The bloggers at valueaddedmeasureit.com have proposed what they call “the fight of the century” to replace “the fight of the century that wasn’t.”
They refer to the debate that never happened between Michelle Rhee and me.
They refer to efforts by Lehigh University to set up a debate between us on February 6, which did not happen because Rhee kept raising new demands and eventually backed out when she said she could not find a third debate partner.
They offer a few conditions that might make this debate actually happen.
See if you think they suggest a workable format.
Diane Ravitch's blog 
VAM is gone. There was a post about “parting words” about five days ago that, unfortunately, I never got to read. Now blogspot simply says the has been deleted and the address is unavailable.
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The site is reopened for “business” at valueaddedmeasureit.blogspot.com (the “it” was added; so, now it’s VAM It!) and most of the old pieces reposted. Thank you for your past support.
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There’s a problem with the link to the blogsite.
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Yes. Sadly the link has been removed.
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Yep, the post is gone.
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Yes it is gone!!
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Try the link again. I think I fixed it.
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The Blog has been removed ??????
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Jerry, I fixed the link.
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I was extremely disappointed that the debate was cancelled. I was going to attend with my 80 year old mother. Several family members are in all areas of education so I wanted her to hear a real discussion about how reform has impacted education. I feel we need to reach all generations, not just parents who have children currently enrolled in public education. When are we going to have a public debate of the issues? Why don’t you request an opportunity to debate Arne Duncan? I just discovered in my state that one of the required activities we must complete under the Race to the Top grant is to expand the increase of high quality charters. Why would this be a requirement to receive the grant money?
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The heck with debate. I’d like to get into an extreme martial arts ring with Miss Thing….”Two men enter. One man leaves.” We’re in a war to save local control and indeed our entire system of public education from those who only see it as one of the last remaining unexploited profit centers.
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AGREE, “We’re in a war to save local control and indeed our entire system of public education from those who only see it as one of the last remaining unexploited profit centers.” Well said!
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I really miss my Tony Lama boots …
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The VAM blog has been removed – is there somewhere else to read it?
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I fixed the link.
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Link does’t work.
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The link works.
But don’t expect Michelle Rhee to accept. You don’t put a club boxer into the ring with a world-class fighter.
Makes no ₵ent¢. There’s no $tudent $ucce$$ in it.
And remember: it’s all about data-drivel, er, data-driven eduproduct placement.
😎
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Too bad this wasn’t a possibility back in 2007, when it would have mattered more.
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FWIW, the “Fight of the Century” was Ali-Frazier I, not Ali-Frazier III (the “Thrilla in Manilla”), which is pictured on the link.
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This is very funny. But I opposed the Rhee/Ravitch debate to begin with. It’s absurd to give an opportunist know-nothing like Rhee such a forum. It’s like pitting Fred Phelps of the Westboro Baptist Church and Ken Ham of the Creation Museum against Alan Guth and Max Tegmark of MIT for a debate on cosmology.
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Why, if Michelle Rhee is such a genius (she doesn’t scruple, it seems to me, to pronounce on this in a variety of ways every chance she gets), does she refuse to debate you? And why the need for a second or third to do it?
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How about Ravitch VS Gates. That would get the media coverage it deserves.
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