Really, EduShyster has done it again.
The rich, powerful, and famous end up as toast when skewered by her sharp satirical lance.
In this post, she has Wonder Boy Mark Zuckerberg solving the problem of the “skillz gap” by hiring a rightwing operative to run a national campaign. This campaign will use our public schools as the enemy, the schools that fail to provide the entry-level workers (willing to work for less), thus making it necessary for him to import foreign talent (willing to work for less).
What will those hapless billionaires think of next?
Diane Ravitch's blog 
Skewer Toast? More like Shyst-Kabarb …
LikeLike
“Really, EduShyster has done it again.
The rich, powerful, and famous end up as toast when skewered by her sharp satirical lance.”
Again, I think your characterization really derails the main point here. Is is more relevant that he is “rich, power, and famous” or that he is wrong? If he were advocates ideas you believed in, would it be bad that he is “rich, powerful, and famous?”
Also, “skewered?” “Toast?” Is this a competition or attempt to “skewer” someone, or to highlight important educationally relevant points?
To me, this post seems unprofessional and overly personalized, and – despite the fact that I agree with the underlying points – makes me want to tune out and disagree just because of it’s presentation style.
LikeLike
I had just the opposite reaction. I loved it! Go Edushyster!
LikeLike
I have to agree with edededucation. My objection is why does he have to hire a “rightwing” operative? Why don’t you have him hire a “leftwing” operative? Why not just make it an “ordinary” operative? You show your bias against people who don’t think like you do when you use that kind of wording.
LikeLike
“My objection is why does he have to hire a “rightwing” operative? Why don’t you have him hire a “leftwing” operative? Why not just make it an “ordinary” operative?”
Perhaps because he really did hire a right wing operative….
“Some people are raising their eyebrows over the choice of a hard-right Republican consultant — one who produced a famed spot deriding liberals as a “latte-drinking, sushi-eating, Volvo-driving, New York Times-reading” freak show — to handle the Silicon Valley SuperPAC’s work.”
Perhaps your bias is showing, z1?
LikeLike
Ang: but you and Diane somehow fail to acknowledge that sticking to the facts is just so, well, biased in favor of speaking plain truths in plain language.
😦
Given my unhealthy addiction to hard data, logic and compassion, I guess I will just have to bias myself over to you and Diane, even if I miss out on all that rheephormy $ucce$$. And I was sooooo looking forward to my first $50,000 speaking fee…
😦
But on the bright side—
Linda: Edushyster underscores the truism that “laughter is poison to tyrants.”
🙂
LikeLike
Krazy,
You rock!
Thanks for the smile and sorry about the lost loot!
PS:
regarding “Why don’t you have him hire a “leftwing” operative?”
Do you think this person assumed Diane told “Zuckie” who to hire?
😉
LikeLike
No one would care if he was wrong and just a middle manager donating a few bucks to his favorite charitable cause. But, because he is rich, powerful, and famous, he gets to direct educational policy?! Why can’t he take up something harmless like yacht racing? I seriously doubt that he would be able to tell his fellow racers how things should be done. Why is that, I wonder?
LikeLike
An interesting thing about teaching: It’s the one profession in which everyone knows better how to do it than those who are doing it do.
LikeLike
Everyone, it seems. Everyone else is an expert.
LikeLike
Not the only one. Everyone knows how to be a social worker better than actual social workers too. And let’s not even talk about parenting….
LikeLike
However, I do hope that Mr. Zuckerberg will be successful in his attempts to get some changes made in our draconian immigration policies.
LikeLike
If I broke my leg I would not go to the cardiologist. If I wanted to understand how children learn I’d listen to child development experts, not someone who wanted to meet girls on the internet and made a fortune. Those in academia are rich! Just depends what your definition of “rich” may be.
http://atthechalkface.com/2013/04/10/nancy-carlsson-paige-why-play/
LikeLike
Diane: I’m a great admirer of you and all your great work, but I am uncomfortable with the use of the word “shyster” which has been associated with anti-Semitism for a long time. Can another word be used that isn’t offensive to some of us? Thanks so much for all you do.
LikeLike
EduShyster named her blog. I don’t have the right or the power to change it.
LikeLike
Bea,
Considerable research has shown that any ethnic allusions of the word are based on false etymology.
Professor Gerald L. Cohen of the University of Missouri-Rolla apparently wrote two books on the subject.
See the followings links for more information —
• http://www.jstor.org/stable/454791
• http://maverickphilosopher.typepad.com/maverick_philosopher/2012/09/shysters-of-the-aclu-at-it-again.html
LikeLike
Thanks for your reply..
LikeLike