Tag: Burris

PJSTA Live- Episode 2- Betsy DeVos

Check out our December episode of PJSTA Live where I was joined by Carol Burris, Marla Kilfoyle, and Michelle Gunderson.  We talked about the appointment of Betsy DeVos but also dove into a more deeper discussion on how we build resistance not only to DeVos but to privatization in general.  We discussed the need, as unions, to do the all important work of site based organizing within our schools to build the foundation for the work that we have in front of us.

Watch the episode whenever you get a chance… on the couch, on the treadmill, in your faculty rooms at lunch time, or even listen to it in the car.  Please share far and wide within your circles, and be sure to make suggestions for our future episodes.

PJSTA Live- Episode 2 Coming Next Week!

Last month we shared with you the debut of our YouTube broadcast PJSTA Live.  This month we are excited to be bringing you our second episode.  We’ll record that episode next week and share it with our millions of many viewers.

For Episode 2 we will be covering Donald Trump’s nominee for United States Secretary of Education, the conservative billionaire Betsy DeVos.  Democracy Now! recently was dubbed DeVos, who has never held any job at any level, “Public (School) Enemy No. 1”.

For this episode we will be joined by three guests…

  • Carol Burris– a former high school principal in Rockville Centre who is now the Executive Director of the Network for Public Education
  • Marla Kilfoyle– a teacher in Oceanside who is also the Executive Director of the Badass Teachers Association
  • Michelle Gunderson– a teacher in Chicago who also serves as a Vice President for the Chicago Teachers Union

If you have questions for our guests or if you have suggested guests or topics for future episodes please submit them here or by tweeting us using the hashtag #PJSTAlive

NPE:: Tell Your Senator to Vote NO for Betsy DeVos

Via the Network for Public Education…

The Network for Public Education is appalled, but not surprised, by Trump’s nomination of Betsy DeVos as Secretary of Education. DeVos is a long-time advocate for the Trump/Pence education privatization agenda. She, like the Trump/Pence team, favors vouchers that would give public funds to private and religious schools. Her family’s foundation has promoted vouchers in many states. The Trump/Pence/DeVos plan, long supported by the extreme right, would take Title I funds from districts and allow parents to “shop” with those dollars among private schools, charters and online schools. DeVos believes that the market solves all problems, and she and her husband’s foundation spent nearly 1.5 million dollars to persuade the Michigan legislature to kill a bill to regulate charter schools in the state.

Thanks to her efforts, 80% of the charters in Michigan operate for profit, without accountability or transparency.

Send a clear message to the Senate that Betsy DeVos should not be confirmed as U.S. Secretary of Education. Her hostility towards public schools disqualifies her. Send your letter today.

Click the link above to easily send your letter to our senators telling them to vote NO to betsy DeVos.

 

A Message From Carol Burris

Via principal and public education advocate Carol Burris…

The Governor and Chancellor Tisch are proposing an overhaul of the already flawed APPR system. They propose that the system be designed to find MORE teachers and principals ineffective and developing, in order to be in better alignment with the high percentages of students who are below proficient on the Common Core exams.
 
Their plan would also strip away local school board, superintendent and principal input into evaluation systems, putting more power in Albany’s hands to determine the fate of our teachers and principals.
Please read and share Carol Burris’ Washington Post blog which describes Chancellor Tisch’s proposed changes.
There are other strategies that the Governor and Mrs. Tisch propose that would severely undermine public education, including the expansion of charter schools.  The New York State Allies for Public Education has now published sound, research-based and pro-public school responses.  You can read their letter here:
Please share this widely as well.
Now is the time to contact the Board of Regents, and your legislators, including your assembly member and senator to make it clear that you do not want 1) a state-wide APPR plan  imposed from Albany  2) that the doubling of test scores in APPR will cause this system to be even more unreliable and have terrible effects on your  students and your schools  3)that you oppose the lifting of the cap on charter schools and 4) you support the evidence based responses of NYSAPE to the governor’s questions – rather than those of the chancellor. Here is a link to a very easy way to do just that.  It allows you to easily personalize the beginning and end if you wish. 
 
We must all work together to help the members of the Board of Regents and the legislature understand that the Cuomo/Tisch agenda of more privatization and high stakes testing will harm kids and our public schools.
Thanks!