Troy LaRaviere took the job as principal of Blaine Elementary School, which was already a respected and successful school, and promised to make it the #1 rated neighborhood school in the city within six years. He did it. He also courted trouble by publicly criticizing Mayor Rahm Emanuel for his harmful education policy that favored charters over public schools. And he courted more trouble by endorsing Bernie Sanders and becoming a Sanders delegate at the Democratic National Convention. But his greatest transgressions were his repeated critiques of the high-level mismanagement of the school system under mayoral control.
In this post, he announces his resignation, explains the methods he used at Blaine to achieve success, and once again blasts Rahm.
Troy, I know you have a great future ahead of you. I hope another big district is wise enough to hire you.
If Rahm Emanuel were wise, he would ask you to become Superintendent of Schools and help every elementary school in the city.
Diane Ravitch's blog 
Troy for U.S. Secretary of Education!
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I second that.
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Could have happened under a Bernie Sanders administration, absolutely will not happen under a Hillary Clinton administration.
I would bet my detective hat on it. Troy LaRaviere is likely on Hillary’s blacklist, and The Clintons are well known to be politically vengeful, NOT warmly welcoming of prior opposition…
Sure, I double triple quadruple dog dare anyone to prove me wrong, including Hillary herself! C’mon Hillary. Prove us wrong. We’re calling you out. Are you really so great? Are you really fighting for us?
Howbout an open letter to Hillary Clinton, Diane. See how much she really respects and cares about you and your opinion. Get tens of thousands of teachers to sign it. Get NEA and UFT to endorse it. See if it matters.
Big campaign donors are very politically powerful. Appointing a Sec of Ed against privatization would betray lots of those very powerful people who expected a return on their investment.
Please, everyone, prepare for a compromise, at best, in the Sec of Ed position.
If you wanted someone legit, better luck and effort next time in supporting/electing high officials.
I’m not trying to simply be negative, I am trying to temper peoples’ expectations and get them politically motivated. No more expecting goodness from the halls of power and heart of the establishment. Demand justice. End corruption. Elect accountability. Or democracy fails.
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Think this through
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Rahm is not wise. Troy didn’t donate to his fund.
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http://thechiefleader.com/opinion/letters_to_editor/school-health-hazard/article_7bf1081a-6ae1-11e6-844e-4f8cb7949b7f.html
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My compliments to Mr. LaRaviere for his stance and excellent letter of resignation! Certainly a prime candidate for Diane’s honor roll.
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Troy is already on the honor roll for his many excellent statements and actions.
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Rahm Emanuel, aka, Mayor 1%, is what is wrong with America. LaRaviere is what is right with America.
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Ugh. Rahm Emanuel. He’s probably already got someone in there pacing off the square footage to open a Rocketship.
What’s he up to anyway? You don’t read about him anymore. Closing all those public schools will be his one and only legacy, I guess.
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Rahm has gone where all of Gates’ and Broad’s boisterous charter cheerleaders go when the public finds out what they’re really up to, making them a political liabilities: behind the scenes to work that dark money magic. It’s election season. Shutterers of public schools must get behind the curtain.
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And behind the curtain where they can enter the Big Money echo chamber to hear each other say what great men (and occasionally women) they are.
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I do wish Troy the very best and perhaps a superintendency is what he sees in his future.
However, in education it seems that the only path to move ahead is to leave behind those we wish to serve. The students at Blaine have lost the person who inspired them daily. The teachers whom he shielded from harmful policies like over-frequent “evaluations” and to whom he gave a respected professional voice in daily matters have lost a passionate and thoughtful supporter.
I hope the wider scope of his influence at CPAA is compensation enough to those at Blaine who will have to make do without him.
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I just realized I got so caught up in Wrongheaded Rahm, I forgot about the genius of Troy LaRaviere’s methods. Tracking students and denying them access to the highest levels of education must stop.
That’s my issue too.
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As a retired teacher of ESL students, I can second Mr. LaRaviere’s charges to RE and apply them to the state of Texas powers as it relates to my students. The efforts of the state Education Agency, now led by a businessman, seem to be doing their best to degrade all effective efforts of public education and tout “choice.” Choice as it is defined, is not a real choice for my students.
We seem to be in the same battle in Texas. Recently, a principal in Austin was removed. He led a school that he turned around and made it an exemplary, “Blue Ribbon,” school. He was removed because he would not fall into line and use the same curriculum and teaching strategies dictated by the district.
Students have become not people, but scores, and scores that must be reduced for political reasons. I’m an educator and not a politician or billionaire, so I do not understand who benefits from defeating my students.
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