Very likely in response to your emails, a producer just called from Education Nation to invite me to serve on a panel to discuss testing with Paul Pastorek (Louisiana), John Deasy (Los Angeles), and Joshua Starr (Montgomery County).
I said no.
I want to talk about the theme of the conference, not about testing. I want to talk about the massive misinformation about the condition of U.S. education. I want to talk about the attacks on teachers and public education.
I also hate to be the last one to be invited to a party, as an afterthought. I know who was on the A list. I was not one of them.
I hope I am not letting you down.
But I won’t be used as a prop.
No let down, Diane.
I agree. You are not corporate reform’s “prop.”
Right on, Diane.
I agree..it was an afterthought to appease…who wants to attend their charade anyway?
Boycott NBC! I don’t need their stinkin’ propaganda. We support you. 🙂
I no longer watch NBC because of the constant charter propaganda. Don’t bother going on Diane-no one takes Education Nation seriously.
I agree with you Diane, if not on the A list why bother? Save your energy and stay healthy for your book tour. Josh can rep MoCo and other sensible educators.
DiRav, I trust your judgment implicitly… You may not realize this, but you are a GREAT American… Education Nation is a FARCE, as is MSNBC’s extolling of DCPS’ Rhee/Henderson absolutely devoid of FACTS….
You will make more noise, legitimately, through your work and solo appearances…
…and I so look forward to your book…
Take care….
Alex Berg
Sorry. Prop? Last in line? Not the case here. We are asking you and Rick Hess. This is for March in Vail, Colorado. I totally respect your point of view and that is why we are interested in you speaking in Vail. I am not sure what else you are refering to.
Alby Segall
I agree with you Diane. I also think this constant nonsense about talking about the tests as if that were the solution rather than part of the problem is a waste of your time. Thanks for sticking up for what is right when it comes to this problem “they” have with our public schools. As you so constantly point out, the problems aren’t all about education but about poverty and lack of access to healthy food, good, safe housing, parents whose work lives don’t eat them alive and the fact that language, physical disabilities, and so many other aspects of life interfere with a child’s ability to do well in school.
If you are hungry, you don’t sleep. If you don’t sleep, there is not much energy for school. But if you are hungry, as too many are and now even more will be with this cutback in food stamps, we can’t talk endlessly about testing. Give them food, real food, give them good health care and lots of very safe and protected neighborhoods where they can safely play outside and not get shot at. Please. This discussion is never held. It’s as if the House didn’t just slash food stamps and no one wants to say, hey, this is going to make life even worse for these kids.
Oy, Diane, we are steadily falling into a rabbit hole,
Deborah Emin
Sullivan Street Press
http://sullivanstpress.com
________________________________
No, Deborah, we will win this.
I won’t say “trust me.”
I say, just keep your eyes open, and you will see our resistance to these bad ideas grow.
Someday even NBC will see it too.
I agree completely, Diane. We ARE going to win this. And the final victory will happen much sooner than anyone expects.
We don’t know exactly how and when this will happen, but I do know that sooner or later, because of worries about their “brand” being tarnished, or just because of boredom and the desire for “something new”, the Gates, Broad and Walton Money Machine will eventually dry up—and that will leave it all in ruins…
I expect, in the final battles, it will all be very bloodless and non-violent.
Puget SoundParent,
You are right. They will grow tired of losing and failing. They will grow bored. And we will still be here. And they will go away.
“. . . this constant nonsense about talking about the tests as if that were the solution rather than part of the problem. . . ”
Well I constantly talk about the nonsense that is educational standards, standardized testing and the grading of students. What Wilson has to say should be out and up front for any and everyone who resist the educational malpractices that are those atrocities, and yes they are atrocities as they are thoroughly invalid and unethical and cause harm to innocents the children who are the students who have to be subjected to this nonsense.
You are correct that those who talk of those nefarious practices as if they were the solution are part of the irreality of life to which too many are exposed. But we need to shout louder, be more militant, not back down, expose the insanities for what they are and unfortunately that means continually talking about them.
I would hope you would not show up for this mediocre luncheon date!
I get it. Glad to hear we had that much of an impact. Thank you Diane for all that you do for educators, for students, and for parents.
Wouldn’t it be great if some producer would put together a show with Diane and others making a real difference in education. Now that would be a show worth watching!
Oh, how about Merrow and PBS. Nope they’ve already been bought off.
I’m planning on doing just that—using the World Wide Web—in the coming months. Stay tune for details and let me know if you’d like to be put on our mailing list.
Integrity is something I greatly value. Thank you Diane.
You are truly my hero and inspiration!
May God bless you.
Tim
Sent from my iPhone
>
Nope. No let down. And please, no let up, either.
Good for you, Diane. Perhaps they would like to interview you on your new book.
Maybe they started reading your book and realized they HAD to invite you, given the importance of what you have to say? Josh Starr will mostly be on your side; hates tracking, over-emphasis on testing, narrowing of the curriculum, and bashing of teachers instead of focusing on quality professional development. But last I heard he was still tolerant of charter schools and related “choice” hype, and somewhat too trusting of VAM. Nevertheless, he’s civil, rational, and a reasonably strong advocate for public schools.
“quality professional development”
Now there’s an oxymoron if I’ve ever heard one!
I wonder if it would be possible to run an event next year to go head to head with NBC. There needs to be an honest discussion about the state of education, not an infomercial for market-based reforms. Perhaps CBS or ABC news would be interested if a dynamic panel was assembled.
Diane,
Be sure to tell them why you said no and what it would take for you to say yes. Make it an open letter.
Thanks for you’re firm stand Diane.
The real data is on our side so these side shows are of very little value until people are open to seeing the real data. Here in Dallas the year old Broad Superintendent we have has for the first time in ACT reporting history tested fewer students than the previous year. We have consistently tested over 10% more each year. Last year we had a 18% decrease so data could be manipulated and a 5% increase in the scores recorded. They simply did not test as manys students in the historically low performing schools, but nobody mentioned that from the inside. Fortunately the reports were public and we quickly noticed the pattern, bottom of page 218 in the document at https://mydata.dallasisd.org/docs/CILT2014/DP1000.pdf That is not progress! Also they claimed at 2.5% decrease in the racial gap, but the Anglo scores if you notice went down over 4%. How is that progress?
“How is that progress?’
Broadies know data! At least enough to make it appear like they know what they’re doing when they are not doing it-improving the teaching and learning process.
But then how can one improve the teaching and learning process when one has never taught or only taught for a few years?
I agree with your decision and that adding you as an afterthought is both insulting and treats you like a prop, especially since they wanted to shoehorn you into a “focus group” discussion. Mr. Starr is more than capable of handling that whole topic on his own, so the additional insult is that you would have been redundant! Hard to imagine but it’s actually good news, there are lots of us out there. The most important thing to do in response is to put out the reasons why you viewed their 11th hour 59th minute offer as being utterly inadequate. It seems obvious that they will claim you were invited but refused and that they will go into no further detail than that on the how and why of it unless they spin it to attack or defame you.
“The most important thing to do in response is” to let them know that none of us here will be watching live (and encouraging a boycott of the sponsors) but we will be exposing the lies and deceits afterwords.
Diane, while it is good to know they have “heard” us- I applaud your decision not to attend their party. They have made it very clear that they do not want actual public school teachers and educators like you who so beautifully articulate our concerns about the threat to our schools, to be heard. WE will be outside the event and raising our voices where the public can hear us.
I’d love to go on and talk about how irrelevant testing has been to my children’s early excelling in the classroom.
I believe you made the right choice and comment. As long as there are people who believe in privatizing PUBLIC education making all the decisions there is no point in talking about the Myths of Standardized Tests!
I don’t quite know how to do this, but there are other people who have been strong voices against uber testing. We could save your energy and provide another strong voice against the testing mania.
Rick Scott just issued an executive order calling for Florida to pull out of PARCC AND making a strong statement that Florida should NOT turn over its student data to any national database!!!
Wonderful. Wonderful.
In response to Tea Party, strange bedfellows
In contrast to what some here think, the folks who consider themselves as belonging to the Tea Party do have some good thoughts/ideas about government. How many here have sat down and talked with them? You might be surprised if you take off your ideological blinders.
Tyranny is tyranny. There are folks in the Tea Party who oppose it. There are folks in Occupy who oppose it. There are folks like me who wouldn’t join either who oppose it. All decent people oppose it, and those people are to be found in every faction, just about.
I have always thought that Occupy and the Tea Party should hold a summit and agree to be civil to one another. They would find lots of surprising common ground.
Yes, several of us have tried to talk to them, including about the inequitable distribution of wealth in this country. They support billionaires and trash the poor –even when it’s not in their own best interest. Those are not very “good thoughts” in my opinion and they seem a lot like subjects of mind control.
Scott’s Executive Order opens with a strong statement that “The Federal government has no constitutional authority to unilaterally set academic standards for Florida, nor any authority to unilaterally direct local school board decisions on curriculum and instruction” and that “Floridians will not accept Federal government intrusion into the academic standards that are taught to our students in our classrooms and will not tolerate the Federal government using such standards to coerce policy decisions at the state or local level on the issues of assessments, curriculum, and instructional materials, which are within the Constitutional purview of Florida’s state and local governments.”
YES YES YES!!!!
Wow! sounds like he has been talking to a few lawyers.
Is this for real??? Why isn’t this a post of its own? This is HUGE if it’s true!
It is, indeed, VERY big news. I am greatly delighted by this. A major battle won. We’ll see whether the state Board of Ed has the governor’s good sense and moral courage regarding this.
Scott’s statement is well worth reading. He isn’t fooled, one bit, by the “State” in “Common Core State Standards.” He knows how this all came down.
I’ll talk about testing 🙂 http://www.wholechildreform.com
Frankly, Diane, I thought NBC’s sin of omission had been intended as a slap in the face to you, as well as to everyone else who truly supports public education, sees through the corporate “reform” agenda and won’t tolerate it’s dominance over education.
Suddenly deciding to invite you does not change the dynamic, which is consistent with a long pattern of behavior in history. Ever since Bush I called his Education Summit in 1989, up through to the “architecture” of the Common Core standards and including now, P-12 educators have not been invited to the table. Thus, I fully agree that you should not attend. Thank you so much for standing strong!
What is ironic to a degree that Diane isn’t a “P-12 educator”, either so it keeps with their unspoken agenda that teachers’ voices don’t count nor need to be heard, just the “experts” (cough cough sputter sputter).
Good for you, Diane. Now I will also send them a note saying that the entire NBC network is under an expanding boycott of advertisers due to the phony and insulting composition of the “Education Nation” panels. WordsMatter is quite right. How about an Authentic Defender of Democracy episode and Diane is the sole panel member and the topic is Reign of Error. No “fair and balanced” about it. Just Diane start to finish on the book. Get on it NBC.
Patty Williams: you said exactly what was on my mind.
The leading charterites/privatizers and their accountabully underlings would jump at any chance to advertise their “brand” and push their latest “eduproduct” and trump their latest “miracle” educational initiative. Diane did not take that route.
Self-promotion: quote your price in $tudent $ucce$$.
Integrity: priceless.
For those who still don’t understand why Diane refused, look again at LIFE AND DEATH OF THE GREAT AMERICAN SCHOOL SYSTEM (2011), chapter nine, pp. 169-194. It is called “What Would Mrs. Ratliff Do?” Turn to the first two pages.
Who was Mrs. Ratliff? “MY FAVORITE TEACHER was Mrs. Ruby Ratliff. She is the teacher I remember best, the one who influenced me most, who taught me to love literature and to write with careful attention to grammar and syntax.”
Easy grader? “Mrs. Ratliff was gruff and demanding. She did not tolerate foolishness and disruption.”
What did Diane learn in her class? “We read Shakespeare, Keats, Shelley, Wordsworth, Milton, and other major English writers. Now many years later, in times of stress or sadness, I still turn to poems that I first read in Mrs. Ratliff’s class.”
Was that all Diane learned? “Clearly she had multiple goals for her students, beyond teaching literature and grammar. She was also teaching about character and personal responsibility. These are not the sorts of things that appear on any standardized test.”
I beg the indulgence of the owner of this blog, but I think part of Diane’s refusal is the tribute paid by a grateful student to all the Mrs. Ratliffs in our nation’s schools. A token of gratitude for “teaching about character and personal responsibility” even when they won’t appear “on any standardized test.” Doesn’t every parent want that sort of teacher for their children?
Even if the test scores don’t go through the roof?
Just my dos centavitos worth…
🙂
Amen. Well said.
Hi Diane, Good decision. You have not let me down. Education Nation lets me down. Education Nation uses bad journalism to make a buck. “All Frenchmen walk single file–at least the one I saw did.” Phil Kaldahl Bellevue Nebraska
I am glad you said no.
Never good to be a token. As others have noted, add about 5 more legitimate critics of the status quo and an appearance would be warranted. Good call.
Nothing but nonsense will be spoken in the Education Nation echo chamber and group think session.
“Never directly attack an opponent whose advantage is derived from its position. Instead, lure him away from his position, thus separating him from his source of strength.”
–Entice the tiger to leave its mountain lair strategy, Thirty-Six Stratagems, General Wang Jingze
Excellent and incisive summary of the situation through this very appropriate quote. Kudos!
I’m disappointed. I’d like to think that the ideas I read here in the “choir loft “could stand up in such a discussion, and I’d like to hear them enunciated vis a vis the ideas of others. Also, it is unhealthy to get all one’s information in a vacuum without some give and take. Who cares who got invited first! I hope they find another articulate person to explain problems inherent in over-trusting the results of standardized tests.
There are dozens of people with high integrity and expertise who can speak on a panel confined to a discussion on “testing”; in fact, I wouldn’t be surprised if Diane recommended a few to NBC when she made clear that she wouldn’t fall for their trick of putting her in that one little box where her time and scope would be greatly limited.
While it would be excellent indeed for Diane to be part of Education Nation, it’s important to remember that the people running NBC and producing this (awful and biased) show are VERY AWARE of who Diane Ravitch is and the threat she represents.
Of course they want to keep her on the periphery, in the shadows. If Diane is allowed to speak freely, and not just in small soundbites during a time limited forum on “testing”, they’ll have her right where they want her.
I’m glad Diane isn’t anyone’s fool. I admire her more than ever after reading of her actions here.
It would be impossible for my admiration for Dr. Ravitch to grow. But I, too, believe this a wise decision. If she were given a real forum for real debate, with equal time on both sides for counterargument, with experts from her side joining her to take on this pack of know-nothings in a spirit of democratic debate, then it would make sense to participate in this fiasco. Let them give half the time to her and to Richard Rothstein and Ira Shore and others who have a clue; then it would make sense to take part in this.
Robert, I agree. It is a wise decision. In this case, given the logistics, it’s better that she decline entering the room so that the big elephant can take up residence there.
Bravo.. Stand your ground. You are reaching more important and influential folks via this blog…
Kudos Diane. I appreciate the bit of humor you inscribe here. You are a voice FOR education and should be recognized as such! Good job standing your ground!
Mission accomplished!
I AGREE WITH YOU.. HAVE MY SUPPORT..
I agree you should not be invited late to the party. However, I would certainly like to hear the issues discussed from both sides with people who are equally equipped to discuss them.
Be ready for inevitable spin of “we invited Dr. Diane Ravitch, of course, but she turned us down”…. We’ll have to write to them all over again to set that one straight, but we will. Good for you, Diane!
Diane,
I certainly don’t think that you are letting us down. Quite the contrary, just speaking for myself, I admire your savvy assessment of the entire situation and your very wise refusal to be “contained” in a discussion that is far broader and more comprehensive.
Frankly, if I were the producer of NBC’s “Education Nation” I’d obviously be aware of my employer’s biases and expectations when putting this show together. And so, regardless of whatever personal beliefs I might hold, I’d be sure to “contain” you as a guest. Confining your appearance to one of several panelists narrowly focused on “testing” would be a brilliant way to effectively neutralize you. (Obviously I wouldn’t want you in a more prominent place; who knows who you might influence!)
And this would also give me an “easy out”; I could state, with enthusiasm that “Yes, of course, we included Diane Ravitch!” which would hopefully negate any criticism we’ve received in the past for not inviting you to speak.
So, I’m so very glad that you DIDN’T fall for this obvious—and somewhat crude—trap. It is much better to do what you’ve done here. This way, you keep your integrity, and it’s also a LOSS for NBC. They’re passing on America’s premiere voice on public education, once again, instead of making you one of the headliners—which you undoubtedly have earned.
And, I’m certain, if NBC calls you back, begging you to return, you’ll be in an even much stronger position to get the spotlight and focus that you’ve so richly earned.
Thanks for doing what you did here, with NBC, and for everything else you’ve done, and continue to do, on behalf of all of our children.
I’m looking very forward to seeing you in Seattle later this week!
Puget Sound Parent: while there are many good comments on this posting, I think yours is one of the best.
So riffing a bit off what you said, what if the producers of NBC “Education Nation” had said to Diane:
“Look, we know that you are in touch with a lot of talented, well-educated, experienced and articulate participants in the ed debates who would add significantly more depth and diversity to our discussions. Who do you suggest we invite, say, to a panel of four or five on testing and other metrics in education? You name two, we select the rest.”
So with no disrespect intended to some very fine numbers/stats folks [and savvy amateurs too like Jersey Jazzman!], how about if she had said “I would recommend Dr. Mercedes Schneider, PhD in math and teacher in Louisiana, and Gary Rubinstein, math teacher at an outstanding high school in New York City?” [my apologies to the owner of this blog for presuming to speak for her]
Does anyone on Planet Reality think that NBC’s “Education Nation” would have honest to goodness, in-depth debates that featured the likes of Schneider and Rubinstein? The “failure narrative” cultivated by the leading charterites/privatizers would lie in ruins and their failed policies and empty promises would be put on display for all the world to see. Not to mention the collapse of the Church of High Holy EduMetrics, its sacred mantra of “high-stakes testing today! high-stakes testing tomorrow! high-stakes testing forever!” discredited for all time.
Even so, it is a good sign that NBC felt it necessary to make an overture—however slight or slighting—to the owner of this blog.
For those that still think it is hopeless to prevail against the economic and political might of the education establishment, ponder this quote by Mahatma Gandhi: “First they ignore you, then they laugh at you, then they fight you, then you win.”
Has anyone besides me noticed that of the four stages, we are way past the first two?
🙂
Who’d a thunk that an honorable 75-year-old historian of American education could give billionaires and presidents and state officials sleepless nights?
Of course, Mark Twain predicted this situation long ago:
“Few things are harder to put up with than the annoyance of a good example.”
🙂
If NBC wanted a true discussion of the state of public education they could easily read and use this site, especially the comments of many fine teachers and parents!
You are right and they are wring and rude…keep up the good work…I am enjoying your book….maybe they will call Polis….
i am a BAT, and i am so happy you said NO! we will continue to let NBC know how we feel about their mis-informative nonsense!
You never let me down. If this isn’t badass, I don’t know what is!
I just KNEW there was a reason I REALLY LIKE YOU! 🙂
Perfect response/rationale, Diane. Thanks for all your work on behalf of us grunts and the kids we spend our days with.
It’s you, not Education Nation, we’ll be listening to no matter what. No. I’m wrong. After “Reign of Error” it’s you speaking for all of us who AMERICA will be listening to.
Definitely not letting us down. This program will be a farce, and make wild unsubstantiated pro-deform/profiteering benefiting statements and conclusions. Then they will claim “these conclusions were drawn from a panel that included many noted education experts, such as Diane Ravitch.”
Hopefully social networking will get the story out there and NBC’s program will be fittingly ignored.
Excellent point!
I don’t want to settle for a token invitation. How about you, and Anthony Cody, and Bruce Baker, and Gary Rubenstein, and Mercedes Schneider and the list could go on. You want a debate, NBC, we are more than ready to have a debate. Anyplace, anywhere, anytime! And you know what? We will win.
Can’t blame you a bit. I think you saw right through them.
I am so happy and proud you said no. What was their excuse for the late call- did the invitation get lost in the mail?
NBC must be reading their Facebook page- it’s been taken over by BATS raking them over the coals for the lack of educators on the panels.
JC Grim, NBC made no excuses. Pretended the list is still in formation, even though they released it to the public 2 days ago.
You go Diane. I am behind you 100%!!
Maybe they can get Tony Danza?
this is a hard call but I agree with your saying no; there are other ways to keep working to get the message out and the tour you have of so many cities is more essential and I want your energy to go in that direction. I have been thinking how this attack on your person is showing the vitriolic theme we see in health care and the constant effort to defund health care . There have been strident calls from some individuals that heighten these attacks; in particular, there is a lot of this aimed at women (who dare to speak out). Elizabeth Warren gets a lot of flack for her views on banks etc… often they try to “make fun ” of her to ridicule her as “granny” etc . We had vicious paintings on sides of buildings saying “don’t vote for the Indian” where I live so I see it as the same behavior. It bothers me that so many in the political order or government level do this; we also have educators who are saying things mostly attacking unions but often just women who are leaders.
The amount of hatred behind the messages is alarming . One panel member this with sarcastic tone of voice (who was supposed to be representing education) said “You bet the house on class size” (his implications were (a) the union requested smaller class size; (b) your schools are still faiing so you lost the “bet”; and (c) now I will take over and run things my way .) I was alarmed at his tone and his accusation that “schools are failing because the class sizes are too small at the request of the union.” With his tone of voice it just added great sarcasm to his message of “Now I will do things my way” …. But I thought it was unusual in a public panel that he would use an expression like “you bet the house and lost” which comes out of gambling metaphor in Los Vegas and he started out his comment that way? In other words, “I have a grudge match here with all of you .”
So even being on a panel or listening to a panel one is drawn into this kind of animosity and beneath it is hatred of women (ridicule them) and other characterizations such as “I want the privileges to go to people who deserve them; i.e., my kind of people. Because you other people are inferior and deserve to go to the end of the line.” (These are implications of course that I am reading from his tone of voice and his statement making himself a winner against someone who has “bet the house” and lost). This metaphor seems to permeate a lot of public discussion and it needs to be exposed.
Diane, you should have accepted under one condition: you got time equal to that given to the sum of that given to the other guests, as you would be the only non-corporate puppet.
Good for you Diane! And even better for us! They feel the heat being generated by those of us who see right through their charade. They are scrambling trying to figure out how to deal with the backlash they are going to get during that event. Protests in person, as well as via social media will expose their true agenda.
Now they are scrambling to find a solution. I suspect you will receive a second offer.
Good for you.
They wanted you to be the Alan Combs to a sea of their Hannitys. Thanks for saying No.
I agree with your decision too. They are simply caving into our pressure, and while I am glad they listened to the true experts (for once), you should have a show all your own! Thank you for your support for teachers, children, and education.
Diane , You can’t be part of the summit, you are the summit.
Love it. 🙂
: )
I accept Diane’s decision.
There needs to be a concerted effort to set up “alternative programming” (even if just on the web) for the dates on which the illegitimate “Education Nation” summit is running. Then promote the heck out of the alternative programming.
These comments are not just to reply to MetroIssue, but just to caution all of us as educators to not just go demurely into accepting another fad. Obviously most of us are against the CCSs, most of us are against excessive standardized testing, but Diane is not the only good spokesperson we can offer. So Diane was and after thought, maybe, but all the emails in support of her refusal to attend should also be focused on getting another spokesperson for our cause. What about as much effort to get them to ask Linda Darling Hammond,someone from Fair Test or anyone who has aa much research against as for?
Adding one or two of these people with alternative views won’t do much to balance out their highly imbalanced program.
I feel you should reconsider. You will have a massive audience, many of whom may know nothing about the problems with the Common Core or the people behind the most recent “reform” movement. You could be the one to wake them up.
Larry,
On a panel of four, I would be lucky to get even five minutes, and the discussion will be tightly controlled. I know what window dressing is. Not for me.
Yes, absolutely right, don’t be their band-aid. The nerve of this gang to ignore you when all the others invited are ankle-high in comparison. You have built your own national audience and don’t need their last-minute invite to confirm your value.
Absolutely perfect decision!!! I couldn’t be prouder…Maybe someone will be smart enough to create a fair, balanced panel to have a good debate. I would be the first in line to see that and I know that I wouldn’t be the only one! What an inspiration you are!
Maybe it’s time to upload our personal stories of the effects of reform to youtube: “A Nation of Educators.” We can tweet it out.
Agreed. Making something productive like that would have a greater effect beyond just saying no to NBC. We need to show them — and more importantly, the American public — what the real Education Nation looks like.
Good call, Dr. R. I trust your judgment completely.
Right decision for sure. They can miss out on your insight. Their loss. They should have asked for you first!
Dr. Ravitch as you know you have a swarm of BATs flying with you! Thank you so much for all you do to fight the good fight! We support you and admire you greatly. YOU ARE OUR EDUCATION SUMMIT!
To borrow a phrase from the now defunct and reclusive Nancy Reagan:
Just say no . . . . .
We are gaining on them. Good news, good decision. Many thanks.
I can agree with your reasoning, but I say go for it. Why pass opportunity to convert education nation on their own dime? You could run laps around those panelists.
Just so you know, Joshua Starr of Montgomery County, Maryland, is one of the good guys. He’s on our side.
Yes, I respect Josh Starr. But I know that Ed Nation is a stacked deck. I am glad he will be there.
Joshua Starr is a voice in the wilderness no doubt. He & the very successful Montgomery County Public Schools are constantly under attack by the Washington Post editorial board. Go figure.
On an unrelated note, I am glad that you will be at Politics & Prose in Washington, D.C., on October 18th. I am not an educator, just a concerned parent. Two of my cousins will be joining me. One who is an educator, is flying up from Knoxville, TN, just to hear you. The other cousin, from N.J., is neither an educator nor a parent, but concerned about the privatization of our public schools. The word is spreading.
But it would be SO easy to just blast Deasy out of the atmosphere! The man doesn’t know anything about how kids really learn. He’s just in it for himself with no caring for real student learning.
Tough decision… but if your late invitation and rationale for declining becomes a story it will be a plus… on the other hand, if the panelists get to explain your absence and THAT becomes a story, well… you know how the Fox channel will report it… Best case scenario, you write an op ed piece explaining your declining of this 11th hour invitation and some mainstream newspaper is willing to publish it…
Wgersen, it was nota tough decision. I felt I would be window-dressing to make up for the missing voices of people who work in schools. Why ask governors and CEOs about education?
We’ve been letting governors and business folks tell us what to do since the early 1990s and you’ve been the first nationally recognized voice to speak against the CEOs and governors who pass themselves off as “reformers”… Education Nation might be using you as window dressing… my fear is your voice and your perspective might be marginalized by the blatantly false claims that will come from some of the people who are on that panel. As one of the other commenters noted, you have the facts and figures to refute the “reformers” and MAYBE getting those facts in front of the audience COULD help. It will be interesting to see if anyone on the panel or in the audience questions the premise that business leaders and governors know best.
agree for Dr. Ravitch to be used as a prop, hoever I would be glad to talk to them, only b/c I can get rowdy 🙂
I definitely think you made the right decision. Now your readers should send letters objecting to the producers using you as window dressing. Those letters should not just be sent to the television network, but to editors of any newspaper that writes about the show.
Well if it’s “live” instead of taped, you can put in a few choice words in your opening statement about this bogus event.
Glad Starr is their to promote PAR.
btw, I was among the many before (mis)Education first aired to comment on your not being invited. I know you were out of town, but they do have satellites. Then you were not included the 2nd year. I hope by now many viewers know this is all BS. I bet Pearson and Gates are sponsors this year too. So not watching!!
You’re on our A list!!! I agree with your reasons for not attending.
Dr Ravitch needs to stage an event outside one of these corporate adventures in miseducation and challenge the proxys in question to a debate.
I would love to see her with a bullhorn and a crowd behind her calling out Rhee to debate her one on one in the street.
Good for you. You shouldn’t lower your standards by appearing on a mostly propaganda broadcast pushing a bogus reform movement.
Your time is better spent talking about your book and the work of real reformers…
No need for “real reformers” but a strong need for “real teachers” who will stand up against all the various educational malpractices that are foisted upon us. “Real teachers” don’t go along to get along.
“Nobody puts Baby in a corner.” 🙂
Love the decision. You have been a contained voice in many forums before, contained because they give you limited time and scope and stack the guest list with foes of our position. You still manage to kick —in those situations. But we are past that. You have authority beyond measure, two definitive texts, and the backing of the people. You should be on the steering committee planning such an event as well as a keynoter free to speak on a range of topics. This invite is an insult and would have only furthered their cause to have you dignify them with your presence. Kinda like inviting MLK to a KKK conference.
“But I won’t be used as a prop”
Good call.
I hope you gave them some names of anti-reform people who would be willing to discuss and focus on testing…
100% agreement! You go, Diane!
I would rather you attended & pointed out all the unnecessary testing & its impact on public schools. We lose a voice of reason over principals.
Patrick, I didn’t want to be the wild card in a stacked deck. If they really wanted me, they would have invited me when they invited everyone else.
I would not only point out what’s wrong, give them a solution, however, with a stacked deck, I would become a very wild card 🙂
I like the idea of a “Real Education Nation” you Tube thing about what so-called “reform” is like. And play hardball–Kindergarteners in tears over the fifth standardized test in two months, lifeless faces of students in schools without music, art, pe, or recess, that sort of thing. Make the videos, mash them up, and send them to all the TV, newspapers, and other media outlets, as well as parents with the warning: This will be coming to your school.
You have never let us down
Ha! And they will say, Diane Ravitch was invited to appear, but declined.
When is a serious journalist going to tackle all the separate, but related issues and tie them together in one single expose or a series of exposes? What are they afraid of?
Thank you for everything you are doing to fight for all our children. You were right to decline. The time is not right yet. It will come.
i respect your decision, Diane. If they wanted your voice they would have had you at the top of the invite list. They are embarrassed and are trying to save face. I agree with a reader above, you can say more and educate more as you promote your book. You are an inspiration to all.