I earlier posted that Michelle Rhee and I would debate at Lehigh University in Pennsylvania on February 6.
As you may recall, Rhee first demanded that we have two people on each team, then three people on each team.
I readily assented and selected a wonderful second and third for the debate.
Early on, Rhee said her second would be Rod Paige.
My choices were the Finnish educator Pasi Sahlberg (a visiting scholar at Harvard this year) and Philadelphia parent activist Helen Gym.
Rhee and I–through our agents– mutually agreed on the date.
However, the debate is off because Rhee says she cannot find a third partner.
This is the information I received from Lehigh.
I don’t know anything more, except that this debate will not happen.
I am very disappointed.
I was looking forward to it.
I think it would have been informative for all involved.
Diane Ravitch's blog 
Cracks beginning to show….
One can only conclude that Rhee is chicken. She probably never recovered fully from having been smacked down by Bill Maher on his HBO show several weeks ago.
OMG – he did? I usually catch his show but missed it. Is it on his website?
Can you tell us about what happened –or do you have a link to a video? I checked Bill Maher’s website and couldn’t find anything. I also don’t see here listed as having been on the show since March: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Real_Time_with_Bill_Maher_episodes.
Here it is. Youtube recording only has audio and two photos
Thanks, but I’m pretty sure that’s the March interview, back when her book came out, because I saw it then. Plus he said he had not met her before and he would not have said that recently after previously interviewing her.
Too bad he didn’t mention that America ranks #1 in child poverty amongst industrialized nations, so international comparisons are already apples to oranges before removing the scores of the poor kids who are bringing down our average.
“Dr.” Perry wasn’t available?
Shocking….see his newest twitter tirade/tantrum…someone hide the kids, QUICK:
Moments ago, Instead of walking the halls, working with his staff or supporting students, Steve Perry has, once again, turned his back on his 500 students and returned to his twitter account.
At 9:33 AM Steve Perry tweets:
Dr. Steve Perry@DrStevePerry
“The only way to lose a fight is to stop fighting. All this did was piss me off. It’s so on. Strap up, there will be head injuries.
Read more: http://jonathanpelto.com/2013/11/20/capital-preps-steve-perry-responds-defeat-tweeting-will-head-injuries/
Maybe Rhee was afraid you would confront her about the DC cheating scandal like she was confronted in the UK by their Headteacher
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-18592185
Yes, that is the absolute best interview of Rhee that I’ve ever seen, because she was actually confronted and she’s not used to that, so she had a hard time going off script.
And England’s Mary Bousted was wonderful –and with good reason. Rhee went to England, home of Pearson, to export our corporate education “reform” model. That’s another industrialized country where they have a lot of data demonstrating the correlation of poverty with low test scores. (The poverty gap is actually documented in ALL countries, so it’s not a problem specific to us or to English speaking countries.)
England’s conservative government is already into neo-liberalism (they recently privatized their mail) and they are jumping right on board with our model in education, so teachers are being trashed there now almost as much as they are here.
Well…that’s an interesting turn. Couldn’t find a third. Bullpucky!
I think Rhee was hoping you would cancel with her changing requirements. I doubt she would ever allow herself to debate you in a public forum. Your extensive research derived facts would thoroughly destroy her PR spin derived “facts”.
Are you in the least surprised? The fact that she chose Rod Paige of the infamous “Houston miracle” says a lot about how weak her team would have been.
The commenter “Mike in Texas” was laying down 10 to 1 that this would happen. Everyone settle up!
P.S. This is baloney. There’s no way Richard Whitmire wasn’t available.
Darn, Diane, that would have been a nice, restful day for you – perfect for your on-going recuperation.
So, let’s set the rules, so we won’t meet the rules, so we can back out. Yes, things are starting to unRheevel.
This is exactly what happened.
You would have mopped the floor with her, for all the world to see. Bullies are essentially cowards, and Michelle Rhee is a prima facie case of the two…
If I were Michelle Rhee, I would not want to be in a debate with an expert. No one ever accused her of being stupid.
It’s mid-NOVEMBER. February is over TWO MONTHS AWAY.
How lame can Rhee be? (No need to answer.)
The cancellation is no surprise for this coward “reformer” who will fire principals on camera but not debate a woman whose career as an education historian predates Rhee’s ability to ride a bicycle.
Why not have Eric Lerum step in?
Who is that, you ask?
Lerum is the StudentsFirst toadie who challenged Ravitch last week via Huff Post.
I challenged him right back– and even suggested that his post was practice for the Feb 6th “debate”:
The fact that she can’t find two people to help her go up against you says a lot. An awful lot. Hate that the debate was cancelled, but hoping this is an indication of her declining influence and credibility.
who was going to bring the duct tape?
The only way the Rheeteam would have won!
She’s a bully, and behind their tough facades, bullies are cowards.
Michael Fiorillio: I think we need to add “educoward” to “edufraud” [thank you, Linda!] and “edubully.”
And deutsch29 [see comment above] is being descriptive when she points out that as Chancellor of DCPS she had the “courage” to humiliate a subordinate on the national stage when she fired a principal on video but when she is asked to go on equal terms with someone in a debate—
No guts, no glory.
And perhaps I am looking at this all wrong. Maybe invertebrates can’t go mano-a-mano with vertebrates.
Oops! My bad. Apologies to all jellyfish for comparing them with Michelle Rhee and the rest of the leading charterites/privatizers.
Even jellyfish have more backbone than the Queen of Masking Tape.
😎
More backbone, and certainly a greater sense of ethics.
How about you three still go to Lehigh (or elsewhere) and speak? What a powerful and knowledgable panel that would be. Make it a conversation. A lot of us would love to hear the perspectives and personal experiences of Pasi Sahlberg and Helen Gym. The Powerhouse Panel. Please?
Nice idea. I second the motion.
Thirdsies.
Did Rhee ask Arne Duncan? Maybe Lehigh can offer him the spot.
Would love to see this and take my 80 year old Mother with me.
My cousins from Tennessee, DC, & myself in Virginia were planning to take off work & attend the debate. We were already brainstorming on ideas for posters to greet her outside of the forum upon her arrival.
Since Rhee has one panelist, could you counter propose two panelists each? Wasn’t that her proposal before she increased it to three?
Otherwise I concur with the others & speak without her!
Yes, if time and health permit, you go ahead and speak with Pasi Sahlberg and Helen Gym. Make it public. On a stage. Hopefully at Lehigh U. Advertise for one and all to come. Genuinely leave room for the last minute arrival of the three no-shows. Six chairs, three with you and the aforementioned and the other three with large signs spelling out in large letters the names of Michelle Rhee, Rod Paige, and “To Be Named Later.”
This was used to devastating effect in some of the most effective teach-ins during the early days of the anti-war in Vietnam movement. The visual effect is very powerful. It would underscore a very simple reality:
The leaders of the self-styled “civil rights movement of our time” have nothing to say that is worth hearing. They have no confidence in the “power of their ideas.” They can’t engage in a truly open and public discussion about a “better education for all.”
The educowards only thrive at controlled eduproduct launches and rebranding news conferences and “open to the public” meetings—that are by invitation only.
Like vampires, edubullies cower at the light of day and shrivel up when exposed to sunlight.
“Let the sunshine in.”
😎
“Let the sunshine in”
You mean like this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PL0KDzzEzMw
Rhee’s story is, of course, impossible. Why? Because it would have been simple to go back to two on each side.
I am sure she could have gotten Dr. Chavous from the now closing AIM school in Oakland, he has reform whipped! He shows up to ultra conservative gatherings here in Las Vegas regularly to promote himself. Maybe all the reformers have egos too large to share the stage with Rhee. Possibly they fear their reputation will be damaged by being seen on stage with her. How about one on one then? Maybe your second, Dr. Sahlberg, could take the lead if she fears you so much. Alas, we’ll never know, the fearsome bee-eater, afraid of a mild mannered grandmother.
This song’s for you Michelle:
CHICKEN TRAIN!!!
Hey, don’t demean the Daredevils by associating them with Rhee.
Nobody with any academic “chops” is going to align his/herself with Rhee and those who would stand up with her would get their butt kicked in a debate with the very erudite team that you have. Water seeks it’s own level.
Well, because she wants all this bickering and politicking by adults to stop:
Michelle Rhee @MichelleRhee 2h
As long as adults bicker about what THEY want & think – politically or otherwise – the needs of children get forgotten.
Except when her group is lobbying:
RHEE’S STUDENTSFIRST TRIPLES BUDGET: Former Washington schools Chancellor Michelle Rhee’s advocacy organization StudentsFirst raised $28.5 million during its second year, according to tax documents obtained by PI. That’s more than triple what the organization — divided into a 501(c)(3) and a 501(c)(4) — brought during its first nine months of existence.
The group — which has drawn the ire of teachers unions — advocates a plank of school reform that includes merit pay, better teacher evaluations, tenure reform and other agenda items. During that time period, StudentsFirst expanded into 18 states and claims to have helped pass over 110 new policies.
Rhee received a salary of about $300,000 for her work with the group, for which she serves as founder, CEO and director. The organization contracted with SKDKnickerbocker, Blue State Digital, Change.Org, Tusk Strategies and Care2.com.
She disdains petty politics, except for passing “over 110 new policies” and buying politicians with 28.5 million.
It’s a “marketplace of ideas”, reform, except there’s only one idea being marketed.
SKDKnickebocker is the firm that advertised in the NYTimes as “KeepGreatReachers.org” when layoffs were threatening in support of ending layoffs by seniority. The firm is run by Anita Dunn, Obama’s 2008 campaign communications director. Dunn is married to Robert Bauer who was at the time Chief White House Counsel and Obama’s personal legal assistant. So Obama was courting teachers while no doubt seeking to end teacher protections such as tenure, more accurately described as “due process”. He got teachers votes while surreptitiously undermining teachers.
Yeah, there’s a LOT of money in this and it’s all interconnected. You’ll recall Congress passed regulations to stop online for-profits from stealing from veterans and working class people?
“The story of how the for-profit colleges survived the threat of a major federal crackdown offers a case study in Washington power brokering. Rattled by the administration’s tough talk, the colleges spent more than $16 million on an all-star list of prominent figures, particularly Democrats with close ties to the White House, to plot strategy, mend their battered image and plead their case.
Anita Dunn, a close friend of President Obama and his former White House communications director, worked with Kaplan University, one of the embattled school networks. Jamie Rubin, a major fund-raising bundler for the president’s re-election campaign, met with administration officials about ATI, a college network based in Dallas, in which Mr. Rubin’s private-equity firm has a stake.”
I followed that because we have a law office in a rural area and our working class clients were getting absolutely robbed by online for-profit colleges. The debt can’t be discharged in bankruptcy. It’s heartbreaking. They targeted single mothers and veterans.
“Dr.” Perry wasn’t available? I thought he would jump at the chance, since calling you a racist on Twitter is one of his fave pastimes.
Perhaps no one else was stupid enough to be on Team Rheality.
Perhaps, just perhaps, like rats fleeing a sinking ship, the Rheeject is being rejected.
I would LOVE to sit and listen to you, Helen Gym and Pasi Sahlberg all at once – any chance of a forum (in the Philly area, or better yet….here in Delaware) as a consolation prize?!
Here’s the completely non-political Rhee’s high-powered hire for lobbying and PR work:
SKDKnickerbocker is a public relations and political consulting firm. It has offices in Washington, DC, New York City, and Albany, NY.
The firm employs notable figures like former Obama White House Communications Director Anita Dunn and former recording industry lobbyist Hilary Rosen.
SKDK’s current and former political clients include Barack Obama, Andrew Cuomo, Michael Bloomberg, Christine Quinn.
In 2011, the firm was hired to coordinate a lobbying campaign called “WIN America” calling for hundreds of billions in tax breaks on corporate profits made overseas.[7] The firm was paid by Kaplan University to lobby against regulation of the for-profit education industry.
Rod Paige. Now there’s a blast from the past. He was the fellow who was the poster child for “reform” at the very beginning of this mess–the one who was behind the first in the series of faked “miracle turnovers” that we’ve heard so much about since the beginning of NCLB and (NCLB on steroids) CCSS. Paige’s “Texas miracle” occurred by manipulating dropout rates (classifying kids who had dropped out as ones who had transferred or moved).
Rhee the fearless, tough-guy bee eater. A typical bully, she backs down the moment there might be a real confrontation, and she has to hide behind others–to have a gang with her to back her up.
Too bad this has been cancelled. It would have been amusing to whats Rhee, yet again, explain her recipe for becoming a great schools chancellor:
Simply channel Lewis Carrol’s Red Queen: Run about yelling, “Off with their heads,” and train yourself to believe six impossible things before breakfast. Now that’s RADICAL. Oh, and when you aren’t taping childrens’ mouths shut with masking tape, do some public firings. It’s not enough to ruin someone’s career and subject him or her to humiliation, you need to call the news crews to come watch you be so POWERFUL.
Well, too bad. I guess now she can stop cramming to try to learn SOMETHING about education before this debate and go back to her Erase to the Top Tour.
http://www.cbsnews.com/2100-500164_162-591676.html
“. . . she can stop cramming. . . ”
Even by this time her breain had to be completely filled. . .
with nothing.
Goddamn Dr. Diane Ravitch’s fans own…
I wrote a wall of text mentioning this in a sentence only to get upstaged by your post. If only I could type on my iPad faster!
🙂
This is so funny! Like she could not get ONE more person who is free on an inconsequential day in February –in a country of well over 300 million people. Right.
You’d think that if this supposed Democrat could lasso Rod Paige, the former Republican Secretary of Education, she’d be able to snare Arne Duncan. The probably both don’t want to do it because, when truths are revealed, they know they have no legs to stand on. And they have probably seen how John King has been getting the heat from disgruntled “suburban white moms.” Most likely, they prefer the company of their peeps in the Chamber of Commerce.
What a hoot!
Heck, I’ll do it. I know the talking points, I know the slogans, and I know how to point my finger at people. I’d be a marvelous third. Game on!
I knew Rhee would cancel as soon as I heard the debate was on. She (and David Coleman…didn’t he back out recently?) had no intention of meeting Diane, face to face. Merely putting the message out that Rhee was willing to debate creates credibility in some people’s minds. Whether or not the debate actually happened was never Rhee’s concern. Pretty sure this was simply a political move and a desperate one at that.
That side of the issue doesn’t usually care to be confronted with facts. They’re not convenient to the cause.
Couldn’t Bill buy someone for her…How about JEB?
Rod Paige is an Uncle Tom hack. The guy was a disgrace as Ed Secretary.
She should have asked Chris Christie – after all, he seems to feel he’s an expert on what schools need & he tried to bring Rhee in as the commissioner of education in NJ. We were so fortunate however, to get Chris Cerf instead. Not. Rhee backing out is clear evidence of her straw man argument.
It is my hope that Dr. Ravitch will not undertake such debates. A know-nothing like Rhee is not worth wasting Dr. Ravitch’s valuable time and energy on. Rhee is all about manipulating media. If she were sure that this would be a great media event for her, then she would be doing it. An event like this, as much fun as it would be to see, is beneath the dignity of someone seriously concerned about U.S. educational issues. It elevates the know-nothing. Should the cosmologist Alan Guth at MIT debate Fred Phelps of the Westboro Baptist Church? Well, it would be fun to see such as “debate.” But it would be awfully one-sided.
and as the saying goes, “Quit making stupid people famous”.
Maybe Rhee was thinking Arne Duncan as the third person for the debate, but she can’t choose him unless he gets dismissed from his important position due to the pressure from angry “white suburban moms” ? And she doesn’t feel comfortable having them in the debate? Well, that’s the moment that I see her name changed to “Michelle Flee.”
With the health problems of Dr. Ravitch, perhaps this is a good thing
BUT
it might have been fun to watch. It MIGHT have been worthwhile also had it got the press coverage it deserved.
Oh well, those are “might of beens”.
Why are we not surprised? At all.
Michelle is no match for Diane. One has to wonder if Michelle just got cold feet.
Rod Paige- that would be like shooting fish in a barrel. That phoney is dumber than a sack of hammers. I know- I worked in HISD when he was the superintendent.
Michelle Rhee is NO MATCH for you!…Your intelligent remarks would have chewed her up and spit her out. She knew better than to face you. LOL Date: Wed, 20 Nov 2013 17:01:53 +0000 To: nancyturnbo@hotmail.com
I so wanted to see Diane skewer Michelle Rhee….darn. Most of us had the feeling she would cancel…once she told Diane she wanted backups, she was backpedaling and fast! I would rather Diane take the time to rest so we all have her for far more important things than debating someone who has no background, little teaching experience and very cold feet. ^o^
I am not even a little bit surprised. When Michelle changed the parameters a 2nd time i had a feeling a 3rd change was pending and that it would be a cancellation. She has no interest in a real, level playing field debate.
Wow, you had an excellent line up. Rhee couldn’t come close. And maybe seeing the reactions of real moms across America, she couldn’t handle the pressure!!
Huh. Reminds of a time in a college debate class where we paired to take sides for an assignment to persuade. My opponent eagerly chose the con side of seatbelt use. She was a no show as well on debate day. Any chance this is an appropriate analogy, Ms. Ravitch?
This is entirely not surprising to me. Forgive me if I’m thinking about this on a Game Theory level, but I have a few ideas on what might have happened prior to cancellation.
1) Rhee was playing chicken. Hoping your age and health would catch up with you. Had you chickened out (or rather your health), she’d be doing doughnuts like it’s NASCAR because she had never faced a real opponent like you, only media fluffers like Jon Stewart. She, or her shadowy interests, could claim that you’re no match, and sew seeds of doubt in your followers.
2) She honestly couldn’t find a clean enough 3rd person willing to debate, and second person Rod Paige (US Sec. Of Edu., “Houston Miracle”) has a pretty big skeleton in his closet. You got clean people with diverse backgrounds. Your fans and BATs would gladly do some oppo research if asked. Their life depends on it.
-or-
3) she did have a 3rd person, but calculated that she could not win because the 3rd person is either dirty, or is adding agreements to the debate that cannot be met because he/she doesn’t want to get dirty in public.
Because of the high profile of this debate amongst teachers, parents, and people like me who are very weary of privatization and corporate influences, there isn’t an acceptable outcome in this debate other than to cancel before naming a 3rd partner. Her interests would much rather she stay quiet, because now thanks to that dummy Arne Duncan, no news is good news. The more people stay in the dark, the better that privatization lizards have in succeeding.
Though as much as I don’t want to admit this, I think Rhee might have played you by taking it this far. She now knows your hand, we don’t know her 3rd person, she knows that you won’t keel over yet, and the public still doesn’t know who she is other than a really passionate lady who educates kids and is on TV a lot. It’s a shame, I really wanted to see you destroy her. But there will be other opportunities to defend public schools.
If Rod Paige was the best she could do for a second, she was in big trouble. Recall that Paige called teachers unions terrorist organizations. I wish I were making this up.
This is very telling and should speak almost as loudly as Diane’s words would have. She knows she’s on the losing team.
Rhee could have agreed to the debate with just 2 per side or even one on one, and the lame excuse given that she could not find a third is just pathetic in it’s absurdity. The bottom line is that, as evidenced by her smoke and mirrors avoidance of it like so very many of the rest of the deformer leadership, she knows what the actual truth is about how to best improve education in America. As such she made a strategic decision to withdraw rather than be shown to be a corporate shill and serial liar, thereby avoiding enabling Diane and friends to give the lie to the whole rancid mess that is deform since it has no factual basis. Can’t find a third person, SERIOUSLY!!!! ROFLMAO!!!
Michelle Rhee and Rod Paige of the Erase to the Top Trio (sans one, it seems). Too bad they couldn’t find another person famous for having produced a faked miracle turnaround to join them. What’s wrong? Wasn’t the former Superintendent of school sin Atlanta available? She would have been perfect.
I was thinking the exact same thing- you beat me to it. Kudos to you.
I assume that the now cancelled ‘debate would have been as much of a formal judged debate as the presidential and candidate debates; there would be no win, lose, or draw.
There was absolutely no upside for Rhee; she could not hold her own ‘debating’ a door knob. She would end up looking like the shill she is. She got out while the getting was good. The critical problem remains the DOE under Duncan and his boss, Obama. Rhee will fade over time. The ill that has been done by Duncan et al. will live on long after they fall back into the trash bin of history.
a LONG time. It’s all to easy to relinquish a freedom. It’s very, very difficult to get it back. Achieve, the Gates Foundation, Duncan, the Chiefs for Change, StudentsLast (uh First), etc. are creating a centralized, totalitarian educational authority. Decentralizing will be next to impossible. One hopes that when the new tests fail, as they will, that that will be enough for people to demand that the whole deformer agenda be trashed. But that’s not likely. So, we will have this centralized Common Core Curriculum Commissariat and Ministry of Truth in place going forward, and such distant, centralized authorities tend to become more totalitarian over time, not less.
cx: too easy. sorry about the typos!
What a shame. I was really looking forward to this. I was going to make the drive out from Jersey. I guess this is further proof that the side Michelle Rhee is on is a farce.
Why would Ms. Ravitch debate someone who tapes children’ s mouths shut? Rhee is not worthy of a debate.
So, she set the terms of the debate – and then cancelled because she claimed she couldn’t meet the terms of the debate.
These neoliberals don’t even follow the arbitrary rules they set for themselves. No accountability i say!
The great Bob Marley:
” Hypocrites and parasites/
Will come up and take a bite/
And if your night should turn to day/
A lot of people would run away/
And who the cap fit let them wear it”
Rhee is pathetic.
What a coward! Not even an “oh gee, that’s the night I promised Jeb I would give him a mani-pedi! Here are some other dates though.” I repeat, what a coward!
Perhaps you should ask if anyone is willing yo step up to the plate in their place!
I personally think that there is no way that the powers that be wanted her to get in the proverbial ring with you. I think that in a public, one to one forum, she would have been publicly shown to be a sham and there is literally just too much money to be made by allowing this BS reform to continue. Her handlers tugged on her leash and reigned her in.
Can anyone say COWARD? Rhee clearly sees “the writing on the wall”… Here is my suggestion… take your team Diane and go to Lehigh. Rhee has so much publicity in magazines (aka Times), tv interviews, films (Waiting for Superman), perhaps you could cobble together a forum where you and your team raise a question… show one of the media commentaries by Rhee that answers the question and then your team can respond.
I suppose the “no show” reveals good news … she is a no show BECAUSE SHE IS BEGINNING TO SENSE THAT THE PUBLIC IS ONTO HER BRAND OF NONSENSE! Anti “corporate ed reform” is ON THE RISE.
Just thinking … what is magic about the number three anyway??? So she has two .. why not debate two on two then? Why? Maybe she strategized how to bow out using this excuse at the get go of the planning stage. I do hope her bowing out will be publicized, blogged, tweeted, facebooked all over the place!!!
Have the debate anyway. Have someone really smart and well versed in Rhee’s psychosis that can present her arguments and then debate “her” highlighting the fact that she is not there! She had her chance.
Guess she did not think Tony Bennett would be a good choice..
bwuck, bwuck, bwuck…chicken….
See: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-MEuc2JufyY
What could Michelle Rhee possibly say? She is totally wrong and has nothing to show for her efforts except things like this:
•Nick Trombetta, founder of the state’s largest cyber charter school, is on trial under a 41 count federal indictment for allegedly stealing $1 million.
•June Brown is on trial for allegedly defrauding the 4 Philadelphia charter schools that she founded of $6.7 million.
•In Wayne, PA Agora Cyber Charter School used tax dollars to pay for more than 19,000 local TV commercials. Agora has never made AYP but it is reported that it made over $31 million for K12 in one academic year and the K12 C.E.O. was paid $5 million in 2011.
•In Harrisburg, PA Office of Open records executive director Terry Mutchler said her office had received 239 appeals in cases in which charter schools either rejected or failed to answer from the public.
•In Palm Beach Florida, Governor Tom Corbett’s largest individual campaign donor is building a new 20,000 square foot mansion on a $29 million beachfront lot. He has spent the last 6 years fighting a right-to know request for over 6 years regarding financial details of his management company’s operation of the state’s largest brick and mortar charter school
• Two Fairfax County Public Schools employees — including a middle school principal — are accused of embezzling thousands of dollars from the school district.
• The Henry County Sheriff’s Office is investigating an embezzlement that occurred at Axton Elementary School.
• The former finance director of the Laurel School District has been charged with embezzlement.
• A former Rialto school district accountant who was allegedly captured on video stuffing lunch money into her bra has been charged with embezzling $1.8 million over the past eight years.
Allegations of school embezzlement/fraud happen everywhere. Charters and non-charters alike. So judging the whole by the part is not productive in either case. Any time that funds intended for students are abused it is a problem, not just when such occurrences happen to a specific “type” of school.
There’s a big difference between some jerk embezzling a few thousand dollars at a public school and the FOUNDER of a Charter school (which are supposed to be the answer to ALL our problems and the savior of our children) embezzling millions.
Big difference.
That sucks. Oh wait. I don’t use that word. Who uses that word? Where have I heard that word? Oh, yeah. Rhee uses that word.
TAGO!
Yes, she uses that word.
Publicly.
About her own children.
So, the dog ate her homework…
Well, first David Coleman cancels. And now Rhee. All within a one week time period. What are the chances? Board meeting came up. Have to wash my hair that night. Important stuff like that. We all understand.
Not “Board meeting came up” but “Broad meeting came up”.
Rhee knows a losing situation when she sees it. Too bad she can’t be exposed for the real loser that she is.
She probably had Steve Perry in mind originally since he’s been doing her town halls with him. But even she has probably noticed how insane he has been looking lately.
http://jonathanpelto.com/2013/11/20/capital-preps-steve-perry-responds-defeat-tweeting-will-head-injuries/
She could ask Steve Perry but debaters should wear helmets to prevent head injuries.
LOL. You all are cracking me up! Ditto to each and everyone of you. Diane, we love you madly!
Rhee can’t tape Diane’s mouth shut like she could her students’. It’s a lot harder to bully adults, isn’t it?
Are you serious??? Rheeformers are like a termites infestation. They are everywhere…and she couldn’t grab a third? Can’t that Perry guy come along and say some awesome stuff about roaches and destiny? Maybe one of the Gates could come along and say “in school” repeatedly to help hide the fact that our real struggle is against those outside of school-those controlling too much wealth and policy.
That’s exactly what I’m thinking. So many Rhee supporters but NO ONE IS AVAILABLE? What a crock.
Isn’t Tony Bennett available?
Either she’s a coward or maybe they’re jumping off a sinking ship, hopefully.
I vote for both!
You are the voice of millions of children and supported by all of their parents!!! After Duncan, the reformers will be forced to only appear in well edited videos…
I would travel to Lehigh just to hear your panel speak. We are in big trouble in Syracuse NY and I welcome your panel anytime in my neck of the woods.
Ha ha ha ha ! “Bee eater” Rhee afraid of a substantive debate and runs for cover. Sometimes it helps not to spend too much time with adoring crowds.
Thank you for being an intelligent, outspoken and pervasive advocate for public education and our children. I am a 7th grade math teacher in New York State and am appalled at what our government has created in the Common Core. We need changes and we need them fast!
What a preposterous excuse. Rhee knows she cannot bully you and also knows she has no other way of communicating. She knows you would have exposed her for what she is and for all the world to see and that is why the debate will not take place. A pity but also a triumph.
Thank you for all you do Diane.
patrickwalsh: now that I think of it, you’re right. And since the rheephormistas love sports analogies…
Diane Ravitch vs Michelle Rhee, world title fight, winner takes the championship belt home and garners the undisputed #1 spot in the rankings—
Ravitch won by opponent refusing to come out of her corner at the start of round one.
Or in a popular racket sport—
Ravitch wins game, set, match and tournament title because opponent was a no show.
Michelle Rhee—soon to be the answer to the trivia question “What is a synonym for both coward and loser?”
And she did it to herself.
Maybe this will be her first regret.
Rheeally!
😎
Michelle isn’t funny enough to qualify as a Faux anchor…stupid enough, yes, but compared to Bachman and Palin, she’s a bore.
I am disappointed also. A lively debate on educational philosophies would have informed all concerned. And we should all be concerned about the current education system.
The way things currently stand is unacceptable. Perhaps an open discussion would bring about some ideas for an acceptable compromise.
At the very least, we need to know as much as possible about future plans so we can be prepared for any troubles on the horizon.
Our children are counting on us to fix this mess so they can truly be competitive in both the US and throughout the world. High stakes testing does not appear to be the answer.
My theory is that Michelle might have seen some old footage of what Joseph Welch did to Joe McCarthy years ago and decided she was headed for a similar fate. Of course, that would mean Michelle had to look at a history book, or a documentary or something so the theory isn’t really very plausible.
TeamRavitch all the way! It’s an honor to be considered for what surely would have been a robust and enjoyable exchange.
Helen, so proud of you! You are a dream representative for parents on this dream team.
MR knew she’d lost before she started. She can’t get supporters when it counts because they don’t have the data to backup their claims. The debate would expose them as perjurers and fraudulent reformers. As they say, “All talk and no show.” Literally.
Why don’t you have the debate anyway? A la Clint Eastwood, have Rhee represented by an empty chair? That way people could still you all.
What a great idea, SL! IMHO, the chair would do better than Rhee
ever could!
Also–I NEVER thought this debate would happen, & Rhee didn’t disappoint. Although, unfortunately, she has disappointed and harmed hundreds of thousands of children & teachers.
Hi Diane,
Would it be possible for you to come speak at Lehigh anyway? I think many students are exposed to the Rhee-esque ideas anyway since they’ve dominated the discourse for a while. Students here, particularly in the Colleges of Education and Arts and Sciences, would love to hear your thoughts on common core and charters (particularly in regards to cyber charters in PA) and about the politics and interests groups that surround them, particularly in regards to the corporatization of education. Not everyone will be exposed to your books or blog, or have an awareness of why charters or common core are an issue. The best way to expose them to these ideas is through a lecture from a prominent voice in education. Thanks!
Joseph Celentano,
I suggested that I would be willing to speak at Lehigh without Rhee, that I could–if they wished–bring my team of Sahlberg and Gym–or just me alone, but the university wants a debate only. They are working on finding someone else to debate me.
Maybe Secretary Duncan is available.
Hi Diane,
Would it be possible for you to come speak at Lehigh anyway? I think many students are exposed to the Rhee-esque ideas anyway since they’ve dominated the discourse for a while. Students here, particularly in the Colleges of Education and Arts and Sciences, would love to hear your thoughts on common core and charters (particularly in regards to cyber charters in PA) and about the politics and interests groups that surround them, particularly in regards to the corporatization of education. Not everyone will be exposed to your books or blog, or have an awareness of why charters or common core are an issue. The best way to expose them to these ideas is through a lecture from a prominent voice in education. Thanks!
rhee is a bully and apparently a coward.
Is there any possibility Rhee cancelled because she’s a coward who knew you would clean her clock?
First: Why would she agree to this debate in the first place? She is already on the side that is winning this game of schooling and reform. She had nothing to gain and a great deal to lose. Someone on her side must have lectured her on why this debate was a very bad idea. I am not surprised that no one would join her debate team. They are all much more intelligent and they know their current game plan will win out in the end because large sums of money can buy anything. They have bought BOTH political parties and convinced important groups like the Chamber of Commerce and large, wealthy corporations that their plan will financially benefit each of them. They now know that Rhee is a liability and to keep their distance from her in the future.
Second: I mentioned having this debate a while back and I was hoping someone like Charlie Rose would be the moderator and televise the debate on his TV show. I suggested Diane, Pasi Sahlberg, and someone like Glenda Ritz on one side and Rhee, Bennett, and Duncan on the other side. We deserve to hear a real exchange of ideas and a professional interpretation of what the research tells us in regard to what works and what does not work in order to prepare our future students for a successful career. Our students deserve no less than a national debate on how we are going to best meet their needs!
wow, she can count to 3?
Seriously though, can you say CHICKEN?
The fact is Rhee can’t hold a candle to you in terms of intellect or integrity. She knows she’d be outmatched no matter who she has on her team, because her side cannot be defended. Still I would have loved to watch you demolish her. I think I’ll send her some taunting tweets.
How is it possible that Michelle Rhee can’t find a third? She’s been going around with that guy who used to be with the D.C. Teachers Union… Did he disappear? With all the money her group has, she could have found some merc who would do a night for a stipend plus expenses. This is strange.
So Rhee couldn’t ask to make the teams a duo? Guess she couldn’t do the math. (Rhee – One = Two). Maybe she can draw that math problem.
Any chance you would still hold the “debate” without Rhee? I would love to see you and your 2 other guests (Pasi Sahlberg and Helen Gym) comment about Common Core. It would be a great way to get information to the masses and make a great You tube video!
Cheri in Colorado
Rhee would never survive a debate with you; she knows it; her reputation would collapse once you expose how little she understands about schooling and learning. Her best hope is that no major media cover the story of her withdrawal from debate; the billionaire cronies count on the mass media to shield them from exposure and to puff up their stature. If it will help, I volunteer to be Rhee’s 2nd partner.
I am so disappointed. As a teacher in the throes of what’s going on in public education (I’m a teacher in New Jersey, with a particular governor, need I say more…). I really thought it would be fascinating to listen to people that are seen as representing particular schools of thought, have what I hoped would be an informed discussion on what’s going on in education today. Why are some people so afraid to have a dialog? I am hopeful that the debate will be rescheduled in the near future. Thank you Diane for your willingness to take on such an important topic.
I think you should do it anyway and have Rhee sit with an empty chair like Clint Eastwood!
Must be that only one other person in the world agrees with her.
Ooo! Do the empty chair! Thanks, Anita.
I am really disappointed. The debate of the century, that should have been broadcast on all networks. (Well, perhaps on PBS at least.)
What a stupid excuse, that she couldn’t get a third person. Then why not back to two?
Couldn’t she get Gates or Broad or Duncan to join her debate team?
I hope this gets to all the news media, that Rhee backed out of a debate with you!
Yes, do the empty chair. Or invite Bill Gates to take her place, 😉
Why don’t you offer to do a two-two debate? She what she says?
Why don’t you offer to do a two-two debate and she what Rhee says?
I agreed to one vs. one, two vs. two, three vs. three.
She declined.
Why don’t you offer to do a two-two debate and see what Rhee says?
Reblogged this on 21st Century Theater.
this pops up on Daily Kos today by Laura Clawson
quote: “”I need an extra person on my team.” “Fine.” “I choose George W. Bush’s education secretary.” “Fine.” “I need a second extra person on my team.” “Fine” “Oops, I can’t find a second extra person, guess we can’t do it!”
It’s tempting to compare this approach to the corporate education reform movement: change the rules and stack the deck in your own favor, and if failure seems imminent, change the rules again. Or run away, apparently.”
I am frankly surprised that a 3rd couldn’t be found. Can’t the charter school profiteers and parent trigger-men find a skilled debater to support the team.
Or maybe Michelle has just sullied the brand too much. Ouch!
Please please please have the talk anyway and address points she’s made or ideas she’s put forward previously. This country sorely needs learned and interested people to discuss these issues in detail! M Night Shamblyface is writing a book on education! People are desperate for information on these subjects!
That’s a darn shame she called off the debate. I would have driven to Lehigh U to see that. I wonder if she had had a third partner that she would insist on a four vs. four debate then.
I would have to see you debating with the knowledge you have while she scrambled through papers for the answers.
I hope you can help me…since getting a new laptop, I’m no longer getting posts from Diane and I’m missing them terribly! Hopefully you can either make sure I’m on the email list or add me to it…kndrqueen1@aol.com. Thank you so much, Laurin MacLeish/Orlando
Lauren, sign in all over again.