
NOVEMBER 11, 2014
For more information, contact:
Anne Marie Farmer, 615-295-8733, annemarie.farmer@treetn.org
Education Advocacy Organizations to Welcome Education Historian and Best-Selling Author Diane Ravitch to Nashville
November 19 event in Nashville to discuss the hoax of privatization and the future of education in Tennessee
NASHVILLE, Tenn., (Nov. 10, 2014) – Tennesseans Reclaiming Educational Excellence (TREE), Tennessee BATs, and Momma Bears today announced a special event featuring acclaimed historian, best-selling author, and former Assistant U.S. Secretary of Education Diane Ravitch. Ravitch served in the administrations of President George H.W. Bush, where she worked alongside then-U.S. Secretary of Education and current U.S. Senator Lamar Alexander, and President Bill Clinton.
The event, “Educating Nashville,” will take place at 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 19, in Nashville. The venue will be announced via TREE’s Facebook page, http://facebook.com/TNExcellence, on Monday, Nov. 17. Dr. Ravitch will be introduced by local officials and will hold a question-and-answer session after her remarks regarding the hoax of education privatization. Following the program, attendees are encouraged to stay and meet with public education advocates from across the state.
“We are honored to welcome Dr. Ravitch to Nashville,” said Lyn Hoyt, president of TREE. “She has seen and studied the effects of education privatization across the country and is the nation’s foremost expert on what works and doesn’t work when it comes to reforming our public schools.”
Ravitch frequently writes about topics including Common Core, charter schools, vouchers, and standardized testing and is well respected across partisan lines. Tennessee’s own Senator Alexander urges readers of his “Little Plaid Book” to “[r]ead anything Diane Ravitch writes about education.”
The event is free. Parents, teachers, elected officials, policymakers, and members of the media are encouraged to attend. To RSVP, visit http://ravitchnashville.eventbrite.com.
About Diane Ravitch
Diane Ravitch is Research Professor of Education at New York University and a historian of education. She blogs at dianeravitch.net, a site which has had nearly 8.3 million page views in less than a year. From 1991 to 1993, she was Assistant Secretary of Education and Counselor to Secretary of Education Lamar Alexander in the administration of George H.W. Bush. From 1997 to 2004, she was a member of the National Assessment Governing Board, which oversees the National Assessment of Educational Progress, the federal testing program. She was appointed by the Clinton administration’s Secretary of Education Richard Riley in 1997 and reappointed by him in 2001. From 1995 until 2005, she held the Brown Chair in Education Studies at the Brookings Institution and edited “Brookings Papers on Education Policy.” Before entering government service, she was Adjunct Professor of History and Education at Teachers College, Columbia University. She has authored 11 books and edited 14 others.
About TREE
Tennesseans Reclaiming Educational Excellence (TREE) is a statewide volunteer advocacy organization rooted in fighting for strong, equitable public education, and committed to growing child-centered education policy. www.treetn.org
About Tennessee BATs
Tennessee BATs (Badass Teachers) is an affiliate of the national BATs organization and is a rich and diverse group of education professionals and concerned citizens/families who strive to engage in discourse that improves their profession.
About Momma Bears
Momma Bears is a Tennessee-based grassroots organization of public schools advocates who defend and support children and public schools and recognize quality public education as a right for every child. www.mommabears.org
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NOTE: Momma Bears will also announce the event location on our blog and Facebook page. If you RSVP for a ticket, you'll get an email about it.