My must read of the day is "Diane Ravitch: Campbell Brown Shouldn’t Worry Her Pretty Little Head About Education Policy," in New York Magazine:
Paul Farhi profiles Campbell Brown, the former CNN anchor turned education-reform activist, who is working to end strict teacher tenure protections. Naturally, this enrages teacher-union evangelist Diane Ravitch, who not only disagrees with Brown’s position, but expresses offense that anybody should listen to Brown at all:
"I have trouble with this issue because it’s so totally illogical," says Diane Ravitch, an education historian. "It’s hard to understand why anyone thinks taking away teachers’ due-process rights will lead to great teachers in every classroom."
As for Brown, Ravitch is dismissive: "She is a good media figure because of her looks, but she doesn’t seem to know or understand anything about teaching and why tenure matters ... I know it sounds sexist to say that she is pretty, but that makes her telegenic, even if what she has to say is total nonsense."
Why, yes, that does sound rather sexist. Now, Ravitch suggests here that Brown’s analysis is so transparently illogical that perhaps only her looks can account for her views.
Apparently it's too much to ask that someone who prioritized education, actually debate the merits of an education argument. If you can't beat them on substance maybe sexist name-calling will make them go away?
Ravitch tried to defend the comment by tweeting that the critique was simply because Brown attacks a "female –dominated profession." That’s a good effort to back pedal, but it is not what she said in the above criticism.
Whether you agree with it or not, Brown's argument is a valid one and she's far from the only person making it.
This is a puerile attack that actually has little to do with Brown; it's far more indicative of Ravitch’s insecurity in the strength of her own argument—and beyond that, this nonsense is not even worth acknowledging. Campbell Brown may be pretty, but we all know she’s pretty damn smart too. Ravitch should be scared of her.