Joseph Ricciotti, veteran educator in Connecticut, wonders if Hillary Clinton will forge a different path from that of the Obama administration. He points out that Race to the Top and Common Core were both major disasters. Race to the Top was built on the assumptions of George W. Bush’s No Child Left Behind, and proved even more harmful to public education and to children.
He notes that she benefited in her campaign by the early endorsements of the two teachers’ unions, the NEA and AFT.
He writes:
She can be thankful in no small part to the major role that the teacher organizations in the nation such as the National Educational Association (NEA) and the American Federation of Teachers (AFT) played in their early endorsement of her presidency. Public school teachers and parents are fighting the battle of their lives in attempting to hold off the forces of privatization along with the onslaught of charter schools in the nation.
Sadly, theses forces of privatization received major support from Arne Duncan, the former Secretary of Education appointed by President Barack Obama. No other Education Secretary, especially Democratic, has done more to privatize and weaken public education than Arne Duncan who was also obsessed with standardized testing. Under his regime, public schools across the nation experienced two failed programs with Race to the Top (RTTT) and Common Core State Standards (CCSS). His so-called “testocracy” grossly neglected the impact of childhood poverty on learning for children from impoverished homes.
Likewise, under Duncan’s time in office, we have witnessed the demise of the neighborhood school and the growth of charter schools, all with corporate sponsors. Hence, it was obvious that former Secretary of Education Arne Duncan was not a public school advocate but rather a paid shill who was in the pockets of the corporate reformers and the testing industry.
If Clinton is elected as president in 2016, it will not take very long for both the NEA and the AFT to know whether their early presidential endorsement has been wasted, as was the case following Barack Obama’s nomination eight years ago in his selection of Duncan as Secretary of Education. Whether Clinton chooses someone to serve as Secretary of Education who will undo the disastrous harm that Duncan has inflicted on public education in his eight years remains to be seen. Will she choose another corporate reformer or will she surprise everyone with an appointment of someone who will be a true advocate of public education and who is widely respected by the supporters of public education in the nation?
I can’t bring myself to tell you whom he recommends to lead the Department of Education.
The last line is an informal test to see who actually reads the links.
I did.
Diane would make an excellent Secretary. Not only does she have extensive experience in policy, she listens to teachers. She doesn’t treat those in the trenches as self interested distractions to a grand plan.
The comments tended to be rather depressing, though.
Yeah, the comments are wholly depressing. I have no faith in her.
I concur, Diane Ravitch is a most acceptable candidate. She would be a beacon of hope, in the hedge fund- infested US Dept. of Ed.
And well you should be the next Secretary of Education. Unfortunately, I don’t believe she will be anymore if an education President than President Obama.
A vote for Hillary is the continuation of all policies set forth in the last 8 years.
Have you heard anything from Hillary about the Chicago mess?
The ONLY voice you have is your vote. Elect your state and local government officials carefully if you want change.
Time for a social media blitz to find the answer to this . It is too important not to. Have this discussion.
I wholeheartedly agree! I am attempting with this article to begin a national movement across the nation that will pressure Hillary Clinton to appoint a public education advocate as the next Education Secretary. J. Ricciotti
I don’t have any reason to believe Mrs. Clinton would behave any differently on education than Mr. Obama. She’s basically running as Mr. Obama’s third term.
Diane–you’d be awesome if you have the willingness to serve in public office again. Unfortunately, it looks like she has too many corproate reformers like Podesta and Ann O’Leary who have her ear. https://gadflyonthewallblog.wordpress.com/2016/03/08/hillary-clintons-campaign-manager-is-a-longtime-corporate-education-reformer/
She seems to represent a continuation of the Obama admin in this area, which spells trouble for us.
Not only does she have corporate sponsors, but one of her advisors is former TFA. Gets sadder and sadder.
Shame on Randi and Lily for selling us out.
Now it’s time to democratize our unions and vote them out.
His choice would be awesome!
Here’s the problem……Hillary is very close with Eli Broad, Laurene Jobs, Bill and Melinda Gates, Steve Barr and Alice Walton….all the big names in education reform. She has also received substantial campaign donations from all of them. Howard Dean’s son is a Teach For America graduate. http://www.latimes.com/local/education/community/la-me-edu-meet-the-teacher-lobby-that-s-not-the-teachers-union-20151021-story.html
Whittier yes indeed … this is precisely the point that Bernie Sanders made over and over in his campaign… candidates with these monetary ties have political policy beholden to to their PAC ties (not to The People.
Bernie has shown that a candidate does not need to rely on the 1% to raise enough money to run a credible candidate. If Hillary wins, she doesn’t need their money to win another term if she gets the people behind her.
HRC selected two platform committee members from Madelyn Albright’s firm. Madelyn Albright serves with David Koch on the Aspen Institute board. Aspen educational programs receive funding from Gates. Reportedly, hedge fund, charter school zealot, Paul Singer, is an Albright company client.
Thanks 2old2teach, that’s the best laugh that I’ve had all day… Hillary pulling away from the Corporate teat!
You’re welcome. I aim to please! 🙂
HRC’s son-in-law is a hedge fund manager. “She won’t need the money to win”, is that relevant?
If HRC’s team, friends and donors are any indication of her plans for public education (and public services in general) I’m not looking forward to any positive changes with her as POTUS.
https://gadflyonthewallblog.wordpress.com/2016/03/08/hillary-clintons-campaign-manager-is-a-longtime-corporate-education-reformer/
https://theintercept.com/2015/05/18/hillary-clinton-paid-jeb-bushs-education-company/
https://theintercept.com/2014/12/17/jeb-bush-v-hillary-clinton-perfectly-illustrative-election/
The DLC Democrats, of which HRC is a member, abandoned teachers, public worker unions, and blue collar workers in the 1990’s when they made the decision to go after Wall St & Silicon Valley $. Since the Republicans are far more antagonistic to public education, the Democratic base has nowhere else to go. David Frum made an astute observation a few years ago (not exact quote): The Democrats despise their base. The republicans fear theirs.
Recall the Obama team’s utter contempt for the teachers & their unions who worked to get him elected in 2008:.
http://www.epi.org/publication/grading_the_education_reformers/
“The reformers’ arrogance is best on display when Brill gloats about the charade of appointing anti-reformer Linda Darling-Hammond to lead Obama’s official post-election education planning, while DFER, with funds from Eli Broad, wrote a secret memo for the “informal yet real education transition team.” Jon Schnur organized the effort and strove to calm his nervous fellow-reformers, assuring them that the Darling-Hammond appointment was only a sop to a faction that would have no real influence, while DFER’s secret memo set forth the Administration’s actual policy – including the naming of key Gates Foundation and Teach for America operatives for crucial administration policy posts, and calling for use of student test scores to evaluate teachers.”
The Democrats have been giving with one hand & taking away with the other for too long. It’s time not to believe much of what they promise on the campaign trail. We’ll be treated with contempt until the corporate Dems start losing their elections due to their votes on edu-privatization.
One more thing. Diane deserves to be Sec of Education. When will NEA & AFT start lobbying for you?
Are the AFT and NEA effective at communication? In Northeast Ohio, a home schooled 24- year-old, won election to the Ohio State
School Board, in an area that is far distant from the Bible belt.
People reading this blog know that I am no great fan of Hillary
but
do you really believe that Trump would be better, give you the things you wish?.
If you want change, and we all do, have your unions get on the ball with their constituents and deluge the White House AND your local elected officials with the views you wish. THAT is the way to get things done.
If enough people demand it and long enough things will get better but money speaks loud.
Politicians promote the things which get them elected.
If money gets them elected they will bow to that.
If constituents, enough of them, let them know that their votes go to the things you cherish then things will change.
Do NOT complain just here on this blog.
Complain, in numbers to your elected officials.
PLEASE
do NOT vote for Trump just because you think Hillary will not get the school items which we all detest.
For those Bernie supporters, had he won the right to be in the White House we would have HAD to do this anyway.
I would hold off on getting moving bids, although your appointment would be a boon to public education. Imagine the novel idea of appointing an actual expert in education to lead the DOE! Nobody knows for sure what Hillary would do. She supported public education as state senator in New York, but we also knows she is knee deep in “reformers,” the TFA and neoliberalism. She also supports the Common Core and “quality charters.” No one knows which way she would sway, but it is likely she would follow the money.
While I understand and appreciate that the primary focus of this web site/blog is education and how the alleged “reformers” have damaged public education in the U.S., it must never be forgotten that education, like all other socially necessary programs, will continue to suffer if the U.S. imperial foreign policy remains unchanged.
U.S. “security” expenditures, including its 16 Intelligence agencies, its Dept. of Homeland Security, and its military sectors of the Energy Dept. (nuclear weapons) and NASA (space weapons) total close to one TRILLION dollars PER YEAR now., leaving less and less for education and relief of poverty, hunger, and homelessness, all of which severely affect children and their learning.
Hillary Clinton is a devoted neoconservative who, based on her record as First lady, Senator, and Secretary of State, will not only continue the imperialist U.S. policies of the last decades, but will expand them.
I am certainly not suggesting Donald Trump as an alternative, but do caution educators not to expect much from Clinton, not only because she will waste more hundreds of billions on the Empire, but because her close financial ties to Wall Street and corporations indicate she is too attuned to corporate education “reform” at the expense of students and teachers. That is why I, a retired teacher and still a member of the AFT-NEA, was outraged at the union leadership’s endorsement of Hillary Clinton.
So, in short, I believe Hillary will not only NOT abandon Obama’s disastrous policies at home and abroad; she will most likely double down on them as a neoliberal and a neoconservative.
I intend to vote, in NY, for Green Party candidate Jill Stein.
You will want to read an on-line book chapter from Julian Assange, titled, “Google is Not What It Seems”. He mentions HRC and the Walton-funded Gen Next Foundation. The Gen Next website features Napolitano and Rumsfeld.
I agree with everything you said 100%. One. Hundred. Percent. No way would she change education for the better. I am horrified at what Obama did to education, and I regret that I voted for him. HRC is not the answer to this problem. Her approach to government and advocacy for corporate sponsorship IS the problem.
A RESOUNDING: NO! Remember she loves standards and testing. Worked so well in Arkansas, the Billaries decided to CASH-IN even more and bring that monster to the Nation. It’s a WIN 4 $$$$$$$$$$$$$ interests, GREED.
I refuse to caste my vote for $illary. And believe $illary is as nuts as Trump. Both are HUBRIS and so the DNC and the GOP.
GO BERNIE! He’s taking his campaign all the way to the corrupt FNC. Hooray!
If the DNC IS SO LAME TO PUT $illary on the ballot, write-in Bernie, if you can, or vote GREEN.
I refuse to vote for the lesser of two evils. Evil is EVIL. $illary is a sham and just another Wall St. (Fill in the blanks).
Why are “so called” progressive media so ready to count Bernie out of the nomination when $hilLIARy is under CRIMINAL INVESTIGATION and the super STUPID delegates don’t actually vote until JULY 25th! Bernie Sanders supporters should not buy into this ignorant narrative designed to make them concede to the inevitability of a queen $hilLIARy nomination and presidency! BTW: Sure she’s gaining over the assclown tRump, as they designed, but tRump will not be the repub nominee. kasich or ryan will be, either of which would trounce the $hill in the general election! Be PATIENT Bernie faithful! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GGx9o4GX84Y
Duncan is blamed and not Obama? None of the democrats in Obama’s cabinet? What of DFER? This was a bi-partisan plan. Obama was a supposed outsider, right? I hold Obama responsible for the further/continued attack on public schools, and I hold the Government and the DOE accountable and complicit with its donations to TFA, and its basic “how to open a charter school” information and/or seminars. Hillary will do no better, and will likely do much worse. The camel is in the tent people.
A fine choice indeed.
It’s been frustrating for education voters to read the tea leaves this campaign season because none of the candidates has said enough about public education. It’s understandable though. In my state of California, any candidate who does speak up against privatization gets hammered by the powerful charter lobby. Once in office, I sure hope Hillary Clinton’s long demonstrated toughness is activated in this area. We need an actual expert to lead the US Department of Education.
No. The money is too good for her friends.
To answer the question of the post:
NO!
And what about charter schools? She should fight for at least three common sense requirements: 1. In order for charter schools to actually be the public schools they claim to be, charter schools must be subject to voters by having publicly-elected boards; 2. charter schools must be required to file at least the same detailed public domain audited financial reports about what they do with the public’s tax money that genuine public schools file; 3. charter schools board member must be subject to the same conflict-of-interest standards that the boards of genuine public schools are subject to.
Is HRC going to overturn the Ohio Supreme Court ruling that the assets that taxpayers pay for, belong to the charter operator?
Does it matter? It seems most states have “diversified” education portfolios now and that’s the new normal for real.
OMG do you really have to ask? I guess you are being ironic?
I highly doubt it. Of course, I hope that I would be proven wrong.
It is still putting the cart before the horse to say that Hillary will be President, anyways. She may lose the FBI/RICO primary.
Took a bike ride today to buy the latest Thomas Frank book. At the bookstore and there sure were a lot of books about the end of the Democrats as “the people’s party”. Hillary Clinton reads books, doesn’t she? And Bernie came so close. Wasn’t that a wake up call? The Democrats — I used to be one — must have their heads in the sand not to change course. Don’t they see what happened to the Republicans when the Party ignored the people?
I will say this: if I had a hint of a clue toward a suggestion of an idea from Clinton that Dr. Ravitch would be back in the White House as Sec. of Ed., I would re-register as a Democrat, send a barely affordable campaign contribution, and tell everyone I know to join me on Hillary’s campaign staff. I would write the letter ‘H’ with an arrow through the middle from then on.
I hear you. I’m with you.
Watch Frank on Democracy Now! His predictions at the end of the clip are frightening, but not inevitable.
http://www.democracynow.org/2016/6/22/thomas_frank_on_clinton_democratic_establishment
So wonderful Diane that there is so much faith in Hillary on a basically progressive site . It says a lot . Alka-Seltzer please .Hillary’s choice of VP will tell the whole story if she picks Warren which I would love to see but doubt or another strong progressive, it will a sign that the message may!!! have gotten through. A sign she understands the American people are sick of the Corporatocracy, of the Oligarchy. She picks Kaine and Weingarten better start looking for another Job. Does Dramamine work for general nausea ?
Again: this non educator needs an edit button
I read that Warren might make a poor choice because her replacement to the Senate would be appointed by a Republican (governor). It is a consideration with a few other possible candidates as well. Besides, Warren may have a more effective voice as a Senator. As VP, she would be a spokesperson for the administration.
She needs a swing state.
My understanding is that the Governor does appoint a replacement but only till a special election is held. Yes she needs Virgina but Warren mobilizes the Bernie base in quite a few potential swing states including Virginia. Traditional thought is that a VP is the worst job in the world . I see Warren as a leash on Clinton even after the election, . Kind of like Biden forced Obama’s hand on gay rights. If Warren maintains a vocal voice she will put Clinton in a tough position.
But if Hillary thinks she can beat Trump, why would she pick a candidate with more public appeal and better delivery than her, to be out shinned for four or eight years So expect business as usual .
As pathetic as Trump seems ,he is neck and neck in Ohio and beware, Bush was 17 points back at this point in 2000 .
Clinton will not get the Black vote to turn out in the numbers they did for Obama .
If the youth vote so mobilized by Sanders stays home or worse . Say hello President Trump . Hillary will not have to worry about being second fiddle to Warren
I need a stiff drink .
Virginia
I don’t know Diane but it’s hard to have alot of respect for labor leaders when they continue to eendorse Democrats.
Democratic leaders have contempt for them. Democratic leaders wish labor unions would disappear. Democratic
leaders have absolutely nothing in common with working people and they
wouldn’t be caught dead sending their children or grandchildren to an ordinary US public school.
They’re snobs. They don’t live in middle class neighborhoods or go to public colleges. They don’t socialize with working people or know any personally.
If you have not read Thomas Frank’s “Listen Liberal ” or the many short takes of it you should . He explains the Democratic parties connection to elites and abandonment of the working class base.
Then if you want to get real depressed read Jack London’s “Iron Heal”
Written over a century ago could have been written this morning . Including a starring role for. The NEA and AFT. The dynamic you are talking about is as old as the split between AFL and CIO unions.
Thank god I live in NY where I can probably vote for Jill Stein with out feeling guilty the day after the Election .
How did she rake in $150 million while Sec. of State? Or, $21 million in speaking fees in two years?
John,
What evidence do you have that Hillary “raked in” money while Secretary of State? That’s a felony. As for her speaking fees, get over it. There are many high profile celebrities who are paid $200,000 or more per speech. Michelle Rhee, far less important than Hillary, was paid $50,000 a speech back in the day.
Yes Diane:
Every body makes speeches and that is the problem .
There need not be a quid pro quo, those fees provide access to
the party they were paid to. When those persons receiving the exorbitant sums are potentially deciding(politics ) “who gets what” the distribution of goods and services economics ,it becomes a problem . They “are not paying for great prose ” The money to the Clinton foundation a charity less troubling . But also part of the pay to play scheme that has become the American political scene. Those foreign Nations are expecting additional consideration for their National Interests.
So much so a part of American politics, that the Supreme Court in a sick twist has declared corporations people,Citizens United. I would bring back the draft and put the CEO’s and boards on the front lines against ISIS It is rotting our Democracy to its core.
“They had begun to consider the Government of the United States as a mere appendage to their own affairs. We know now that Government by organized money is just as dangerous as Government by organized mob” FDR
So Hillary’s speeches and Donald’s taxes should both be released and in a perfect world, they would both rapidly get the boot .
Joel,
I have given many paid speeches. When you do a lot of public speaking, there is no transcript. You may have five or ten talking points and devote five or ten minutes to each. With experience, extemporaneous speaking works well.
My mistake, I meant the Clinton Foundation, not HRC personally. (BTW, corporations legally “people” long before Citizens United.)
She is a Wall Street democrat so I suspect she will continue the policies of the Obama administration. No child Left Behind was the product of a deal between the bush administration and a powerful democrat senator, Ted Kennedy. When it happened i thought nothing good can happen when you make a deal with the devil.
Jimmy Carter said Ted Kennedy blocked the plans to make sure all Americans had access to health care, setting the movement back decades.
Thomas Frank on Democracy Now answers this question . The problem is the party of the people no-longer exists . The only bright spot . Four years from now there will be another Trump and another Sanders.
http://www.democracynow.org/2016/6http://www.democracynow.org/2016/6/22/thomas_frank_on_clinton_democratic_establishment
What he can’t do is solve our conundrum . Death by hanging or death by starvation .
They are snobs. They’re clueless. I read a Duncan speech in Cleveland about how workers needed “skills”. It was to launch a federal program, a “public private partnership” for machinists.
They’re paying 15 dollars an hour. Arne Duncan thinks 15 dollars an hour is “middle class”. What is wrong with them? Why don’t they know what they’re talking about? They don’t know what they’re talking about because they live in a different country than we do.
Not caring about wages is privilege. It’s a luxury they have and most people don’t have. What people take home every week in wages means something- it has profound effects on their families and neighborhoods. It isn’t abstract. They don’t understand this in any real way because NONE of it reaches them.
This is a typical ed reform “success story” about the growth of charter schools in Indiana.
Not one word about the public schools in the state. If you’re wondering what the federal and state government did to support public schools in Indiana the answer is “nothing”.
http://www.chalkbeat.org/posts/in/2016/06/20/charters-schools-see-explosive-growth-in-indiana-doubling-in-five-years/#.V2vegdUrLnB
THAT’S what the President’s team created. A climate where public schools are so disfavored they’re not even mentioned. The same is true in Ohio, Michigan and Pennsylvania.
Public schools deserve advocates in government. It’s just wrong that we’re paying all these people to promote their preferred “sector”. The President should have hired outside the echo chamber, but instead he stacked his administration with “market-based” rreformers and public schools suffered as a result of that.
Hillary’s burgeoning Bersin bump | San Diego Reader
http://www.sandiegoreader.com/news/…/hillarys-burgeoning-bersin-bump...
There are more articles like this online
Lucy,
Alan Bersin was a disaster in San Diego. The first of the big-time corporate reformers.
Bill Gates? Disaster………
Hillary’s burgeoning Bersin bump | San Diego Reader
http://www.sandiegoreader.com/news/…/hillarys-burgeoning-bersin-bump...
Thank you, Diane you are correct I worked there when he was supe. So scared that our hope-so winner might actually be considering what the articles suggest. Really love your work, thank you.
First and foremost: it’s all a moot point. Trump cannot win. That’s all.
It’s almost as though he was planted there for that specific reason. Makes me think of the movie, “The Producers”: write a play that’s so disgusting it’s sure to flop. Then the people end up loving it.
But just for the sake of debate:
I doubt we’re going to see much if any change in the Clinton administration. If anything, I believe we’ll see a paper tiger and nothing will get done. At worst: John King or a similar shill will continue the onslaught.
UNLESS the opt out movement grows and takes on more issues in education. It’s up to the families whose kids are going to the schools that the reformists are peddling. I think that’s our only real hope. I’ve given up on looking to our unions. Parents need to get a real view of what exactly the reformers are hawking as an “improvement” over the “broken system”.
Here’s a telling article on Hillary. The headline focuses on her “out of context” (it wasn’t) remark regarding “below average” schools, but please read on. That’s where it gets interesting:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/mercedes-schneider/hillary-clinton-charter-schools_b_8882774.html
Again, though: Hillary or Donald?
Hillary is as clueless as the rest of them. Any decisions she makes will be about political expediency – not teaching and learning or about the best interests of our public school system.
Sarah just presented her paper at Washington U….she told me it is public and I can share it with anyone who is interested….a bit heavy in jargon…but…I spotted good guys and bad guys….I told her rah rah rah for Hess….we talked about it at dinner…she is more optimistic than I am about Hillary….. she probably knows more about what she is talking about than I do….
Here’s a link to the paper I presented this morning-
http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=2798935
Sarah
—
Dr. Sarah Reckhow
Assistant Professor of Political Science
Michigan State University
reckhow@msu.edu
Representing the American Enterprise Institute (a
broker organization in 2008-09), Frederick Hess stated the following on September 30, 2009 (a
statement we coded as expressing “uncertainty” about a preference):
Why not just judge teachers using value-added scores? A small but growing number of
states can perform “value-added” calculations based on grade three-to-eight reading and
math assessments. However, such scores are only available for a minority of teachers,
even in states with the requisite data systems. A more fundamental problem is that these
measures are imprecise and of uncertain reliability when just a few years worth of data
are being used to judge individual teachers….Enabling district and school officials to use
value-added gains and other metrics as one component of a smart, system-specific
strategy makes good sense, but prescribing the use of such crudely drawn metrics from
Washington is an entirely different matter.
This statement from Hess is quite unique in our testimony—witnesses rarely provide lengthy
discussions of uncertainty about any policy ideas.