I seldom write New Year’s Resolutions because they tend to state all the things I haven’t been doing and want to do differently but probably won’t.
So here is what I would like to do.
Take better care of my health.
Ride my indoor bike 20 minutes every day. Every day.
Walk outdoors at least a mile a day (which I do by walking my 100-pound dog Mitzi).
Read fiction.
Spend less time blogging.
Lose weight.
Eat healthy food.
Eat less chocolate.
Those are my hopes and resolutions.
Here is what I am certain I will do.
Be fearless on behalf of others who are afraid to speak up.
I have nothing to lose. I’m in the closing years of my life. I don’t want anything. I don’t want an appointment. I don’t want a political plum. I have enough money to live comfortably. I can’t be bought. I want to use my freedom from want to help others. That’s my wish and my resolution.
I probably won’t lose weight. I probably won’t exercise as much as I should. I feel my age overtaking me. My hair is gray, my gait is not what it used to be. Breaking my left knee in 2014 definitely impaired my mobility. Tearing the miniscus in my right knee doubled the trouble.
But I’m not retiring. No way. I’ll support parents and teachers as they fight for their kids, their public schools, and better education. I will use my pen and my computer to fight against competition for resources and hunger games. I will give my last full measure of strength to doing what’s right. Not for a few. But for all.
Diane Ravitch's blog 
May your ‘20’s be full of health, prosperity, joy, and love. Thank you for all you do for our children. I stand with you in the fight to save public education although we may lose even more in this coming decade. The powers overwhelming our children will have to go through us. Fight on and welcome to the soaring ‘20’s.
Poetic Justice,
We will roar even louder in the ’20s, and roar the billionaires back to their Aspen hideouts. Or wherever they go. Good riddance.
Diane,
The world is a better place with you in it. Thank you for all you do! And happy New Year!
To Diane’s health! Now, that’s a toast I will raise my glass to!
Thanks, Diane. You’re a national treasure and a voice for an all too often voiceless teacher here in the trenches.
My resolution: Chase grandkids around the house making goofy Frankenstein noises.
What Dr. Ravitch said today was summarized by the Cinnamon Bear who said to the Crazyquilt Dragon, “Come on, Crazyquilt, justify you’re existence.” Dr. Ravitch has certainly done that and will continue to be the standard bearer on behalf of public education. Thank you, Dr. Ravitch, for your continuing work on behalf of all our nation’s young people.
Damn autocorrect! I typed your not you’re! Arrgh!
Have a Happy healthy New Year. I have given up on resolutions. Haven’t kept one made on New Years yet. Keep up the good fight.
Watching you work so tirelessly on behalf of public school teachers is appreciated more than you could ever know. You have thousands of followers like me who cheer for every post. I do hope you can slow down some and enjoy the years ahead, but we will always be grateful for your support. You are one of my heroes!
Ginny Donnelly
Happy New Year! Look forward to following your post for another year.
I assumed that, like me, you already read a lot of fiction in the form of charter school promotional material. Of course, that’s tragedy, not light comedy. I wish you many more new years.
Touché.
Thank you again and again, Diane.
Thank you again and again, to all who comment.
Thank you again and again, to those who read Diane blog like I do every single day.
Happy New Year to all you terrific and most dedicated people.
You all help me stay sane. Thank you so much.
Love your New Year’s resolutions, Diane. Made me mushy inside. Thank you.
Love, love, love the resolutions. Don’t know how you still do all you do. But thank you! We need you and all the readers and activists to continue the fight.
Thank you Diane and Happy New Year! The world is better because of you, your voice and advocacy. I have learned so much from you and the information you post. I so appreciate you, this blog and all the commenters. Like Yvonne, it helps me stay sane.
Peace and Joy in 2020!
My resolutions: run/walk more…..get outdoors more this winter……eat healthier……spend more time creating and with my family……..a little less time in the classroom after hours.
And to be part of a campaign (whether it’s making phone calls or stuffing envelopes) for the 2020 election.
My New Year’s Resolution
For New Year’s Twenty twenty
I plan to build a wall
With alligators plenty
In moat about my Hall
I plan to give out vouchers
Like candy in a stocking
Except to welfare slouchers
Who just deserve a knocking
I plan to spoil the commons
With oil and other goo
And tweet a lot of comments
And you should really too!
I plan to hire a lawyer
To go on TV shows
Who talks like Tommy Sawyer
To con the common folks
For New Year’s resolution
I plan to win again
Cuz US Constitution
Is really paper thin
Continue to speak the truth. It is our best ally in the war on public education. Many thanks for your efforts to protect our young people and our democratic public schools from corporate domination and endless profiteering.
My own resolution is modest. I have to face the fact that I need to get a hip replacement. My old one has had its day. While the thought of such an invasive procedure is unsettling, I need to muster up the courage to “just do it.”
Retired Teacher. On hip replacement: Been there. Done that. That was over a decade ago, and no problem since. Do not skimp on the rehab. That is at least as important as the surgery.
My knee rehab was a nightmare. My leg was encased in scar tissue. I couldn’t straighten it and feared I would be disabled permanently. A very wise physiotherapist told me to go to a sports medicine clinic at Mercy Hospital in Cincinnati (your hometown), where the doctor forced my leg straight by having two very strong men press it down (cue excruciating pain), built a cast around my straight leg, cut it off, lined it with cotton and gauze, and told me to go home and wear it 10 hours a day for six weeks, tightly strapped to my leg with Ace bandages. It worked.
My legs hurt just reading what you went through.
Less blogging? Say not so!
Prolly means 9 posts a day instead of the usual 10.
I could survive a 10% cut. From your poet’s pen to Whoever’s ear….
LOL, SomeDAM. When Diane vowed to do less blogging so she could work on the book that became Slaying Goliath, that’s exactly what she did.
Four-five a day when I’m busy
I built a bonfire last night and as we got closer to midnight everyone came outside and after a while the kids just started talking about what they wanted to throw into the fire….to get rid of from the past year. Bad events, rotten news, etc…. It was nice.
I didn’t have much time to give it thought, though…I was too busy putting wood on the fire and trying to get the flames higher. It was a cold night and snow squalls kept blowing through.
But when I got up this morning the embers were still glowing so I went down in the field and threw the half-burned wood back in and got the fire going again. As I was standing there alone in the cold, clear air of a new year’s morning, what came to mind was what should NOT be burned.
May the well-written word persevere in 2020 and beyond. Thanks to everyone on here for your efforts in that regard!
Bern it down
Bern the hatred
Bern the walls
Save the sacred
Hallowed halls
Bern the spite
And Bern the fear
Save the fight
For coming year!
Thanks Diane for not giving up the fight! I too have chosen once again not to retire. I still have the fire in my belly, although I will admit to enjoying my winter break more than I usually do.
The best resolution that I have ever made still stands–to tell people when I appreciate them. This is why I say “Thank you for coming to Lanier” to everyone who comes to our school, from new teachers, custodians, and administrators, to substitute teachers, and visitors to the school. It makes a huge difference in how people feel. If I can make other people feel good about themselves, then I have done some good in the world.
Thank you again for working so hard to help the children of the United States. I stand with you in the trenches as you lead the charge again and again. May you have an excellent 2020!
Love it!
Thank you, Lorraine. As a Texan, I am duty bound to die with my boots on.
What kind of fiction interests you?
I love poetry and classic novels. My favorite novel is Middlemarch. I just started rereading Edith Wharton’s “House of Mirth.”.
Have you considered auditing a college literature course on British or American classics? Might be fun and lead you to unexpected things.
Greg, no time. In a few weeks, I start my book tour. Miami, D.C., Seattle, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Boston, Chicago, West Virginia, Houston, maybe Dallas. I will be blogging every day. I’d miss you guys too much to stop. Then I turn back to a partially completed memoir. If I get through all that, maybe then I’ll have time to take that course.
A number of years ago, I too made a resolution to read more. So for whatever it’s worth, here’s what I did and still do. Since I used to fly a LOT, I resolved to read from the time I got to the airport until I got to my hotel. I turned off everything, didn’t do any work, and only worked when traveling time was done, after all, I still had lots of hours in hotels. And you know what? My work didn’t suffer, I became more focused all around, and I got a a LOT of reading done. Don’t fly as much these days, but that time is still exclusively for my personal reading. Give it a shot on your book tour. Turn off the world when you’re at the airport and on planes and be selfish, give that time to yourself to finally read all those things you’ve been meaning to.
One more thing, please post your book tour schedule. I don’t think I’ll be able to make it, but I’ll alert anyone I know to go see you and get your books.
Thanks. Good advice.
The tour starts in Brooklyn in January 21 at Congregation Beth Elohim in Park Slope, sponsored by Community Book Store. Unfortunately there is a small entry charge. Not my choice. Probably 6:30 pm.
Then January 27 at Books & Books in Coral Gables, Florida.
Then January 29 at Politics & Prose in DC.
I will be in Seattle Feb 3 but don’t recall details. More later.
I am also a chocoholic. My favorite is a combo of very-dark chocolate (with hardly any processed sugar in it) paired with a Cashew Cookie Lara Bar.
https://www.larabar.com/our-products/larabar/cashew-cookie
The sweetness of the Lara Bar comes from dates and not processed sugar.
Here are five reasons to eat more dates:
Dates are a source of antioxidants. All dates, fresh or dried, contain different types of antioxidants. Fresh dates contain anthocyanidins and carotenoids, while dried dates contain polyphenols – just like green tea. Experiments in food chemistry show that Khalas (aka Madina) dates are highest in antioxidants when compared to other date varieties.
Dates can be good for blood sugar balance. Diabetes researchers have shown that dates have a low glycemic impact. This means that eating dates alone, or with a meal, may help people with type-2 diabetes manage their blood sugar and blood fat levels. Six to eight Tamer dates can be eaten in one sitting without dramatic shifts in blood sugar.
Dates can help reduce blood pressure. A standard serving of five or six dates provides about 80 milligrams of magnesium, an essential mineral that helps dilate blood vessels. Research shows that supplementing with 370 milligrams of magnesium can reduce blood pressure. However, taking such a large dose all at once often causes diarrhea. Dates are a delicious way to increase your magnesium intake more gently.
dates in orange bowl
Getty Images
All evidence points to the fact that to improve health, you must avoid sugary foods. Studies show that eating refined sugar causes energy depletion, also known as the dreaded “sugar crash” when empty calories use our body’s vitamins and minerals to turn it into fuel. Think of it like a credit card for your body. Instead of using your resources for building health, refined sugar uses your resources and creates a deficit!
The good news is that nature provides us with incredible nutrition in very sweet packages. One of my favourites is dates as they are an easy portable snack that pairs fabulously with nuts. Dates provide the nutrients you need, while satisfying your sweet tooth.
Here are five reasons to eat more dates:
Dates are a source of antioxidants. All dates, fresh or dried, contain different types of antioxidants. Fresh dates contain anthocyanidins and carotenoids, while dried dates contain polyphenols – just like green tea. Experiments in food chemistry show that Khalas (aka Madina) dates are highest in antioxidants when compared to other date varieties.
Dates can be good for blood sugar balance. Diabetes researchers have shown that dates have a low glycemic impact. This means that eating dates alone, or with a meal, may help people with type-2 diabetes manage their blood sugar and blood fat levels. Six to eight Tamer dates can be eaten in one sitting without dramatic shifts in blood sugar.
Dates can help reduce blood pressure. A standard serving of five or six dates provides about 80 milligrams of magnesium, an essential mineral that helps dilate blood vessels. Research shows that supplementing with 370 milligrams of magnesium can reduce blood pressure. However, taking such a large dose all at once often causes diarrhea. Dates are a delicious way to increase your magnesium intake more gently.
Dates contain a brain booster. Each little date contains over two milligrams of choline, a B vitamin that’s a component in acetylcholine, the memory neurotransmitter. Higher choline intake is associated with better memory and learning, making it a key nutrient for children and older adults at risk for Alzheimer’s.
Dates help maintain bone mass. Research shows that bone loss in post-menopausal women with osteopenia can be reduced by increasing intake of potassium. One dried date provides nearly 140 milligrams of this valuable nutrient. Scientists believe that high potassium intake protects bone mass by reducing the amount of calcium excreted through the kidneys.
Chocoholic? Well if you are ever in St. Louis, stop by Nathaniel Reid Bakery for the best chocolate delights one could ever ask for!
I wonder if there is a website that lists all the best chocolate shops across the country.
If you ever visit Brooklyn, go to the Jacques Torres chocolate factory in Dumbo, underneath the Brooklyn Bridge. It is amazing and the chocolate is divine.
I love dark chocolate but never 85%.
Never say never. If you combine the 85% with that Cashew Cookie Lara Bar, that combo works. But you have to eat them together at the same time.
Best chocolate, so far, that I have had my sister in-law brought back from Ashville, NC….. from the Chocolate Fetish. The dark chocolate, caramel and sea salt are the best – worth ordering. https://www.chocolatefetish.com
Remember chocolate calories don’t count!
I forgot to mention that I have a new found love of gummy bears. I am now taking gummy vitamins, which feels virtuous.
Are there dark-chocolate gummy bears?
I have not seen dark chocolate gummies, but it is a great idea. They are all fruit-flavored. For the first time in my life, I enjoy taking vitamins.
I found some, … Dark Chocolate Gummy Bears!
https://www.amazon.com/Premium-Dark-Chocolate-Gummy-Bears/dp/B07NGX3BN5
But they are not vitamins! The best gummy bears contain vitamins, so you not only have the satisfaction of eating gummy bears but you think they are good for you too.
They are not gummies, but Costco sells chocolate-covered calcium chews. Every time I shop at Costco and see them, I’m tempted but so far have not tried them.
Before we get too relaxed in the spirit of the season, consider this read from today’s Politico:
KIM JONG UN kicked off the new decade as only a North Korean dictator with a growing arsenal knows how: By making threats. Pyongyang will no longer commit to limiting its nuclear and ballistic-missile development, he said, and is planning to unveil a new strategic weapon (read: nukes) “in the near future.”
Reading between the lines, it sounded to many like Kim was offering the U.S. one final chance to meet his demands. If America doesn’t make concessions, he warned, North Korea “will shift to a shocking actual action.”
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP seems to have interpreted Kim’s message in the spirit of the season. Amid the New Year’s festivities at Mar-a-Lago, POTUS replied like so, per the White House transcript:
“I have a very good relationship with Kim Jong Un. I know he’s sending out certain messages about Christmas presents and I hope his Christmas present is a beautiful vase. That’s what I’d like, a vase, as opposed to something else.
“Look, he likes me, I like him, we get along. He’s representing his country. I’m representing my country. We have to do what we have to do. But he did sign a contract, he did sign an agreement talking about denuclearization, and it was signed.
“Number one sentence: denuclearization. That was done in Singapore. And I think he’s a man of his word. So, we’re going to find out, but I think he’s a man of his word.”
Let’s see now. Kim threatens to send us a ballistic missile, and Trump says he hopes it is a vase. He says that he and Kim are very good friends. They like each other. Trump says he trusts Kim. He also trusts Kim. He is perhaps both malevolent and demented.
Let’s keep hoping for that vase.
Haribo Gold Bears. Anything else is just a pretender and not even close. Take if from a lifelong gummi bear addict. Now that they’re available anywhere in the U.S., there’s no excuse to compromise.
Haribo gummy bears are my favorites.
Im switching to vitamins so I can get nutrition and calories together.
I use gummies also, preferably a combo of CDB and Indica strain.
Diane, Thank you for all you do for public education, school children, and the future of our democracy. Best wishes for another year of good health and presenting the truth.
Good health, happiness, and continued fearlessness in defending public education from the corporate deformers. Your blog is wonderful and keeps more than a few of us sane. I look forward to Slaying Goliath.
Don’t have any resolutions. Bah, humbug!
At the same time Happy New Year y Próspero Año Nuevo a todos aquí
Being fearless on behalf of others is a great resolution, Diane. I’ll go with that one (although I can’t be completely fearless as a working educator), and I’ll add a little more. For New Years, I resolve to grow stronger fighting against the wrongful push for meaningless test prep.
I resolve never to let technology, or any products or market forces, drive my classes.
I resolve to teach with heart instead of with data.
I resolve to help school board candidates who support teachers and unions instead of billionaires and corporations.
I resolve to feel the Bern.
I resolve to feel the NPE.
I resolve to feel the paper and to feel the pen between my fingers, and that goes for all my students too.
And down with charters in 2020!
LCT,good for you!
My 2020 vision: seeing Trump in the rear-view mirror!
I want to add to “seeing Trump in the rearview mirror”.
After I swerve to avoid hitting him out in the middle of the road, as I drive away I notice that he is flattened fauna.
You sure that ain’t flattened fattened fauna?
Fattened, flattened fauna just spreads out over more of an area after the 18-wheeler hits the Emperor-of-Lies-and-Lard and the Never Trumper that is the driver stops to roll back and forth over what’s left.
Trump, 2020–20 for sexual assault, 20 for money laundering
What an inspiring post (including the comments) to read at the end of this first day of 2020. Thank you, Diane and friends!
Happy New Year to you, and thank you for the work that you do!
Thank you Diane Ravitch for what you have done and for continuing to carry the torch! It’s is appreciated.
Thank you for your leadership! I live in El Paso, and resolve to keep fighting ICE, and helping migrants, and also walk around the block more. 2020!
Kathleen,
Living in El Paso, you will also have your hands full fighting off the invasion of IDEA, which is replacing public schools across Texas. That’s the charter chain that decided it needed to lease a private jet for its executives. The publicity caused them to back off. Now they will have to fly regular airlines along with the common folk.
No resolutions here. Best to everybody. I figure chocolate is pretty good. Not so with gummies. I will let Diane and my daughter have the gummies.
“But I’m not retiring.” I believe that. I bet you have never been retiring.
Roy, you are right about that. I’m third in a family of 8 and I always spoke up or no one would hear me.
Interesting. Maybe being youngest had the same effect on me. And that was back when children were meant to be seen and not heard.
Keep up the good work. I appreciate being able to stay informed on, particularly,
Education policy thanks to your blog.
M. Gittin