I will protect your pensions. Nothing about your pension is going to change when I am governor. - Chris Christie, "An Open Letter to the Teachers of NJ" October, 2009

Sunday, October 13, 2013

One More Time: Why Isn't Diane Ravitch On My TV?

Pick up the dead tree version of the NY Times today, and you'll see that Diane Ravitch's new book, Reign of Error, has been on the bestseller list for two weeks. And it will be there next week as well.

Michelle Rhee's Radical never made the NY Times bestseller list - a feat Ravitch has now accomplished three times.

And yet Michelle Rhee appeared on these prominent media outlets:

  • The Daily Show with Jon Stewart
  • This Week with George Stephanopoulos
  • Charlie Rose
  • Real Time with Bill Maher
And many others as well. And yet Rhee's book was an absolute commercial flop

Why won't the mainstream media give Diane Ravitch even a fraction of the airtime they gave to Michelle Rhee? Are they afraid of a 70-something grandmother with a compelling argument? Do they not care about having a real discourse on American public schooling? Are the gatekeepers to the mainstream media in the thralls of the reformy status quo?

Why isn't Diane Ravitch on my TV?

Fellas, trust me: she's a very nice lady. You'll be fine...

5 comments:

Unknown said...

Good question. I dare say you've thought of an answer....

Giuseppe said...

They don't have the guts to have Diane Ravitch on their shows or they are just clueless about what is going on in education in this country. Rhee has all the billionaires behind her while Diane is an army of one with no billionaires giving her aerial support or backing. Diane is a tireless human dynamo and she is not discouraged by the odds against her. We are lucky to have such a person in this country, she's a national treasure.

Unknown said...

She was on Chris Hayes show on MSNBC. Not exactly prime time but it's a start...

http://www.nbcnews.com/id/53209013/ns/msnbc-all_in_with_chris_hayes/#.UltB1SSE5XI

Duke said...

Thx, everyone. Ajay, that was a good appearance - she needs more.

Unknown said...

Maybe Diane hasn't "earned" her place at the table? According to Rick Hess teachers don't deserve to be part of the reformy discussion.

http://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/rick_hess_straight_up/2013/10/seizing_opportunity_from_crisis.html?plckFindCommentKey=CommentKey:07a28c8e-ab18-4a14-8747-21a8d54ecf59