Diane Ravitch

Diane Ravitch
Basic facts
Organization:	Network for Public Education
Role:	Co-founder and president
Location:	Brooklyn, New York
Education:	Columbia University

Diane Ravitch is an education historian, education policy activist, and former research professor of education at New York University. In 2013, she co-founded the Network for Public Education, an advocacy group that promotes public schools. As of November 2025, Ravitch published Diane Ravitch's blog, in which she discussed education and democracy.

Biography

Ravitch received a bachelor's degree from Wellesley College in 1960 and a Ph.D. in history from Columbia University in 1975. She was a professor at Teachers College, Columbia University from 1976 to 1991.

From 1991 to 1993, Ravitch was assistant secretary of education to U.S. Secretary of Education Lamar Alexander under President George H.W. Bush's (R) administration. At the time, Ravitch supported educational testing, school choice, and charter schools. She also supported the No Child Left Behind Act under the administration of President George W. Bush (R).

In 2006, she shifted her position on these issues. In a 2014 statement to Ballotpedia, Ravitch said, "Let me begin by saying that I strongly oppose the status quo in education. The status quo was shaped over the past thirty years or more, and it is wedded to testing students, ranking and rating them. It uses those tests to rank and rate teachers, principals, and schools. It sets up students, teachers, principals, and schools for failure, so they may be handed over to private control. Privatization, as I have shown in my books and blogs, does not produce better results. It weakens public schools while creating schools that are neither accountable nor transparent, due to the political contributions of their founders."

From 1995 to 2020, Ravitch was a research professor of education at New York University. She was also a member of the National Assessment Governing Board, which oversees federal school testing, from 1997 to 2004. In 2013, Anthony Cody and Ravitch founded the Network for Public Education, an advocacy group that promotes public schools. As of November 2025, she had written at least 14 books and edited at least another 14; Diane Ravitch's blog had received over 42 million hits.

Work and activities

Network for Public Education

In 2013, Anthony Cody and Ravitch founded the Network for Public Education. As of November 2025, Ravitch was the network's president. The network said it was "an advocacy group whose mission is to preserve, promote, improve and strengthen public schools for both current and future generations of students. ... We share information and research on vital issues that concern the future of public education at a time when it is under attack."

The network outlined its educational philosophy:

“

You know what we oppose: High-stakes testing; privatization of public education; mass school closures to save money or to facilitate privatization; demonization of teachers; lowering of standards for the education profession; for-profit management of schools. Here is what we support: We support schools that are democratically controlled by their community and are open to all. We support a full and rich curriculum for all children that have the resources that their students need. We support the equitable funding of schools, with extra resources for those students with the greatest needs. We support schools that have reasonable class sizes and services for children, such as health centers and after-school programs. We support early childhood education, because we know that the achievement gap begins before the first day of school. We support high standards of professionalism for teachers, principals, and superintendents. Every educator should be well prepared and certified. We support assessments that are used to support children and teachers, not to punish or stigmatize them or to hand out monetary rewards. We support helping schools that are struggling, not closing them. We support parent involvement in decisions about their children and the confidentiality of student information. We support teacher professionalism in decisions about curriculum, teaching methods, and selection of teaching materials. We support public education because it is a pillar of our democratic society.

”

Diane Ravitch's blog

Ravitch founded a blog, Diane Ravitch's blog, in 2012. The blog addressed education and democracy and had over 42 million hits as of November 2025.

Department of Education

From 1991 to 1993, Ravitch was assistant secretary of education to U.S. Secretary of Education Lamar Alexander under President George H.W. Bush's (R) administration. At the time, Ravitch supported educational testing, school choice, and charter schools. She also supported the No Child Left Behind Act under the administration of President George W. Bush (R).

Notable endorsements

See also: Ballotpedia: Our approach to covering endorsements

This section displays endorsements this individual made in elections within Ballotpedia's coverage scope. Know of one we missed? Click here to let us know.

See also

• What is an influencer?
• Education influencers
• Education policy project
• Education policy in the United States
• Public education in the United States

External links

Suggest a link

• Diane Ravitch's blog
• Diane Ravitch website
• Diane Ravitch on X
• Diane Ravitch on Bluesky