Tomorrow I will be 79!
My older sister says that it’s all downhill from here, but I’m not going anywhere, not without raising a ruckus.
Carol Burris has created a giant birthday card for me. I hope you will consider signing it.
https://networkforpubliceducation.org/2017/06/help-wish-diane-happy-birthday/
This will be the first time in my life that I ever asked anyone to sign a birthday card that was not for someone else.
From the number of posts you get every day, you know that I work full-time to keep you informed about attacks on our schools and our educators.
No one pays me to do it. I do it because I believe that privatization of public schools is wrong. Attacking teachers is wrong. Attacking the teaching profession is wrong.
If you agree, help me by joining and supporting the Network for Public Education.
We have more than 350,000 members spread across every state. We have the capacity to generate thousands of emails to legislators and members of Congress. We exist to stop Betsy DeVos and her cronies and to fight for better public education for every child.
Join us. That will make me very happy on my birthday!
Diane Ravitch's blog 
Best wishes from the Midwest! Let’s all work to realize your ideas in the hope they will continue to take root and flourish throughout our nation. We need this forum to help motivate and organize us more than ever.
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Happy Awesome Birthday
Sent from my iPhone
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No one deserves more happiness tomorrow than you do. Thanks for your life of service, making the world better. Thanks for facing each day with a commitment to fight the formidable oligarchs. Happy B-day with many more to come!
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Happy Birthday Dianne; you are ahead of me by 6 months; while you were at Wellesley my colleagues were at Northeastern and BU. One of our graduates at BU went to Wellesley as an undergrad; she then was a dean at Lesley and eventually worked at Wellesley before she retired. Two others are Professor Emerita from the MA State University system. We had some wonderful experiences on the Boston college campuses in that decade and I still view the era as “halcyon days” and it was a wonderful time to be entering the education field. We were involved in some innovative models; I feel sad that the young college graduates who might want to enter the teaching profession today face a dismal context and set of circumstances. We always had a “research to practice ” gap that we discussed; when Anderson and Goodlad would come to the schools in ‘the hinterlands” where I was working in an elementary school we might here “this is not what we are telling you to do”. At least we had the opportunity to explore and discuss it. Kettering Foundation brought some innovative models to public schools in what I believe was the true sense of philanthropy. But , today , the precious R&D funds are wasted so we don’t get the opportunity to participate in the same kinds of opportunities that were available in the decades of progressive improvement. I wrote here yesterday that Senator J. Eldridge said “Massachusetts is just not as progressive as you might think” and he said “the corporate influence is too heavy”… this has contributed to the stagnation I believe. R&D became something owned by Pearson Corporation as Arne distributed the funds.
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We need your steady voice of reason! Happy Birthday! Continue to take good care!!!
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Happy Birthday!
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Happy birthday, Diane. Thank you for all you do! And I would say don’t worry about a number. Live every day to the fullest (whatever that means for you) and enjoy every minute because life goes by so fast.
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Happy Birthday
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Happy birthday — and have many more. Your work is needed now more than ever. You are a treasure! — Edd Doerr
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Tanti auguri di buon compleanno! Thanks for all your work and efforts in defense of public education.
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Happy birthday and good health as you move forward toward the big 80.
I am among many grateful for your good work on behalf of education, including arts education and not relegated to a frill, luxury, bonus on Friday afternoon, reward for scoring high on tests.
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Happy Birthday! And many, many more!
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Happy birthday Diane! You are truly one of a kind. Thank you for all you do to keep public education alive! May you be blessed with many more years of health, love, curiosity and service.
With much admiration and respect, Janette Schwartz
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Happy birthday
25th right?
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I’m 81 and regret not having found your blog earlier. You are so valuable! Keep well…Do NOT try lifting anything heavy, even for one minute! Happy Birthday!
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Good advice, Nan.
I have heard that 80 is the new 40, but my body says no. Especially my knees!
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Like the flowers the Garden Doctor is so fond of nurturing and growing, you make the world a better place to be in…
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Enjoy! And, as always, thanks for all you do.
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Happy Birthday, Diane!! And many more. Much love and respect from Utah.
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Thank you! I visited the great national parks of Utah last fall. Staggering beauty!
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HAPPY BIRTHDAY, DIANE!!!!!!
And Thank You, too.
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Dearest Dr. Ravitch:
May your wishes come true on your special Birthday of this year and every upcoming Birthday for life.
Happy Birthday to you. Lots of love and respect for you. May
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Happy 79 years young! Wishing you many, many more! Love from Florida!
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Happy birthday! Paul J. Smith, Ed.D. pjsmith44@yahoo.com
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Have a VERY happy birthday, & many, many, many more!
Thank you for all your Herculean work, giving us a forum whereby we can find out all of the issues in education all over the world & pass that information on.
I wish you Naomi Klein’s book “No is not Enough” for your birthday!
(Also, Nancy MacLean’s “Democracy in Chains.”)
Then, let’s all discuss the issues they pose (& how we WILL solve them) right here, in your living room.
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HAPPY BIRTHDAY! The American Education system and every student and parent should be thanking you as well!
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