I spent the last three days in Austin and had a great time. I’ll write about it on the flight home. I’m sitting on the JetBlue flight and the doors will close in 3 minutes.
Thought you might want to see this interview with me and Evan Smith. Only 24 minutes.
I take it back. I posted this as the doors were closing. When I landed, I learned that the link didn’t work. I wrote the producer and found out that it won’t go live until October 18, when the show airs. At that time, I’ll post the link and make sure it works.
Diane Ravitch's blog 
No joy, Diane: the link is broken.
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bad connection or is it not posted yet?
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I attended your event at Eastside Memorial High School in Austin yesterday afternoon, your speech and the Q and A were terrific! Thanks so much for making time in your busy schedule to make a public appearance, everyone in the audience (which seemed to be 80% teachers) was invigorated by your words.
I’d like to expand on one topic you touched on during the Q and A: you advocated demonstrations as a way to get media attention, and referenced the widespread press coverage of the group of parents and students who protested the “talking pineapple” test question in front of Pearson’s headquarters. The “talking pineapple” protest garnered so much attention partly because the pineapple story was comically ludicrous.
Protests that include some element of humor, surprise, or shock value have the best hope of getting media attention. This is something important to keep in mind when planning a protest…showing up with signs and a bullhorn usually isn’t enough to get the press interested, there needs to be a comical or shocking hook. (Michael Moore is among the successful activists who advocate using humor to protest injustices.) Budding activists should watch the “Yes Men” documentaries or visit yeslab.org to see ideas for using humor, shock, or surprise to gain attention for your cause. The other side has billions of dollars to bankroll movies, astroturf groups, and lobbyists. We need to counter with hard work and ingenuity.
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Yes, you need a “hook.” Think hard and you will find one. Check the website of one of the groups that organized the NYC protest: ParentVoicesNY.org
They might help.
But my guess is you have lots of smart and funny and weird locals who can find the right angle.
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404 Not found.
I will be glad to watch it, at least they gave you more time that Randi Kaye!!
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I thought people at this site might be interested in this talk by Karran Harper Royal (from Parents Across America) who is giving a talk at the New Zealand Post-Primary (grades 7ish – grade12) Teachers Association Conference.
The talk is “From New Orleans to New Zealand with Love: A Warning About Disaster Capitalism and Public Education”
It’s being live streamed at:
http://www.bizviz.co.nz/Mediasite/Play/1df699c8b33b4afc9549c2f6bfec5ec91d?catalog=858ed599-cc19-4d4e-9576-96a0d94fa028
on 2 October at 14:00 NZDT (and NZDT is GMT+13 i.e. 13 hours ahead of Greenwich)
I make that 9pm on the 1 October in New York City.
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This may be link:
http://www.klru.org/blog/category/overheard-with-evan-smith/
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Here’s the link, but I don’t think it’s up yet. Diane, you were fabulous! Good thing Stephen Krashen will be here Thursday so I can follow another hero visiting Austin!
http://www.klru.org/blog/2012/09/in-the-studio-overheard-diane-ravitch-101/
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The link is not yet open. The producer told me it would not be available until the show airs, which makes sense. Thanks for everything!
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Hi, I tried by link and by cutting and pasting…still not getting it. Are others?
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Not working.
I’ll get it again and fix it
Diane
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The link does not work, Will replace.
Diane
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Sorry but link doesn’t work
Will fix as soon as producer sends new one
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That was amazing, Diane. Your answers were quite eloquent and reflective of a vast knowledge base. The interviewer asked terrific questions that truly reflect the rhetoric going on today which was fortuitous in that people need to hear the truth about these topics. Thank you for continuing to offer your voice to the movement.
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