Brill versus Ravitch

The Brill-Ravitch debate on C-SPAN2 (www.c-spanvideo.org/program/StevenB) has generated lots of commentary, mostly about Ravitch's misleading talking points.  Here's Matthew Ladner on Jay Greene's blog:

Brill versus Ravitch

(Guest Post by Matthew Ladner)

http://jaypgreene.com/2011/08/21/brill-versus-ravitch/

C-SPAN brought in Diane Ravitch to interview/debate Steven Brill. Check it out.

Too much Ravitch nonsense to refute, but her talking points about the PISA tests are just too simple-minded for words. So if you look at only the very wealthiest schools in America, they outscore the national average in Finland and South Korea.

Riiiiiiiiiiiiight

No mention of how the very wealthiest schools in America compare to the very wealthiest schools in Finland and South Korea, or that our African-American kids score closer to the average score in Mexico than that in Finland.

Ravitch goes into her absurd poverty litany as if they don't have poverty in other countries. Mexico will be delighted to learn that their poverty problem has disappeared! I wonder how much we spend per pupil here in America compared to other countries. Oh wait, they keep track of that sort of thing.

Brill says Ravitch's attempts at spin remind him of Thank You for Smoking. That's not fair. Nick Taylor was at least good for a laugh.