Diane Ravitch is a historian of education, an educational policy analyst, and former United States Assistant Secretary of Education who is now a research professor at New York University's Steinhardt School of Education. ... New York University (NYU) is a private, nonsectarian, coeducational research university in New York City. ...

She was born in 1938 in Houston, Texas, where she went to public schools. She is a graduate of Wellesley College, has a Ph.D. from Columbia University, and lives in Brooklyn, New York City. Year 1938 (MCMXXXVIII) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Houston redirects here. ... For other uses, see Wellesley College (disambiguation). ... Alma Mater Columbia University is a private university in the United States and a member of the Ivy League. ... This article is about the borough of New York City. ... New York, New York and NYC redirect here. ...

Her most recent book The Language Police (2003) was a criticism of both left-wing and right-wing attempts to stifle the study and expression of views deemed unworthy by those groups. (See political correctness and multiculturalism). The book asserts that "pressure groups from the political right and left have wrested control of the language and content of textbooks and standardized exams, often at the expense of the truth (in the case of history), of literary quality (in the case of literature), and of education in general". [1] Publishers Weekly wrote: "Ravitch contends that these sanitized materials sacrifice literary quality and historical accuracy in order to escape controversy." [2] Left wing redirects here. ... “Right wing” redirects here. ... Political correctness is the alteration of language to redress real or alleged injustices and discrimination or to avoid offense. ... The term multiculturalism generally refers to a state of both cultural and ethnic diversity within the demographics of a particular social space. ...

Ravitch began her career as an editorial assistant at The New Leader magazine, a small journal devoted to democratic ideas. In 1975, she became a historian of education with a Ph.D. from Columbia University. At that time she worked closely with Teachers College president Lawrence A. Cremin. Her critique of multiculturalism and her calls for higher standards in public life have drawn fire. The New Leader is a political magazine begun in 1935 and published in New York by the American Labor Conference on International Affairs. ... Year 1975 (MCMLXXV) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Teachers College, Columbia University (sometimes referred to simply as Teachers College; also referred to as Teachers College of Columbia University or the Columbia University Graduate School of Education) is a top ranked graduate school of education in the United States. ... Lawrence A. Cremin is a Pulitzer Prize winning author of the History of American Education. ... The term multiculturalism generally refers to a state of both cultural and ethnic diversity within the demographics of a particular social space. ...

However, she is not easy to characterize politically as she was appointed to public office by both President of the United States George H. W. Bush and his successor Bill Clinton. In her political views and in her record she is independent. Federal courts Supreme Court Circuit Courts of Appeal District Courts Elections Presidential elections Midterm elections Political Parties Democratic Republican Third parties State & Local government Governors Legislatures (List) State Courts Local Government Other countries Atlas  US Government Portal      For other uses, see President of the United States (disambiguation). ... George Herbert Walker Bush (born June 12, 1924) was the 41st President of the United States, serving from 1989 to 1993. ... William Jefferson Bill Clinton (born William Jefferson Blythe III[1] on August 19, 1946) was the 42nd President of the United States, serving from 1993 to 2001. ...

Her eight honorary degrees include degrees from Reed College, Williams College, Amherst College, State University of New York, St. Joseph's College in Patchogue, New York, Ramapo College, Union College, and Middlebury Language Schools. Reed College is a private, independent liberal arts college located in Portland, Oregon. ... Williams College is a highly selective, private, liberal arts college located in Williamstown, Massachusetts. ... Amherst College is a private liberal arts college in Amherst, Massachusetts, USA. It is the third oldest college in Massachusetts. ... Not to be confused with University of the State of New York. ... Saint Josephs College, New York is a private Roman Catholic College in New York, with its main campus located in the borough of Brooklyn, and a branch campus located in Suffolk County, Patchogue, New York. ... Ramapo College of New Jersey is a public liberal arts and professional studies institution of the New Jersey system of higher education. ... This article is about the Union College in New York. ... Middlebury College is a liberal-arts college in Vermont, founded in 1800. ...

In 2005, she received the John Dewey Award from the United Federation of Teachers of New York City; the Gaudium Award from the Breukelein Institute of Brooklyn; and the Uncommon Book award from the Hoover Institution. She is also a board member of the Albert Shanker Institute. The Albert Shanker Institute is a nonprofit foundation dedicated to advancing democratic ideals, improving the quality of public education, and conducting research into the labor movement and the sociology of work. ...

She has participated in a "blog debate" with Steinhardt School colleague Deborah Meier on the website of Education Week since February 26, 2007.[3] Deborah Meier (1931– ) is often considered the founder of the modern small schools movement. ... Education Week is a magazine in the United States Of America. ...

Published works

• The Great School Wars: New York City, 1805-1973
• The Revisionists Revised: A Critique of the Radical Attack on the Schools
• The Troubled Crusade: American Education, 1945-1980
• The Schools We Deserve
• "National Standards in American Education: A Consumer's Guide"
• Left Back: A Century of Battles Over School Reform
• The Language Police: How Pressure Groups Restrict What Students Learn
• The American Reader
• Forgotten Heroes of American Education: The Great Tradition of Teaching Teachers
• The English Reader A Q and A with Ravitch about The English Reader