Diane Ravitch and Geoffrey Canada Duke It Out at Education Nation

Diane Ravitch, educational historian and professor of education at New York University, and Geoffrey Canada, founder and CEO of the Harlem Children's Zone, debated the pros and cons of charter and public school education on the third day of NBC News' Education Nation. NBC, for the second year, hosted 350 teachers and policymakers at Education Nation, a national summit, to discuss educational issues.

Ravitch, who had just returned from Finland where every public school looks like a private school and student achievement ranks high globally, suggested that the United States follow their lead and abandon teaching to the test. She went on to criticize the success of Canada's Harlem Children's Zone charter school, claiming that it was due to its wealthy board of trustees who help fund the school. Canada countered that teacher unions have blocked education innovation.

David Gregory, the host of Meet the Press, moderated the Ravitch/Canada session and he asked the pair, "How much firing can you tolerate?" If firing is not part of education reform then don't even bother, proclaimed Canada. While Ravitch responded that we should not have lousy teachers but "if we have lousy teachers it is because some lousy administrator hired them."

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Comments

[am10]

10:53 AM on 10/03/2011

Again, there was no teacher on the round table to tell Gregory the first thing that needs to be addressed. BTW, why do none of these people see parents as an issue?

[changing]

07:46 PM on 09/28/2011

How disgusting that David Gregory is pushing to fire teachers, one of the overpaid media elitists. As if teachers were even the issue. The issue is money and taking over the schools. Teachers, don't teach poor kids cause your scores might get you fired. Canada lost teachers due to lousy working conditions.
Course he isn't hurting at a half mil salary and with a $100 mil slush fund.

[LAteacher]

05:36 PM on 09/28/2011

I totally agree with Diane Ravitch. If Finland is leading the world with its 5 to 1 teacher ratio, and requires all teachers to have Master degrees, it is no wonder why they are tops in the world.

Bill Gates, Walton, etc... this that class size does not matter, which any teacher can tell you is a load of bull. I hope the points that Ravitch is making will one day be taken seriously by the Obama administration.

[CateManhattan]

12:06 AM on 10/02/2011

Dr. Ravitch is part of the reason that our education system became a testing factory. Amazing teflon -- she acts like she had nothing to do with it.

[am10]

10:52 AM on 10/03/2011

No she doesn't. She has said many times that she came to see the light.