Mike Petrilli has been ranking education policy types for several years, based on Twitter followers and other indicators of Klout on social media.
Here are the latest rankings, for 2017, published on the website of the conservative Education Next.
I am happy to see that four members of the board of the Network for Public Education are rated in the top 16 (no digital badges). Xian Franzinger Barrett, Julian Vasquez Heilig, Anthony Cody, and yours truly. Certain people (who shall remain nameless) are paid millions of dollars to blog and create a big social media presence but are at the bottom of the list.
Arne Duncan dropped from #1 to #16, which is amazing since he actually hasn’t said much for the past year.
Mike Petrilli writes:
“So what to make of this? The main theme is stability. Most of the folks on these lists have been there before, and the rankings don’t change much. And yet again, a 70-something-year-old grandmother is crushing all of us. Good show, Diane. Good show.”
Next year Mike can call me an 80-year-old kick-ass grandmother.
Diane Ravitch's blog 
OK. That has to be the best concluding sentence I have read in a decade. Awesome.
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That line that Petrilli was repeating is from four and a half years ago about the first NPE conference and was referring to the fact that the twitter feed for/from the conference was way out in front of all others that weekend. Blew Petrilli’s mind at the time.
I guess he hasn’t gotten over it yet!
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Mr. Petrilli has a sense of humor, and that’s endearing, but he has been an agent of the dark side for far too long now. “You tell me whar a man gits his corn pone, en I’ll tell you what his ‘pinions is.” –Mark Twain
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May she long reign!
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Agree!
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Further agree:
Of two Dianes (the Princess and the Queen)
There is one tale: Beauty and Brilliance prevail.
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Love the attitude!! You go, girl!!
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Great Job
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The Illinois education funding bill was supposedly about “funding public education”
So what does the US Department of Education do? They put out a statement that congratulates the state for funding private school vouchers.
Once again, public school families are completely ignored.
Public school families have to hire an advocate. This is ridiculous. Our public employees are DEDICATED to pretending 90% of US students don’t exist.
The US Department of Education works for 5% of US students. I resent paying their salaries.
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Corporate tanks like Petrelli’s, deafen politicians to the voices of constituents.
The fleecing of Ohioans by contractor schools provides evidence as does the corporate bill mill ALEC, which “has routinely preempted the authority of municipal governments in order to halt policies that would threaten corporate interests.”
A special hell for those who work against democracy and for oligarchy exists, if there is justice.
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http://michaelklonsky.blogspot.com/2017/08/il-voucher-vote-reversal-shows-dems.html
Rahm & Rauner treat Chicago public school students like just another business deal. Do the Democrats stand for anything?
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Washington — U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos today released the following statement:
“Real change and innovation in education will not come from Washington—it will come from states where parents and students demand more education options and have their voices heard. I commend Gov. Rauner and Superintendent Smith for their leadership in making Illinois the 18th state to adopt a tax credit scholarship program. By expanding choices for families and focusing funding on individual students, this program will help thousands of Illinois children succeed.”
There are 600 public school districts in Illinois. This funding bill was supposedly about them.
They are completely ignored by ed reformers. It’s as if they don’t exist.
If I were a public school parent I’d get a copy of that bill and read it. If the people who wrote it have as much contempt for public school families as the US Department of Education does, I bet public schools didn’t fare real well.
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Rauner’s recent firing of some of his team for their response to a racist cartoon didn’t merit DeVos’ praise? He hired the workers from a conservative think tank.
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Where would we be without you? Go, girl, go! From another kickass 70 something “namma.”
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The important point is that many people are interested in what Diane has to say. Her message is reaching a large audience. If we keep cross posting to friends and colleagues, more people will be armed with more information and insights.
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retired teacher,
You would have been great to teach with. Thank you for your right on comments!
Excellent suggestion! 👍🎶
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How many on that list are minions serving their masters from the dark side of the force?
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(Well) Paid minions.
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I stand corrected. Yes, “paid minions” just like Judas was paid 30-pieces of silver to betray Jesus Christ.
Unlike Christ, I will only forgive those paid minions unless they confess their sins to the public and crawl on the bellies begging for forgiveness while the media’s cameras are rolling and then I’ll think about it.
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Isn’t intellectual prostitution (working out of think tank brothels) a preferable description? Sex workers probably know right from wrong but, are more desperate. Arguably, they have no victims. So, they are defamed by the comparison. But, “minion” doesn’t have the same public shame factor that intellectual whores deserve.
Assigning the name, Judas, implies the person has the ability to and interest in understanding right from wrong and an expectation that he would adhere to big picture ethics in his conduct? What describes a highly-paid worker at Schmidt/Gates-funded New America Foundation- hypocrite (if he/she got a degree from a public institution while drafting a policy plan that takes money from state colleges), a Judas, a sociopath,…? Regardless, rich men won’t pay without the services they want rendered. The recent firings at NAF…
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Way to go, Diane! You sure are a kick-ass grandmother. What a TERRIFIC ROLE MODEL for many. You simply rock. And THANK YOU 😊.
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Petrelli’s false equivalencies delivered with a dose of sugar?
As Diane has pointed out numerous times, the people she lists aren’t handsomely paid.
Think tanks (with their blogger derivatives) were described by Yves Smith, “Their whole point is to launder the money of corporations and powerful interests and lend a veneer of legitimacy to their PR and lobbying”.
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Why do I get the picture of Granny Clampet going after the Banker Drysdale with a shotgun? Was he in the billionaire boys club?
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Congratulations, Diane! You remain my hero. Thank you for leading and inspiring us. blessings
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You are a wonder. Keep healthy and by all means happy. In this season, also keep on leading the charge against the fraudsters.
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Something makes sense.
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I love it! Kickin’ass at 80! You got this.
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Arne Zoolander.
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We are told that Twitter has replaced blogs, so it is very telling that the most influential people have attained that status through blogging, not tweeting.
Blogging encourages intelligent conversation.
Twitter does not.
Twitter is for the birds — and Donald Trump.
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My blogs become Tweets.
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Automatically. I stopped tweeting when I realized that what I had to say required more than 140 characters.
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The only thing Twitter is good for is real-time updates of a developing situation (eg , during the Arab Spring).
The idea that one can have a “discussion” on Twitter is a joke.
For the latter, Twitter is a tale told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, signifying nothing.
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Well said as always, SomeDAM
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It is Petrilli’s dream to come close to being as influential as kickass Dr. Diane Ravitch, an educational historian, a professional in her field with many books, conferences and papers to her credit.
The fact that her children have children does nothing to negate Petrilli’s paid shill status and is merely an example of the usual sexism and ageism which demeans Diane’s expertise. It’s not a backhanded compliment; it’s an attempt to minimize: “Get thee to a nursing home!”
Like Diane cares!
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BIG SHOUT OUT TO Walton heirs, FORDHAM, Gates, and Ohio’s Republican Party!
“ODE’s review found…ECOT had proper documentation for only 6,300 of its 15,300 students-a 59% gap.” Dayton Daily News
Funding of Ohio’s Republican Party buys special rules for businesses who take community tax dollars.
Contractor schools (if the Republican auditor decides to look their way) are allowed to pay money back slowly and, avoid further consequence- no attempt to get interest on the lost money so… net gain for contractor schools for non deliverance of a service.
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