<![CDATA[RealClearPolitics - Articles by Diane Ravitch]]>http://www.realclearpolitics.com/authors/?id=15859Author <![CDATA[Michelle Rhee Is Wrong About School Reform]]> Thu, 09 Aug 2012 00:00:00 -0500 A few days ago, CNN interviewed former D.C. schools chancellor Michelle Rhee about American education. Rhee, predictably, said that American education is terrible, that test scores are flat, and that we are way behind other nations on international tests.

I disagree with Rhee. She constantly bashes American education, which is one of the pillars of our democratic society. Our public schools educate 90% of the population, and we should give the public schools some of the credit for our nation’s accomplishments as the largest economy and the greatest engine of technological innovation in the world.

]]> <![CDATA[A New Agenda for School Reform]]> Fri, 02 Apr 2010 00:00:00 -0500 I used to be a strong supporter of school accountability and choice. But in recent years, it became clear to me that these strategies were not working. The federal No Child Left Behind (NCLB) program enacted in 2002 did not produce large gains in reading and math. The gains in math were larger before the law was implemented, and the most recent national tests showed that eighth-grade students have made no improvement in reading since 1998. By mandating a utopian goal of 100 percent proficiency, the law encouraged states to lower their standards and make false claims of progress. Worse, the law stigmatized schools that could not meet its unrealistic expectation.

 

Choice,...]]> <![CDATA[The Obama Education Agenda]]> Mon, 10 Nov 2008 00:00:00 -0600