Let us be thankful for the good things in our lives. Our families and friends. Health. Food. The blessings of freedom and democracy, which we must defend every day.
Let us think about those who do not enjoy the blessings of family, friends, good health, shelter, and food.
Do what you can to support those less fortunate than yourself. Lend a helping hand at a local community center or church or synagogue or mosque. Support groups that are helping immigrant families who are living in terror, fearful of being kidnapped by ICE.
Remember that it is not normal to have armed military patrolling the streets of our cities. It is not normal to see masked men pepper spraying fellow citizens in the streets. It is not normal to see armed men chasing people on farms, where they are picking the fruits and vegetables on our Thanksgiving table, tackling them, and whisking them away to unknown detention centers.
We don’t have a crisis of too many immigrants. We have a crisis of a do-nothing Congress that has been unable to pass legislation creating a process for honest, hard-working immigrants to have a legal path to citizenship.
We have a crisis of bigotry, of white nationalists who think they can restore a world of white supremacy that has disappeared. Nope, won’t happen. Twenty percent of our population is Hispanic. About 57-58% is Caucasian. Among children 17 and younger, about 49-50% is Caucasian.
Like it or not, our society is diverse. Banning the word “diversity” doesn’t change reality.
We must, all of us, practice kindness. Gratitude. Generosity of spirit.
This Thanksgiving is a good time to start.
Diane Ravitch's blog 
I started watching Ken Burn’s piece on the Revolutionary War and a point raised was that the British never thought the “colonies” could never coalesce because of the extreme diversity of the country! In the end that diversity became a strength that allowed the War to proceed and be won.
Those objecting to diversity are afraid (Thanks GOP fear mongers!) and just plain wrong to confuse our strength for a weakness, well and racist, mostly racist. We may have elected a Black president for the first time but this is till a very racist country.
Thanks for your real thoughts and prayers on this day!
Your biggest fan … started your book!
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Thank you, Steve.
Happy Thanksgiving!
Diane
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In the late 18th century in the British colonies, which became the United States, estimates suggest 15-20% of the colonial population, roughly 300,000–400,000 people, were loyal to the British Crown, with approximately 80,000 to 100,000 fleeing the colonies after the war.
These exiled Loyalists settled primarily in Canada, Britain, the Caribbean, and Florida, while those who remained in the U.S. gradually regained their property and citizenship after the new government was established.
Still, without the Support of France, the rebellion may have failed.
The major factors in the success of the American Revolution were the colonial-wide popular support for the cause and the critical alliance with France. The colonists’ ability to mobilize a large population of farmers and laborers was crucial, as was French military and financial aid, which helped the Continental Army overcome the British forces. Other important factors included the revolutionaries’ familiarity with the territory and British miscalculations about colonial loyalty, what we call patriotism today. King George and his regime counted on his loyalists. He was wrong.
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Diversity, equity and inclusion policies contribute to a more unified civil society. We need more tolerance and kindness in this world, not less. Happy Thanksgiving to all!
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Thanks to you Diane, for your leadership on one of our society’s cornerstones – our public schools. If you had not led the charge to oppose your former allies and the billionaires who fund them, we might have lost our schools altogether by now. Your blog and the Network for Public Education have raised both the awareness and the spirits of many educators when their careers have been under attack.
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Thank you, Christine, for your support!
Happy Thanksgiving!
Diane
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Hoping and praying that, as people reflect on the ugliness we’ve seen this year, they find the wisdom and courage to stand against it. This holiday is a reminder that kindness, gratitude, and generosity of spirit aren’t just ideals — they’re necessary. Happy Thanksgiving to all.
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“We don’t have a crisis of too many immigrants. We have a crisis of a do-nothing Congress that has been unable to pass legislation creating a process for honest, hard-working immigrants to have a legal path to citizenship.”
Billions of low-skilled, minimally educated people from the third world would migrate to the U.S. if they were allowed to. What limit would you place on the number of such people you would permit to stay here forever and qualify for all public benefits that their low incomes would entitle them to once they become citizens? Give at least a ballpark number.
Bernie Sanders in October, 2025: “If you don’t have any borders, you don’t have a nation,” Sanders, a Vermont independent who caucuses with the Democratic Party, said on The Tim Dillon Show on Wednesday. “Trump did a better job. I don’t like Trump, but we should have a secure border. It ain’t that hard to do. Biden didn’t do it.” Sanders once said that open borders is a Koch brothers idea to import cheap labor into the U.S. to depress wages for blue-collar Americans.
Is Bernie Sanders a MAGA troll, a racist, a xenophobe?
https://www.newsweek.com/bernie-sanders-praises-trumps-job-on-securing-border-10933460
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Congress can establish limits, depending on needs of the economy.
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As always, you dodge and deflect direct questions about your position on immigration. Yes, Congress can set limits. But the Biden administration – which you slavishly defended – opened the southern border wide, allowing in 10+ million people without Congressional authorization, almost all of the people being economic refugees. The Trump administration has now sealed that border about as tightly as possible – you oppose that policy. ICE is prioritizing the apprehension of criminals and people already under orders of removal – you oppose that policy.
You favor allowing everyone who enters the country to stay and giving them a “path to citizenship.” Have the integrity to be honest: this is de facto open borders, i.e. what you actually support.
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Mickey: I hope you had a good thanksgiving holiday, despite your grievances.
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Mickey has Diane Ravitch derangement syndrome characterized by accusing Diane of things which she is not guilty. Mickey, seek help for your disability.
Otherwise, a Happy Thanksgiving to all and enjoy the leftovers for days to come.
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Diane Ravitch won’t answer direct questions about her support for open borders because she does support open borders. If she ever said otherwise she would be ostracized by her far Left tribe. Randi would be mad at her for wanting to limit the number of revenue sources for public schools.
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Even on Thanksgiving weekend we can’t get away from “Whaddabout?” GOP and don’t care about laws and norms appointees. Ironic on Thanksgiving – you know, “path to citizenship!” for a mixed group of attendees.
Tragic attack on National Guard. Reported dead, blamed Biden Asylum plan, sending more troops. They assumed he was a terrorist. No. The guy fought against Taliban and worked with CIA. Later admitted to U.S. Lost it and murdered 2. It’s tragic and inexcusable. But it isn’t the first in U.S. military in perpetrated terrorist attack in U.S. Who would Trump have blamed for Oklahoma City.
Thanksgiving Turkey – can’t even take a hate-pause on a holiday that is all about sitting around the table together. He decries “criminals” loose on the streets. Did they not tell him that January 6 Trump pardons have committed felonious acts.
Thanksgiving night. Out of nowhere uses R-word to attack Governor. Did he miss the mandatory H.R. training which they claim is separate from their version of inclusion?
Tiresome.
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Missouri,
The New York Times reports that the suspect was vetted multiple times. Before and after admission to the U.S.
Trump administration granted him asylum.
Worse: Trump said he would cancel all pardons signed by Biden, using auto-pen.
Question: would Trump cancel the 1,600 pardons that he issued to insurrectionists on the day he resumed the Presidency? It was a mass pardon.
He tries to make it seem that Biden was the only president to use the auto-pen.
Not true.
Presidents have signed documents and letters and pardons with an auto-pen for decades, going back to Truman.
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Enjoy!
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Happy Thanksgiving Diane. I continue to be thankful for you and the truth you bring to the advocacy for our public schools!
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Amen! Blessings to all of you!
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Very Happy Thanksgiving Wishes to You All!
Many thanks especially to Diane, for providing this blog and for including both Education and Democracy as the primary topics of discussion here, since the latter is integral to the provision of public schooling across our country.
As most of us here know, this is truly critical today since, like other government programs, public education is at high risk of being replaced by privatization. We know only too well that the goal of privatization is making money (off free tax payer funded dollars!) and that has a history of poor regulatory oversight, resulting in the prioritization of profit-making over providing high quality education to America’s children (as has frequently happened with charters and voucher schools –often run by business and religious people with personal agendas, rather than trained, experienced educators). All this means that US students and their parents really need our support, guidance and advocacy right now… –So thanks to all for being here for them!
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hope everyone had a great thanksgiving 🦃
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Thanks, Diane. Hope you enjoyed the day!
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Indeed. Same to you!
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@Diane, as you know my mind explores many issues. Thanksgiving was a day to give thanks and express gratitude. A day to leave the “politics” at the door and just enjoy peace. For me, I donated (as I do on a regular basis) as much as I could to the compassion shelter as I could not go without making sure someone less fortunate than me had to go without. And spent time with my mom as she was alone for the first time since my dad passed. Baking and making food for us to have for the week. But, after reading all these conversations, I went to AI and asked a few questions with the emphasis on, “The busiest holiday along with a ton of monies spent coupled with crazy travel” was all based on immigrants. Just for grins (there was much more deep conversation) but the gist…Selective Memory: Critics point out a hypocrisy in celebrating the Pilgrims as “welcome” while using agencies like ICE to detain and deport modern migrants, especially those who are not white. This suggests a selective memory about who is considered a “deserving” or “legitimate” newcomer. Food for thought. Hope all you had a great time with loved ones. Blessings.
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Diane RavitchWhat educational place put this Wonderful statistics poster online??? maryk60@aol.com
Sent from AOL on Android On Thu, Nov 27, 2025 at 9:02 AM, Diane Ravitch’s blog
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Mary,
I don’t know what the poster says.
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