I had a wonderful inaugural event in my book tour in Pittsburgh. It was organized by parent activist Jessie Ramey, who writes the blog Yinzercation, and union activist Kipp Dawson. It was co-sponsored by seven local universities, the Pittsburgh Federation of Teachers, and a galaxy of educational justice groups, including GPS (Great Pittsburgh Schools).
The audience included many elected officials, including the newly elected mayor, school board members, and Superintendent Linda Lane.
The event began with a long and fabulous set played on African drums by about 20 students, who seemed to range in age from 9-13 or so. They were great!
I spoke, then was followed by the Westinghouse high school marching band. They arrived with great vivacity, but their story was heartbreaking. This school, which produced a number of legendary jazz greats, has been decimated by budget cuts. The school’s jazz program was shut down years ago. Now the marching band has no instruments, and their uniforms are hand-md-downs. A speaker, Reverend Thornton, pleaded with the crowd, to make donations to help the band that has neither instruments nor uniforms nor a stable band director.
Anyone want to see the “crisis in American education”? Come see how the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is denying a thorough and efficient education to the children of Pittsburgh. Especially the children of color.
Diane Ravitch's blog 
While New Orleans and New York might be stronger ties for them than Pittsburgh, I still think this is the perfect rally cry for the Marsalis family. They have always spoken in favor of jazz and music in schools.
Congratulations on this special day!
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How tragic for these Westinghouse High School students! Sadly as title one teachers “we all see the crisis in education” in action every day. Classes are now on a tracking system, obsession with data is forcing teachers to waste incredible amounts of time and to dumb down lessons, teachers go without important things like the correct number of desks that are in working order (yet districts spend oodles of money on smartboards for every classroom and for test prep materials). “Collaboration” is not collaboration at all .. it is time to review data and to figure out how to fit teaching into a cookie-cutter “common core” package. There are so many children whose creative aspirations are thwarted by “corporate ed reform”. There are so many teachers too whose professional experience or potential to acquire this experience (for those new to the field) is equally thwarted by these “reforms”. Imagine if Eli Broad put all his “art money” to art education in American public schools instead of creating an egoistic “empire” to his own family name so that he will have a wing named after him in every museum in America!
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““Collaboration” is not collaboration at all .. it is time to review data and to figure out how to fit teaching into a cookie-cutter “common core” package”
Don’tcha love being PLC’ed on!
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That’s funny.
Just came out of a meeting where that very thing was the subject. When told to attend grade level PLCs, our Connect team (arts/PE/library) finds that the teachers are really very busy with data.
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People who have jobs in education bureaucracies justify their continued employment by devising more testing and revising the testing they devised. Rational fear of unemployment is a driver of pharisee testing.
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I teach social studies (and now also STEM), but I was a music major in college. I consider the arts an essential part of a complete edcation. Over my years as a teacher, smetimes the arts have been just as important n getting a student to persist as have been athletics (and wanting to stay eligible). I can think of one former student at the school I tuaught for 13 years who was both an All-Met football player and an oustanding artist.
If we are going to educate the whole childm we should not be eliminating the arts.
And if we are thinking about long-term, think how many jobs there are related to the arts.
Anyone who thinks greater tax breaks for the wealthy are more important than complete education for ALL of our young people is very short-sided
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Off-topic, but I thought you’d appreciate this review of your book: http://laststand4children.blogspot.com/2013/09/ravitchs-new-book-demonstrates-she.html
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Oh dear! Last Stand for Children brilliantly reviews my book before reading it. What a shrewd plan.
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This is a nice message to start our day. Congratulations on the launch of your tour, please take care of yourself as you travel on to Philly. Tell them we’re all behind them, and that there are hundreds of thousands of us ready to stand with them to defend their schools and their children.
My Amazon.com order of 2x Reign of Error shipped at 4:54 this morning.
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Yay!!!!
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Well, Diane, we’d like to fund their band but we’re busy pouring money into teacher evaluation systems. Look at the bright side. They may be eligible for an iPad.
This absolute lunacy in funding priorities was brought to you by the nation’s business and entertainment leaders and the state and national politicians they bought.
Still, 1000 people is a great turnout. I’m pleased the mayor was there.
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Chiara, I heard that Rhee got an audience of 50 in Philly last night.
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I saw it on the news. It looked like they held the meeting in a closet.
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Ah, but you are confusing numbers with the Rheality of the Rheel world where the Rheel sustenance is printed on special made green paper.
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Does GarageBand work on Ipads? They could all program their instrument and “play” them simultaneously!
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Congratulations on your inaugural event. It sounds like it was very meaningful. I hope that the publication of your book, and your book tour, impacts and influences the national conversation on school reform to the point where real reform can can begin. I look forward to hearing you speak at the Free Public Library this evening here in Philadelphia! Thank you
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I’m an avid reader of your blog, and my husband and I made the trek from Ohio to see you last night. We were not disappointed! I am excited to read the book, and share it with my friends. Thank you for all you do for public education!
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Thanks for raising all the important issues at the talk last night. Good luck on the rest of your tour.
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What a wonderful evening! And, thank you so much for speaking up for the kids at Westinghouse High School on your blog! (If you’d like to help the band that Diane mentioned–Pittsburgh Westinghouse Bulldogs High Stepping Marching Band–there’s a donation page here: http://igg.me/at/bulldogs/x/4640354 )
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The scathing review of Dianne’s book on “Last Stand for Children” fortunately includes a link to Random House, with a cogent summary and a sample chapter from “The Reign of Error.”
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Sarah,
Last Stand for Children is satire.
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Thanks Dr. Ravitch for starting your book tour here in PA. I have followed your blog for a long while. I should let everyone’s that even that audience last night gasped when you reminded us that PA leads the nation in charters. I believe Reign of Error will open many dialogues. We have lots of sharing to do among our own ranks.
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We in Pittsburgh were honored to have Diane Ravitch launch her book tour with us. The wonderful evening was organized by LOTS of great people. Through her presence, and the opportunities her coming gave us to reach out, Diane helped us build the village that it will take in Pittsburgh — and everywhere — to really raise and support our children and their schools — and their teachers. She left us energized, well armed, and more together than ever. The 1,000 who came together here were amazed to look around and see one another. We have begun a new and stronger stage of the journey here because of the work so many did, and the inspiration and tools she gave us through her research and writing and speaking on our behalf. So off we go. Thank you, Diane Ravitch!!!
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