Please everyone go out and buy Diane Ravitch’s new book and read the chapter entitled “The Billionaire Boys’ Club” if you want to know who’s driving national education policy. Hint: it isn’t Obama or Duncan. Below comes from her piece in the Huffington Post. And watch for her blog “Bridging Differences” in EdWeek.
It would be good if our nation’s education leaders recognized that teachers are not solely responsible for student test scores. Other influences matter, including the students’ effort, the family’s encouragement, the effects of popular culture, and the influence of poverty. A blogger called “Mrs. Mimi” wrote the other day that we fire teachers because “we can’t fire poverty.” Since we can’t fire poverty, we can’t fire students, and we can’t fire families, all that is left is to fire teachers.
This strategy of closing schools and firing the teachers is mean and punitive. And it is ultimately pointless. It solves no problem. It opens up a host of new problems. It satisfies the urge to purge. But it does nothing at all for the students.
Tags: Diane Ravitch