On Tuesday, October 4, the Riley Institute brought Diane Ravitch to Furman to discuss her new book, The Death and Life of the Great American School System: How Testing and Choice are Undermining Education.
Ravitch is a Research Professor of Education at New York University, a historian of education, and a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution in Washington, D.C. Previously, she was the Assistant Secretary of Education and Counselor to Secretary of Education Lamar Alexander from 1991 to 1993 under President George H.W. Bush. She is also a popular blogger and has been the author or editor of over 20 books.
At Furman, Ravitch spoke to over 250 people in the Younts Center. The audience included many students as well as local teachers, principles, superintendents, and educators.
In her keynote, Ravitch talked about the problems in the current American education system. She discussed the failures of the No Child Left Behind Act, an act she previously supported but now believes is the worst ever legislation on education.
She criticized reformers who believe that testing, accountability, and choice are the best formula for educational success. Teachers, she said, should not be solely held accountable for low scores.
"Education is not a competition or race, it is a continuous development," said Ravitch.
She stated her belief that relying solely on test scores only increases cheating, narrows education, and leads many districts to cut the arts, music, physical education, and any other classes that students are not tested on. Schools should be "preparing students for life, not just a test," she said.
Ravitch talked about a recent trip she took to survey the public education system in Finland. There, she said, teaching is a great honor, and their teachers must apply to a very selective teaching program. The Finish language does not even have a word for "accountability"; the closest equivalent is "responsibility." Because their teachers are so qualified, there is not a regulated curriculum, and the kids never see standardized tests until they apply for college.
Her talk moved next to studies showing that poverty is the real problem, not poor educators. There is no testing program in the country that does not reflect family income. If we reduce poverty, Ravitch said, we will have higher test scores.
Ravitch argued that good public education should be a right. "A great nation needs a great education system."
Diane Ravitch has turned down over 200 speaking engagements but accepted the invitation to speak at Furman because of Richard Riley, Former Governor of South Carolina and Secretary of Education under President Clinton.
"I want him to be a champion," said Ravitch. "To speak up and speak out."
Jill Fuson, manager of policy events for the Riley Institute, said she was very pleased with the outcome of the event. "Anytime you have an event where students leave reflecting on the event, wanting to learn more, you know it's a successful event."
"Bringing people together around public policy issues is the goal of the Riley Institute," she added. "[Ravitch is] an interesting person because she's been on both sides. It's interesting to see someone come full circle."