As assistant secretary of education under President George H.W. Bush, Diane Ravitch became an outspoken supporter of educational testing, school choice, charter schools, and what later became, under George W. Bush, the No Child Left Behind law. Later, she championed those positions as a member of the board that oversees educational testing in the United States.
She has changed her mind, in a very public way.
Today, Dr. Ravitch refers to the reforms she once championed as "deforms." Her new book, The Death and Life of the Great American School System, documents her own reversal and the impact of current education policy on communities, schools, families, teachers, and students.
Her recent interview with Slate magazine makes an interesting read.
The Obama Administration has its own plans to reform public education, called Race to the Top.
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