An Education - by Diane Ravitch (Hardcover)

About the Book

In this passionate and timely memoir of her life's work as a historian and advocate, Diane Ravitch traces her ideological evolution.

Book Synopsis

For many years, Diane Ravitch was among the country's leading conservative thinkers on education. The cure for what ailed the school system was clear, she believed: high-stakes standardized testing, national standards, accountability, competition, charters, and vouchers. Then Ravitch saw what happened when these ideas were put into practice and recanted her long-held views. The problem was not bad teachers or failing schools, as conservatives claimed, but poverty. She denounced privatization as a hoax that did not help students and that harmed the public school system. She urged action to address the root causes of inequality.

In this passionate and timely memoir of her life's work as a historian and advocate, Ravitch traces her ideological evolution. She recounts her personal and intellectual journey: her childhood in Houston, her years among the New York intelligentsia, her service in government, and her leftward turn. Ravitch shares how she came to hold conservative views and why she eventually abandoned them, exploring her switch from championing standards-based curriculum and standardized testing to arguing for greater investment in professional teachers and in public schools. Bringing together candid reflections with decades of research on education, Ravitch makes a powerful case for becoming, as she calls herself, "an activist on behalf of public schools."

Review Quotes

Diane Ravitch's telling of her remarkable journey--from a child of working-class immigrants to one of the most vital national education treasures and leaders--tells us so much about her unwavering support for public education and its role in our society. That would be beautiful enough, but the second thrill is how she brings her curiosity--an essential trait we nurture in students--to question her own views and change her mind. The result is this clarion call to protect and strengthen public schooling in America as the foundation of our young people--and our democracy. If you care about the future, read this book.--Randi Weingarten, former president of the American Federation of Teachers

'Diane Ravitch' is a synonym for integrity. From school reformers' darling to their harshest critic, she has viewed K-12 policy from both sides now. Part delicious personal autobiography and part travelogue across the political spectrum, this book will entrance anyone interested in how a truly open-minded expert came to denounce our test-driven education regime.--Richard Rothstein, author of The Color of Law: A Forgotten History of How Our Government Segregated America

A brave, candid, fascinating, and touching tale of finding and telling the truth! Extraordinarily inspiring.--Yong Zhao, coauthor of Duck and Cover: Confronting and Correcting Dubious Practices in Education

About the Author

Diane Ravitch is a historian of education and a prominent commentator about education and politics. Her many books include Reign of Error: The Hoax of the Privatization Movement and the Danger to America's Public Schools (2013); The Death and Life of the Great American School System: How Testing and Choice Are Undermining Education (2010); and The Great School Wars: New York City, 1805-1973 (1974). Ravitch was assistant secretary of education under President George H. W. Bush and served on the national testing board during the Clinton administration. She is cofounder and president of the Network for Public Education.