When this blog started, I imagined a cozy conversation among friends, which it was, in my virtual living room.
But as the weeks went on, the daily readership began to exceed 10,000, and the living room sometimes seems crowded.
I hope it continues to grow. We can move from my living room to the nearest football stadium and take turns at the microphone.
The only dark cloud, to be frank, is that a very small number of people take up a disproportionate amount of space in the comments section.
Sometimes they are angry, because they don’t like our conversation, so they jump in again and again and keep saying, “I am right and you are wrong.”
I welcome dissidence, so I welcome them too, as it keeps us on our toes.
There is room for them too in my living room.
But I remind our dissidents that this large living room has rules of courtesy.
If you become rude, if you become insulting, if you continue repeatedly to try to dominate the discussion and shout down others, I’ll ask you to step outside.
If you don’t, I’ll eject you.
Fair enough? That’s the house rules.
Diane Ravitch's blog 
Fair enough!
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Thank you so much. I was not liking getting my ears pinned back any time I posted in favor of charter schools or anything against the unions and their status quo.
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Well said. But you can certainly understand the frustration at educators in today’s political climate. We are not the enemy and neither are our Unions.
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I always try to be polite and respectful. But I do like to talk a lot. But the internet has more space than anyone could ever possibly fill up just by tying. One long, high quality video file probably takes up more memory everything I will ever type in my entire life. Also, the most interesting comments on any blog are the ones from the people who politely and respectfully disagree with the author of this blog. I certainly hope that my comments are not viewed as being excessive in number.
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The Internet is capacious and has room for everything that has ever been written in the world. But please remember that you are in my metaphorical living room. Please modulate your voice, do not monopolize the conversation and do not think it necessary to answer to every single comment on the blog. You are welcome to join the conversation, but try to listen to others, don’t just lecture others. Mind your manners, and you are welcome to stay. This is a living room, and it is my living room.
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OK. Thank you!
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And I love what you’ve done with your living room Diane!
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One of the reasons I love your blog, Diane, is because of your wisdom in expecting visitors to be respectful . Manners and boundaries are in short supply these days, and it is refreshing to visit your living room where writers are expected to visit as guests in your home. Thank you for making our visits a civil and human experience.
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There’s a little bit of a class identity problem here. It’s a living room, so the sensibilities of all the congregants matter. But if low-income families, “ignorant” parents, and difficult urban kids aren’t in the room, it must be okay to trash-talk them. It’s just background noise.
Except if I’m in the room, they are too. We are, too. I’m not asking anybody to censor anything if bias and scorn drift in under the guise of good old fashioned back-room teacher-talk, but at least notice it.
Feel it like it was directed at you, colleagues. It is.
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I’m probably guilty of dissidence and have wondered if I have “dominated” a thread. And I know I can be a tad “snarky” the new term for what my mom used to call “smart alecky”. But you don’t have to worry about that now as we started back today and I will have limited time to comment. ¡Así es la vida!
But I do want to put in a word for my new blog “Promoting Just Education for All” found at: revivingwilson.org . It will be a two semester graduate level “seminar course” of study of Noel Wilson’s “Educational Standards and the Problem of Error”. I figure if the Broadies have administrator “academies” I can too!! I have posted an introduction, the “course” schedule, and the first study of the abstract. Please come over and join in on the discussion! It’s free and only will take a little time each two weeks to learn about the most important educational study in the last XX years!
Thanks,
Duane Swacker
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This is a conversation, and I read every comment and respond to many. On occasion, when things were said that were offensive to my ears, I deleted them; I even deleted some of my own comments. Sometimes you need to think twice. Sometimes we speak without thinking of the consequences. Sometimes I’m wrong. All I ask is respect for others, and I ask that of students, parents, teachers, administrators, everyone, regardless of income or circumstance.
If I am responding less than I did three months ago, it is because quite frankly the living room is crowded. I am now reviewing hundreds of comments every day. Whew!
I often borrow your words. If you want to be acknowledged, leave your full name. Most people don’t, and I understand that.
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