Quotables

"There is a difference..."

AFT Prez Randi Weingarten. Is she responding directly to Ravitch?

So, make no mistake, chattering classes, there is a difference between the last eight years of education policymaking and what occurred today — namely that teachers’ voices will be a part of developing solutions. (And can you imagine if we took all the energy used to divine and contrive political battle lines in this country, and instead used it to help teachers and their unions help kids?) As with any public policy, the devil is in the details, and this time around teachers will play a role in fleshing out the details of President Obama’s plans. (Edwize)

A St. Louis parent responds to the board's announced closing of 17 neighborhood schools:

Terrell Adger, father of a student at Mann Elementary, wanted to ask the board to save his school, but he got there late, and didn't quite know how the process worked. Instead, Adger just listened Thursday. "It's just gonna be another abandoned building that's going to probably get destroyed," he said. But when the meeting ended, like many, he got up and left. (STLToday.com)

Rev. Jesse Jackson on Democracy Now:

You know, you don’t talk about charter schools for suburban areas; you talk about first-class public education.

Michael Parenti on Democracy Now:

They don’t mind recessions. Recessions are fine. It allows them to buy up smaller companies at bargain prices. It disciplines labor. It humiliates and beats back people. And this, I think, is what we’re facing. And I’m infuriated by the Republicans in the Congress and the way they’re going at this. The only passion they show is to protect the tax cuts for the super rich. That seems to be the only interest they have.