Thanks to reader Chiara, who sent this video:
“You have to watch the DeVos/Trump “listening session”
“Trump is reading off sheets of paper and he goes on and on and on- all bragging- and everyone else sits around and listens to him.
“They invited those poor people there and then Trump bored them to death talking about himself.
“They don’t seem to know how bad this is. It isn’t a “listening session”. It’s an “everyone sit around and listen to this braggart bore talk about himself”
Diane Ravitch's blog 
Trump should be called the Commander of Know Nothings. Trump is a blowhard with his “Stepford” audience, most of whom represent charter, private and home school parents. Considering that 85 to 90% of students attend public schools, public education has little representation of them at his table. This is a staged dog and pony show in order to give the appearance that Trump gives damn about the education of the “little people.”
LikeLike
It might not matter though. Democrats have no public education plan at all:
“For all Democrats, “accountability,” must no longer be viewed as a dirty word, nor should it be unfairly demonized. Rather it should equate to its true purpose, greater investment in teacher development and providing parents with consistent and accurate information regarding their child’s progress.”
Now there’s an inspiring platform, huh? Schools as data collection centers!
Republicans are ideologically opposed to public schools and Democrats are…committed to “providing parents with consistent and accurate information”
Couldn’t we just replace all of them with a bank to issue vouchers and a testing company if the sole government function is “choice” and “accountability”? Why do we need them at all?
http://educationpost.org/devos-and-the-third-way-opportunity-for-democratic-ed-reformers/
LikeLike
This is a sales pitch to invite Democratic reformsters to join in picking public education’s bones. This is an attempt to get all the money grubbers and ideologues into one “reform” tent. It is funny they believe unions create education policy. No union would ever endorse the absurd ideas spawned by “reform.” States are responsible for policies in public schools, not unions!
LikeLike
It is so hard to listen to this, but for all of us whoa re disgusted and want to give up, understand this… we have to remind ourselves just WHO is our PRESIDENT..
LEST WE FORGET AND NORMALIZE HIM BECASUSE as Commonweal points out “This Isn’t Normal.”
https://www.commonwealmagazine.org/isnt-normal
DIANE’s POSTING of THIS gives me the chance to add 2 LINKS, from my vast collection of links as a journalist at Oped:
1- This one, again HIS words ;reveal so much that should alarm us: A single tweet from Donald Trump reveals his true feelings about national security http://www.dailykos.com/stories/2017/2/14/1633699/-A-single-tweet-from-Donald-Trump-reveals-his-true-feelings-about-national-security?detail=email&link_id=1&can_id=47594dc7343bb19ac4f7621b50e457f8&source=email-a-single-tweet-from-donald-trump-reveals-his-true-feelings-about-national-security&email_referrer=a-single-tweet-from-donald-trump-reveals-his-true-feelings-about-national-security&email_subject=a-single-tweet-from-donald-trump-reveals-his-true-feelings-about-national-security
and 2 — by Andrew Sullivan: The Madness of King Donald http://nymag.com/daily/intelligencer/2017/02/andrew-sullivan-the-madness-of-king-donald.html
“all the traditional political fibbers nonetheless paid some deference to the truth — even as they were dodging it. They acknowledgedA SHARED REALITY and bowed to it. They acknowledged the need for a common set of facts in order for a liberal democracy to function at all. Trump’s lies are different. They are direct refutations of reality — and their propagation and repetition is about enforcing his power rather than wriggling out of a political conundrum. They are attacks on the very possibility of a reasoned discourse, the kind of bald-faced lies that authoritarians issue as a way to test loyalty and force their subjects into submission.”
LikeLike
Speaking of the Commonweal article. Does it pop up as the first article all the time now for everyone else? It’s like it’s stuck on top of the list, even though there are new posts.
LikeLike
I wondered about that, too.
LikeLike
Maybe it’s just for us Show Me Staters.
LikeLike
He mentions plans to improve education of African-American communities and no AA parents or educators at the table…
LikeLike
Hey, there is one in the background!
LikeLike
That is Omarosa from The Apprentice in the background. I thinks she is a special advisor to 45.
LikeLike
Or any public school connections except for the weak last one.
LikeLike
“Eternal vigilance is the price of liberty.”
LikeLike
Trump is used to owning and running privately held companies that were not responsible to stockholders or Boards of Directors, so he was able to do whatever he wanted. (And some of what he wanted caused four of his previous businesses to declare bankruptcy, scr*wing any of his investors and contractors out of what was owed them).
He thought he was going to run the government of the United States the same way- wave his hands, and everyone would do as he commanded.
He forgot to account for the fact the President is not the sole authority in this country. He has to answer to the voters and the other two, equal branches of government, the Legislative and the Judicial. (And now there are calls from the alt-right and Trumpistas for Trump to “take the judiciary in hand”- that is not the President’s function, or right. Oy! They need to study civics.)
He has apparently never read, or never understood, the Constitution of the United States of America.
LikeLike
This Is What Must Be Done Now
By Michael Moore, Michael Moore’s Facebook Page
15 February 17
tunning bombshell right now from the New York Times — Trump campaign chair, campaign officials and Trump associates made repeated contacts and calls with Russian intelligence during the YEAR leading up to the election.
It’s what we all suspected. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out what was going on: TRUMP COLLUDING WITH THE RUSSIANS TO THROW THE ELECTION TO HIM. So this is what I want done NOW:
I and tens of millions of Americans demand that the weak and spineless Democrats bring Congress to a halt until investigative hearings are held and impeachment charges are filed. We don’t want to hear you Dems huff and puff and grandstand and take symbolic actions. We demand that you halt all actions being taken by an illegitimately elected government until this matter is resolved.
Attorney General J Beauregard Sessions must immediately appoint a Special Prosecutor to investigate these potentially treasonous acts.
So-Called President Trump could save the country a lot of time, money and pain by stepping down tonight.
Somehow, our judicial system has to find a way to make restitution to this country. Pence can’t be president as he, too, was elected under this same fraud. The court has to rule either that the President is the winner of the popular vote OR the election must be held over. The Republicans– the beneficiaries of this treason –cannot be allowed to hold on to the power by default. If it turns out there’s a traitor in the White House, the judicial branch must find a fair, peaceful way to un-do and then re-do the election of 2016.
LikeLike
I wanted to comment on your thinking about the blogging about Trump and this political environment versus keeping your focus on education, with the Trumpster issues less prominent. I kept getting this message. 404 Not Found Oops! This page does not exist. Maybe you can try searching for it again.
But here is the point. You are not the only curator and creator of news having this problem. Several weeks ago, a really fine observer of sports in Cincinnati who writes for our local newspaper was asking his readers about the same issue. He is known and respected because he is a fine writer. He minimizes the sports ratings and endless stats, reveals his passions, and has keen observations about the business and culture of sports generally, and in this city.
Well, it turns out that he could not ignore Trump, and DeVos. His readers were surprised and some were angry.
He has a special needs son. He is not an amateur in reading character, whether from locker room talk or blasts from television. In any case, the very fact that he addressed his problem in writing for sports fans and fans of his column really boosted my confidence in his integrity—as a person and as journalist.
I don’t know if you can access this, but here is the link.
http://www.cincinnati.com/story/sports/columnists/paul-daugherty/2017/02/02/doc-stick-sports-s-getting-harder-do/97414414/
LikeLike
Not my blog, so just my two cents, but in reference to your question a few posts down, this is the kind of Trump thing that I would leave out. Everyone knows he’s a self-worshipping bore who doesn’t listen to anyone else. That’s a given. Of course his “listening” tours don’t involve using his own ears. Nothing new here.
And anyway, the non-listening “listening” tours were perfected by the Democrats. Case in point, Rahm’s “listening” tours before he closed 50 public schools in one day. Perhaps those “listening” tours weren’t as self-aggrandizing, but they served the same purpose. “We’re ‘listening’, we just can’t hear you.”
LikeLike
Kind of reminds me of professional development days when the adminimals attempted to professionally develop us to their needs and wants and tried to make it seem like the teachers were getting an opportunity to give input and make decisions. Ha ha, joke’s on teachers.
LikeLike
Well, slightly off topic, but Puzder withdrew his name from consideration as Labor Secretary (the same Puzder who does not believe in raising the minimum wage, workers’ rights, paid sick leave, etc.).
It seems as though even some Republicans were uncomfortable with the fact that Puzder had not paid any taxes for five years for an undocumented housekeeper that he employed.
Oh, my. Even Republicans have found some of their spines.
I just wish they had done so for Betsy DeVos (and other nominees).
http://www.fredericknewspost.com/public/ap/puzder-withdraws-nomination-for-labor-secretary/article_1a6add09-9749-53f9-9d60-db3040192af8.html?utm_source=Newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_content=Breaking+News+from+The+News-Post%3A+Puzder+withdraws+nomination+for+labor+secretary&utm_campaign=Breaking+021516
LikeLike
Zorba, that’s good news.
Now he will have to find another billionaire.
LikeLike
And I’m sure he will, Diane. But at least this is a slight blot on Trump’s escutcheon.
It will, unfortunately, take much more than this to convince his followers.
LikeLike
I am sorry, but all the attention, which these incompetent people are getting with cameras flashing non-stop, make me physically ill. How can that many clueless people rise to that level and be chosen to make such important decisions for our children? Never mind, I know $$$$$$$$$$$$$
LikeLike
So am I interpreting this correctly when Trump asks the administrator of the autistic/special needs school, that what she is doing is actually bringing down the number of students with autism? Is he suggesting that autism can be cured? I just want to be clear that that is what he implied because I was too mesmerized by DeVos’ idiotic grin!
LikeLike
Maybe DeVos is selling the services of Neurocore, the company she refused to divest where she is the major stockholder. They allegedly cure autism with biofeedback.
LikeLike