Seattle Schools Community Forum

 Update:  So NBC, apparently after receiving many complaints about the makeup of the list of speakers DID call and ask Diane Ravitch to be on a panel.  She declined, saying she didn't want to be a prop.  Good call. End of update. NBC News has been having these "Education Nation" summits once a year.  I had high hopes until I heard anchor Brian Williams say that they were being lead by the Gates Foundation.  (It's unclear if that is again the case this year.) But, you can look at the list of speakers and guess who is underrepresented?  C'mon, take a wild guess.  Yes, that would be teachers.   There's one. But look who's there - Goldie Hawn, M. Night Shyamalan, Tony Bennett and John Legend.  Boo. (Not to mention head of Stand for Children as well as Jeb Bush, Bobby Jindal, the governor of Louisiana, Allyson Felix (an Olympic Gold medalist) and two investment bankers.  Double boo.) Celebrities with a charter school o...

NBC is gearing up its Education Nation series this week and having a conference in NYC.   Many of the speeches are to be webcast.   Naturally, this is EST so you either have to get up very early or tape/Tivo them.   I haven't been overly impressed with this series in the past but they do have some interesting conversations scheduled. Tomorrow's include an interview with Warren Buffett, Susie Buffett and Melinda Gates at 8:15 am. One great one will be on Tuesday at 9:00 am - a debate between Geoffrey Canada and Diane Ravitch.  I have a feeling they have more in common than might be expected. I'm going to be on KING-5 news at 8:30 am on Wednesday to talk about parent involvement and whether parents need a union.  (This is their phrasing and no, I don't think parents need a union but I do think they need groups who serve as parent advocates.  I don't think that's happening so much now except at a high level - PTSA advocacy for legislativ...