Do you want to learn how to reform the reformers? Julian Vasquez Heilig explains why it is urgent to reform the current wave of failed reforms in this article in Catalyst-Chicago:
The predominance of the data and evidence is clear: School “reformers” have failed spectacularly in Chicago and elsewhere over the past decade. Politicians and corporate interests have pressed for failing policies that have created an unprecedented effort to privately control public education by demonizing teachers, undermining the democratic role of parents, closing schools and reinventing public schools as testing factories.
Education policies promoting private control and profit in education have continued unabated with support from Democrats and Republicans alike. Claiming to be dedicated to making children “college and career ready,” these corporate entities, with the help of elected and appointed officials at the national, state and local level, are destroying the very institutions that should be dedicated to providing all children with the free, comprehensive and supportive public schools they need and deserve to live their lives to the fullest.
Their goals are becoming more clear: to turn public schools into profit centers for corporate investors. In contrast, across the nation there is a growing coalition of community leaders, academics, and other stakeholders leading the conversation to reform education reformers’ reforms.
Hundreds of these education stakeholders from across the nation will gather in Chicago April 25-26 for the second annual conference of the Network for Public Education (NPE). Founded by Diane Ravitch, an education historian, best-selling author and renowned public education advocate, NPE has served as a focal point for those seeking to support public schools and push back against profit and private control of public schools.
Come to Chicago this weekend, and meet parents, teachers, and committed supporters of public education. The Network for Public Education is holding its second annual meeting. Read here about how to register.
Diane Ravitch's blog 
Reblogged this on Cloaking Inequity and commented:
Join us in Chicago this weekend!
Dear Dr. Ravitch:
Please write all highlights of this weekend Chicago Conference for your 19 million viewers as soon as this conference ends by April 27, 2015.
I am so exited and cannot wait to read many posts from all educational gurus in this website after Chicago Conference on April 24, 25, 26, 2015.
I heartfelt wish that NPE 2nd annual Conference will be extremely successful in achieving its goal. May King.
Supporters of public education may want to check out a newly formed organization, UnKochmyCampus.org. It’s creation reflects a step, toward the public’s demand for democratic values, both the teaching of them and the practice of them, at American universities.
So-called reform, as currently constituted, cannot be reformed; it needs a stake driven through its heart.
I see lots of wonderful names and session titles on the conference schedule. But please, please try to come out of this conference with a list of clear policy principles and recommendations agreed to by all or most of the conference attendees, and some kind of publicity push for that set of policy recommendations (preferably something all of these different groups and bloggers can get behind and publicize on their platforms). We need a truly progressive education platform in this country so badly, and this group of folks could provide the focused energy to do it. I guess I’m saying I’d rather see this gathering become less of an academic “conference” and more of a “convention” and activist “coalition.” If that’s not the plan already, can it become the plan?