Tag: NPE

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.

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.

 

The Network for Public Education

Today was an exciting day for all friends of public education who have had a chance to witness The Network for Public Education.  This organization was launched by many of public educations strongest advocates, including Diane Ravitch, Leonie Haimson, Anthony Cody, and several others.  You can read Coday’s article on it here.  The organization describes itself as in this way…

The Network for Public Education is an advocacy group whose goal is to fight to protect, preserve and strengthen our public school system, an essential institution in a democratic society. Our mission is to protect, preserve, promote, and strengthen public schools and the education of current and future generations of students. We will accomplish this by networking groups and organizations focused on similar goals in states and districts throughout the nation, share information about what works and what doesn’t work in public education, and endorse and rate candidates for office based on our principles and goals. More specifically, we will support candidates who oppose high-stakes testing, mass school closures, the privatization of our public schools and the outsourcing of its core functions to for-profit corporations, and we will support candidates who work for evidence-based reforms that will improve our schools and the education of our nation’s children.

You can register to become a member of The Network for Public Education here.