposed to be highly educated, Raj. Your poor Google skills and lack of knowledge about the most fundamental history and facts about public school reform is disturbing if that is true.
It almost makes you seem like a paid shill or someone who is supporting an ideology but isn’t interested in the truth. I hope that’s not the case with you, Raj.
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What has not changed is Raj’s poor, compromised brain . . .
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Chris and Robert,
In response the Diane’s blog entry (~2 months ago) about the closing of 2500 Charter schools in 12 years, I responded saying that there are about 99,000 public schools at any time during the last 12 years and 28,000 public schools were closed during the same period. The total number of public schools have remained nearly constant between 98,000 and 99,000. I stated that the public schools that closed were due to change in the demography or aging infra structure. The data base clearly states that fact. They were replaced by new schools at a different location or replaced old school buildings because the total number of schools remained nearly constant.
In the list of 2500 charter schools that were closed, there were quite a few that had never opened. They must have obtained permission to open charter schools, but were never able to open them due to unforeseen circumstances.
Diane responded saying that the public schools were closed due to or by NCLB and Race to the Top. You and I know that she is wrong. Data shows that very few schools actually closed due to NCLB or RTTP.
NCLB became law on Jan 2, 2002. Public schools were closing even before NCLB (you may want to verify this fact). It may be possible that George Bush infact applied NCLB retro-actively to close schools before he was elected to be the President. This is not possible because the schools had already taught many children in the past and the past cannot be undone.
Your comments attacking me is going to get you nowhere. I fail understand why you two will not try to be civilized. What do you expect to achieve from personal attacks? Are you attempting to drive me out of here?
There is nothing obtuse about facts. The comment about poor compromised brain of mine does not show class. I will continue to be civil and I expect the same from both of you.
I believe that it simply shows that you two are unable to write a proper rebuttal using reliable published data and or facts.
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Raj, the policy of punishing schools by closing them did not exist in state or federal law until NCLB. Schools closed or consolidated for many reasons, but not because their test scores were low. That’s a fact. If you can point to any law that closed schools to punish them pre-NCLB, please let me know.
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If only. If only. Bye Felicia.
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Diane,
I never stated anything about policy by state or federal government about closing schools because of NCLB. But I am at a loss to pin point schools that were closed due to NCLB or any other state policy. Schools were closing before and were closing after NCLB implementation.
I know that some charter schools were closed for poor performance since they have a death penalty clause in their charter. That does not account for the rate of school closures seen in the past.
I find it hard to obtain published reports that show large number of school closures due to poor performance based on NCLB or such new laws. Based on this assuming that a majority of school closures are based on NCLB is wrong and I know that you will agree with me on this point.
School closures are a fact prior to or after NCLB. Did the number of school closures increase after NCLB? I am not sure. Data is scarce on this issue.
Systematic denial of facts as it is presented here does not make a good debate and useful exchange of ideas. Personal attacks lead to nowhere.
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Oh, Raj, I thought you and I were friends.
Stop clutching your pearls and whining.
Why not move to Mexico and South America, where you can find all the free market solutions and corporate company ownership of government you could ever dream of down there? Would you not be more content there? America is not about predominant market forces; it is – or was – about balance.
As my very good friend, you should be able to read me much more accurately. It’s not that I wish for you to be driven off this blog.
It’s more like I wish you were driven off the face of the earth.
But what the Hell-ary?
It’s only a wish and will never, ever be anything more. I just got lost in the magic holiday spirit of Santa and made a winter-wonderland wish for the betterment of humanity by doing a little dusting, a little cleaning, some recycling, and the rest – or most of it – goes in the garbage where it belongs.
Don’t feel badly, Raj. Just have a nice holiday and don’t worry about anything. You worry too much.
You should think more . . . .
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Clinton also “misspoke” when it sounded like she was going to stand up to charter under-regulation and corruption.
She better get her words in order.
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‘Anyone but Hillary, please!!!!’ How many times do we excuse her for misspeaking? For the last 20 years?
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Anyone but Hillary??? Are you serious? How about, Nobody but Bernie?!
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Wonder what she’ll say tomorrow???
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I wouldn’t. Wouldn’t want to waste precious brain energy and resources!
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Check the direction of the wind, and you’ll find out.
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I am not sure you can apologize for Clinton’s mistake. She will have to do that herself. Her recent comments have about charter schools is promising but… it also sounds like she is responding to the criticisms of the people instead of what she believes. Sometimes, what we believe comes out when least expect it (ie under the pressure of the campaign trail)
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When it comes to education, Clinton is a veritable Freddie Mercury … “Any way the wind blows …” And it really doesn’t matter at all … to her. In fact, it doesn’t matter to any of the political class … what ever their stripes.
We are on our own … as usual.
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“Now, I wouldn’t keep any school open that was not doing a better than average job” — Hillary Clinton
Now, I wouldn’t vote for any Presidential candidate who has demonstrated beyond any reasonable doubt that s/he does not know what “average” means.
That’s elementary math — or at least used to before the idiots took control.
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“used to be”
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With all due respect to those that are thinking of supporting Hillary Clinton, she needs to spell out how her comments do not favor corporate education reform and disfavor public education.
This is not a quibble. She needs to make it clear where she stands and what she will do and not do.
Does anyone still remember the pre-election promises of the current president and supporters re public schools and how that worked out? As someone on this blog once put it, when it came to education it turned out that the argument in support of the sitting president of supporting “the lesser of two evils” turned out to be electing “the more effective of two evils.”
Just sayin’…
😎
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You have lost credibility, Ms. Ravitch, especially since you have been supporting and defending corporate democrat Hillary Clinton.
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I too am disheartened to see that Ms. Ravitch seems to have swallowed a lot of kool-aide.
However, the amount of work she does to shine light on the corporate cockroaches cannot be under-appreciated. She still holds a great deal of credibility with me.
She will see through Clinton’s deception, and I will be greatly surprised if Clinton wins the Presidency anyway.
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Diane has not supported anyone, even if she has her own personal preference, which she probably keeps private.
Instead, all Diane has done is report out on the candidates. Please don’t conflate observing and reporting with supporting a candiadate.
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It does appear that her comment was taken entirely out of context, in that she was referring specifically to the potential closing of rural schools in Iowa which she said were doing an “above average” job. We need to let this one go. Keep in mind that it is primarily Republicans who are promoting the notion that she wants to close half the schools in the US. It never made sense that she would actually mean such a thing, even if her words appeared to say otherwise.
The other criticisms of Clinton on charters and privatization are still valid but if this meme stays alive it will come back to bite us in the keister if she wins the nomination.
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In Arkansas, the Clintons were eager to consolidate small, rural, successful districts, calling them inefficient. They, of course, are not unique in this regard, but I sit on the sidelines waiting for something better from her.
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No, in Arkansas the Clinton’s attacked and scapegoated teachers with fervor. You could say Bill only loved the death penalty more than he loved bashing Arkansas teachers.
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I would recommend some Common Core math tutoring for Hillary.
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With all due respect to you and all the Hillary apologist but I cannot and will not vote for a presidential candidate that promises “change” is coming and make it seem our nation’s public schools will benefit from that change. Hillary has had too many faux pas with her loose lips and has a propensity to take her flip-flop campaign from state to state. I plan to vote for Bernie. In my heart, I truly feel that he will bring the revolution that America has been waiting for. This retired teacher will not be fooled.
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This is a great YouTube about Hillary Clinton’s many, many flip-flops and outright lies! Please watch it:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I3EneuJFwDs
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No, she did not “misspeak” She now says she did because she realizes she just showed her true colors. There is no “mis-speaking” when you say that you would shut down all the average and below average schools. Of course she is backpedaling. Make no mistake, she meant what she said.
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Randi is helping her re-spin right now as we tweet, type, etc….our dues hard at work. Saving the early endorsement is a top priority right now.
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I would be curious what Hillary thinks of the secretive Youngstown City Schools by Kasich’s Administration. The plan calls for “receivership” and a closing of public schools. Collective Bargaining contracts are suspended. The memos uncovered by Plunderbund call for firing 10% of employees per year. I would assume they keep doing that until all teachers are above average.
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LOL MathVale!
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“polarizing,” “calculating,” “disingenuous,” “insincere,” “ambitious,” “inevitable,” “entitled,” “over confident,” “secretive,” will do anything to win,” “represents the past,” and “out of touch.”
Ever wonder why Hillary takes such offense to these words?
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Excuse me, but those were the nice words used to describe her . . .
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What is so complicated?
Hillary will NOT close schools during her election campaign.
Once elected, she WILL close schools, and at least half of them . . . .
Hill-liar-y is no good . . .
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She has no authority to do so. Not gonna happen.
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And the Fed DOE had no authority to impose CCSS and VAM yet, here we are, deep in the swamp. There is nothing that neoliberal and neoconservative ideologues will not attempt in service to their ideology. The old legal and social boundaries have no meaning anymore because they consider themselves the “smartest people in the room” like the ENRON grifters.
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Chris in Florida, The US DOE not only had NO authority to impose VAM and CCSS, it was forbidden to meddle in curriculum or instruction. Why has no one sued?
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You are more optimistic than me, Susan Nunes.
And truth be known, I want to love Hillary. I’d love to love her. But her politics are far too stinky, alas.
Hillary is like a bowl of Lucky Charms: Packaged beautifully, sweet, tasty, fun, and then 2 hours later, you get stomach cramps and vomit . . .
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Diane, I am now convinced that we are in the midst of a Cultural Revolution, albeit a less violent version than the Chinese under Mao.
What the future holds for educational dissidents from the corporate reform agenda is troubling at best.
We now have a powerful council of 20 or so families that control all the wealth and the political, edicational, social, and media agendas.
Troubling, indeed.
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She wouldn’t have the authority to close public schools, but neither, I’ll bet, will you see either of her grandchildren in even the best of the best public schools. And it’s been so long since she’s been in a public school that I doubt that she’d understand what the teachers are talking about.
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@DianeRavitch Because who can prove legal standing to sue. That’s the problem with all of these policies, someone must be able to prove damages to take a case to court, no matter how ridiculously the policy or law. I would hope that you know that given your previous positions.
Hillary is a neo-liberal in the same vein as Obama, and if she is elected, we can expect more of the same. She said what she meant, now she has to back pedal because it is so unpleasant.
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Thank you, especially for the link which includes her whole 1-hour speech, in which she also said, “I’m also going to do everything I can to defend education and to make it clear that the best way to improve elementary and secondary education is to actually listen to the teachers and educators who are in the classroom with our students, and not scapegoat them and not treat them like they don’t have any contribution to make…”
Bush and Obama have so changed the vocabulary around education policy that many who oppose those awful policies are waiting to play “Gotcha!” We should expect a significant period of resetting the conversation and there is no question that Hillary Clinton has started that. I know that’s not popular to say, but it’s true.
Activists who expect Hillary Clinton to declare opposition to everything we have been fighting will continue to be disappointed (though somehow they seem to accept that Bernie means it even though he’s never said it and has voted the wrong way).
The best use of our energies is to do what activists should do with all politicians–praise them when they say the right thing and call them out when they say the wrong thing. The rest is self defeating.
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Oh, bosh. Of COURSE she misspoke. There is absolutely nothing in Hillary’s past speeches to indicate, in any way, that she intends to close down more than 50% of public schools (everything not “above average”). Reminds me of the right wing silliness over Obama’s “You didn’t build that!” — which clearly referenced (when read in context) all of the public infrastructure and support that allows private enterprise to thrive. As far as I know, Sarah Palin is STILL misquoting that bit of nonsense in her speeches to make her followers salivate.
The bigger problem with Hillary, as mentioned in several posts, is that she doesn’t really seem to “get” or “care about” public education in general — so her willingness (and ability) to step in and right the badly mis-steered ship that is current federal education policy is seriously in doubt.
If she cared enough to really look into this issue, I think she would (a) get it, and (b) work to change things. But she doesn’t really seem to care — so she is badly at risk of being manipulated by neoliberals and ed reform deep pockets — who assure her that all their intentions (and results) are good.
I should let Diane speak for her own points of view, but my recollection is that even she was once in favor of NCLB — but only until she applied some attention and intelligence to what was actually being sown — and reaped. Then, she promptly pointed out what was going on — and has been hard at work trying to change policy for the better. Presidential candidates (and presidents) have to master policy positions on such a wide swath of subjects. If current federal educational policy (on testing, national standards, charters, and vouchers) isn’t something that has outraged Hillary by now, I am worried that it may never be something she cares about enough to master.
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I don’t think many people thought that Hillary mean’t targeting half of our schools. I DO think people noted how quickly she went with the comfortable and judgmental language of the disconnected-instead of talking about sensible assessments, evaluations…and equitable funding.
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Non teachers really need to research education before sounding like idiots. Just because you went to school doesn’t make you an expert of any kind. Consult a few public school teachers, and they will educate you very well about what REALLY goes on.
Hillary Clinton is smart as all get-go, but she needs to reject the neolib garbage that her husband and the Rubenites have been spewing for 25 or 30 years.
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Two words: Bernie Sanders
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Feel the BERN!!!!!
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“the best way to improve elementary and secondary education is to actually listen to the teachers and educators who are in the classroom with our students, and not scapegoat them and not treat them like they don’t have any contribution to make…” I wonder when the last time was that she actually did that……..better words than usual, but delivered with a subtle edge of “I am going to perform a revolutionary act in telling people it is not true that you do not have any contribution to make.” It is condescending.
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Whether she misspoke, got her thoughts jumbled, or gave us a peek behind the curtain of what we can really expect is really not the issue here. The fact is that she comes from a political pedigree that strongly suggests an inclination towards the reform movement. She comes from the absolute nerve-center of the wing of the Democratic Party that has accepted reform with open arms and in fact ushered it along. She is financially elevated by an enormous amount of money that is also pro-reform at least. That’s one side of the ledger.
The other side of the ledger is a couple of vague, non-specific statements about broadly supporting public schools.
So why is any single person here or anywhere at all confused or uncertain or hopeful about what education policies she will pursue from the White House???
Really. Why is this a goddamned question mark even slightly?
It’s so embarrassing. Right here is where DINOs get accepted into power structures and elected. It’s happening precisely right here, to many of us.
THERE IS NO QUESTION ABOUT HILLARY’S ED POSITIONS!!!
And Randi Weingarten gave her, at a cheap cost (those vague lame statements noted above), “our” endorsement as teachers.
Randi whored out our endorsement for a few forgettable sentences by Clinton. That was the exchange. (And probably an equally weak promise to further Randi’s ambitions as well).
My career whored out for political peanut shells. Nice.
That this one act did not result in open revolt by teachers and a loud and vigorous movement to retake our unions is proof that we are doomed.
Sorry, that’s the deal.
Good luck opt-out, us teachers don’t have the ability to help as a movement.
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Randi is a disgrace, she sold us out. Makes me not want to lay dues. I will vote for Bernie in the primary. Was gonna vote for Hillary if she gets the nod for the general but I don’t know if I can. I keep thinking about how Obama went back on promises that he made as a candidate. The democratic establishment disgusts me, I fear she will stab educators in the backs in favor of reformers. I will become an independent after this election!
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Don’t forget that Lily Eskelsen-Garcia also sold us out. Neither national union is actually supporting teachers, although, to be fair, many locals are supporting teachers.
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All of the Republican presidential candidates would privatize 100% of the public schools.
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Agree, Linda. Every GOP candidate would get rid of all public schools. Sooner rather than later.
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Yup.
And so would a large scoop of Dems. It’s precisely what happens when unions become atrophied and complaisant. A feeding frenzy emerges. That a huge bulk of dems are just as bad as the republicans on Education is actually a statement about how our state and national unions have failed so aggressively in the last 15 years or so on every level. That’s all.
When dems join a feeding frenzy it means the unions on that particular issue have died or failed. That’s what unions are, have been, and should be…..the humanizing force of the Democratic Party, metering the impulses of politicians and their chronic need to service primitive capitalists. That Cuomo, Emmanuel, Obama, Clinton, etc etc etc have the positions they do on education is te ultimate sign of our unions’ failure.
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I thought it was just brought up that it wouldn’t be withiin Clinton’s power to close all the schools. That would be different for a republican president, how?
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What a crock of …. Establishment Republicans certainly. They have been allied with Obama on education issues from day one. The Democrats have done more harm to public schools in the last 7 years than the Republicans could have ever dreamed of getting away with. But since so many of you are sheople Democrats, you let the Obama administration get away with things that would have sent you into the streets if he were a Republican. We can’t afford an establishment president from EITHER party.
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But can we trust her any more than we can trust any of the Republicans?
Date: Wed, 23 Dec 2015 20:35:46 +0000 To: jcomer_msdwc@hotmail.com
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Folks… this is being spun as if she mispoke. What she actually did was pander to the group she was speaking too. Yes she was there to try and save a school, but she said what she said. It played well in the room.. thats what she does. Thats what they all do.
Unfortunately, the AFT’s too early endorsement, has made this worse. One would think, after such an early endorsement she would be more measured with ner words.
Me? I’m still feeling the Bern.
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rratto,
You nailed it.
Precisely.
She said what she said.
She said what she said BECAUSE SHE COULD.
That’s the real evil on what Weingarten did. She made it so that Hillary could actually say whatever she wanted to on education for the ENTIRE campaign cycle…..because the union endorsement is already in the bag!!
Randi is so politically dumb that she thought an early endorsement gave us power with Hillary. Fool. Randi doesn’t realize that political power is exercised over a candidate BEFORE an endorsement. You get them strongly on record supporting your agenda FIRST, then do the endorsement. You make em work for the endorsement…..and that means getting them on record and getting they to make promises. Then YOU reward with endorsement. Basic UNION 101 shit. Ol’Randi couldn’t have done it more wrong.
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HRC is not very trustworthy, in my opinion.
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You are pitifully naive. I will just take her at her word, which reveals her basic ideology. By the way, Bill is big buddies with Eli Broad.
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So is Hill . . .
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I am with Diane on this one. Hillary was talking about supporting public education and many are just focusing on that one phrase. Look at the whole speech and you can tell she is supporting public schools. An earlier comment stated that as activists we need to praise politicians that take pro-public ed positions and call out them out when they don’t. I think it is appropriate to let Hillary know she will not have the support of teachers if she doesn’t clarify that statement; but that said I am not ready to join the “bash the Clintons club.” I am in the Bernie camp now, but I will support who ever wins the Democrat Party nomination because there is no Republican running for office right now that will preserve and support our current system of public education. So instead of wasting efforts on slamming Hillary for a poorly worded statement, we should be reminding her and our union leaders that were too quick to endorse that she needs to support public education and talk about closing Charter schools.
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And I’m with your sane statement, Teresa Kendall. Folks need to remove the stars from their eyes. Yes, Hillary is a consummate politician with slithery doublespeak, not the savior who brings change like Obama also wasn’t. Vote Bernie in the primary to pull her further to the left and make clear who’s sick of third-way Democrats. Get out of your chair and vote Democrat in the general, because the election is likely to be close no matter which Republican emerges first from the clown car. ESSA has trimmed the wings from fed overreach into ed policy. The fight for public ed needs to move pronto to the statehouses.
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Agreed. 100%. As educators we cannot be a just another one issue group. There are more than enough of those around already.
Educators should not stricture their beliefs to narrow parameters but look at totalities. For the umpteenth time, I have NEVER found anyone with whom I agree on everything and doubt if any of you have either. Education entails a whole host of things
and
yes indeed, we must fight for public schools and the right to EDUCATE , not indoctrinate and NEVER relinquish that fight but again, sometimes our choices are not very good ones but I have had enough of the people who DELIBERATELY keep our government from doing its work, who politicize EVERY issue and our nation, our planet goes to pot and our children will be the recipients of VERY strictured thinking.
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AGAIN … NO HILLARY 4 ME. Look at her record. UGH…Hillary does NOT represent ME. She loves the 1%ers who fund her campaigns and give $$$$$ to the Clinton Foundation. Wish I had a foundations where there is an endless supply of money with a TAX write-off no less.
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Give up on Hillary, Ms. Kendall.
She takes corporate donations inside and out, and she supports Wall Street. And you REALLY think she is going to support public schools? She has had a relationship with Eli Broad and and served on the Board of Walmart?
What more evidence do you need?
Yes, as you said, Billionaire-sponsored Billary is better than any of the GOP. But I am glad you are in the Bernie camp.
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I agree, Bethree5.
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Y’all seem to think that mine or anyone else’s problem is with this interpretation of “half” of the public schools. Not me.
Yes, I thought her lack of understanding of statistics was funny. But what scares the bejeebus out of me is where she is coming from, the idea that an underperforming school should be shut down at all.
Hillary said she would close any school that isn’t doing an above average job. Schools that underperform are far more likely to be in areas that are poor, rural or inner city. In her hypothetical world, what would she do with those kids who need education the most in order to break the chains of oppressive poverty and lack of opportunity.
Everything she says sounds calculated to get the most likes. Very little that she says shows me that she actually cares about the plight of the people who need the attention of our leaders and our nation the most.
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Completely agree. not that Hillary said it, but that ‘closing underperforming schools’ has become an unthought-through buzz-phrase that gets wide head-nodding. Worse yet, that even the thought-through version is widely accepted: close public schools for the poorest (since they can’t support them with their own taxes), and the devil take the hindmost.
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It is important to remember that Hilary mis-spoke ONLY in the technical sense. Her larger effort, if president, will obviously be to continue to support corporate “reform” in the form of mangling and dismantling authentic public education.
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https://youtu.be/dcmrg5KIGh0
Starts around 14:00 discussing schools. Says listen to the teachers but then the comment about closings. Decide what you feel she means. Happy watching and happy holidays.
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