This blog was started on April 12, 2012.
Today is its 8th anniversary.
During that time, you have been wonderful readers. Your support has kept me going. I’ve shared with you the news stories, posts by bloggers I respect, occasional humor, and even some personal advice.
My goal for eight years has been to create a broad awareness of the failure of privatization and standardized testing to improve education. The movement to save and improve our nation’s public schools is strong and getting stronger. When someday this terrible pandemic ends, we will continue our struggle for better education for all.
The blog is closing in on 36 million page views. There have been more than 600,000 comments by you.
All in all, the blog has given me a great opportunity to speak my mind and to engage in lively conversation every day with you and to learn from you, not only your views but what’s happening in your community and state.
Here is my gift to you. Open and enjoy.
If you want to show your appreciation for my work, send a copy of SLAYING GOLIATH to a legislator or school board member.
Thank you!
Diane Ravitch's blog 
Thank you, Diane. Loved it. It filled my heart as do YOU.
Here is a one for you and all your readers/fans. .
Have a terrific day.
You have succeeded well beyond any possible measure, Diane. Eight standing ovations to you for your tireless but consistently inspirational efforts!
Thank you for the 8 years of being in the advocate for Public Education. Your blog has sharpened my advocacy and help lift us all up in moments of being overwhelmed by reformers and deformers. What a nice gift for you have been educator’s friend.
Your scholarship and activism have been key elements in the movement to resist the privatization of public education. You help public school supporters by assembling facts and evidence. Until recently factual information about the hostile takeover of public schools was ignored by the mainstream media. You and a few other bloggers provided much needed information. By helping to start NPE you have built an organization that can research and distribute information in most of the states. All of your tireless efforts have shown that the pen is mightier than the $$$. You are public education’s David that has inspired so many others to take on Goliath.
Happy Blogaversary, Diane! I hope Nick Melvoin is reading Slaying Goliath right this very moment.
Bill Gates is prolly burning it in his fireplace.
Thank you Diane for your beautiful gift to us on this 8th anniversary. I needed this! You are a gift to us everyday and we treasure all your informative and inspiring blogs! Many more…
Thank you for the gift of a reasonable voice for public education policy!
I think my first comments on your blog date back to about February 2014. My best estimate is that I have been following your posts for about 2247 days, multiple posts on most of these days and not one a waste of time. Thank you and congratulations on the 8th year of this vital public forum.
We have all been enriched and much better informed about the ne’er do wells who wish to destroy the cornerstone of our democracy due to your impeccable research, Laura! Your contributions here cannot be underestimated.
Stay well!
You look great for 8 years old! 😉
Thank you, Diane, for everything–blog, books, work on creating NPE, public speaking, manuscript reading, and your one-on-one help and encouragement.
I do not recall when I started reading this blog. What I do know is that the presence of reason and passion have been combined here in a way that reflected the reality of the teaching profession. Disagreements have been heartfelt but respectful ( I bet there was a lot of work culling out the idiocy. I wonder who did that). The wide variety of education specialists and classroom teachers always bring to the forum a realistic look at the things that are actually going on in schools.
To the extent that it can be, friendships have resulted from this communication. That is an offering to the world that seals its goodness, for what is more important than bringing people together?
Diane: Thanks for all that you do and this incredible education blog. This is the premier education blog with multiple postings in one day which leaves the other education blogs in the dust. How you maintain the blog, do all the massive reading that you must do and do the research necessary to write your books leaves me in total awe. Incredible.
Thanks, Diane, for all you do to bring us together in support of public schools. Happy anniversary!
Thank you Diane for providing a place where I can get information, ideas, and support. Following this blog has made me a better teacher. Reading posts from you and your readers inspire me to continue to fight for what I feel is right in my classroom.
“Genesis” (from the Raj Chetty
version of the Bible)
In the beginning God created the heaven
and the earth.
And the earth was without VAM, and
void; and darkness was upon the face of
the deep. And the Spirit of God moved
upon the face of the waters.
And God said, Let there be economists:
and there was light.
And God saw the Light, that it was good:
and God divided the good teachers from
the bad ones
And God called the light VAM, and the
darkness he called “School principal
evaluations”
And on the eighth day, Diane started the blog and all Hell broke loose…
That was supposed to appear below Christine’s comment below.
God definitely did not create the Word Press.
Wonderful!
Love your site. You stand alone in this nation providing the truth about the war on public schools. Your NPE is also a stand alone. YOU are one of kind and my heroine, and friend.
Thank you for everything you do to fight for our public school system, Diane. And thank you for the gift – I’ve bookmarked it in my “Happy Things” folder – the one where I put feel good videos so I can cheer myself up when I get “down and troubled and need a helping hand.”
Can it have been only eight years? The blog has been around since the dawn of education’s enlightenment, leading us out of the dark night of education deform. In the beginning was the word.
Reflecting on the meaning of John 1 1:14
“The Greeks used the word logos [word] to refer to one’s ‘mind,’ ‘reason,’ or ‘wisdom.’.. In the Old Testament, the word of God brought the universe into existence (Psalm 33:6) and saved the needy (Psalm 107:20).”
https://www.gotquestions.org/Word-became-flesh.html
Certainly not trying to be blasphemous here, but the word of the blog, reflecting the mind, reason and wisdom of the host and her guests have brought the universe of the resistance into existence and saved the needy public schools advocates of our country.
Thanks to one and all, but most especially to you Diane!
*has
The Word of Blog
The Word of God
Said “Let light be!”
The word of Blog
Said “Set right Rhee!”
Thank you for your many wonderful contributions!
Thank you
Thank You!
Thank You!
Thank You!
OR: ask your local library to purchase it for their shelves 🙂
sorry, the word “or” should have been “also”
Thank you for continuing to be a rational and inspiring voice in the chaos that surrounds education.
Thank you, Margaret.
This video is a bright spot in my day as you are every day, Diane. Thank you.
Thank you, Ginny!
Thank you, Diane, for your tireless advocacy for public education and for children, parents, and teacher. You provide great information, inspiring many to activism. Take good care of yourself, and stay well. We need you to continue this critical work.
Thank you, Diana!
Thanks, Diane.
As you know (or should know), you have so many friends on this blog. I hope these past 8 years have been the most satisfying 8 years of your life.
I was afraid that you were announcing the closure of the blog, and so relieved to see this.
During this plague, the blog and the contacts with you keep me busy.
A legacy without equal.
Certainly a blogacy without equal.
TY Diane! You continue to be very instrumental towards our movement, and a great deal of gratitude and positive energy goes out to you.
Best,
Robert Rendo
I am honored to have been a part of your “living room” for many of those years, Diane. Congratulations! And many more years to come! Thank you for all you do for we teachers and students.
Thank you, TOW! Your voice is valued.
A lot has gone down in 8 years, that’s for sure. Thanks for being there with us, Diane. And, now we need you more than ever. Let’s hope by the time you mark the 9th the world has become a much healthier place. Take care.
These are indeed perilous times. We must keep alert, informed, engaged, and never give up in the struggle to make a better world for our children.
You are an inspiration and a wonderful teacher, Diane. You are loved. Thanks for the music.
Aww gosh. Thank you.
All these comments made me smile. Wow. Just this outright, 100% smile Thanks to all on here.
Thank you Diane for your dedication and love shown to all!
There are simply no words to shown our appreciation- Be well, be safe!
Thank you!
Your words of wisdom have been a great foundation for us. Keep it up.
Congratulations I can’t believe it’s been 8 years. This last 8 years has been very hard on my, I’ve nearly bankrupted my business multiple times and now with covids I’ll probably go under. But your blog has been a constant source of inspiration and I look forward to reading about the next 8 years.
Thanks so much. I hope to still be here in eight years. My body is in countdown mode.
Mazel Tov, Diane! Stay healthy and keep up the great work.
Thank you, Sandra.