Media: City Paper Declares Ravitch The "Anti-Rhee"

Folks on both sides of the education debate are taking a look at City Paper's cover story on Diane Ravitch, which names her the "Anti-Rhee." 

Those who are critical of Ravitch seem to be enjoying the somewhat unflattering photo.  Those who support her point to the sidebar raising issues about Rhee having been in danger of losing her political base. There's an interesting sidebar about who's joined Team Rhee since she left Washington, including many names you've read about here and a few you haven't.

The link to former Rhee is understandable given the City Paper's focus on Washington and is a good excuse to run yet another set of stories about Rhee, but I don't think of Ravitch as being particularly focused on just Rhee. Maybe they just didn't want to put Rhee on the cover?  I'm still checking it out and may have more thoughts -- as may others.  I'm  sure there'll be more.  Feel free to share your thoughts about the article in the comments or on Twitter.  

Comments

[Bonita]

Interesting that they felt the need to state Ravitch's age. I wonder, was that to recognize Ravitch's wisdom and experience, or to promote an old school-new school mentality within the readership?

[Sandra]

It is a gross and inaccurate generalization to link Ravitch and Rhee. Some news outlets are simply unable to or care to grasp that what Ravitch gives voice to are the serious questions about policy that ought to be part of the public discourse. When facts cannot be presented and critiqued, then some prefer sensationalizing the personal. I consider the City Paper a tabloid; obviously with a preference to dumb down what should be a very important discussion on education.

[Mary]

Compared to the orchestrated dismissals of a mere year ago, that's a favorable piece on Diane. It mentions a few things she actually wrote or said, for instance. It still doesn't mention what she's actually doing, though.

If you have readers who haven't seen it, here's another link to Daine's heroic project of summarizing the goals of the July 30 Save Our Schools march in DC.

http://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/Bridging-Differences/2011/06/why_i_am_marching_on_july_30.html

I feel like Diogenes here, surfing around with my little lantern, looking for honest players among "reformy types". I'm inviting any of you to join us if you can read through the manifesto, and find reasons that align with some true agenda of yours. Did you really think entrepreneurs would bring positive changes to schools? Were you going to offer services so useful that teachers would want them, and you wouldn't need political coruption, fake data, and media manipulation? If that's what's really in your heart, shouldn't you be the one standing up to the cheats and liars and frauds? I mean standing all-the-way-up, as in: walk with us.

Here's an example.
"I want to protest federal efforts to encourage entrepreneurs to make money from education, instead of promoting open-source technology, free to all schools."

I'm a real-life classroom chemistry teacher, and I assure you, the digital stuff they've succeeded in vending is crap. It's just lousy worksheets or previously available content which has been removed from my students' reach. it's hucksters with nothing to offer but a toll gate. At its worst, it offers a viscerally repulsive corrupt contract with administrators, to just bilk the poorest kids out of their education birthright. If anybody started out crusading for digital learning advances, you know these things are true by now, too.

Stop this cynical power play in its tracks, then. Turn education reform around and point it the right way. Join us.