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Pope Leo Will Send a Video Message to Chicago Mass on Same Day as Trump’s Parade | Diane Ravitch's blog
I said I wouldn't post anything on Saturdays or Sundays, but this is too good to pass up. Pope Leo will send a video message to Mass in Chicago at a large stadium on the same day that Trump ordered a military parade to celebrate his birthday. The Pope will probably address one million people.…
Oliver Darcy: Don’t Fall for the Rightwing Attacks on Biden | Diane Ravitch's blog
Oliver Darcy is a media expert who reports on the media at his blog called Status. He here writes about the unwarranted jubilation of rightwing pundits who believe that their relentless attacks on Biden's cognition were correct after all. This turns out to be a useful topic for them right now as Trump is hoovering…
NYC: ICE Snatches High School Student Who Entered Legally | Diane Ravitch's blog
Michael Elden-Rooney wrote in Chalkbeat about the arrest and detention of a public high school student in New York City, which has spurred protests on the student's behalf. He was attending a school for students learning English. His earnings after school were devoted to helping his mother and two younger siblings move out of a…
Trump Regime Inflicts Chaos on Prestigious Science Agencies | Diane Ravitch's blog
Jocelyn Kaiser wrote in Science magazine about the chaos inflicted on the National Institutes of Health by Trump appointees and Elon Musk's DOGS (not a misspelling) wrecking crew. Large numbers of scientists were fired, some were rehired, then fired again. What was the goal? Was it to sow demoralization and fear? If so, it succeeded.…
Federal Judge Restores Visa to Russian Harvard Scientist | Diane Ravitch's blog
I wrote a post about this case a week ago. A scientist at Harvard, who left Russia as an anti-war dissenter, was detained at Logan Airport in Boston on her return from France because she had scientific samples that she did not declare. The samples--frog embryos on slides--posed no danger to anyone. She was immediately…
Teachers! New York City Is Hiring to Reduce Class Sizes! | Diane Ravitch's blog
Thanks to the tireless work of Leonie Haimson, Class Size Matters, and her hardy band of parent advocates, New York City is reducing class sizes to meet the requirements of state law. After 25 years of failed "reforms" like high-stakes testing, competition, merit pay, and choice, the city is finally embarked on a reform that…
Thomas Edsall: What Scholars Say About Trump’s Reign of Error and Chaos | Diane Ravitch's blog
Thomas Edsall writes a regular feature for The New York Times. In this stunning article, he recounts the views of numerous scholars about what Trump has done since his Inauguration. This is a gift article, meaning you can open the link and finish reading the article, which is usually behind a paywall. Edsall writes: One…
Peter Greene: The Perverse Incentives of School Choice | Diane Ravitch's blog
Peter Greene nails one of the many flaws of school choice. The choice movement hurtles forward despite its record of failure to fulfill any of its promises but one: It provides choice. Not necessarily good choice or better choice. Just choice. Greene writes: When researcher Josh Cowen is talking about the negative effects of school…
U.S. Navy Restores Almost All of the DEI Banned Books | Diane Ravitch's blog
The U.S. Navy and the other branches of the military were told by order of Trump and Hegseth to remove all books on the subjects of diversity, equity, and inclusion. In practice, this meant elimination of books about race, racism, and sexual orientation. These were the search terms used to identify offending titles: The 20…
Heather Cox Richardson: Courts Are Our Guardrail–For Now | Diane Ravitch's blog
Heather Cox Richardson is a national treasure. she is also an exemplar of the value of studying history as a guide to today's events and their meaning. She writes: Political scientist Adam Bonica noted last Friday that Trump and the administration suffered a 96% loss rate in federal courts in the month of May. Those…
Maurice Cunningham: DFER Moves into MAGA Orbit | Diane Ravitch's blog
Maurice Cunningham, a retired professor of political science at the university of Massachusetts and a specialist on dark money in education, exposes the rightward shift of Democrats for Education Reform, as well as its continuing disintegration. DFER spent years cheerleading for charter schools and test-based teacher evaluation, but its pretense has dissolved. Cunningham said it…
Trump Threatens to Transfer Harvard’s Billions for Scientific Research to Trade Schools, Demands Names of Foreign Students | Diane Ravitch's blog
Trump is a petty man who is filled with rage, grievance, and a passion for retribution. His current target is Harvard University because the nation's most prestigious university told him no. Harvard's President Alan Garber said it would not allow the federal government to control its curriculum, its admissions, and its hiring policies. No. Every…
Judge Tosses Lawsuit Against Reading Reseacher Lucy Calkins, Other Reading Researchets | Diane Ravitch's blog
For many years, "Balanced Literacy " was considered the gold standard of reading instruction; it encouraged students to use context clues, Then came the fervor for the "Science of Reading," which emphasized phonics. The reading wars dominated the education world for nearly two decades. Reading instruction across the nation changed to reflect the pro-phonics emphasis.…
DANGER! DANGER! DANGER! The “Beautiful” Tax Bill Guts the Rule of Law! | Diane Ravitch's blog
That "One Big Beautiful Bill" is supposed to be about the budget and taxes but tucked into it are a variety of dangerous items that Trump partisans hope will go unnoticed. The most dangerous item of all undercuts the rule of law. Liz Cheney and Adam Kinziger noticed it. They posted this warning on Twitter:…
Trump’s Kennedy Center Agenda Features Drag Artists | Diane Ravitch's blog
The Daily Beast wrote with amusement that the Trump-branded Kennedy Center in D.C. has listed its coming attractions, and several of them feature drag performers. This, despite Trump denouncing the previous management for permitting anything that included drag actors. Some shows that were originally scheduled cancel to protest the Trump takeover, including "Hamilton" and the…
Bruce Springsteen: “No Retreat!” | Diane Ravitch's blog
While big corporate media are falling all over themselves trying to placate Trump, one guy says "Nope, won't do it." Bruce Springsteen. The head of CBS News and the producer of "60 Minutes" quit rather than agree to settle with Trump, who sued "60 Minutes" for $10 billion for editing its interview with Kamala Harris.…
Trump Posted Unhinged Ravings for Memorial Day | Diane Ravitch's blog
It is Trump's style to insult anyone who disagrees with him. Ever. He can never speak of "the honorable opposition" or his esteemed colleague with whom he disagrees. No, anyone who disagrees is a radical Marxist or a stupid fool or whatever epithet comes to mind. Here is his Memorial Day greeting to his fellow…
The American Academy of Arts and Sciences Issues a Statement about the Current Crisis | Diane Ravitch's blog
The American Academy of Arts and Sciences is the most distinguished scholarly organization in the nation. It is dedicated to the advancement of the arts and sciences. It is decidedly nonpartisan. I was elected to membership many years ago. AAAS rarely issues a statement. Its board did so in April because of unprecedented attacks on…
A Personal Report to My Friends Who Read the Blog | Diane Ravitch's blog
I spent this past weekend at my sixty-fifth reunion at Wellesley College. Since I graduated in 1960, I have never missed one. Part of my faithfulness is grounded in nostalgia, in a chance to relive a wonderful part of my life. The four years at Wellesley were transformative, and today my closest friends are classmates.…
New Policy! No Posts Today or Tomorrow! | Diane Ravitch's blog
Starting today, with the sole exception of the 9 a.m. post about censorship, there will be no more posts on Saturday or Sunday. I meant to write and say, NONE! But I could not resist the story about cartoonist Art Spiegelman. If there is breaking news, I will post it. Otherwise, enjoy your weekend.
This Cartoon Was Deleted from a PBS Special About the Artist, Art Spiegelman | Diane Ravitch's blog
The New York Times reported that a cartoon about Trump by Art Spiegelmaan was removed by the executive producer of the PBS show "American Masters." Trump has proposed defunding both PBS and NPR. The Times wrote: The executive producer of the Emmy Award-winning “American Masters” series insisted on removing a scene critical of President Trump…
What Can the Federal Government Do to Promote Learning? | Diane Ravitch's blog
On May 10, Dana Goldstein wrote a long article in The New York Times about how education disappeared as a national or federal issue. Why, she wondered, did the two major parties ignore education in the 2024 campaign? Kamala Harris supported public schools and welcomed the support of the two big teachers' unions, but she…
What’s Missing from the Story About the Qatari Jet That Trump Wants | Diane Ravitch's blog
So the U.S. government accepted the luxurious jet offered by Qatar to serve as Air Force 1, the President's official airplane. The New York Times published a lengthy story --"the inside story"--of Trump's longing to accept the jet as a gift from the government of Qatar. It explains that the Qataris had been trying to…
My New Book is Now Available for Pre-Order on Amazon! | Diane Ravitch's blog
It won't actually be available until October 10, but it's now ready for pre-ordering on Amazon, possibly other sites as well. It's my memoirs, the story of my life. Growing up in Houston as third of eight children. College. Marriage. Career. Developing my views and values. Discovering that many of my convictions seeed wrong. Saying…
William Kristol: A Permanent Stain on Our History | Diane Ravitch's blog
William Kristol was a leading figure in the conservative movement. His father Irving Kristol was renowned as the godfather of neoconservatism. Bill was the editor of the Weekly Standard for many years. But because he is a principled conservative, he loathes what Trump is doing to our nation. He writes at The Bulwark, my favorite…
U.S. Supreme Court Splits 4-4 on Oklahoma Religious Charter School, Meaning No | Diane Ravitch's blog
The U.S. Supreme Court split 4-4 on the Oklahoma religious charter school issue. St. Isadore of Seville Catholic School applied for public funding to sponsor an online religious school. The tie decision means that the last decision--which ruled against the proposal--stands. Justice Amy Coney Barrett recused herself because of a previous relationship with one of…
Federal Judge Blocks Shutdown of Department of Education | Diane Ravitch's blog
When Trump promised to shut down the U.S. Department of Education during his campaign, he must have known that he couldn't close down a department without Congressional approval. Everyone else knew it. He brought in wrestling entrepreneur Linda McMahon as Secretary of Education to preside over the Department's demise. He never sought Congressional approval. Elon…
Jennifer Berkshire: What’s Next for Vouchers: Champagne or Storm Clouds? | Diane Ravitch's blog
Jennifer Berkshire has both good news and bad news about vouchers. The idea of public funding for religious and private schools had some big wins this year, especially in Texas. But most vouchers are subsidizing kids who never attended public schools; that's a feature, not a bug as it creates strong support for the giveaway…
Michael Hiltzik: RFK Jr. is a Danger to Public Health | Diane Ravitch's blog
Michael Hiltzik, columnist for The Los Angeles Times, explains why Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is himself a danger to public health. Why did Trump pick him? RFK Jr. is neither a medical nor a scientific researcher. He has made his mark in public as a conspiracy theorist and a publicist for the idea that vaccines…
Breaking News! Trump Revokes Harvard’s Ability to Enroll International students | Diane Ravitch's blog
The Trump administration upped the stakes in its vindictive campaign against Harvard University. It has canceled Harvard's enrollment of international students. Harvard refused to cave to the Trump administration's demands to monitor its curriculum and its admissions and hiring policies. In response, the administration has suspended billions of federal dollars for medical and scientific research.…
PBS: What You Need to Know About Medicaid | Diane Ravitch's blog
Republicans are struggling to get the votes they need to pass Trump's budget bill. They have a narrow majority in the House of Representatives, and they need almost every Republican vote to put the bill through. Much of the debate focuses on the fate of Medicaid. Medicaid and Medicare are often confused. Medicare is health…
Fareed Zakaria: Trump’s War on Science Is Damaging Our Economy and Our Future | Diane Ravitch's blog
If someone asked you which of Trump's policies was the most catastrophic, what would you say? His personal attacks on law firms that had the nerve to represent clients he didn't like? His unleashing of ICE to threaten and arrest people who have committed no crime? His efforts to intimidate the media? His assault on…
LA Times: Trump Claims Harris Campaign Paid Celebrities to Endorse Her | Diane Ravitch's blog
Trump ranted against the celebrities who endorsed Kamala Harris in her failed Presidential campaign, singling out Beyoncé and Bruce Springsteen. He said they had been paid by the Harris campaign, and he threatened to investigate them. He insisted that Harris paid Beyoncé $11 million for her endorsement. Trump is a sore winner. The Los Angeles…
Leonie Haimson: How States Can Inspire One Another to Fight for Successful Policies | Diane Ravitch's blog
Leonie Haimson, the executive director of Class Size Matters in New York City, is a tireless advocate for reform policies that work. She has spent years collecting research about the benefits of class size reduction and prodding legislators to take action. She wrote recently about the cross-pollination between New York State and Michigan, where state…
Why Trump Hates PBS: The Definitive Explanation | Diane Ravitch's blog
Trump signed an executive order demanding the defunding of public television (PBS) and National Public Radio (NPR). Since both are a valuable source of news and information about science, politics, history, nature, significant people and events, their defunding would be a great loss for the American people. Why does Trump hate PBS? His hatred originated…
Wall Street Journal: Trump Tax Plan Will Not Cut the Deficit | Diane Ravitch's blog
Richard Rubin of The Wall Street Journal politely explains the lie behind Trump's "big beautiful budget plan": it will not cut the deficit. It will increase it. WASHINGTON—House Republicans pushed President Trump’s “big, beautiful” tax-and-spending bill past a key hurdle late Sunday night, but the last-minute grappling has them colliding with a stark reality: The…
Now Will They Leave Joe Biden Alone? | Diane Ravitch's blog
As I was scrolling through Twitter on Sunday, I read a bunch of anti-Biden tweets, so I added my two cents. I tweeted: Maybe it's just me, but I would rather have Joe Biden (surrounded by highly competent people) asleep than Donald Trump at his best (surrounded by Fascists, haters, and law-breakers) on his best…
Heather Cox Richardson: Trump’s Politics of Distraction | Diane Ravitch's blog
Heather Cox Richardson uses her well-honed skills as a historian to weave together disparate events and demonstrate the media strategy of the Trump administration. It could be summarized by the succinct phrase: "Dazzle them with BS." She writes: MAGA world is performing over-the-top outrage over a photo former Federal Bureau of Investigation director James Comey…
Why Does the Trump Administration Want to Deport or Imprison This Cancer Researcher? | Diane Ravitch's blog
I have been following the case of Kseniia Petrova, a cancer researcher at Harvard, with a sense of outrage and helplessness. She attended a conference in France and returned last February with samples of frog embryos for her laboratory. She was detained by Customs for failing to declare them and has been incarcerated ever since.…
Georgia: Brain-Dead Woman Kept Alive Because She Was Nine Weeks Pregnant | Diane Ravitch's blog
This is one of the saddest stories I have read in a long time. Georgia has one of the most draconian abortion laws in the nation. Because of that law, a woman who is brain-dead will be kept "alive" until she gives birth. She is nine weeks pregnant. The baby will be removed when it…