I was recently invited to write an article for U.S. News & World Report. I decided to write about the current trend in many nations to turn public schools over to the private sector. Readers of this blog may be familiar with the content and my concerns. But I wasn’t writing for those who are well-versed in these issues. I was writing for the public, which is unaware of the advances of privatization into the heart of public education.
The editors called it “Public education is up for sale.”
Diane Ravitch's blog 
Your article managed to provide context and highlighted many of the issues in a very small footprint. Let’s hope it encourages more people outside the education community to investigate the issues further. We need more citizens to understand what is at stake and how privatization has turned into an ugly money making machine that wants to use our children for profit and destroy citizens’ rights to democratic public education.
Thank you
Retired Teacher ,
One disagreement, take out the last word and change it to institutions.
Very surprised US News gave you the forum, Diane. My experience is that they are typically open to Reformist dogma.
I was surprised too. I think it is owned by Mort Zuckerman, real estate magnate and publisher, friend of reformers.
Zuckerman can be found on McLaughlin Group along with Pat Buchanan commenting on weekly topics. The show is growing a bit dusty.
All of a sudden the media seem to be waking up to the great charter hustle. In today’s Los Angeles Times, there is an editorial entitled “Charter Schools’ Entry Hurdles” that highlights the many deceptive practices of charters in California as well as the almost non-existent oversight of these tax-supported schools. The ACLU is thankfully challenging some of the exclusive and deceptive practices of many (most?) charters but I am wondering why it has taken so long for media and advocacy organizations to notice. Can anyone explain this? Thanks.
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The money is still behind privatization efforts. I’m guessing that activists across the nation are becoming loud enough that they cannot be ignored any longer. Diane, thank you for being at the forefront of attempts to preserve and protect public education as a public good. Your voice has been instrumental in developing a true grassroots movement.
‘Worldwide, Public Education is Up For Sale
From the UK to Liberia, the Privatization Movement Gathers Steam’
Is this like stochastic cheerleading?
I mean, the title and subtitle, esp. the subtitle.
The title echoes a title on Hillary’s emails, the State is up for sale or something. Many have no problem with things being for sale.
I am happy that you responded to this invitation and in a manner well suited to the likely readers.
I noticed that the tags supplied at the end of your article included a link to U.S. News Ranking of “Best Countries.”
These are: #1 Germany, #2 Canada, #3 United Kingdom, #4 United States, #5 Sweden.
The method of rating countriees gives a lot of weight to Citizenship (16.95 percent) defined as:
cares about human rights, cares about the environment, gender equality, progressive, religious freedom, respects property rights, trustworthy, well-distributed political power”
and to Quality of Life(16.89 percent) defined as a: a good job market, affordable, economically stable, family friendly, income equality, politically stable, safe, well-developed public education system, well-developed public health system.
Now, who would have guessed that US News and World Report rankings would value the arguably “socialist” values of pubic health and education, along with income equality.
US News and World Report ratings also highly value Entrepeneurship (17.42 percent) defined as: connected to the rest of the world, educated population, entrepreneurial, innovative, provides easy access to capital, skilled labor force, technological expertise, transparent business practices, well-developed infrastructure, well-developed legal framework.
But a closer look at the ratings has a surprise, perhaps a clear signal this whole exercises as amateur hour…or something from a test of Close Reading
Here is the rating category “Open for Business” (11.99 percent): bureaucratic, cheap manufacturing costs, corrupt, favorable tax environment, transparent government practices.
That is an amazing list of criteria for judging the virtues of being “open of business.”
The rating system is explained here: http://www.usnews.com/news/best-countries/articles/methodology
You can see the Best countries for Education list here: The criteria are http://www.usnews.com/news/best-countries/education-full-list
I love the way you think!
Me too…thanks Laura for continuing to inform and educate us.
When I think I couldn’t be more impressed by Dr. Ravitch, she does something even more extraordinary. Public education has the best advocate and defender possible- a person uniquely qualified, who is here at the right time
To fight a scourge, Winston Churchill came up swinging. To fight the abuse of ed reform, Diane Ravitch came up swinging. I don’t believe either was a lucky coincidence. Germany presented a huge threat to the world. The richest man in America poses a huge threat to the world.
Thank you, Linda!
Go Diane!
You don’t have to be Ed Sec to influence the world. Our recent Ed Secs don’t seem to reside on Earth!
About 6 years ago I attended a planning committee meeting with the local superintendent and the board of education for the local school district. The superintendent had this power point prepared and up flashed Bill Gates’ name.
I knew then he was not the person I could trust and could see the writing on the wall. Corporate power at work.
I went to public schools near Miami and later in Atlanta. When I went from private to public, I was beaten up a few times (first week). Then my grandfather signed me up for boxing lessons, and I started giving out the beatings. What did I learn from public schools? I learned to street fight very well. I learned how to be streetwise (aware of my environment). I didn’t learn much in the classes. Most of the teachers were horrible, and even the good ones couldn’t control the “rougher” kids who were bused in from the city.
There were fun moments, some pretty girls, and some very exciting and memorable fights. And such diversity…I fought blacks, Cubans, Dominican Republic kids, and Haitians. Haitians were the roughest. It is quite an adrenaline rush to win a big fight in front of a large crowd. Not many people can stand up very long against a well-trained boxer.. Maybe now those kids have guns. That doesn’t sound as much fun.
Despite the benefits I gained from public schooling, I am going to make the sacrifices to send my boys to top-tier private schools. Yes, that means no new cars, no vacations, no upgrades on housing, but so what. You are paying for them to be surrounded by other peers who care about education. We all know that peers have a greater influence on our children than we do. That is the choice parents can make. You can choose what peers will surround your children. I don’t feel any obligation to send my kids to a mediocre public school. I really don’t. Life is too short for that nonsense.
John, you’re welcome to do whatever you like with your own kids and your own money. It’s a free country. I am glad, however, that my tax dollars aren’t supporting your individual decision (assuming you really mean “private” and not “publicly funded charter”). The reason: public schools aren’t perfect, and they definitely vary in quality, but they’re still a cornerstone of democracy.
Over the last 150 years, the public school system in the U.S. produced a powerhouse economy, lessened inequality (with some court-ordered help), and gave rise to a middle class that, sadly, is now abandoning the system in many places.
I am happy that you made it in “in spite of” the public school system. Many people do overcome hurdles, and that’s commendable. I’m also happy you can enjoy the gifts of a free and democratic society. I would be sad only if you confuse your personal decision, or what is best for your family, with what is good or bad public policy.
To John:
I guess that you are not wise enough to use money to your advantage since you acknowledge that “Life is too short for that nonsense”
I take this opportunity to share my own experiences with you and others who have the same decision as yours.
I assumed that it would cost you minimum a net amount of $30,000 yearly for each grade. You must work full time to earn a decent wages after tax for private tuition fee.
Each month you spend $2500.00 that you can afford to stay home to be with your ONLY CHILD.
You have 12 choices to do with $2500 per activity year around:
1) Swimming and Diving competitive club (annual fee is less than $2500)
2) Martial Art club
3) Skiing club
4) Fencing club
5) Gymnastic club
6) Tennis, Soccer, Baseball…club
7) Linguistic lessons
8) Piano (any musical instruments) and Singing lessons.
9) Painting lessons
10) Math and Science Private tutoring
11) You can donate to school libraries and sponsor foods, drinks on all school trips.
12) Take a trip to some memorable historical places every summer break.
Your child will be adorable by his/her peers, and very confident and successful in his/her future provided that (s)he is amicable and modest by nature.
Most of all, please note that in ALL PRIVATE EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTES, instructors are very afraid to discipline students. They always praise them ( see Donald trump and his “brag” children).
Moreover, your girl may be raped and your boy may be bullied by other children whose parents are like Trump, for example.
You cannot do much because political incorrectness in “private sphere” is very BAD.
I do not to reassure you, but you can visualize how powerful your child is in terms of confident, intelligent and well rounded in both academe and extra curriculum.
PS:
1)This is truly why in Asian culture, mother stays home to nurture family members, and father is out to make money.
2) However, men did not respect women with house-chores.
3) Also, marketing scheme in capitalism is very powerful and destructive with materialistic “WANT”, more than “NEED” (like a new gadget, new model, new everything…)
4) Convenience and comfort is viewed much more important than morality and contentment.
5) As you recognize that you can live with less demand in material to CONVENIENTLY have your child to be in the hand of “money grabbers” IN LIEU OF in the hand of PUBLIC and CONSCIENTIOUS educators whose compassion and caring is beyond their teaching duty.
You are welcome. Back2basic
Dear May,
You are both smart and funny. I loved you analysis.
John ,
Sounds like you had some hostility problems . Hopefully you have overcome them. My experience may have been different than yours , I did not attend school with any children “bused in from the city” ,I lived in the city. I can not recall any fights with large groups of people gathered round . My children who went to a suburban school with children “bused in ” from a very poor neighboring district , were never involved in any fights with the “Blacks ,Haitians,… ….. …”nor did they ever tell me about any such activity.
But your are free to send your own children wherever you chose, as long as you do not request my tax dollars to pay for it. Thankfully here in NY you can not receive that aid for private education . Of course those that oppose Public Education are working hard to change that. Mostly to send their children to Private Religious Schools. Not only attacking the great tradition of American Public Education but attacking the separation clause .
So send your children wherever you want, I suspect you’re wasting a whole lot of money. “You can choose what peers will surround your children”. my guess is,you don’t live anywhere near those
“blacks, Cubans, Dominican Republic kids, and Haitians”.
Thank you Dr. Ravitch and Dr. Chapman.
Your article “Public School is up for sale” provides powerful, concise and educated information.
Your analysis and link for country’s ranking are very educated and informative to all parents and citizens.
May God bless people with awakening mind set so that people work together to save their Public Education from K to Post Secondary system.
Very respectfully yours,
May King
I found the article to be thought provoking… and it left me with this thought: is it possible that privatized schools are a means of circumventing corrupt and totalitarian leaders who are not interested in providing its citizens with the knowledge that will give them power? https://waynegersen.com/2016/08/10/are-privatized-schools-acceptable-in-a-corrupt-kleptocratic-country/
If so, then the billionaires could pay the school fees for the students and enable the teachers to have the best possible training.
Dearest Susan, my spirit sister:
Thank you for your love. I am happy that I make you smile in extreme hot weather.
In Canada, for the past week and current weather, it has been quite similar to Viet Nam between 30 and 40 celsius.
I really admire your endurance in acceptance of the injustice from Union leadership and bad administrative leadership.
However, you are the winner as long as you enjoy your life with fulfillment in exposing the culture of spoliation from greedy and ignorant authority. Tons of love. May