Howard Dean praises TFA, tweets that public schools have "low expectations" ....

[madfloridian]

and don't hold kids "accountable". He had high words of praise for Teach for America on Hardball, which shows he has not been paying attention to the voices of the public school advocates.

Tom Whitby ‏@tomwhitby Apr 14

Howard Dean say's that "Teach for America is revolutionizing education across the country." I am missing something. #edchat


...Joan Walsh ‏@joanwalsh Apr 14

Wow, really Howard Dean? Yikes...

And this exchange with him.

Katie Osgood ‏@KatieOsgood_ Apr 15

.@GovHowardDean @GetUpStandUp2 I'm a Sped teacher in Chi & giving neediest kids the least prepared tchrs is immoral. http://atthechalkface.com/2013/06/30/an-open-letter-to-new-teach-for-america-recruits/ …

Howard Dean ‏@GovHowardDean Apr 16

@KatieOsgood_ @GetUpStandUp2 Perhaps, but lack of holding kids accountable is also immoral, and so are low expectations

mad floridian ‏@madfloridian 9h

@GovHowardDean @KatieOsgood_ @GetUpStandUp2 Gov Dean you are spouting ed reform talking points We tchrs don't have "low expectations".

That is like slapping teachers in the face. Those are the worst of the very bad talking points from the "reformers", the "privatizers". To say to even imply that teachers do not hold kids accountable and have low levels of expectation for them....is (to use Dean's term) indeed IMMORAL.

At his twitter feed he says he will ban anyone who tweets to his twitter site. So that means I am banned Joan Walsh, Kattie Osgood, and a few hundred others who responded are banned from his site (or should I say his "sight".)

I mean why have a twitter feed if you don't want people to have discussions about what you say? Why bother? That's how you know who is responding and communicating.

Makes me think the "reformers" like Dean don't want to hear what the teachers have to say.

And that's a shame.

Here's some more of the very long conversation. He starts out with questioning the credentials of Diane Ravitch. Not a wise move on his part.

https://twitter.com/GovHowardDean/status/456554082484776961

There are a lot of people on that thread. It should get the attention of some politicians who are not paying attention to educators.

[JI7]

1. isn't his brother involved in TFA ?

[madfloridian]

3. Jim Dean runs DFA, Democracy for America which rose out of the Dean Campaign.

However Dean's son is much involved with charter schools and I believe with TFA. That is a personal decision. But when he accuses career teachers of treating students in careless ways...that becomes my business.

[JI7]

4. ok, i got his brother and son confused but i remember a family member

was involved in it .

maybe he is just listening to his son too much.

[madfloridian]

5. Yes, like his mind is made up.

I imagine both minds are made up already.

Be sure to read the discussion list at the end. Lots of good people making good points to Dean...but he keeps harping on whether Diane Ravitch taught K-12.

All he has to do is look on the internet.

From Huff Post, her bio:

Diane Ravitch is Research Professor of Education at New York University and a historian of education.

She blogs at dianeravitch.net, a site which has had nearly 8.3 million page views in less than a year.

From 1991 to 1993, she was Assistant Secretary of Education and Counselor to Secretary of Education Lamar Alexander in the administration of President George H.W. Bush. She was responsible for the Office of Educational Research and Improvement in the U.S. Department of Education. As Assistant Secretary, she led the federal effort to promote the creation of voluntary state and national academic standards.

From 1997 to 2004, she was a member of the National Assessment Governing Board, which oversees the National Assessment of Educational Progress, the federal testing program. She was appointed by the Clinton administration’s Secretary of Education Richard Riley in 1997 and reappointed by him in 2001. From 1995 until 2005, she held the Brown Chair in Education Studies at the Brookings Institution and edited Brookings Papers on Education Policy. Before entering government service, she was Adjunct Professor of History and Education at Teachers College, Columbia University.

That is only the beginning of her bio.

Then it lists the books and articles she has written, then adds her degrees and honors.

He is being very insulting to her.

[emsimon33]

2. Guess I won't be funding DFA any more--I am very disappointed

[madfloridian]

6. This is a good one from the BadAss Teachers. Dean questions Ravitch credibility.

https://twitter.com/BadassTeachersA/status/456629826003017729

.@GovHowardDean ->U question our greatest ed. historian! Really? U need to read her book! #realdems

[ancianita]

11. Yeah, I've always detested her opportunistic approach to crises -- always too little too late.

See that forlorn, resigned look on her face? It's from the weary guilt she's felt in her ivory tower over the years, when she has wet her finger, put it up in the air to see which way the ground wind is blowing, writes some article or book strong on description and weak on solutions, then makes lots of money consulting with corporate media lapdogs. She's useless.

She's never really been on the teachers side about anything. She is no authority about how to fix schools, neither is she an analyst that the public or teachers can trust.

[madfloridian]

15. I have two of her books. I disagree. She's a powerful advocate for public schools and teachers.

[ancianita]

16. I know who talk the talk and walk the walk. Academics = part of the problem, not the solution.

She's bought and sold through the world of academia. She's not powerful except in articulating rhetoric over some larger corporate agenda upon the public sector -- and their own universities -- too late. She even admitted herself that she'd been wrong for twenty years! Now she's powerful?

In forty years she's done absolutely nothing for teachers or students. Perhaps you and other teachers have seen her as an ally. I did for about a minute. Perhaps you've felt grateful for the hope her lip service brings to the grind. But then I looked at who benefits from these ongoing 'crises,' 'reforms,' 'testing,' and 'merit pay' gimmickry and all the other innovations from the 'support services' treadmill. Lotta consulting money. No legislation lobbying. No union speeches or support. No help in contract negotiating. No help in school climate work, tutoring, program running. A lotta 'take' from the field pros and no give-back.

As I suspected all along, she's a self-serving academic. I'll never be persuaded of anything but her good intentions. Diane Ravitch and all the other university academics who gave up on the public schools can all go suck it. They might slow down the privatization process, but they'll never be instrumental in stopping it. I will never trust them again.

Depending on academia for any teacher alliance is a waste of time. The field professionals will have to save these schools by themselves. And with parents, lawyers and money.

Going to bed now.

[MattBaggins]

23. Let me guess.. Michelle Rhee fan?

[ancianita]

27. Oh hell no. She's even worse.

[questionseverything]

24. at my local public grade school

all the bi lingual students are shipped in to us

the first year they had to take the tests in english was the first year my grade school got a failing grade

with the new and improved testing every grade school in my district is failing and 4 grade schools in the district next door are failing

we are a pretty healthy area economy wise so i can not imagine what the test results look like in an impoverished area

can you give me details on the back story of ravitch and why others are bashing her?

[madfloridian]

25. Ravitch is against this extreme testing, she is about the only public voice standing for teachers.

One of her strongest points is that she was one of the "reformers"...she was GHW Bush's asst secretary of education. She is now writing and speaking out against the hostile takeover of public schools.

I would recommend reading her blog daily or reading her books, the latest is Reign of Error. the other I have is The Death and Life of the Great American School System.

Here is a link to her blog.

http://dianeravitch.net/

She has gained a voice that gets attention while people like me who write about the harm being done have very small audiences, even smaller at most Democratic forums.

I honestly don't know of ANY Democrats standing up for public education. Not Al Franken, he sounds like Howard Dean now. Last I heard Elizabeth Warren is supporting vouchers being given so kids can go wherever they want to school. I will correct that if I need to after more research.

So the only voices are bloggers and Ravitch...and maybe a couple of others I can count on one hand. Trust me even MSNBC shows no support for public education....they are on board with the reformers.

[questionseverything]

26. ok now i understand where the suspicion comes from

on one hand it takes a big person to change course and realize their earlier views were wrong

on the other hand since the 1% seem to control everything it is hard to believe there is not some hidden motive in any change of thinking....heck i am no rocket scientist but i knew from the earliest talk of vouchers it was just a ploy to defund public schools

you said,while people like me who write about the harm being done have very small audiences

please do not sell yourself short, i know i have learned tons from you and the twitter campaign will eventually gain steam, actually if dean is fighting the teachers on twitter we are at step 3

first they ignore you ,then they ridicule you ,then they fight you ,then you win!!!!!!

[adirondacker]

7. This is rather depressing news. Major disappointment with Howard on this viewpoint. nt

[sabrina 1]

8. Dean has made some serious errors on other issues airc, very disappointing. But as George Carlin

said and sadly it appears to be true, 'it is a big club and we ain't in it'. Dean is no exception. Frankly after the way he was treated by Rahm Emanuel it's astounding that he would support one of the worst systems of 'education' in the civilized world right now. I wonder WHY he is doing this?

He is an insider, and I've come to the conclusion that they will all let the people down once they get on the inside for one reason or another.

[madfloridian]

30. He just threw more fuel onto the fire at Twitter...insulted professor

Mark Naison ‏@McFiredogg 10h

@GovHowardDean Do some research. I have TAUGHT Malcolm X's Autobiography to THOUSANDS of students. And have written about the experience.
Expand

Reply
Retweet
Favorite

Mark Naison ‏@McFiredogg 10h

Howard Dean just told me to "read Malcolm X's Autobiography"-Typical politician talking down to a teacher @BadassTeachersA @GovHowardDean
Expand

Reply
Retweet
Favorite

Favorited by Ms. McGlone
Mark Naison ‏@McFiredogg 10h

@GovHowardDean @goodnewsgoddess @McFiredogg @KarenLewisCTU I have TAUGHT his Autobiography since 1966!!! Talking down to a teacher?

[sabrina 1]

31. Wow, that is sad to see. Good to know though what they really think. We get fooled so often

that I am at the point where I am not disappointed anymore. I just move forward from anyone who betrays the people no matter what I might have thought of them before.

[ancianita]

9. He's got a big fat hole in his understanding what nation (re)building is about.

He's probably not as good at governance as he is at organizing competitions.

[awoke_in_2003]

10. Another democrat

toeing the corporate line.

[progressoid]

12. That's disappointing.

Howard, you just went down a couple rungs on the ladder.

[Iwillnevergiveup]

13. Come on, Gov. Dean

you ain't no Cory Booker. TFA is a racket.

[catchnrelease]

14. That's a shame

I'm another who is disappointed in Dean. I thought he was one of the few who was more on the correct side of issues, but sadly it appears he is not. smh

[Orlandodem]

17. The Democratic Party takes the teacher vote for granted. That needs to end right now.

Teachers need to stand up and have their voices heard.

[nationalize the fed]

18. Not just teachers

Divide and conquer has won.

A few years ago people were literally wandering about in the streets trying to catch a glimpse of "change" and what happened to that?

(D)'s took the anti war vote for granted too- paid a bit of lip service and now look at what happened. No more antiwar- and if you are you're a Commie Lover or maybe an Assad flunkie.

It's all a bad joke on the people. And in the fall, most incumbents will be re-elected. It's emigration time. But there's no where left to go- except maybe the jungles of Brazil or something.

[Scuba]

19. Very disappointing, Howard. Get a clue.

[madfloridian]

20. Enjoyed this exchange between Dean and someone concerned with autism education.

Howard Dean ‏@GovHowardDean Apr 16

Curious about our TFA debate. Anyone know if Diane Ravitch has ever taught in a K-12 public school? Can't find that in her Bio
Expand

Reply
Retweet
Favorite

John M. Young ‏@ED_IN_DE Apr 16

@GovHowardDean has she ever claimed to? She is a scholar/historian which is far better than uninformed elected policy maker.
Expand

Reply
Retweet
Favorite

Howard Dean ‏@GovHowardDean Apr 16

@ED_IN_DE Wasn't being snarky, I just didnt know.
Expand

Reply
Retweet
Favorite

John M. Young ‏@ED_IN_DE Apr 16

@GovHowardDean welcome to the education world on Twitter sir, charged with energy and passion! Dive in, but be warned, it's intense.
Hide conversation

Reply
Retweet
Favorite

Yes, that's true. The education world on twitter can be very passionate. Many fighters for public education. A couple of liberal forums are getting close to that also, but some have a long long way to go.

In case you don't know Ravitch's credentials...here's a very long and thorough bio at Huff post.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/diane-ravitch/

[Jefferson23]

21. Unfortunate..sorry to hear this. n/t

[madfloridian]

22. Interesting read from EduShyster

http://edushyster.com/?p=541

Follow the links.

[ancianita]

28. Yep. I call TFA poverty pimping. Ain't no commitment to be scholars of communities they teach in.

[McCamy Taylor]

29. This must be why I neither twitter nor tweet.

Public schools are good for kids. They teach them to love and respect their neighbors and a democratic government. I'm a doctor, just like Dr. Dean. My son went to all public schools. On purpose. Private schools are elitist. They also try to teach kids to conform. Could never stand them when I was growing up. Hated all white suburban schools, too. Give me an integrated inner city school any day. Much more diverse student body. More interesting people to meet and talk to. You learn more about life. Real life.

[madfloridian]

32. Good post..good points.

Haven't seen you around...must be missing each other this board moves so fast.