Diane Ravitch responds to Billionaire Bill

[Catshrink]

Here's a tantalizing tidbit:

Gates: “Does she like the status quo?"
Ravitch: "No, I certainly don't like the status quo. I don't like the attacks on teachers, I don't like the attacks on the educators who work in our schools day in and day out, I don't like the phony solutions that are now put forward that won't improve our schools at all. I am not at all content with the quality of American education in general, and I have expressed my criticisms over many years, long before Bill Gates decided to make education his project. I think American children need not only testing in basic skills, but an education that includes the arts, literature, the sciences, history, geography, civics, foreign languages, economics, and physical education.

"I don't hear any of the corporate reformers expressing concern about the way standardized testing narrows the curriculum, the way it rewards convergent thinking and punishes divergent thinking, the way it stamps out creativity and originality. I don't hear any of them worried that a generation will grow up ignorant of history and the workings of government. I don't hear any of them putting up $100 million to make sure that every child has the chance to learn to play a musical instrument. All I hear from them is a demand for higher test scores and a demand to tie teachers' evaluations to those test scores. That is not going to improve education."

More at link:

http://voices.washingtonpost.com/answer-sheet/diane-ravitch/ravitch-answers-gates.html?wprss=answer-sheet

[abelenkpe]

1. Nice! nt

[polichick]

2. I have a feeling a lot of "leaders" are counting on this:

"it rewards convergent thinking and punishes divergent thinking, the way it stamps out creativity and originality. I don't hear any of them worried that a generation will grow up ignorant of history and the workings of government."

[txlibdem]

3. Pol Pot killed all the intellectuals, and anyone who wears eyeglasses

The better to subjugate you if you are ignorant of history, politics, the power of the masses, etc.

The USA is already becoming the Duh-SA. The next step is for the rich to drop the pretense and unveil the world's next fascist state.

[polichick]

5. It's bad enough that so many evangelical kids are growing up without...

...studying science and history.

[txlibdem]

7. I don't care about them, they're a dying breed

But the dumbing down of 90% of our students is a serious danger to our future as a first world nation. Third world status, here we come.

[Reader Rabbit]

4. If only Diane Ravitch were our Secretary of Education.

Just think how different teaching and learning would be.

[proud2BlibKansan]

6. Best thing I have read in a long time.

We need about 10 more of her.

[Catshrink]

8. She's our only hope on the national scene.

No other voices are raised in support of teachers.

[proud2BlibKansan]

9. And what gets lost in the shuffle

is that Diane favors accountability. She has written and spoken out about it for years now.

[Smarmie Doofus]

10. Bang-Zoom. My favorite quote:

>>>I wonder why a man of his vast wealth spends so much time trying to figure out how to cut teachers' pay. Does he truly believe that our nation's schools will get better if we have teachers with less education and less experience? Who does he listen to? He needs to get himself a smarter set of advisers.>>>>>>



Don't know how this thread got by me. I must be busier... or more tired... these days than I realized.