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Two Federal Judges Block Trump Effort to Exclude Undocumented Children from Headstart | Diane Ravitch's blog
Erica Meltzer of Chalkbeat reports that two federal judges issued injunctions against a new Trump rule that bars undocumented children from enrolling in Headstart. The rule may seem gratuitously cruel to some, but it's business-as-usual for Trump. Interestingly, the judges who issued the rulings are both Republican appointees, one by George W. Bush and the…
Richard Rothstein: The Soft Bigotry of High Expectations | Diane Ravitch's blog
This may be the most important article you will read today. Richard Rothstein has had a distinguished career as a journalist who writes about social science, most notably, achievement gaps, housing segregation, and the impact of poverty on academic performance. He has long been a fellow at the Economic Policy Institute and before that was…
Texas: Will Vouchers Kill Rural Schools? | Diane Ravitch's blog
Clayton Wickham of The Texas Monthly described the danger that vouchers pose to rural schools, whose finances were already precarious. In rural areas, these schools are the heart of their communities, as they are in suburbs and used to be in urban districts. Wickham writes: The only time I can remember hearing sirens in Marathon…
Thom Hartmann: The “Both Sides” Scam Fuels Extremism | Diane Ravitch's blog
Thom Hartmann is very clear about two points in this excellent essay: Political violence is always wrong. No one should be murdered because of their views. Both parties are not equally to blame. Republicans, not Democrats, have stoked the flames of extremism and violence. He writes: As a guy who regularly gets death threats because of my media…
Charlie Kirk Was the Voice of MAGA | Diane Ravitch's blog
The assassination of Charlie Kirk was vile, disgusting, and abhorrent. The perpetrator has apparently been identified and will be held accountable, as he should be. Charlie was a bright star in the orbit of Donald Trump, and his many fans and admirers are raising him up on a pedestal because of his tragic death. A…
Trump Officials Order Removal of Signage and Exhibits about Slavery at Federal Sites | Diane Ravitch's blog
The Trump administration is well on its way to re-enacting George Orwell's novel 1984, where unwanted facts and history disappeared down a memory hole. The Washington Post reported that officials have ordered the removal of all signage, exhibits, and photographs that depict slavery. Trump intends to eliminate history that he does not like. Most notably,…
The Campaign to Punish Those Who Did Not Mourn Charlie Kirk’s Death | Diane Ravitch's blog
People who did not express genuine grief at the murder of Charlie Kirk are in serious trouble. Some have been fired or suspended. Some have been harassed for their views. Before anyone attacks me for acknowledging this phenomenon, let me point out that I did deplore his murder while making clear that I share none…
Jamelle Bouie: I Mourn Charlie’s Death But Not His Ideology | Diane Ravitch's blog
Jamelle Bouie is one of the best, most interesting opinion writers for The New York Times. As a subscriber to that newspaper, I signed up for Bouie's newsletter, which is where these thoughts of his appeared. Jamelle Bouie writes: Virtually every person of note in American politics has, rightfully, condemned the horrific killing of Charlie…
Fascism Alert! JD Vance and Stephen Miller Describe Plans to Crack Down on Liberal Groups as “Domestic Terrorists” | Diane Ravitch's blog
Have you heard of Horst Wessel? He was a 22-year-old member of the Nazi paramilitary who was assassinated in 1930 by two Comminists. After his death, his name became a propaganda prop for the Nazi party. Lyrics that Wessel had written were turned into the Nazi anthem and called "The Horst Wessel Song." I thought…
The Biggest Liar in Texas | Diane Ravitch's blog
Michelle H. Davis writes a blog called "Lone Star Left," where she chronicles the usually corrupt politics of Texas. In this post, she eviscerates Governor Abbott, who loves to brag about the economic success of his state. She calls him out for ignoring the people who are nott part of the state's prosperity. She writes:…
Trump is a Divider Who Won’t Even Try to Unite Us | Diane Ravitch's blog
After horrible events, like political assassination or the explosion of a space vehicle, the President typically speaks to the nation and expresses grief and calls for national unity, reminding us that we are all Americans and we must help one another. I vividly recall Ronald Reagan's talk to the nation after the space shuttle exploded,…
Texas: Some of the Worst-Performing Charters have Some of the Highest-Paid Superintendents | Diane Ravitch's blog
ProPublica has been working with The Texas Tribune to cover politics--but especially education--in the Lone Star State. In their latest report, they discovered that three charter districts had some of the highest paid superintendents in the state, despite the poor performance of their schools. In some of them, teachers were low-paid and teacher turnover was…
Wyoming: The Fight Against Vouchers Continues | Diane Ravitch's blog
Bill Phillis of the Ohio Coalition for Equity and Adequacy in Funding reported on the continuing fight to stop universal vouchers in Wyoming. Every student in the state is eligible for a voucher, regardless of family income. Parents are concerned that their child may be excluded by private schools, such as those with special needs.…
Glenn Kessler: Trump Is the Master of Bullshit | Diane Ravitch's blog
I seldom recommend a blog that requires payment. Here is an exception: Glenn Kessler. He served for many years as the Fact Checker for The Washington Post. He is remarkably good as a fact checker. After many years, he left The Post and started his own blog, as so many other journalists have done. He…
Trump’s Tariffs and Foreign Policy are a Disaster for U.S. | Diane Ravitch's blog
Writing in the Washington Post, Fareed Zakaria explains how Trump has driven pivotal countries--like India, Brazil, and South Africa--into the embrace of our enemies: Russia, China, and North Korea. For his own bizarre and inexplicable reasons, Trump has tried to cozy up to the leaders of those countries, which have a common interest in opposing…
Trump Will Restore Prayer in the Schools | Diane Ravitch's blog
Trump announced that he will bring back prayer in the schools. This is a prize for his Christian nationalist base, who want the nation to be a theological, Bible-based state. Trump recently appeared at the Museum of the Bible (who knew?) where he made clear his plans. This is alarming but also amusing. Trump is…
Susan B. Glasser: Trump’s Losing Streak in Federal Courts Continues | Diane Ravitch's blog
It's a common complaint that the news media is trying so hard to be neutral that they are failing to warn the public about Trump's efforts to make himself a fascistic emperor. Trump has shattered norms and traditions by firing members of independent boards who were appointed to serve for a set term. He has…
Charlie Kirk, Political Violence, and Gun Control | Diane Ravitch's blog
When I heard that MAGA firebrand Charlie Kirk had been shot and killed at a campus rally in Utah, I got a familiar feeling in the pit of my stomach. I had a visceral memory of the day that President John F. Kennedy was killed, the day that Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was killed,…
Greg Olear: Defying Trump: Lessons from 1933. Part One. | Diane Ravitch's blog
Greg Olear lays out the frightening parallels between the rise of Hitler and the rise of Trump, quoting from a book written by a German author. The article is longer that what I posted here. Please open the link to read it all. There is no paywall. I. The United States: A Survey In just…
Why America Still Needs Public Schools | Diane Ravitch's blog
It's important these days to remember that public schools were created by communities, districts, and states to serve all children and to contribute to the betterment of society. As a result of demands by parents, activists, the courts, and legislators, public schools must serve all children, not just those they choose to admit. Sidney Shapiro,…
Denver: Will Dark Money Buy the School Board? | Diane Ravitch's blog
Mike DeGuire, veteran educator in Denver, fears that billionaires are paying the bills for a phony reform group that's trying to buy the Denver school board. The billionaires find Denver an enticing target because its leading public officials are DFER Democrats: Michael Bennett is a Colorado Senator and a big supporter of charter schools when…
The Atlantic: Other World Leaders Laugh at Trump | Diane Ravitch's blog
Tom Nichols of The Atlantic published an article that explained why Trump is a laughing stock among other world leaders. The recent meeting of the leaders of China, Russia, North Korea, and India was convened to celebrate the victory over Japan in 1945. Trump was not invited. He proceeded to write whiny complaints on social…
Thom Hartmann: Trump Orders Murder of 11 People on a Boat in International Waters | Diane Ravitch's blog
When I first heard that an American fighter plane had attacked a boat in international waters off Venezuela, my first thought was that there must have been a high-value target on that boat. I waited for the details, but they were never released. Eventually I heard that there were 11 people on the boat. Trump…
Mercedes Schneider Reviews A Powerful New Book | Diane Ravitch's blog
Mercedes Schneider reviews Kristen Buras' new book about a Black high school that was closed against the wishes of the community it served. The book is What We Stand to Lose: Black Teachers, the Culture They Created, and the Closure of a New Orleans School (2025, Beacon Press). Buras describes a school whose teachers went beyond…
The Courts Are Striking Down Trump’s Illegal Orders; What Will the Supreme Court Do? | Diane Ravitch's blog
Jay Kuo writes a delightful blog called The Status Kuo. He is a lawyer with a sense of humor, and he writes clearly for the public, not for other lawyers. This post is important because Kuo shows that the courts are blocking Trump's overreach and cautions us not to assume that the Supreme Court will…
Sacramento: How Could a Charter School Misuse $180 Million in Two Years? | Diane Ravitch's blog
Diana Lambert of Edsource reported that Jonathan Raymond, the former Superintendent of the Sacramento School District, agreed to take over the leadership of a "troubled" charter school called Highlands Community Charter and Technical Schools. The school enrolls adults, many formerly incarcerated or new immigrants. Wow, was it ever troubled! Good for Raymond for taking on…
Fascism Alert! SCOTUS Allows Trump’s “Roving Patrols” of ICE | Diane Ravitch's blog
Is there anything that Trump does that will be found unconstitutional by this supine Supreme Court? ICE "roving patrols" have stopped and detained people who looked Hispanic, on suspicion that they might be "illegals." Some were U.S. citizens. Lower courts said such practices violated the Fourth Amendment. The Supreme Court's rightwing majority overruled the lower…
Thomas Ultican: The Curious Origin of the “Oakland Public Education Fund” | Diane Ravitch's blog
Tom Ultican, retired teacher in California, is a dogged researcher of school privatization. He recently examined the origins of the Oakland Public Education Fund" and found that much of its funding comes from Dark Money. It's worthwhile to remember that the public schools of Oakland, California, have been a Petri dish for privatizers and corporate…
“We Have Become an Authoritarian State, and Our Major Newsrooms Are in Denial” | Diane Ravitch's blog
Media critic Dan Froomkin wrote the headline above and attached it to a blistering article about major media's supine knee-bending to Trump. He does outrageous things, and mainstream media treats his power-hungry or unhinged actions as normal. Trump's actions and pronouncements are not normal. The media should say so. Froomkin writes: The top story of…
Musician Jack White Answers Trump Insults | Diane Ravitch's blog
Jack White is a superstar rock musician. He had the temerity to criticize Trump's vulgar gold-plated redecoration of the Oval Office. The White House press spokesman lashed out at Jack White. He responded with no holds barred. He doesn't get federal funding. Thanks to Andrew Tobias for this nugget. The White House melts down and…
Jess Piper on “Dust-Licking Pimps” | Diane Ravitch's blog
Jess Piper lives in rural Missouri. She taught high school English for 16 years, then quit to run unsuccessfully for the legislature in Missouri. She is executive director of Blue Missouri and runs a weekly podcast called "Dirt Road Democrats." She is relentless. She wrote this post while listening to a biography of Mark Twain:…
RFK Jr. Testifies Before Congressional Committee | Diane Ravitch's blog
We have not forgotten that Robert F. Kennedy Jr. promised Republican Senator (and medical doctor) Bill Cassidy that he would not impose his past anti-vaccine views on the Departnent of Health and Human Services if he were confirmed. He lied. He fired every member of the Department's vaccine advisory board and replaced them; some of…
Bernie Sanders: RFK Jr. Must Resign! | Diane Ravitch's blog
Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders wrote an article for The New York Times calling for Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to resign. Since Sanders was chairman of the Senate Committee overseeing HHS, he argues with facts, not just indignation. He writes: Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the secretary of health and human services,…
NYC: Debate Transformed a Low-Performing Middle School, Whose Team Won National Championship | Diane Ravitch's blog
MS 50 in Brooklyn was on a list of low-performing schools in 2015 and at risk of being closed down. What a difference a decade makes? Michael Elsen-Rooney of Chalkbeat writes about the remarkable turnaround of the school after it made debate the centerpiece of the its activities. This year, the highly disciplined students from…
Florida Eliminates All Vaccine Requirements for School Children | Diane Ravitch's blog
In the world of science and medicine, vaccines have been one of the greatest achievements in history. Many diseases that afflicted humanity have been eradicated, thanks to vaccines. When I was a child, my family worried about measles, mumps, chickenpox, and worst of all, polio. Now it's rare to hear of anyone getting those diseases,…
Jan Resseger: Federal Courts Block Trump Efforts to Abolish Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion | Diane Ravitch's blog
Jan Resseger summarizes the judicial counterattack to the Trump administration's efforts to criminalize DEI policies. It's obvious that the Trump goal is to censor common practices that teach history, warts and all, as well as to kill programs that try to help Black and Hispanic students to succeed. But the lower federal courts are getting…
John Thompson: Will Oklahoma Test Students on Their Knowledge of Christian Nationalism? | Diane Ravitch's blog
John Thompson, historian and retired teacher in Oklahoma, follows the bizarre twists and turns of education policy in Oklahoma. Since the election of Ryan Walters, MAGA extremist as State Superintendent, the changes have been dizzying. Thompson writes: Following the lead of Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, Oklahoma State Superintendent Ryan Walters announced that the state will stop statewide…
DOJ Lawyer Accused Harvard of “Indifference to Anti-Semitism.” As an Undergraduate, He Wrote a Paper from Hitler’s View | Diane Ravitch's blog
The Boston Globe reported a startling story. Michael Velchik, the lawyer leading the charge against Harvard University for alleged "anti-semitism," wrote a paper from Hitler's perspective when he was an undergraduate at Harvard. Hilary Burns and Tal Koran wrote: The cornerstone of the Trump administration’s justification for cracking down on Harvard University is that the Ivy League…
Florida: DeSantis Criminalizes Street Art | Diane Ravitch's blog
Governor Ron DeSantis wants the world to know that he's a tough guy. He may wear white boots in heavy rain, but he is very, very tough. To demonstrate how tough he is, he's made a very big deal out of cracking down on street art. It may be pretty, but it WON'T be tolerated!…
Some of the Artworks That Trump Will Remove from the Smithsonian | Diane Ravitch's blog
This is a press release from the White House titled "President Trump is Right About the Smithsonian." It describes some of the works and exhibits he wants to censor because they don't show a positive portrayal of the U.S. The National Museum of African American History and Culture debuted a series to educate people on “a society…