Slaying Goliath

The Passionate Resistance to Privatization and the Fight to Save America's Public Schools

By: Diane Ravitch

Narrated by: Amanda Carlin

From one of the foremost authorities on education in the United States, Slaying Goliath is an impassioned, inspiring look at the ways in which parents, teachers, and activists are successfully fighting back to defeat the forces that are trying to privatize America’s public schools.

Diane Ravitch writes of a true grassroots movement sweeping the country, from cities and towns across America, a movement dedicated to protecting public schools from those who are funding privatization and who believe that America’s schools should be run like businesses and that children should be treated like customers or products.

Slaying Goliath is about the power of democracy, about the dangers of plutocracy, and about the potential of ordinary people—armed like David with only a slingshot of ideas, energy, and dedication—to prevail against those who are trying to divert funding away from our historic system of democratically governed, nonsectarian public schools. Among the lessons learned from the global pandemic of 2020 is the importance of our public schools and their teachers and the fact that distance learning can never replace human interaction, the pesonal connection between teachers and students.

Critic reviews

“[A] thought-provoking, painstakingly researched account. . . . A rallying cry.” —The Washington Post

“A fervent defense of public education with abundant examples of how privatization has failed to deliver on its promises.” —Kirkus Reviews

A better way forward for our students

Why disrupt/defund public schools so a few can siphon public funding while dodging taxes which families (including teachers) dutifully pay? A thoughtful analysis and critique of woefully misguided attempts to capture the public education market for personal and corporate profit at the expense of school children, teachers and people who must work for a living and pay income and social security taxes.

A glimpse of hope

this book gave a tremendous amount of hope and examples of triumph in a seemingly impossible situation

Data-backed Slap to the Face of the Privatization Movement in Education

While I seriously struggled with the narration, I think that EVERYONE, especially those with children, should read this book and learn about the dark money and shady political tactics being aimed at the nation’s schools. The American Public Schools has been strong, and will stay strong thanks to the dedicated teachers willing to stand up for ALL children in the US. Read this book!

Outstanding

Every public school system needs to listen to this book for motivation to stay sustainable

Great and informative book with robotic narration

Great and informative book from a trustworthy education expert. Unfortunately this book has robotic narration that is displeasing.