Diane Ravitch

Former Assistant Secretary of Education Diane Ravitch explains why she was once an early advocate of No Child Left Behind, school vouchers and charter schools — and what changed her mind.

Ravitch is the author of the new book, The Language Police: How Pressure Groups Restrict What Students Learn. In her book she chronicles the efforts of school boards and bias and sensitivity committees to edit and shape the textbooks that end up in classrooms. Some examples of this include: omitting the mention of Jews in an Isaac Bashevis Singer story about prewar Poland, changing the expression "My God!" to "You don't mean it," and recommending that children not be shown as disobedient or in conflict with adults.

Diane Ravitch has written many books about American education, and she teaches history at Columbia University. Her new book, "The American Reader," is an anthology of classic speeches, poems, and songs that she feels should be taught in the schools. Ravitich believes American history should be inclusive the many cultures in the Unite States, but opposes ethno-centric curricula.