Slaying Goliath, Diane Ravitch
Slaying Goliath, Diane Ravitch
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Slaying Goliath
The Passionate Resistance to Privatization and the Fight to Save America's Public Schools

Author: Diane Ravitch

Narrator: Amanda Carlin

Unabridged: 13 hr 15 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Published: 01/21/2020


Synopsis

From one of the foremost authorities on education in the United States, Slaying Goliath is an impassioned, inspiring look at the ways in which parents, teachers, and activists are successfully fighting back to defeat the forces that are trying to privatize America’s public schools.
 
Diane Ravitch writes of a true grassroots movement sweeping the country, from cities and towns across America, a movement dedicated to protecting public schools from those who are funding privatization and who believe that America’s schools should be run like businesses and that children should be treated like customers or products.
 
Slaying Goliath is about the power of democracy, about the dangers of plutocracy, and about the potential of ordinary people—armed like David with only a slingshot of ideas, energy, and dedication—to prevail against those who are trying to divert funding away from our historic system of democratically governed, nonsectarian public schools. Among the lessons learned from the global pandemic of 2020 is the importance of our public schools and their teachers and the fact that distance learning can never replace human interaction, the pesonal connection between teachers and students.

Reviews

Goodreads review by DJ on April 27, 2020

Man, I don't know. I do agree with all the main points of this book. The proliferation of charter schools is bad. Defunding public schools is bad. Common Core standards and yearly high-stakes testing are bad. Not paying teachers a livable wage is bad. But I found the book's language to be highly simp......more

Goodreads review by Erica on March 13, 2020

4.5 stars. This book is a scathing takedown of all of the politicians and billionaires that have tried to standardize and privatize public education in the past 20 years. It made me viscerally angry, and I frequently wanted to punch people in the face. However, Ravitch passionately tells the stories......more

Goodreads review by Lianna on March 04, 2020

3.5 stars. While I really appreciate and agree with Ravitch's message, this book felt too long and much more repetitive than her previous books. If you don't know a lot about the education "reform" movement, including charter schools and voucher programs, I definitely recommend reading this book to......more

Goodreads review by Robert on January 26, 2020

I'm glad to see that Ravitch saw the light, after being one of the strongest proponents of school privatization under Bush. It is still difficult for me to trust her. Her enlightenment comes late. The capitalist shits have already captured the Supreme Court, the Congress and the Presidency. They wil......more

Goodreads review by Peyman on June 03, 2022

از منظر مبارزه مدنی و این‌که یک جامعه چطور در برابر تغییرات منفی می‌تواند ایستادگی کند فوق‌العاده بود این کتاب. برای من ایرانی شاید نمادهای تکنولوژی مثل خودرو و ساختمان‌سازی و... نشان پیشرفت کشورهای تراز اول باشد. ولی حقیقت این است که یک جامعه‌ی مدنی پیگیر و قدرتمند است که آن کشورها را برای زیست آدم......more


Quotes

“[A] thought-provoking, painstakingly researched account. . . . A rallying cry.” —The Washington Post

“A fervent defense of public education with abundant examples of how privatization has failed to deliver on its promises.” —Kirkus Reviews