CNN: please watch

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1. Kenneth Chanko says:

   August 17, 2012 at 1:50 pm

   When, exactly, is the interview airing? There’s like a 3-hr (if not more) block of time on CNN Saturday morning that just says “CNN Newsroom” on my DVR…

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   • dianerav says:

     August 17, 2012 at 1:52 pm

     I was told 9-10 am EST

     Diane Ravitch

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     • Kenneth Chanko says:

       August 17, 2012 at 8:03 pm

       Thanks, Diane. But I also got a blog post that indicated your five minutes would come at 8:40 a.m. I guess I’ll just make sure my DVR-ing extends through both times…

       Just FYI: I’m a New York City public school teacher (was a mid-career changer; had been a journalist; went through the NYC Teaching Fellows), teaching in my South Bronx elementary school for seven years now. I subscribe to your blog and read you regularly – you’re a much-needed voice amidst the hordes of privatizing interests and “reform” groups with agendas other than what’s in the best interests of the urban school-aged disadvantaged, not to mention other demographics of kids. Please keep fighting the good fight…!

       Just a thought: Maybe you should try to get on the Sat. & Sun. morning MSNBC show, “UP w/Chris Hayes.” I don’t know if you’ve seen it, but Chris’s show is about the only one on TV that I’m aware of right now that will spend 40-to-45 minutes on one issue. It’s not about getting in zingers or spouting soundbites or, as seemingly happened with you, doing a “gotcha” drive-by. The next time Chris takes on education, you’d be valued voice and I’m sure your perspective on public education would be taken seriously.

       Be well,

       Ken

       Kenneth Chanko

       NY, NY

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     • dianerav says:

       August 19, 2012 at 8:47 pm

       Thanks, Kenneth.

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2. Querculus says:

   August 17, 2012 at 1:55 pm

   Does anyone have a link to an online broadcast of this? Too bad CNN can’t be like the McNeill-Lehrer News Hour was a few months ago. That was a balanced interview.

   Gotcha questions, however, are apparently the norm on cable these days. It sounds like you were able to set the record straight on scale scores.

   The new, expensive, no-bid contract testing in Bridgeport (under-the-privatization-gun)and media schools’ data was presented to teachers as though the raw percentages of 90%, 80%, 70%, and 60% were presented as goal/proficient/basic/below basic— NO statistical analysis or any of the real work that turns raw scores into usable data was done.

   At least it was done with pretty pie charts and fancy colors….

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   • dianerav says:

     August 17, 2012 at 1:58 pm

     Please see the interview and make your judgment It airs tomorrow between 9-10 amEST About five minutes Do they say

     Diane Ravitch

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   • Lilac says:

     August 18, 2012 at 4:37 pm

     I agree. Forget CNN. This was abominable and disrespectful I wrote CNN.

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3. Linda Johnson says:

   August 17, 2012 at 2:33 pm

   This is the first time in my 70 years that I feel that journalists and researchers are marching to the tune of those paying them. “He who pays the piper calls the tune.” The recent case of Campbell Brown is a particularly agregious situation and possibly related to the way Diane was treated by CNN.

   Until recently I believed that the press and the universities were independent, but now I do not. Scary.

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4. Kay says:

   August 17, 2012 at 2:40 pm

   I guess by now we should not be surprised but I am. I will watch. I am so grateful you were able to volley back whatever got hit your way. Your homework and your diligence pays off. Disgusted that their approach was to prepare questions that they hoped would stump you. Where are these questions when Rhee et al come on? They probably consulted with Rhee in deciding what to confront you with…stupid integrity-lacking journalists.

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5. reality-based educator says:

   August 17, 2012 at 2:49 pm

   Yes, I agree. That’s why this feels so raw and emotional to me. The Campbell Brown attack on teachers, Won’t Back Down, TEACHERS ROCK, NBC’s Education Nation panel that’s always overloaded with corporate education reformers, Andrew Cuomo’s education reform commission that also is overloaded with corporate education reformers and doesn’t seem to want to hear from anybody who doesn’t already agree with them, Waiting for Superman, Arne Duncan’s meeting with “Teachers of the Year” award recipients wherein Mr. Duncan did all the talking and none of the listening – it all feels like one big, rigged propaganda-fest against public education and public school teachers.

   But as Dr. Ravitch noted, we should see this interview before reacting to it and commenting to CNN. I think I feel so raw and beaten up from the other hit pieces in the media that air all the time that I just reacted instinctively and called CNN to say “How dare you?”. It’s hard not to take this stuff personally. Still, this was a good lesson for me to learn (or re-learn!) – just because you think you’ve heard the same old song somewhere before, you still need to hear the new one before you react to it.

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   • Duane Swacker says:

     August 18, 2012 at 9:51 am

     RBE,

     “it all feels like one big, rigged propaganda-fest against public education and public school teachers.”

     I believe that the ever increasing speed and viciousness of the edudeformers can be called a “putsch”-the definition being: “A sudden attempt by a group to overthrow a government.” (from freedictionary.con). Public schools are part of government and it seems that in the last year or so there has been an all out attack on many fronts by the deformers. Information coming out of ALEC even states that they are attempting to push through so much legislation at one time so that some may slip through the cracks.

     Duane

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6. Prof W says:

   August 17, 2012 at 2:52 pm

   Diane, how awful for you. I’m really sorry that it seemed so biased. It sounds like you were set up, or ambushed, but I will defer judgement until I watch what CNN decides to air.

   Unfortunately, many college level educators who support P-12 public education, teachers and unions are often seen as being “one of them”, even when we do not belong to a union ourselves, have nothing to gain personally, and our skin in the game is a commitment to the best interests of children, families and communities.* Most importantly, unlike so many non-educators who consider themselves to be expert education “reformers”, we have nothing to gain financially (and we do not charge for sharing our expertise).

   You may want to consider doing some future interviews along with a parent, such as with someone from PAA or PURE, since parents are the least likely to be viewed as supporting public education and teachers for personal gain.

   *I’m an early childhood educator who trains people who will be teaching in child care centers, in the private sector, which is not unionized, and I have never been a union member. (States have lower qualifications for teachers in child care centers, but I have the same high standards for them as for those I previously trained to work in public education, because children, families and communities deserve high quality education regardless of location.)

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7. irashor says:

   August 17, 2012 at 3:45 pm

   Yes, Prof. D is right–do not barrage CNN with complaints until we all view the segment on air. We have no credibility complaining about something we haven’t seen or read. For CNN to treat Prof. D with respect would elevate her stature as a critic of corporate reform, and of course CNN wants to undermine her. keep going, this shows they are vulnerable to D’s critique.

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   • Michele says:

     August 17, 2012 at 5:33 pm

     Also, it makes it seem as if we take our marching orders from Diane. I don’t have cable – or any other channels – so will wait for it online. I don’t know why, but I thought they wanted a balanced view. Of course, I should have known better. It is so much work to keep up with the attacks but what else can we do?

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8. Jeremiah James Henderson says:

   August 17, 2012 at 4:09 pm

   I will watch the interview hopefully tomorrow. I am sorry that Randi was trying to blindside you. I will wait until I see it to do anything. On the plus side I am glad you got more air time!!

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9. kuhiokane says:

   August 17, 2012 at 6:07 pm

   Okay, let’s not all hit CNN until after we view it. Fair enough. And most all of us out there defending public education would hopefully respond to CNN. Most of the people, especially Dr. Ravitch and some other big players in education, with whom I have had contact through blogs and Twitter, Facebook, etc., never cease to amaze me with their total brilliance.

   Then it occurred to me. The main (lame) stream media, the major networks, are corporate owned and shill for their bottom lines (profits), right? America is in the clutches of an anti-democratic attacks on civil rights, our human rights, Brown vs. Board of Education, fair elections, you name it. The encroachment on our liberties, freedoms grown from the substrative frameworks of an equitable and free public education, must be addressed. Not by offering up our leadership to the shark pit of unbalanced and biased media corporations.

   It’s time to hit back at the biased interviewers and the misinformed or purposeful attacks by so-called journalists and pundits of and for the corporate media’s goals. These talking heads don’t want to lose their paychecks, so they do what top down ownership tells them to do, yes? It’s my contention that there must be created a consortium of top professionals in public education, representing the voices of all those who favor the survival of free, public schools and the protections of strong union representation, to determine which leader would be the best representative on media programming based upon the known biases and styles of those who facilitate or act as inquisitors for the main stream media outlets.

   We need to develop and bring forth skillfulness at changing the narrative, debunking and overriding the misleading or insinuational questioning by the talking heads that more often results in the “gotcha” moment. We not only need Dr. Ravitch to increase the exposure of our cause, we also need more voices, sharks, if you will, to rebuff the purposeful framing by the corporate media, the shark pit, and bring real facts and research to these obviously biased interrogators. Think: bypass the interview and speak to the camera.

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10. Laurie Murphy says:

    August 18, 2012 at 9:08 am

    Great interview on CNN- You addressed every issue that Randi Kaye brought up, insisted that the factual truths be heard, and brought up all of the other variables that so many choose to ignore. Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!

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11. Marijane says:

    August 18, 2012 at 9:57 am

    Could you possibly post a link to the interview. I got word that it was at the earlier time too late to see it.

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12. Karen says:

    August 18, 2012 at 11:16 am

    I watched it when it aired this morning @ 8:45 AM. I found it particularly interesting that as an introduction to your interview, Randi Kaye reaired comments made by Michelle Rhee. I was also quite disappointed that she chose to exhibit and share a letter written by a middle/high school student who was clearly below grade level and chose to ignore your implicit points that one sample, from one district, from one school cannot adequiately illustrate or messure quality education. She chose to ignore your repeated valid points regarding poverty when she had the perfect opportunity to explore and exapnd on that topic during the interview. It is clear to me that she had her own agenda that apparenlty was sanctioned by her bosses. I am surprises and disappoints me from CNN. I look to them as a “voice of reason” on issues. CNN loops much of their material throughout the day, so I would think that those who missed it might be able to catch it at another time.

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13. George E Jones Jr says:

    August 18, 2012 at 11:31 am

    While channel surfing I came in on your interview on CNN this morning towards the end and you were very inspiring to me with how you kept the facts straight and the nebulous variables out. I was very impressed and went to your website to learn more. Thank you for having the will to speak the truth about public school education for decades!

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14. Karen says:

    August 18, 2012 at 11:42 am

    I watched it when it aired this morning @ 8:45 AM. I found it particularly interesting that as an introduction to your interview, Randi Kaye re-aired comments made by Michelle Rhee. I was also quite disappointed that she chose to exhibit and share a letter written by a middle/high school student who was clearly below grade level and chose to ignore your implicit points that one sample, from one district, from one school cannot adequately illustrate or measure quality education. She chose to ignore your repeated valid points regarding poverty when she had the perfect opportunity to explore and expand on that topic during the interview. It is clear to me that she had her own agenda that apparently was sanctioned by her bosses. I am surprises and disappoints me from CNN. I look to them as a “voice of reason” on issues. CNN loops much of their material throughout the day, so I would think that those who missed it might be able to catch it at another time.

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