The Measure of Democracy

Diane Ravitch is Research Professor of Education at New York University and a historian of education. In addition, she is a nonresident senior fellow at the Brookings Institution in Washington, D.C.

From '91-'93, she was Assistant Secretary of Education and Counselor to the Secretary of Education in the administration of President George H.W. Bush, where she led the federal effort to promote the creation of voluntary state and national academic standards. She is a good person, fighting tooth and nail for teachers rights, currently in Wisconsin. Good work!!

But:

I do Twitter. Diane Ravitch tweeted the following a couple of days ago:

"Income inequality in this country is largest it has been since 1980 and it is growing. Middle class is shrinking. Danger to democracy." (my emphasis)

Her statement is true regarding income inequality, however her conclusion leaves me thinking, enlightened and progressive as she is, she needs to take a few sociology courses.

This was my response tweet to her:

"With all due respect, the living conditions of the lower class and the beleaguered classes should be the benchmark for any nation's self-image and the measure of its democracy. To what democracy do you refer?"

She didn't respond.

So, I'm all for teacher's rights and strong unions for public employees. Go Wisconsin protesters!! But even most of our teachers are unaware of their implicit contribution to the entrenched racism that exists here.

The marginalized classes have been waiting centuries for the benefits of democracy to trickle down to them. Among many other atrocities, schools in poor neighborhoods don't have enough books! To correlate the strength of the middle class with the strength of a democracy is totally missing the boat. And to not recognize the continued, systematic oppression of the lower classes reflects the deep denial of the public-at-large.