I started this blog in April 2012. At the time, I wanted to spread the word about the dangers that were looming via a coordinated, well-funded attack on public schools and the teaching profession. The blog was my medium for awakening the public and educators.
Each time, I reached one million page views, I would announce it. Page views are recorded each time someone opens the site. Some people log in more than once a day.
I just checked and discovered that the blog has been opened 40.1 million times.
Quite a lot of journalists read it regularly. I am guessing that most readers are educators.
I select articles that interest me and try to keep the site lively. On a few occasions, I have featured local stories shared by readers or by my daily reading of many newspapers and magazines, then discovered that those stories got national attention.
A note to readers: I read every comment.
Thank you for your attention, your time, and your participation.
Diane Ravitch's blog 
Thank you for sifting through the cacophony, preselecting articles and saving us time!
You deserve one of the awards presidents present in the White House
Completely agree!
Thank you Diane.
Thought you would be interested in this.
Carol
Banned Books for Christmas
Ed100.org
A stocking full of freedom
This year I decided to give my grandchildren banned books.
Yup. Real banned books. There is a certain amount of sweet satisfaction in giving banned books.
There are lots of choices.
Do I want to give books that some think are too scary, or that promote the occult, or contain objectionable language?
How about books that people want banned because they are too violent or include racial themes? Or because they recognize the LGBTQ+ community?
Big bans
In 2021-2022, more books than ever were banned from libraries and schools —1,648 unique book titles according to PEN America’s Index of School Book Bans. The most frequent targets are books with LGBTQ+ themes and books about racism or fiction featuring non-white characters.
Unlike past book bans generated by individuals, some of these bans have been orchestrated at the level of state legislation as political statements. Attempts to “protect” students from the written word have become so widespread they have a name: educational gag orders. While they may not specifically say “book ban”, they have a chilling effect on the selection of literature and teaching about sensitive topics.
The surge in book banning reflects America’s great political divide and coincides with efforts to change the political make-up of local school boards. Most book-banning efforts are taking place in Republican-dominated states. The top 10 states are Texas, Pennsylvania, Florida, Oklahoma, Kansas, Indiana,Tennessee, Virginia, Missouri, and Georgia.
California 451
California is not immune. In the Bay Area, for example, there were unsuccessful efforts to ban books in San Ramon Unified School District, Dougherty Valley High School, Charlotte Wood Middle School, and Dublin Unified School District.
In Southern California, Burbank Unified removed 5 books from its required reading list: To Kill a Mockingbird, Huckleberry Finn, Of Mice and Men, The Cay, and Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry. In Santa Clarita, the William S. Hart Union High School District removed This Book is Gay from the library.
Some of the efforts to ban books are well-coordinated. According to the PEN Report:
“Broadly, this movement is intertwined with political movements that grew throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, including fights against mask mandates and virtual school, as well as disputes over “critical race theory” that in some states fueled the introduction of educational gag orders prohibiting discussion of “divisive” concepts in classrooms. While many of these groups use language in their mission statements about parents’ rights or religious or conservative views, some also make explicit calls for the exclusion of materials that touch on race (sometimes explicitly critical race theory) or LGBTQ+ themes.”
How do schools choose books?
In California, book selection (and censorship) is a matter of local control. Each local board approves literature. The Department of Education recommends that districts have literature selection policies for both school library collections and literature that is used in the classroom. The state has Recommended Literature: Prekindergarten Through Grade Twelve to help districts select literature, but the database is hard to use and poorly maintained. In any case, decisions are made by the school board, not by the state.
The American Library Association provides a toolkit for libraries and schools to help create a book selection process, and — in case a book is challenged — a reconsideration procedure.
Choosing my holiday book list
What I really want to give my grandchildren is the idea of freedom of speech. That they have the right to read books that others may not like, and that age-appropriate history lessons about uncomfortable events are important. That they can learn about a diverse and complex world.
In looking over my shopping list of banned books, I discovered that many of the banned books were ones I had read to my own children when they were young.
Where the Wild Things Are. Be warned. It promotes witchcraft and supernatural events. Charlotte’s Web: Talking animals. Really?
Harry Potter? The Wizard of Oz? Dr. Seuss? Where’s Waldo? Where the Sidewalk Ends? The Diary of Anne Frank?
You’ve got to be kidding.
My grandchildren already know what their presents will be. We sat down together and went over a banned books list to make selections.
What did they pick?
The seven year old went for The Call of the Wild, banned in some countries as being too radical. He loves graphic novels, so The Witches, the Graphic Novel is on his list. Why banned? Some say it is satanic and conflicts with religious and moral beliefs.
Rounding out his selections is The Refugee, about a Jewish boy fleeing Nazi Germany, a Cuban girl seeking safety from political unrest, and a Syrian boy fleeing violence. It’s been banned because of its “mature theme”.
The thirteen year old picked To Kill a Mockingbird, a book about racial injustice in America. The Glory Field also is on the list, banned for racial themes. It is about the history of an African American family.
Why give banned books this holiday season?
Banning books from schools and libraries threatens freedom of speech and our commitment to teach our children well. Children need to learn about other cultures. They need to be exposed to ideas and perspectives. They need to learn history, uncensored.
This holiday season is your chance to speak out against censorship and to support the free expression of ideas. Whatever you celebrate, there is a banned book that can help children learn compassion, value diversity, and think critically. You can use this list from the New York Public Library: Banned Books Reading List: Stand for the Right to Read Freely.
Let the shopping begin.
Thank you for shining a light on so many issues.
I read your blog daily and many of the comments. I am a retired teacher, but I am very interested in following the issues in education.
Thank you for all you do keeping us informed.
Thank you, Diane, for raising awareness about important education topics and other vital issues. I appreciate every post, and all the time and energy you devote to the blog.
Thank you. Us little guys have always enjoyed a seat at your table.
Congratulations on all the good you have done, Diane!
I’m a 50 year teacher, now several years retired. Ed.D. and public school teacher. I have taught at several universities in teacher education programs, but my heart is always at Title 1 schools. Reading Specialist. Even after I retired from the University level, I went back to work part time in Title 1 schools — reading pull out. I taught in Florida, my home, and am so upset by the bully governor there. We moved to be near our grandchildren in another state.
I support you and so often forward your excellent columns to others. Thank you so much for your high standards, your research, and your insight.
Thank you for your dedication to our public schools. I make it a point to read all the new blog posts daily.
That well-funded attack on public schools and the teaching profession started about the time President Reagan released his misleading and lying “A Nation at Risk Report” and it has never slowed.
But, at the same time, those attacks on the public schools and the teaching profession have had many setbacks because of this Blog and all the people that read it.
Those that are funding and enabling those attacks on our public schools and the teaching profession are doing more damage to the United States the war with global Islamic terrorism, the results of the Korean War, the Vietnam War, the Iraq War, the Afghan War, and RasPutin the Terrible, et al.
Those that are scheming and funding and enabling those attacked are enemies of the United States, our citizens of all ages, and the US government including the US Constitution.
Sun Tzu once said/write thousands of year ago, that the enemy of my enemy is my friend. Well, that means to me that those that are scheming and funding those attacks are our enemies since the damage they are doing is only helping the enemies of the United States by weakening our country.
FABULOUS, Diane, and THANK YOU! 🙏🏽👍🏽🍎
We have seen in history how silence is incredibly deafening, thank you for using your voice!
Thanks for your support Diane. I’m so thankful to have such a brilliant and knowledgeable person advocating for public education.
Thank you, Diane, for creating and maintaining this very valuable resource for us during the past ten years. I have read nearly all of your posts and have passed along a good number of them to students and colleagues who I felt might be interested in reading them as well. Your blog has truly been a wonderful gift from you to us all!
Thank you, David.
Thank you for your dedication to educators and children (and to our country)! I learn something every time I read your posts. Here’s to a healthy and happy 2023!
Thank you
I don’t read your postings – only the headlines. I admire your dedication and must ask: do you ever get to sleep??? Happy Holidays.
Thank you, Vera.
Thank you Diane, and Congratulations!! I learn so much from you. Please keep on going- what you are providing is so important
Thank you for constantly spreading the word about the assault on our public schools for the sake of profit. Hard to believe, but many in the field of education are oblivious to this deliberate attack. Thanks to you, many are now spreading the word to the voting public who have the ability to turn things around.
Only the voting public can stop this well-funded attack on public schools by voting out the tools of the privatizers.
Good deal! And thank you for being you as well as your blog!
I find this to be a wonderful resource for challenging and confirming my views on education. I am so thankful that I found you. Thank you Dianne
Paul, I am so glad you have joined the conversation. You add light, not heat.