Today’s science is tomorrow’s witchcraft.

“Gist is clearly a very smart, articulate woman. But she dominated the conversation, interrupted me whenever I spoke, and filibustered to use up the limited time. Whenever I raised an issue, she would interrupt to say, “That isn’t happening here.” She came to talk, not to listen. It became so difficult for me to complete a sentence that at one point, I said, “Hey, guys, you live here all the time, I’m only here for a few hours. Please let me speak.” But Gist continued to cut me off. In many years of meeting with public officials, I have never encountered such rudeness and incivility. I am waiting for an apology.”
http://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/Bridging-Differences/2011/05/why_wont_reformers_listen.html

Sounds to me that Gist is using her skills and abilities, to keep people focused on the topic and to keep off the rhetoric. Gist does not have the time to listen to rhetoric, when time is better spent on looking for solutions. When I learned how to do it with IEP meetings, the educrats saw me in the same light as Ravitch saw Gist. Of course, it was easier in an IEP meeting, since educrats at the board level could never answer the question, how would your solution improve my child’s reading, writing and numeracy. They never had any evidence, besides rhetoric, and than I would jumped in with my solution and reach into my little brown folder to backup my solution.  The biggest compliment paid to me by the educrats at the board level, that I refuse to listen to their expertise. I burst out laughing, when a middle-level staff member from the ministry was giving me a list of all my faults according the educrats at the board level.She started to laugh too, and said it must be your little brown folder, that they dislike. I am sure that Gist is well-trained in the art of meetings, and obtaining objectives, and Ravitch is peeved that her star-status is no longer an advantage and now her expertise may no longer be holding sway among the top educators who are in charge of an education system.

Good point, Nancy.  During interviewss, I’ve seen educrats drift away from the real issues when not nailed down.  I have no evidence to support my suspicions, but it appears to be a ploy to avoid the very serious problems of high illiteracy rates; lack of numeracy skills; bullying etc.

Bev, the web is a wonderful tool to learn so many things, without actually taking a course or two.  Some professionals are quite willing to pass down their advice to ordinary souls who are fighting bureaucracy and its red tape. For practice, I used my own child, and anyone that walk into the house. Now, I listen differently and I do believed that I am much better at communications, and keeping to the topic or my objectives.

As for educrats, they also have their own seminars especially on dealing with parents. The parents they have trouble with, are the parents who are professionals, and their have extensive training in obtaining their objectives. But the educrats pushed me, always reminding me that they were the experts, and I decided to learn a few new tricks that most parents have never been taught. The neat part, is that my youngest picked this skill up by watching me, and using her as a guinea pig. Even the teachers asked me where did she learned this, because she can advocate for herself, obtaining her objectives like she has been doing it for years. I shrugged, and suggested she has a lot of strengths that are now coming to the surface.

Politicians are quite good at it, addressing the question and than turned it back to the topic that they want to speak on. I just wished that reporters start to do the same thing, asking the questions that the educrats do not want to answered. Like the G/M article on Jump Math, which left lots of room to leave an impression to readers that Jump Math is just another math program, without the stats to back it up. Jump Math has some impressive stats, and the best part of Jump Math, parents can follow it easily and help their children.

That’s right Nancy about educrats being trained on how to ‘handle’ parents   One of the best things a parent can do is to stick to their question, and not allow educrats to stray; also the bottom line—expected results. Jounalists should take note…

btw, Wasn’t it Ms. Ravitch’s charter school in California that failed dismally with her terribly flawed teaching methods?  Isn’t that where her name’s also popped up?

The corruption runs deep-she has abandoned all the things that make the real difference and her discussions are now political rather than specific.

They are all running to cover up the scandal of over 30 years of whole language and fuzzy math.

Can`t be done,test results don`t lie-unless you live in Ontario.