It has become obvious over the past decade that the mainstream media not only doesn’t care when black and brown children are harmed by misguided education policy, they typically accept the claims of those inflicting the harm. They report without any criticism the policies that bounce black and brown children around the school district as if they were checkers on a checkerboard. They ignore the protests of the parents of these children when their local school is closed to make way for a privately managed charter or for a condo. It is obvious to everyone but the media that they don’t hear the voices of these children or their parents.
So, yes, it took a condescending comment directed toward white suburban mothers by Secretary Duncan to get the attention of the media. You can bemoan that fact, as Paul Thomas does, or celebrate it as the beginning of coalition politics.
It is beyond argument that those in power will not listen to the poor. But when the black and brown moms (and dads) form a coalition with the “white suburban moms,” they are a powerful force that cannot be ignored.
via http://dianeravitch.net/2013/11/26/paul-thomas-the-politics-of-white-outrage-and-my-dissent
In all honesty I don’t think the media cares if white children are hurt by misguided education policies either. And they really don’t care if smart students are hurt. Or boys. We have to get away from the idea that the media is interested in helping to solve problems in society. They are not. They are interested only in whatever makes them money.