Diane Ravitch on Changing Her Mind About School Choice, Testing, and Race

Evolution of Educational Views

• 💡 Diane Ravitch, a historian of education, details her significant shift in perspective from advocating for school choice, charter expansion, and standardized testing to becoming a strong proponent of public schools.
• 🧠 Her early life in segregated Houston and experiences working at a socialist magazine instilled a lifelong skepticism towards panaceas and a deep understanding of societal inequalities.

Critiques of School Choice and Charters

• 🎯 Ravitch explains her initial support for school choice was based on theory and the idea of competition, but real-world results showed it did not produce the hoped-for improvements.
• ⚠️ She highlights concerns about fraud and financial motives within the charter school sector, noting that charters often select their students, disadvantaging public schools.
• 💰 The voucher movement, she argues, has become a subsidy for the well-to-do, with most vouchers going to students already in private or religious schools, rather than helping poor children escape failing schools.

Standardized Testing and 'Miracles'

• 📊 Ravitch expresses strong criticism of standardized testing, stating it primarily confirms existing inequalities between rich and poor students.
• 📉 She debunks the idea of a "Southern miracle" in education, explaining that apparent score increases are often due to gaming the system, such as holding back third graders who cannot pass reading tests.
• 📚 She advocates for meeting students where they are and recognizing diverse gifts, rather than rigidly tracking them or relying solely on test scores, which can stigmatize students and make other subjects irrelevant.

Deeper Structural Issues and Solutions

• 🏘️ Ravitch argues that school reform efforts often sidestep deeper structural issues like concentrated poverty, racial segregation, and housing inequality.
• 🤝 As a short-term solution, she champions community schools that offer comprehensive services like medical checkups, social work support, and food pantries.
• 📈 For long-term solutions, she advocates for addressing income and wealth inequality by increasing taxes on the wealthiest individuals and corporations.

Shifting Views on Race and Equality

• 🏳️ Ravitch reflects on her change of mind regarding race, realizing that concepts she once criticized, like affirmative action and DEI, are crucial for constructive social change and for maintaining the status quo.
• 🚫 She criticizes the notion of a color-blind society as a means of preserving existing power structures and supports initiatives that promote racial and gender equity.