And 100,000 Twitter friends.
Thank you!
We have our trolls, we have our regular sage commentators, we have a wealth of knowledge contributed by teachers and parents from across the nation and even from other parts of the world, we have our own poet, we have our wit who quotes the dead Greek guys, we have a community who cares about better education for all. Thank you for joining the conversation.
Diane Ravitch's blog 
Thank YOU, Diane, and have a very happy Thanksgiving. You give us all hope.
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Congratulations. Well earned.
You keep amazing us, inspiring us, and making us think.
Giving thanks for all of that and for all of the teachers, principals, parents, and others who do this vital work.
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Agree. Well said.
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Ditto – Thank YOU, Diane, for all you do, the wealth of knowledge you possess, and the poise and grace with which you forge forward with the truth. Thank you for giving us voice in this forum.
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CONGRATULATIONS!
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What happens when the BBBC [BoredBillionaireBoysClub] and political heavyweights across the political spectrum and the bulk of the MSM pour a seemingly endless amount of financial and political and reputational resources into their drive to dip their hands into the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow called $tudent $ucce$$?
You get “Diane Ravitch’s blog A site to discuss better education for all.”
Is anybody paying attention? Hmmmm…
[start quote]
Paul Thomas offered a cogent reply to Cunningham’s post here. Cunningham’s critique of Ravitch is remarkable for its lack of substance. He seizes on her critique of the purposely engineered high failure rates on New York’s Common Core tests as evidence that she wants to lower standards. He even goes so far as to suggest that she is implying that poor and minority students “are not college material.” This is classic straw man material. Misrepresent someone, then attack the effigy you have erected.
But I have been thinking about another subtext in his piece. He writes:
During the Obama administration’s first term, I served as Assistant Secretary for Communications and Outreach in the U.S. Department of Education, where one of my jobs was to monitor criticism of our policies and develop our responses. One of the people I monitored pretty closely was Diane Ravitch.
A blogger named RagingHorse has posted an interesting interpretation of this, with the provocative headline, ”.
He (or she) writes:
The US Department of Education “monitored ” Diane Ravitch ? And others ? Who are they ? To what end ? Does this mean that the DOE, like the FBI and the CIA and the NSA is building dossiers on those, like Dr. Ravitch, who have the temerity to point out their inconsistencies, absurdities, failure and lies?
I am also disgusted and wonder, how many more critics did Mr. Cunningham “monitor? ” What does it mean to ‘monitor” somebody? Do taxpayers know that their money is paying for this ? Does Congress ? What has this to do with education ? Is there now a Monitoring Departing in the DOE to keep an eye on dissidents ?
[end quote]
For much valuable information and context, go to the link below for the rest of Anthony Cody’s posting—
Link: http://blogs.edweek.org/teachers/living-in-dialogue/2013/08/monitored_and_ignored_ravitch_.html
But does it really—or even Rheeally—matter? Surely that “shrill” and “strident” Ravitch woman—and her Ravitchbots—couldn’t possibly have an effect on the thought leaders of the self-styled “new civil rights movement of our time.” Could she? C’mon, the Fordham Institute in their wacky and zany video already labeled her a “kook.” Who could take her seriously? Get a life, folks…
I include the following from Anthony cody’s posting referenced above to encourage viewers to read the entire piece:
[start quote]
Diane Ravitch seems to get under people’s skin like nobody else. She has done what is very scary to do. Confronted with evidence that her ideas were running off track, she re-evaluated and began looking at the issues with new eyes. Concerns she had dismissed before began to make sense. People whom she had seen as hopeless dreamers were not so far off base after all. She cannot be ignored because the truth is the opposite of what Cunningham claims. She has evidence on her side. And she has earned a following among educators and parents who will become even better informed a month from now when her new book is in the hands of the many thousands who will buy it. I have a small suggestion. Preorder her book now. And when you do so, order an extra copy and mail it to your Congress person or state legislator.
[end quote]
Ah, now I get it. That’s why Michelle Rhee and David Coleman and the rest of that band of Merry Pranksters run, howling with fear, from public discussion and debate with her.
Interesting…
But where oh where could she have learned that being a good citizen with a moral compass is important enough to expose her to the sneer, jeer and smear of the leaders of the self-proclaimed “education reform” movement and their edubully enforcers?
Leaving aside “out-of-school” factors [hey, I know some of the jargon too!], there is an interesting clue in her DEATH AND LIFE (2011 paperback edition, pp. 168-169) in a chapter entitled WHAT WOULD MRS. RATLIFF DO?:
[start quote]
My favorite teacher was Mrs. Ruby Ratliff. She is the teacher I remember best, the one who influenced me most…
Mrs. Ratliff did nothing for our self-esteem. She challenged us to meet her exacting standards. I think she imagined herself bringing enlightenment to the barbarians (that was us). When you wrote something for her class, which happened with frequency, you paid close attention to proper English. Accuracy mattered. She had a red pen and used it freely. Still, she was always sure to make a comment that encouraged us to do a better job. 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.
[end quote]
I think the viewers of this blog can see where I am going with this. One of the founts from which Diane Ravitch draws on her diatribes against “world-class standards” and being competitive in the 21st century—was a public school teacher! Yes, one of those rotten apples featured on the cover of TIME magazine. Can one and all see how infectious and enduring genuine teaching and learning can be?
Well, just speaking for me, even if it’s worth but a mere dos centavitos, Mrs. Ruby Ratliff did a good job. I especially like that phrase “personal responsibility” in place of the current emptied-out cliché “personal accountability.”
No, you don’t always need a very dead and very old and very Greek guy. Sometimes a hometown talent can find just the right thing to pin on Diane Ravitch and her blog:
“Do the right thing. It will gratify some people and astonish the rest.” [Mark Twain]
I would apologize for the length of this comment.
But I won’t.
Anyone that is monitored by the DoE because she is fighting for a “better education for all” deserves all the favorable digital ink she gets.
Color me—and I dare say many others—gratified and astonished.
😎
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This will be my third Thanksgiving with this blog close at hand.
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Congratulations Diane. It’s been a privilege reading your blog.
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Thank you, Diane. This blog is a beacon in dark times. For me, it’s a reminder that we parents actually can–and should–speak up. Happy Thanksgiving, and for your many sage posts I am so thankful!
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Happy Thanksgiving Diane. I continue to look to your blog for a window on the disenfranchised and see how we all can make a difference.
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Like others: Thank YOU for leading the fight.
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It boggles the mind.
Happy Thanksgiving to my fellow bloggers and a special word of thanks to you, Diane.
Ellen T Klock
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Or should I say “bloggles” the mind.
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Congratulations on the 16 millionth view, Diane! You have made and continue to make an enormous impact in this crusade. Thank you for looking out for my future child and all children.
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