I don’t often respond to people who criticize me. At my age, I can’t waste time looking back. I try to keep my eyes on the future, not on my back.
Fortunately there is Mercedes Schneider, who has my back.
The other day, Peter Cunningham wrote a post criticing me for switching from pro-testing to anti-testing. Peter used to be Arne Duncan’s assistant secretary for communications and was referred to by admirers as “Arne’s brain.” Now he is off on his own as a consultant or public relations guy or something like that. He received $12 million from the Walton, Broad, and Bloomberg foundations to start a blog called “Education Post,” supposedly to promote civility. This was his platform for criticizing me. It has also been a site for attacking other critics of corporate education reform, like Carol Burris.
Mercedes Schneider offered Peter some advice. She recommended that he read my book “Death and Life of the Great American School System: How Testing and Choice Are Undermining Education.” The answers to all his questions are there, Mercedes points out.
Diane Ravitch's blog 
Diane, Cunningham tweeted that he had read it– and still he produced a twisted post in which he omits the details from the book. So, admitting as much on Twitter has done him zero favors.
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Mercedes, so Cunningham thinks it is news that I changed my mind about high-stakes testing? And he thinks that Lamar Alexander doesn’t know it? Must have been a slow news day on his blog. Or he hopes to drive traffic to it by attacking me. I prefer to drive traffic to deutsch29, where I find eye-popping investigative reporting and sharp analysis.
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Cunningham’s admitting he read Death and Life, and still came up with that post reminds me of students who fail my class from refusing to do the work then boast the next year that they’ve already seen these assignments.
They are impressed with themselves, and the rest of the class just stares at them.
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Oh tsk, tsk. Perhaps Mr. Cunningham did not pass his 3rd grade reading test, and therefore does not comprehend Diane’s book. We need to find out who his 3rd grade reading teacher was, and put her on an improvement plan. She needs to shape up, or ship out! What? She’s retired? Well then, we need to track, and then micromanage, all of the former students from that elementary school to determine just how much success (or lack thereof) they’ve had. Then we can decide whether or not to close their school!
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Here’s what I posted on Cunningham’s blog:
We have suffered from a decade of these test-driven, market-based experiments — and in many places, like Chicago and NY, years more. And yet these policies have utterly failed to improve our schools and in fact have caused much damage. Diane has had the intelligence and the maturity to realize this, and has learned from these failures. What this blog shows is that Cunningham and others in the corporate reform camp — whether because of the money they’ve been offered or their ossified ideology — have not.
Leonie Haimson Class Size Matters 124 Waverly Pl. New York, NY 10011 212-674-7320 leonie@att.net http://www.classsizematters.org http://nycpublicschoolparents.blogspot.com http://www.huffingtonpost.com/leonie-haimson Follow me on twitter @leoniehaimson Make a tax-deductible contribution to Class SizeMatters now!
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“Arne’s brain”? Was he a gift from the Wizard of Oz?
Come to think of it, Arne would make a pretty good Scarecrow…
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You do realize that Arne Duncan has this plastered on the ceiling above his desk in the DoE? He also often hums this to himself when entering a classroom taking a high-stakes standardized test he has mandated in order to take his mind off the fact that all the oxygen has been sucked out of it.
I could while away the hours, conferrin’ with the flowers
Consultin’ with the rain.
And my head I’d be scratchin’ while
my thoughts were busy hatchin’
If I only had a brain.
I’d unravel every riddle for any individ’le,
In trouble or in pain.
With the thoughts you’ll be thinkin’
you could be another Lincoln
If you only had a brain.
Oh, I could tell you why The ocean’s near the shore.
I could think of things I never thunk before.
And then I’d sit, and think some more.
I would not be just a nothin’ my head all full of stuffin’
My heart all full of pain.
I would dance and be merry, life would be a ding-a-derry,
If I only had a brain.
[If I Only Had A Brain, from THE WIZARD OF OZ]
Who’d a thunk that the Secretary of Education was so enamored of the classics?
Although, to be fair, he has said that this particular song is the first chapter in his projected autobiography…
The rest of the book awaits the cartoons he’s been promised and the crayons he’s going to need to color them.
😎
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If he gets a high-paying revolving door job in the, “dollars from education”, industry sector, following his tenure, at the U.S. Oligarch Department of Education, a high functioning brain may be undesirable.
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“The group’s top goals are to promote high standards in schools, providing both support and accountability for teachers and principles, and to promote the use of school choice and charter schools as a means for increasing student achievement.”
Yup. That’s pretty much been the Obama Administration track record.
Tests, scolding and sanctions for public schools contrasted with promotion and cheerleading for charter schools.
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I love how they come up with mission statement, ” to promote the use of school choice and charter schools as a means of increasing student achievement.” This is a huge assumption. So far choice has not resulted in increased student achievement unless they choose the students most likely to succeed and boot or council out those that don’t perform. Schools with high attrition rates should not be allowed to proclaim success; this is a pyrrhic victory.
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I can’t believe they got 12 million dollars to start and staff a blog 🙂
Nice work if you can get it, huh?
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Was Cunningham the one the USDOE had “monitoring” you, Diane?
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What if Diane changes her mind again? What then? (Just kidding.)
Too bad Cunningham did not have Common Core Standards to train his mind and ensure taht he would one day become a critical thinker.
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I’m willing to change my mind when the facts change. Rigidity is not an intellectual virtue. What I am not willing to do is sell out children, teachers, and public education.
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But Cunningham IS willing to sell out children, teachers and public education. That is a key difference. To be blunt he is full of offal and disingenuous, keep in mind that you have a huge readership that ” has your back”. You’ve earned it.
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Well and wisely spoken.
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Even though reformers love data, they seems to have a hard time with analyzing data and then drawing conclusions based on that data – even if the conclusion is not quite you expected. Every researcher goes into an experiment with a preconceived notion of what he/she thinks the outcome may be (hypothesis). However, researchers test it out to see if they are correct. If they are wrong, they have to modify their hypothesis. I mean that is just good research. This is stuff that is taught to grade school kids as the scientific method. If Peter Cunningham & company cannot grasp that, I don’t know where the brain of “Arne’s brain” comes in.
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When the NAEP was given at my school a couple of years ago, some students — generally those with little or no interest in academics–were somehow, on some basis, selected; not informed beforehand that they were to be taking a test; pulled out of classes against their will; and forced to take it. It was truly bizarre. I’ve been teaching HS for over 30 years ad have never experienced anything like this before!
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Pculliton, students are randomly selected to take NAEP. No preparation. Whether they are motivated or not, doesn’t matter.
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Exactly, so how can it be any sort of reliable measure of… anything?
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pculliton,
“. . . how can it be any sort of reliable measure of… anything?
It can’t be reliable as any standardized test doesn’t measure anything. NAEP, SAT, ACT etc. . . are not measuring devices. They are invalid and unreliable supposed assessments of the teaching and learning process. To continue to use COMPLETELY INVALID AND UNRELIABLE FALSEHOODS as a basis for educational policy and practice decisions in more than insane, it is UNETHICAL AND IMMORAL.
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“Changing your mind’
Changing your mind
Is not a crime
When err you find
And just in time
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“Changing your mind” (take 2)
Changing your mind
Is not a crime
When err you find
In reason and rhyme”
“A foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds, adored by little statesmen and philosophers and divines.” — Ralph Waldo Emerson
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Dear Dr. Ravitch:
Your virtue remains intact. You profoundly care for the well-being of American Public Education for all children regardless of their socio-economic background, and the tenure for all teaching professionals.
Mr. Cunningham deliberately and intentionally defames you for 12 mils from corporate backers. That is a devilish act. Sooner or later all parents and students will abandon his website and all other education websites which are paid by corporate backers.
People’s actions will speak out more than words to show their intention and dignity.
It is time to remind the public that people with greed will not tolerate humanity, civility, and democracy. As a result, whoever works for people with greed, cannot be trusted.
Definition of greed = grab or loot public fund/assets with bribes.
Definition of changing mind = taste of food, drink, fashion in clothes and hairdo.
Definition of virtue = patience, kindness, consideration, calmness, and genius (being born with, or years of working + learning experiences with conscience.)
In conclusion, please 17 millions of readers unite with one focus – behind Dr. Ravitch 100% in strengthening and restoring “a well-funded system of public education, free and open to all—affirming our commitment to democracy and justice and our commitment to the dignity and worth of our greatest resource, our youth.” (Extract from Dr. MLK’s speech in 1947)
Happy Lunar New Year (on February 18/19, 2015) with all best wishes and success in the upcoming conference in Chicago on April 24, 25 and 26 in 2015.
Very respectfully yours,
Your supporter and secret admirer,
May King from Canada
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May,
“Definition of virtue = patience, kindness, consideration, calmness, and genius (being born with, or years of working + learning experiences with conscience.)”
Andre Comte-Sponville’s take on virtue(s): Virtue . . . is an acquired disposition to do what is good. But that is saying too little: virtue is good itself both in spirit and in actuality. But there is no Absolute Good or good-in itself than can simply be know and then applied. Good is not something to contemplate; it is something to be done. And so with virtue, too: it is the effort to act well and in that very effort itself virtue defines the good.”
If you haven’t read Comte-Sponville’s “A Small Treatise on the Great Virtues” may I suggest it to you.
Duane
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Thank you for your recommendation. I will do. Please write about Chicago conference upon your return. best regards, May.
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I think you will really enjoy the book, May. I’ve read it at least a dozen times and have given a copy to many educators and other whom I thought would enjoy. (fortunately for me I have a friend who is the manager of a Barnes & Noble and gives me her price on the book.)
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It’s truly, truly mind-boggling that “reformers” want to improve “critical-thinking” skills in our children, and then attack those who actually apply them!
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“A blog to promote civility”? No one should be civil when their children are in the oligarch’s cross hairs. Citizens should be outraged and compelled to eradicate reformers, when they learn about the creation of new organizations studying, Knowledge Management in Education, funded by the 0.01% Silicon Valley moguls.
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Hi Linda,
I really admire your straightforwardness. However, in order to break free, forgiveness is an inevitable and necessary practice for people with righteousness and rightfulness.
Once, we can get out the gravity force, and can control the dichotomous mind of people and of ours, then all conflicts on earth will be null in our view. Otherwise, besides intelligence and compassion, all educational practitioners need to unite in one force with one focus in civility and in economy in order to be a strong force in moving and shaking the public’s belief in public education and in democracy.
That is the ONLY powerful force that we call our power in the mass or in the number of votes. Sincerely, May. Back2basic
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Senior Swacker:
I really love and admire your humor, witty mind, and honesty. This goes to KrazyTA, Susan Lee Schwartz, Dienne, Linda, Laura, Dammed Poet and many more writers in this forum. Here is Andre Comte-Sponville’s definition:
“Virtue . . . is an acquired disposition to do what is good”
“Acquired” implies that learning from living experience with conscience; and “disposition” implies that learning from our own innate conscience.
In other word, without CONSCIENCE, virtue simply vanishes.
Thanks to conscience, we are able to observe, think, reflect and take a meaningful action without fear.
We all acknowledge that all weasels, evils, and corrupted people DO NOT have virtue. They cannot think, reflect, but intentionally commit crime against humanity. In the end, they always live with fear and misery.
In my own experience, I have encountered many blessing acts from people with good conscience who just do good deeds from their nature of kindness without any string attached. For example, in the midnight, all survivors (boat people) came to the shore. There was a family with all members did everything from making fire to warm us all, preparing a place for 29 survivors to sleep, and cooking tiny sweet potatoes for us to eat. I thought of their safety if communists found out and punished them later.
This is what I define patience and kindness as virtue from taking a meaningful action to help the unfortunate without fear of punishment from evils.
Life would be beautiful when people have conscience. However, patience and kindness along with cultivated mind will definitely groom, nurture and bloom conscience in all sentient beings. This is a catch 22 like egg and chicken, so is conscience and virtue.
Please forgive me who wish to be philosopher, but end up with being an old and frail handicapped woman. Best regards, May.
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May,
Beautifully written. As you say, It is important to remember life’s kindnesses. Thank you for telling us about the courage of 29 boat people, who reached shore and were met with compassion. It is a story that should find a publisher.
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Thank you Linda for your approval of my suggestion about forgiveness and kindness. love. May
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