I am on the North Fork of Long Island, where there is not much ambient light. The stars are bright and intense.
I walk the dog, the 80-poound beautiful American Muttheimer. We stop on the road. I lean back and look at the stars.
The sky is filled with them. They are bright. They twinkle. I think, some of them may have died thousands of years ago.
Then, I think, that man, that ignorant man who is to be called president, means nothing when you look at the stars. He will be gone before they twinkle again. His meanness, his ignorance, his cruelty will come and go.
We will survive. We will resist. We will persist. He will go away sooner than those dead stars.
They are beautiful. He is not.
Diane Ravitch's blog 
Thanks Diane. Easy to forget
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Thank you!
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You are beautiful, Dr. Ravitch, thank you for these hopeful words.
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I needed that!!!!
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Thanks, Diane! 🙂
He’ll implode.
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Yvonne, let’s hope we don’t have to wait four years. I have determined to take care of my health so I can live to see the day this scourge disappears.
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It’s always good to take a bigger look at what is around us. We don’t know how long he will be in office. We know we lost a great advocate, and for me the first time to see a female feminist president in my lifetime. That hurts.
He will do damage. We’ll fight and fix.
It’s a real tragedy. This election is of epic proportions.
I am going to go look at the stars now, too.
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It’s raining here – tears, tears, tears from Mother Earth – how could we do this?
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We are crying too, for what this man will do to our rivers, oceans, streams, the air we breathe, the soil in which we plant our gardens. He will bring us death and despair. But we will outlive him. And his memory will be an anathema.
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One of my best friends retired from the Fish & Wildlife Service in the Interior Department and also has expertise on energy issues. He writes me constant updates about incoming Trump administration plans on the issues he understands and he is as, if not more, scared about what may come than we who value education are. And that’s pretty damned scary.
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Coincidentally, I was listening to this an hour before you posted this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mi9l10pzMeI
Words by Woody Guthrie, Music by Wilco
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Some words I live by to handle local situations now apply to this larger national picture: “Wear them out” and “Outlive them.”
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Thanks, Montana Teacher.
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I started to read this blog and thought to myself…”FINALLY… something really uplifting instead of the constant haranguing about our president-elect and every single step he takes or appointment he makes.” I didn’t have to read for long before I realized that I unfortunately was wrong. It has become obvious over the last several months that your undeniable bias and hatred for Trump makes it impossible for you to be even the slightest bit objective in your commentaries.
Your idolators who share your politics undoubtedly don’t recognize this. However, I’m sure that many like myself who read your blog and agree with you on innumerable educational issues but are not on the same wave length politically recognize that you have a major problem that you must address for your own sake. It is very sad that someone who has so many talents is coming UNHINGED before our very eyes. I’m sure you won’t post this but at least I will have shared with you what I’ve been thinking for a LONG time. Whether or not you seek professional help for what obviously is becoming a mental illness is up to you, but I strongly advise it.
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Joanne,
Trump is a con man and a fraud. He has had three wives and five children. He runs casinos. He made promises he never intended to keep. He is ignorant of foreign or domestic issues. He has aligned himself with billionaire ideologues and neo-Nazis. He boasts of sexually assaulting women, grabbing them by their genitals. He denies climate change. He wants to break up NATO. Am I unhinged? I am a woman. I am a Jew. I am frightened by the rise of fascism in America. Am I unhinged or is he? Take your pick. Do you really want to see angry young white men doing the “seig heil” salute in a federal office building? I don’t. Am I frightened for the future of our country? Yes. Am I worried sick about my grandchildren? Yes.
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I wish I were as optimistic as you as to his demise. I think he and his ilk will wreak such havoc in our country, and I’m not sure our country will survive. I cannot seem to recover from this fascistic outcome. And I still cannot forgive the voters who while wanting change, voted for someone who has absolutely no interest in being president or in meeting their concerns. Ugh and double ugh.
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Jeannie,
Trump will bring change. Back to the Reagan era, but with control of both houses. Maybe that means back to the Harding era. Warren G. Harding.
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Diane, anyone who thinks you are “UNHINGED” or have “bias and hatred” obviously hasn’t been paying attention to the discussions you have fostered over the past year and a half. Informed outrage is needed now more than ever. My only complaint is that you misspelled “Sieg.” Otherwise, as those of us who grew up in New Orleans would say, Yeah, you right!
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Joanne…you have picked up the Trump style, and turn outward with your anger by name calling, “unhinged”. and claiming the problem is Diane’s and her “idolators”….I would differ. Try looking inward and see why you feel the need to do this.
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Whoa…Whoa….Hey, Joanne Y. How about giving Diane a break. I mean, she certainly doesn’t need me to defend her but, c’mon. She’s out walking her dog, looking at the stars and getting some inspiration, some perspective, on this mess our country (and the world) finds itself in. Your comment was just plain nasty. Okay, you don’t agree with Diane politically. Half the country doesn’t agree politically with the other half at this point, it seems.
Can’t we agree that this planet is kind of messed up? And, seriously, would anyone have picked Donald J. Trump as one of the key people to lead Earth through these difficult times? Out of the 7+ billion people on this planet this is what we come up with? I have 12th grade students I’ll be standing in front of in a few hours who’d I’d feel much more comfortable with as the so-called “Leader of the Free World”. I think of young adults I know who are much more humane, mature, thoughtful and, yes, intuitively intelligent. And, some of them have actual experience holding elective offices -unlike our Buffoon-elect.
This guy Trump is out there tweeting that he won the popular vote!? I agree with Diane. He’s the one who seems deranged. I am really worried, too. And, I feel sorry for what we’re doing to our own children.
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Joanne Y., once upon a time, Diane had a different set of opinions on many education issues. She kept herself open to new information and came to the conclusion she needed to change her opinions, which she did, and quite publicly.
Because of this, I am confident that if it did turn out that Trump is the savior of the American Project, she has it in her to recant.
You, on the other hand, I am not so sure of. If it turns out that Diane’s predictions and fears are realized, will you come back and apologize? Do you have that much integrity, intellectual honesty and ego strength? All I hear right now from you are school yard taunts, I do not hear anything fact or evidenced based.
On another note, while I have in the past experienced feelings similar to Diane’s that in the end, all will be well, right now I am too scared for my only child. He is on the autism spectrum and will need social insurance (particularly SSI and Medicaid) in order to survive.
Once my husband and I are gone, where will the roof to shelter him come from if the current Congress has its way and it turns out that Trump goes along with Ryan’s plans to dismantle these essential programs?
These Congressmen have tried and tried to do this before (you can goggle that, that is a fact), but we had a Democratic president who would veto such vindictive legislation. Now what do we have, no one can say.
Please tell me Joanne, am I unhinged too, to worry so about my child?
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And the sad part many who voted for Trump, who consistently vote for the right wing . Are beneficiaries of our social safety net. What truly makes me unhinged is dealing with these people !
The NYT did a follow up online mag piece a few years back;on Thomas Frank’s “What’s the Matter with Kansas” . One interview was a middle age man whose wife received life saving heart(?) surgery on Medicaid. The reporter turns to the man and says “but your wife would be dead”
Three of the Trump supporters I know . Have children or family members totally dependent on state aid. One has a sister who for near a lifetime has been institutionalized in a near vegetative state,, visits her frequently ..
The reality, like the reality for those blue collar union workers who could lose their pensions ,healthcare and ability to maintain a middle class standard of living ,never sinks in!!!!!.
I had a friend of my son’s,, a conductor on the Long Island Rail Road tell me how indispensable he was . Forget that the Kid at the movie theater has the same job and his only benefit is a free movie now and then on top of his minimum wage.
They are the definition of unhinged from reality.. When reality hits home they will all be among the loudest screamers.
“IT WILL BE TOO LATE FOR THEIR LIFE TIMES”
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Joel,
One of my brothers, now 70, unemployed, depends on a variety of federal programs for healthcare and existence. He voted for Trump. I never understand why people vote The or emotions, not their self-interest.
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There are many of us who, like you, have read this blog for years for its education insight. I have been aware that your political bent,Diane is biased and taints your conclusions. This post is beyond blatant.
I can only trust that the Creator of those beautiful stars will bless and protect and enable President Elect Donald Trump as he assumes leadership of this great country.
Perhaps the public schools that you so staunchly defend, need to be phased out as they appear to be a main source of the problem as at least two generations of the dumbed down students and their teachers now march and protest something they cannot define, American Exceptionalism.
The descriptors you, and most of those who comment , exhibit your dislike and perhaps fear, of Trump. I do hope, and indeed pray, that all will be pleasantly surprised by his Presidency.
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Polly,
I have been a Democrat, a Republican, and an independent. I am 78. So far as I know, and I get regular check-ups, I am of sound mind. I followed the election closely. Trump said frightening things. He said he would prosecute his political opponent. He described Mexican immigrants as rapists and murderers. I don’t need to rehearse all the ugly claims he made. We can only hope that he didn’t mean them. On the other hand, maybe he did. Maybe we should discount his ties to the “alt-right,” the white supremacists who are celebrating his victory. I am fighting for the survival of a democratic institution that he wants to destroy. You think that the time for public education may have gone. If that is true, why do the top performing nations in the world have public school systems. Why do they recognize government’s responsibility to educate the next generation, while Trump, Pence, DFER, and others want to turn it over to the free market? Child and Sweden did that. They regret it.
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Polly
Please define American exceptionalism.
Define what the American people have done that makes them more exceptional than other peoples around the world .
Please define what you contribute to America and what makes you so exceptional.
By the way the little guy with the mustache told his people they were exception as well. Eighty million died for him to be proved wrong.
“source of the problem as at least two generations of the dumbed down students”
You must be talking about those who voted for Trump . A narcissistic, demagogue ,criminal fraud ,child rapist . Need I go on .
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Joel,
I confess I too thought America was exceptional, until this election. We are a nation that has mingled people of all nations. There is no ethnic or racial basis to our geography. We always seemed to be moving towards our ideals, not away from them. Sure, there have been times when we have failed, times when we betrayed our ideals. But at least in modern times, I can’t recall the election of a president who rejected both political parties, demeaned the media, appealed to white supremacists, and conned himself into the presidency.
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Thank you for your comment, Joel. You are right on target. The term “American exceptionalism” is a jingoistic term bordering on racism and built on delusion that is usually related to not having experienced any other parts of the world. It belongs in the dustbin of history with “manifest destiny.” “American exceptionalism” is just an updated version of the same idea.
Perhaps I feel this way because I’ve had experience of growing up and living in a progressive, civilized European nation and the privilege of having traveled extensively throughout Europe. Neither side of the Atlantic is a paradise, but I certainly feel safer when I’m in Europe. I see the relative absence of dire poverty. I see public investments that benefit average people–they are not dependent on cars, obesity is not obvious everywhere, healthcare is a right, education is considered an essential public good, and parliamentary systems often force opposing sides to work together to govern. As I observed once in the 1980s to a Dane who who was complaining about taxes, “You see what you get for your taxes, when you add up the various types of taxes we pay, it is almost as much as yours. But much of what we pay goes to building missile silos in South Dakota.”
It also grates me to no end when people claim that we have the military to thank for our freedoms. That’s the most pernicious part of “American exceptionalism.” For example, on transatlantic flights, it is not at all uncommon for American flight attendants to say, upon landing, “And we want to thank the servicemen on this flight for their sacrifice to keep the US free and the the greatest country in the world.” What does that say to everyone else on the plane (and the world) about their countries–where they have freedoms of speech, the press, and the highest levels of quality of life and satisfaction in the world? Conversely, what does that say about Americans who toil to preserve all the other institutions–from public ones to businesses–that make this country great?
If anything is exceptional about the American experience, it is our Constitution. And as instrumental as it is to what it means to be American, it has its problems and constantly has to be defended against those who believe it is a static, immutable relic that only consists of a misreading of the history and intent of the 2nd amendment. What makes it exceptional are communities like the people who contribute to this blog who will admit that our nation, as great as it might be, has many flaws and is a nonbonding work in progress. That doesn’t make us exceptional, it makes us human.
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nonending work in progress (damn spell check)
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dianeravitch the
Or we have been very lucky to get as far as we have till we arrived a Trump . Our history has many regrettable moments and many to be proud of . Trump did not grow in a vacuum he has been 50 years in the making. Since LBJ and the 5/5 law. (sarcasm no need for a lecture on the constitution LOL. )
Greg says its the constitution. I say it has been circumstance and luck. Sprinkled in with some great leaders who saw their duty to the nation as overriding their personal interests.
I think the luck has run out. OBSTRUCT OBSTRUCT OBSTRUCT
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Completely agree with you Joel. When some cite natural resources, size, climate, etc. as reasons for “American exceptionalism” I agree with your statement about circumstances and luck. My point about the Constitution is that it was a human endeavor. But you are absolutely correct.
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GregB
Pretty much it.
Circumstance, leadership and luck had a lot to do with it as well.
What if Jefferson followed Adams and pursued sedition laws.
What if a battle or two had gone the other way in the Civil War.
What if the Pilgrims had not landed in what was to become a Nation with more natural resources than any on Earth. A Nation vast enough and temperate enough to be able to weather droughts and Earthquakes and Hurricanes .
Unlike the failed or failing European Union ;as much as I knock the Electoral College and the Senate,. the Federal system has had some positive points.
Few see the parallels between the Greek crisis and what would have happened here to Texas in the S&L or perhaps a dozen states in the more recent Financial Crisis .
We would be sitting here railing about the nanny state having to come to the rescue of the shiftless , with poor ethics , whose moral character caused their own failure.
As voters in those States voted for Syriza, instead of Trump .
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GregB
Notice the posts are a minute apart . Keep this up and I’ll have to check back before i hit the post button
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Great minds… Or is that delusional minds? 🙂
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Those that claim to have followed this blog for years for its “education insight” but call commenters here “idolators” and claim “mental illness” for the owner and want to phase out public education and so on—
You think when using the typical sneer, jeer and smear of the corporate education reform movement that you have scored points in favor of $tudent $ucce$$ for the few at the expense of the many.
You have scored points. But only on yourselves.
😏
François de la Rochefoucauld once remarked: “Ridicule dishonors a man more than dishonor does.”
And what would a very old and very dead and very French guy have said of those that engage in self-ridicule?
😎
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Krazy TA: Your comment got me thinking of my two favorite quotes on politics. One from the Swiss author Friedrich Dürrenmatt: “The fate of humanity will depend on whether politics finally becomes comfortable with making every life sacred or if the whore will continue to walk the street for anything that is not. The lady must decide.”
And another from Ambrose Bierce: “Politics, n. A strife of interests masquerading as a contest of principles. The conduct of public affairs for private advantage.”
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To Joanne Y.
One thing is very positive that materialistic character will drive greedy people or business tycoons into craziness or a mental illness.
Have you recognized or acknowledge that the world renowned philosopher is Buddha? Buddha completely detached all emotional trivialities like greed, lust and ego. Buddha has achieved his enlightenment for more than 5000 years. His best advice to people on earth is that we do not follow him because of our blind faith, BUT we need to practice his methods and earn ourselves enlightenment.
In the same vein, please practice Dr. Ravitch’s method that you admire before you are the one who truly has a mental illness. Back2basic
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Diane,
It is becoming more and more difficult for me to be a subscriber to this blog. It’s unfortunate. I so relied on your knowledge, experience and expertise to guide me as I navigated thru the common core take over in my state. I became part of the army that fought it tooth and nail here in Massachusetts from educating friends/family, to our local PTA, to the school committee, to the newspapers, to the airwaves, to the statehouse…all the way to having contributed to the ballot question initiative to repeal common core. Additionally, I heavily relied on your input as I navigated through a recent charter school expansion ballot question. Education issues don’t have to be political or partisan. I suppose that since it is a blog and its your blog, it makes sense to allow for your opinion. How I wish though, that you could educate and inform on the issues, the facts, albeit how you interpret them, and leave out the name calling. It really serves no purpose to me other than to be a total turn off. I respect you on so many levels but also respectfully ask that you consider toning down the rhetoric. While it may make you and others feel better, it is alienating to so many others who for whatever reason, could not support Clinton and turned to Trump. BOTH candidates were so highly flawed and what you consider to be the most frightening Trump qualities, others may not OR may find Clinton’s flaws to be just as despicable. It’s in the eye of the beholder. If I am going to continue in my crusade against common core (especially after receiving the supreme court blow to our ballot initiative, I need you Diane! And for a moment, I was able to escape in your beautifully described, star spangled night sky until it got nasty. And your conclusion paragraph didn’t bother me either. You can respectfully wish it all away. It’s the name calling of Trump paragraphing the nasty tone…the one we have all heard…over and over again….that ruined it all for me.
One last thing. At our school committee meeting last night, one of the board members presented a passionate resolution to be voted on. It was eloquently written and spoke against racism, discrimination and the likes…a beautiful message. However, in it, he interjected his personal opinion about the political election results and its supposed affect on the issues addressed in the resolution and guess what….it was voted down. Not because of the message per se, but because of the method and his interjecting of a personal political opinion.
We can get so much more accomplished together IF, we set aside the disparaging, nasty and yes hurtful name calling of our president elect and others in the education arena with whom we dislike or disagree on regarding policy and character.
Please Diane?
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Melanie,
Thank you for your activism on behalf of public schools. You do realize that Trump plans to make war on public schools and that he has chosen a voucher zealot as Secretary of Education? I try to be honest, Melanie, and you are welcome to be equally honest in expressing your views. I honestly think that Trump is a greedy man who has unleashed the forces of bigotry in this country. I honestly think he is unfit by experience or temperament to be President of the U.S. If you think differently, you are welcome to disagree. Read the blog for the education news. But don’t expect me to change my views about Trump unless he disowns Betsy DeVos, Jeff Sessions, Tom Price, and Steve Bannon. When he does that, I will change my views. Whether you choose to read the blog is your choice. I hope you will.
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And Diane, I appreciate your honest response to my message. However, while I respect your opinions on all matters, including Trump’s character and qualifications, in my crusade to fight against common core and to educate myself on the other important issues regarding public education, I simply do not have the time, desire or wherewithal, to state my personal opinions about anyone (or be bogged down by others). And I didn’t set out to change your mind about any of your opinions. I only asked that you consider omitting the name calling and nastiness. I find the personal negative attacks to be a sideshow, a distraction from the time I spend in pursuit of education on issues and personally, I find it unbecoming.
As for Trumps choice in Education Secretary, as always, I am attempting to give due diligence to learning everything possible about her policy history. It seems that you view most possible solutions to the education crisis we face, as an assault and I can’t disagree with many of your points. But there is an even greater assault going on and that is an assault against many of our nations children who are not succeeding. Though I don’t have the qualifications, knowledge and experiences that you have regarding school choice, vouchers, charters etc, I certainly have the brain to weigh the pro’s and con’s. There are options available other than to continue with whats not working. I’ve read so much about what not to implement (no common core, no choice, no charter, no vouchers, no privatization, no federal intrusions, no data collection, leave the teachers and unions alone…on an on.) I wish the focus was on solutions! I’ve followed you long enough to understand that the problem lies greatly in poverty, the breakdown of stable family support and funding. I venture to say that if we tackled these issues first, our children would be much better off. Instead, we, as a society are not dealing with these issues and everything else becomes the red herring. THUS, nothing is changing.
Lastly, I realize it is doesn’t mean much to you if a subscriber unsubscribes. It’s just one less (perhaps disgruntled, misinformed, uninterested) follower. BUT, it means a lot to me to loose your guidance and mentoring. I would be missing out on the treasure trove of education knowledge and experience that you impart. Either way, I hope that you do find peace in the stars as you continue to fight for what you believe in. I can relate. I spent the past 8 years analyzing, over analyzing, critiquing and disagreeing with many (? most) policies that President Obama endorsed or implemented. It made me very angry, disgruntled and affected my well being. In fact, it about put me over the edge. Wouldn’t it be nice if we worked together with our differences in opinion rather than partisan and divided…..
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Viewing Hubble Deep Field Images never fails to humble me as to just how grandly insignificant we all are hence to hold that perspective especially now.
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As Neil deGrasse Tyson has observed, there are more stars in the heavens than there are grains of sand on all the beaches of this planet. You would not know that from living in the urban areas with all the light pollution. We only see a small fraction of the stars. I visited a friend out in the sticks and was blown away by all the stars.
Trump is bad enough but it’s the whole GOP horror show that swirls around him and is determined to decimate all the things we value.
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“I visited a friend out in the sticks and was blown away by all the stars.”
We stick people not only admire a beautiful clear night, but the accompanying night sounds of the owls, the coyotes, the tree frogs, the various insects help show us we homo supposedly sapiens are just a little speck of nothingness of Ol Ma Nature. Not that that little speck can’t thoroughly enjoy all the aspects of Mother Nature, knowing of and being that speck enhances the experience.
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And putting this in the long term perspective will not change the reality for the tens of millions or possibly the whole human race . He can not be normalized. They must be obstructed.
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Joel says. “He can not be normalized.”
I agree.
There is a time to speak clearly. Diane does that… as do many on this blog. It is too easy to “go along to get along.”
Apologists for Trump seem to think that he should enjoy some benifit of our doubt. I have no doubt. He is a thin-skinned political con man, dangerously so.
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Trump will come and go, but the damage already done is enormous,
for he has initiated hate crimes before taking office. There will be more. He has formed a cult that can chant “lock her up”. It is a perilous time. I resist where I can and also take time for nature and beauty so I can continue to resist.
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You elevate our thinking and spirits every day. Bless you.
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thank you…..for some beauty for one moment. ^0^
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And his tribe…..lol! Eye on the goal…..4 years. I guess we can make it.
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Twinkle Twinkle Little Don.
Pretty soon you will be gone.
Like Ozymandius in his day
To timeless dust you will decay.
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Have any of the posters here ever watched “Clinton Cash”? We dodged a huge bullet in this election. Talk about fear? Watch the documentary and then decide. If, in typical Progessive fashion, you choose not to believe, then please wait until Trump is actually in office before you continue to trash him blindly.
http://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=clinton+cash+on+youtube&view=detail&mid=C94B9FE98D3E48C7DA20C94B9FE98D3E48C7DA20&FORM=VIRE
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Dutch,
Trump’s sleaze and greed are well documented. In light of his abysmal appointments, it is clear that instead of draining the swamp, he has invited the swampsters to run the country.
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Did you watch the video? If not, then your remark carries no weight and your mind is made up and beyond any reasonable discussion.
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Dutchie,
“Clinton Cash” was made by Steve Bannon.
The election is over. Your guy won.
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The documentary is an adaptation of the book by Peter Schweizer. Just because Trump won doesn’t mean your gal is off the hook. She will be under investigation for a long time for the many crimes she has committed.
Clinton Cash: The Untold Story of How and Why Foreign Governments and Businesses Helped Make Bill and Hillary Rich is a 2015 New York Times bestselling book by Peter Schweizer, in which he investigates donations made to the Clinton Foundation by foreign entities, paid speeches made by Bill and Hillary Clinton, and the state of the Clintons’ finances since leaving the White House in 2001. It was published by Broadside Books, a division of HarperCollins. It has been adapted into both a film and a graphic novel.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clinton_Cash
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Thanks for this.
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To dutchie1 and Polly:
Please listen to your logical mind.
We, voters, are happy with Clinton’s tax return and The Clinton foundation’s audit report.
Please show us President elect tax return and Trump’s foundation audit report.
Most of all, being educators, the majority of writers in this website are focus on humanity and civility from leadership.
I, myself, do not give a hoot about how rich the leader is, and how the leader’s diplomacy is against enemies. I truly care how the leader will improve the state of being humanity and civility within America, the multicultural society.
In short, American leader needs to respects and to care for the welfare of American security regarding to economy and military; the well-being of all Americans regarding working pay equity, Public Education free for all in grades K-12; the mutual-respect for human preference in sexuality as long as it is legal and mutual-agreement within their bedroom. Back2basic
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