I will be in Washington, D.C., on Thursday for a “discussion” about education. I put the scare quotes around discussion because the schedule is jam-packed, and there won’t be enough time for any in-depth discussion of anything. But hope springs eternal.
A few things on the program of interest.
What will Rahm Emanuel say about Chicago? Will he boast about the historic day in 2013 when he closed 50 public schools in a single day, displacing thousands of African-American children?
What will Arne Duncan tell us about how federal policy can reform the schools, after seven years of trying?
I understand this two-hour event will be live-streamed and available online.
WASHINGTON POST LIVE
Education in America
November 29, 2018
4:00 – 6:00 p.m.
Washington Post Live Center
4:00 p.m.
Opening Remarks
Kris Coratti,
Vice President
of Communications and Events, The Washington Post
4:05 p.m.
Educating in America’s Urban Cores: A View from Chicago
A case-study of the opportunities and challenges facing the city of Chicago’s public school system — from funding to demographics to violence in schools.
Rahm Emanuel,
Mayor, Chicago
@ChicagosMayor
Janice K. Jackson, EdD,
CEO, Chicago Public Schools @janicejackson
Moderated by
Jonathan Capehart,
Opinion Writer,
The Washington Post @CapehartJ
4:30 p.m.
The View from the
Ground: Tackling the Challenges of K-12 Schools
Educators and prominent
activists on the front lines of America’s K-12 classrooms offer perspectives on the social, academic, safety and resource challenges facing students and teachers, including the aftermath of this year’s nationwide teacher strikes. Speakers will also discuss
how access to technology affects student learning.
Lori Alhadeff,
Member, School
Board of Broward County, Florida @lorialhadeff
Geoffrey Canada,
President, Harlem
Children’s Zone
Mandy Manning,
2018 National Teacher of the Year, Joel E. Ferris High School, Spokane, Washington @MandyRheaWrites
Randi Weingarten,
President, American
Federation of Teachers @rweingarten
Moderated by
Nick Anderson,
National Education
Policy Reporter, The Washington Post @wpnick
4:55 p.m.
The Case for Social and Emotional Learning
The majority of students and young adults report that their schools are not excelling at developing their social and emotional learning (SEL) skills. This session will highlight the importance of SEL, direct from the viewpoints of today’s youth.
John Bridgeland,
Founder and CEO, Civic Enterprises
Interviewed
by Victoria Dinges,
Senior Vice President, Allstate Insurance Company
Content
by Allstate Insurance Company
5:10 p.m.
Education 360:
Defining the Debates
National education leaders debate the most pressing issues facing the U.S. education system, including school choice, standardized testing and federal, state and local funding for public schools. These experts will also discuss how well K-12 institutions are preparing students for higher
education and the jobs of the future.
Bridget Terry Long,
PhD, Dean, Graduate School of Education, Harvard University @bterrylong
Robert Pondiscio,
Senior Fellow and
Vice President for External Affairs, Thomas B. Fordham Institute @rpondiscio
Diane Ravitch, PhD,
Professor, New
York University and former U.S. Assistant Secretary of Education (1991-1993) @DianeRavitch
Moderated by
Valerie Strauss,
Education Reporter,
The Washington Post
@valeriestrauss
5:35 p.m.
The National Landscape:
Evaluating Federal and State Education Reform Efforts
Where do Washington and
the states go from here on education reform? Former U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan and former Michigan Gov. John Engler discuss the role of the federal and state governments in crafting education policy and look ahead to what’s next on the agenda
for the nation.
Arne Duncan,
Managing Partner, Emerson Collective and Former U.S. Secretary of Education (2009-2015) @arneduncan
John Engler,
President,
Michigan State
University and Former Republican Governor of Michigan (1991-2003) @MSUPresEngler
Moderated by
Christine Emba,
Opinion Columnist
and Editor, The Washington Post @ChristineEmba
Diane Ravitch's blog 
Meanwhile, I just finished reading a book I think EVERYONE should read because its revelations affect everyone’s immediate future:
The Doomsday Machine: Confessions of A Nuclear War Planner by Daniel Ellsberg (2018)
A paperback edition will be available in December.
Look up a guy named Ward Wilson. He has some interesting ideas on the subject. Common sense, low key guy.
Lots of interesting emails or Twitter handles for the various speakers. That alone may be of interest to some teachers who read Diane.
WaPo selected the ideal authority on the subject of America’s most important and unifying common good with its invitation to Diane Ravitch.
Puzzling is the invite to Michigan State President Engler. Although, it could provide an opportunity for him to identify the original funding for the Education Policy Innovation Collaborative at Michigan State University (a PUBLIC institution). EPIC is working with Doulas Harris of the Arnold-funded Education Research Alliance at PRIVATE Tulane University in New Orleans, The shared project is a DeVos Ed Dept. grant to develop products and marketing plans for privatized education.
I’d like to hear Engler address whether academic integrity is minimally met, when politicized, billionaire funders of campus activities are shielded from disclosure, particularly at schools that were (are) collectively created and funded by citizen taxpayers.
Thank you, Diane, for going out and representing retired and current teachers. You give it to them!!!!
4:55 on the schedule, AllState Insurance
“AllState Quietly Drops Laura Ingraham in Internal Memo to Employees” (The Wrap 4/9/2018)…. why did it take them so long?
I hope I can watch this one. Diane, you know you have us all behind you. Give ’em hell.
Will the “reformers” control the “discussion” like they have in the past so only their voice is heard?
Of course.
Note no mention of Tescher Revolt of 2018.
Too bad no one has organized a march/demonstration where hundreds of thousands of public school teachers show up to protest this farce.
With luck, Pondiscio of Fordham will be asked to identify the appropriate amount of White, male domination for the ed “reform” hierarchy to operate as colonialism.
Pondiscio also seems like the right guy to answer how hedge funders who drag down GDP can be expected to know about career and college readiness for jobs that contribute to GDP.
And thirdly, how much does democracy have to be quashed to further the Koch/Walton/Gates/Arnold agenda.
Politico, “Trump’s lawyer went to the worst law school in America.” (Engler graduated from the same school.
as usual, and not unexpected when it comes to the Post, heavily tilted towards the “reformers” – and why in hell is an insurance company both moderating & supply content for a segment. This is as bad as what NBC did with its first Education Nation.
What an idiotic program — five minutes of this and that and no interaction!
Joan Baratz Snowden Education Study Center 2737 Devonshire Place NW Washington, DC 20008 202 412 6919 cell 202 537 3922
Please excuse typos–this message is being sent via iPhone
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Give ’em hell, Diane! Wish I could be there as part of your security detail. You might need one.
Ewww!! Will Arne Duncan never stop talking? (His book went nowhere.)
Eagerly awaiting your new book, Diane, & let’s all buy it to the #1 bestselling ed. book of all time!
Diane’s book will be read by all who care about American education.
Books that shill for segregation schools and for schemes aimed at plundering communities for cash, have a limited market.
You’re going to be on a panel with Robert Pondiscio, a really angry person who does not tolerate disagreement with his pronouncements — so that’ll be an interesting discussion. He blocked me on Facebook during a spirited but civil debate about education “reform.” I might have thought he couldn’t bear being challenged by a woman, except that he blocked Anthony Cody at the same time. Being in face-to-face debate with someone that angry will be interesting, though.
I hope this is not another distraction put up by the oligarchs.
In the meanwhile, DO PAY ATTENTION TO THIS. Gates is involved and it is not good.
https://truthout.org/articles/the-gates-foundations-ceres2030-plan-pushes-agenda-of-agribusiness/
This is a tough assignment, but I am certain you will have at the ready the key questions for the Fordham and Harvard overall shape of the program with your own points in support of public education.
I hope NPE will organize some recording/notetaking for sections of the whole program, perhaps with something reduced to an online publication of highlights and unaddressed issues.
I can’t imagine what Rahm and Janice will say that is of any interest to anyone who cares about public education in Chicago.
Copy that, speduktr!
It strikes me that this is another one of those performances based on two groups of people talking past each other. For one thing, we have the extraordinary educational authorities within Allstate. This presumes they are Ina state of denial since that is one state and hey are all states. Question for them: should they be allowed to create insurance products created by actuaries and sold by small reptiles and cute rodents?
And what is the deal with yet another panel without teachers? We know. Ask us. Thanks for representing us there, Diane.
THE NAIL which is simply never ever hit on the head… “And what is the deal with yet another panel without teachers…”
I am glad they have some pro-public education supporters. I am happy that Valerie Strauss will be moderating your session. It is not a balanced program, but it is a step in the right direction.
One day I’d love to hear you talk face to face with Rahm and Duncan so you can challenge their so-called “accomplishments”. Now that’s an event I’d pay big bucks to see.
In the meantime, I’m sure you’ll uphold the honor of the pro-education followers of your blog and tell your audience what’s what – at least all you can in ten minutes or less.
Debating Rahm and Duncan would be a waste of time because they are narcissists but probably not as toxic as Trump because he is a malignant narcissist, the worst kind. The only one worse is a serial killer, but with Trump president he is in a position to do a lot more damage to the world.
Back to Rahm and Duncan. In a debate, they would use every logical fallacy available to deflect Diane’s argument and that doesn’t count the lies and misinformation they would cook up.
Is it possible to attend in person? Please post the address, information, etc. Thanks.
Yes. It’s an open forum. If you live in DC area, go to Washington Post in NW at 4 pm or earlier to get a seat, on Nov 29. Google address
Thanks! 1301 K St NW, McPherson Square Metro stop. Looking forward to it.
Unhappily, I went to the address, and inquired if walk-ins were permitted. The organizer indicated that no walk-ins were allowed, and that security had been clamped down. I would like to have attended. Please post the link, so that the conference can be seen on line. Thanks.
To watch the live stream or see full list of speakers: sapo.st/educationwplive
Thursday, November29 Streamed live 4:00-6:00 p.m. ET
Sent from my iPad
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About Michigan State University’s Engler, from Salon, 2012, “Koch Bros.’…cash drives Michigan…” The article cites a meeting at which a lie was conceived. Snyder (of toxic Flint water infamy) told Michigan voters, before his 2012 election, that he didn’t support right-to-work laws. Listed attendees at the meeting, “Former Gov. Engler, billionaire donor, Dick DeVos, some people from the Koch’s AFP.”
Michigan’s Gov. elect Whitner should unceremoniously throw Engler out of his job at Michigan State University because his Koch views are inconsistent with the values of a state university. She should tell her newly appointed MSU president to force all donor-funded centers at the University to review their missions and only undertake those activities that serve a common good. The new university president should mandate full transparency about donors to avoid a similar scandal to George Mason public University’s link to the Koch’s.
Linda,
What a great idea!
Why should Engler be a university president? He has no respect for academic or scholarly values.