Diane Ravitch: People Only Listen To Campbell Brown ‘Because Of Her Looks’

Campbell Brown attends the Turnaround for Children's 5th Annual Impact Awards Dinner at Cipriani 42nd Street on April 30, 2014 in New York City./picture alliance Photo by: Dennis Van Tine/Geisler-Fotopres/picture-all... Campbell Brown attends the Turnaround for Children's 5th Annual Impact Awards Dinner at Cipriani 42nd Street on April 30, 2014 in New York City./picture alliance Photo by: Dennis Van Tine/Geisler-Fotopres/picture-alliance/dpa/AP Images MORE LESS
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According to Diane Ravitch, Campbell Brown isn’t much more than a pretty face.

Brown, a former journalist, is now an education reform advocate who works with a group that is suing New York state over its “last in, first out” teacher tenure policy.

Ravitch, an author and former assistant education secretary, slammed Brown’s opinions on tenure in profile of Brown in the Washington Post.

“I have trouble with this issue because it’s so totally illogical,” Ravitch told the Post. “It’s hard to understand why anyone thinks taking away teachers’ due-process rights will lead to great teachers in every classroom.”

But then Ravitch said that Brown only had a media platform because she is attractive.

“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,” Ravitch said. “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.”

After Ravitch was criticized for her comments, she defended herself on Twitter.

TPM has reached out to Ravitch for comment.

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Notable Replies

  1. Campbell Brown is a blithering idiot, but this is orthogonal to her looks.

    Shame on Ravitch, of whom I am generally a big fan, for bring up looks.

  2. “I criticism Campbell Brown for her attacks on…”

    …the English language?

    Oh wait…

  3. Sometimes I suspect Ravitch is just another rat-f***er trying to discredit teacher unions and their progressive allies from within.

    I understand that’s a crazy thing to say, but it’s not any crazier than taking to twitter to claim Campbell Brown has no arguments or logic.

    (Seriously, can serious analysts and activists just get off twitter once and for all? It makes everyone look like a moron…)

  4. Shouldn’t this story have a puicture of Diane Ravitch?

  5. Just to make it very clear for those unable to follow logic.

    CB’s arguments make no sense, she knows nothing about the issue, and she is fronting for profiteers. So, why is she there?

    Because she looks pretty good is the only logical answer.

    When you go to an industrial show, there are a lot of women there pimping products they know nothing about. But the women are hot. That’s why they get hired.

    Why is it wrong to call CB out on this? Because that is what she is using her looks to sell an highly dubious product.

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