Politics
How to Stop the Bleeding
Moment of Clarity
In The Death and Life of the Great American School System, Diane Ravitch charges that the Obama administration's enthusiasm for charter schools can undermine democratic values because, when more motivated parents choose charter schools, regular schools are left with a concentration of needier students. She mocks the administration's claims that its policies are evidence-based, describing research showing that charters, on average, perform about the same as regular schools--probably because "abysmal" charter schools are balanced by excellent ones. READ MORE >>
Education's Tea Partier
Almost 20 years ago, as a young editor at The Public Interest, I wrote an admiring review of The American Reader, an anthology compiled by Diane Ravitch. At the time, a battle was raging over multicultural education, and Ravitch joined the fray with a wonderful collection of speeches, songs, essays, and poems spanning the nation’s history. READ MORE >>
Pass or Fail
In my new book The Death and Life of the Great American School System, I argue that the current movement to fix schools will not improve American education. In fact, it may very well harm it. READ MORE >>
Labour Manual
LONDON -- Could Prime Minister Gordon Brown become the Harry Truman of British politics? For many long months, Brown and his Labor Party were written off as sure losers in this year's election, likely to be called for May 6. David Cameron, the young, energetic and empathetic Conservative Party leader, was all but handed Brown's job by the chattering classes, so consistent and formidable had been his lead in the polls. READ MORE >>
A Plea to Liberals
Most progressive members of the House will vote for health care reform. But there are a handful of liberals making loud noises about rejecting it. They may not be bluffing. Some of them, like Dennis Kucinich, actually cast nay votes against the House bill last November. But this time, every vote will count. So, those liberals may be the difference between success and failure. READ MORE >>
Weak Brew
Everything Is Unprecedented
Nuclear Standoff
Liberals And Illegal Immigration
Matthew Yglesias scorns the notion of building a double wall on the Mexican border to reduce illegal immigration: My colleague Andrea Nill notes that this is a fairly costly endeavor: READ MORE >>
