Presenting Reign of Error—Diane Ravitch's critique of privatized education
Channel: Economic Policy Institute
Date: 18/10/2013

In Reign of Error, Ravitch argues that the crisis in American education is not a crisis of academic achievement, as public school test scores and graduation rates are the highest they have ever been and dropout rates are at their lowest point.  Instead, she argues that the real crisis is a concerted effort to destroy public schools.  Federal programs like George W. Bush's No Child Left Behind and Barack Obama's Race to the Top "set unreasonable targets for American students, punish schools, and result in teachers being fired if their students underperform."  (Random House)

Ravitch presents a compelling plan to preserve and improve public education while exposing the misguided or suspect motives of those who push privatization models as essential to education reform.

Diane Ravitch is one of the foremost authorities on education in the United States and was the former U.S. assistant secretary of education under President George H.W. Bush.