Due to the big storm coming on Sunday into Monday, the Reclaim Our Schools rally at the old John Harvard’s has been postponed. The new date is Tuesday, March 29th. See the flyer below for details…
Tag: rally
March 21st… Be There!
We are excited to see ALL PJSTA members head out to the Reclaim Our Schools picket on March 21st! Make signs and bring your friends! Details below…
Tomorrow We Rally to End Cuomo’s Reign of Terror
The man who once dubbed himself “the lobbyist for students,” before taking a wrecking ball to New York State’s public education system, now claims that he is refusing to debate his opponent in the Democratic primary, Zephyr Teachout, because he thinks that debates do a disservice to democracy.
“I’ve been in many debates that I think were a disservice to democracy,” he added. “So anyone who says debates are always a service to democracy hasn’t watched all the debates that I’ve been in.”
Huh?
So Cuomo thinks mayoral control of schools, which take school control away from local communities and give it to the mayors of those cities, is just swell. He supports the reform agenda pushed by John King and Merryl Tisch and loathed by virtually every parent and educator in the state. Yet debating an opponent is where Cuomo draws the line on things that do a disservice to democracy?
Regardless of what he is saying, Cuomo is scared. He can feel the surging momentum of Teachout and knows that giving her a platform to make him defend his abysmal record, which has benefitted only big banks and billionaires, could put him in really dangerous territory when it comes to the primary next week.
With Cuomo running scared it makes me harken back to what our friend Reality-Based Educator wrote about him last year, when Cuomo wasn’t in hiding but was instead attacking public schools…
If Governor Cuomo thinks it is time some schools be given the “death penalty” for struggles that are often beyond their means to fix, then it is time for teachers of all political ideologies to get together and help pull the plug on the 2014 Cuomo re-election plan and the Cuomo 2016 presidential plan.
Andrew Cuomo is a thug and a bully and a crook, that we’ve known for a while.
Now, after the “death penalty for schools” statement, he is also a war criminal against public schools.
It is time to put an end to his Reign of Terror.
We finally have a chance to pull the plug on Cuomo. As early as the Democratic primary next Tuesday. Join us tomorrow in Hauppauge as we rally in support of Zephyr Teachout. As we rally in support of public schools. As we rally to end Andrew Cuomo’s Reign of Terror.
The Governor Will Hear Us Roar!
Yesterday we asked you to join us this Saturday in Manhattan as we rally, along with 40+ other organizations, for public education. Today we want to make you aware of another important date in the coming week. On Wednesday, May 21st we will join thousands of other Long Island teachers as we demonstrate and picket outside of the Huntington Hilton in Melville at 4:00 pm. The Hilton is the site of the 2014 New York State Democratic Party Convention. You will remember that this is the rally the governor asked Beth Dimino and other local leaders to cancel. We assured you the rally would still go on and it will! Let’s let the governor and the other elected officials in attendance know how we feel about Common Core, high stakes testing, junk science evaluations, the tax cap, and the rest of their ed deform agenda!
One Last Time… Join us on Saturday!!!!
All PJSTA members headed out to the rally in Manhattan on Saturday will receive a free doughnut, cup of coffee, and train ticket compliments of the PJSTA. Meet at the Ronkonkoma Train Station at 11:20 AM in time for the 11:40 train into Penn Station. The rally will be held downtown at City Hall Park. Dr. Rella will be one of the featured speakers…
iREFUSE! Rally this Saturday at CHS!
Save the Date!
More details here.
A Few Links to Check Out
Secretary of Education Arne Duncan has a group of people (also see here) whose job is to dig up dirt on Diane Ravitch (a friend of ours) and discredit her.
One of the best bloggers around, Reality-Based Educator, who we have linked to many times, gives us a shout out!
The Port Jefferson Patch’s article on Saturday’s rally. Be sure to watch the accompanying video to see our beloved president!
NYSUT’s story here. Their photographs here.
Another rally story, this one from longisland.com, including a quote from Dimino.
What many of the rally stories seem to miss (or ignore) is the fact that these assessments really were never meant to assess students. Instead they are all part of the rigged game to destroy public education. Just ask John Merrow, who can’t get the real story of Michelle Rhee published.
On a separate note, we have discussed the need to contact our elected officials who do not support us (particularly John Flanagan and Ken LaValle). In addition to this you should be contacting politicians who have supported us to express your gratitude as well. When calling Assemblyman Englebright and Assemblyman Graf today to express my gratitude for their support at Saturday’s rally I didn’t get the sense they had heard from many people. They each had staff members who spent 10-15 minutes each on the phone with me, however. They wanted to know my experience as an educator dealing with the destructive “reforms” that have entered our profession recently. The idea that legislator’s would want an educator’s opinion on education issues shouldn’t have been surprising. But it was. It was refreshing too. They should hear from all of us. When they take our fight to Albany they need to know that they have an army of us behind them.
Notes on the “Students, Not Scores!” Rally
Just a reminder, not that you should need it, that tomorrow is the “Students, Not Scores!” rally that grew out of Dr. Rella’s letters following the release of the NYS Common Core test scores. The rally begins at 12:00 and is at Comsewogue High School. There is an enormous crowd expected, so carpool, arrive early, and park wherever you can. Speaking will be Dr. Rella, PJSTA President Beth Dimino, NYSUT President Dick Ianuzzi, and several others. New York State Assemblymen Steven Englebright and Al Graf will be there in support. Kudos to politicians willing to put their neck on the line to stand up for what’s right. Be sure to thank them and to vote for them if you live in their district. Not all politicians have the guts to do what they are doing (I am looking at you John J. Flanagan and Ken LaValle!)
Spend some time to make some signs tonight for tomorrow’s rally. Be creative. Have fun. I know of at least one group of PJSTA members having a sign making party tonight. If you want in let us know in the comments or email Beth Dimino.
Be sure to wear your PJSTA garb tomorrow (or BAT apparel if you are cool enough to own any!)
There is not much more to be said. Tomorrow has been a long time coming. The general public is finally catching on to what teachers have known for several years now. To quote Karen Lewis, who seemed to speak for all of us during the CTU strike last year, “We’re tired of being bullied, belittled, and betrayed. We have done everything asked of us, yet we continue to be vilified and treated with disrespect.” Tomorrow’s your chance to fight back. I know I wouldn’t miss it for the world!
Some new links of note:
Students Not Scores! now has a website! Click here to view it and sign the petition.
Port Jefferson School District Superintendent, Dr. Ken Bossert weighs in on test scores here. Feel free to set the commenters straight.
The UFT’s MORE Caucus has been a tremendous help in getting the word out about this rally. Please visit their site. They stand for everything that is right in education and we would all benefit if they were at the helm of the country’s largest teachers union.
An Interview with Dr. Joseph Rella
We were
fortunate enough to grab a few thoughts from Dr. Rella on his
recent celebrity, his interaction with our elected officials,
mainstream media’s creative filtering, and most importantly, what
we can do to continue to stand up for public education.
PJSTA: You obviously
couldn’t have imagined that your letter to elected officials would
go viral as it did. When you sat down to write it what were
you hoping to be able to accomplish?
RELLA:
Last Thursday, I wrote a letter to each of our state
legislators in light of the release of the test
scores. I also wrote a letter to our parents in
anticipation of the avalanche of negative press and press releases
from the State – lots of spin and magical thinking. I
posted them on our district
website Thursday evening. On a normal weekend
in early August, it would get about 30
hits. By Friday morning I was getting emails
from all over Long Island, California, Louisiana, Indonesia,
etc. Apparently, my words have found resonance beyond
Comsewogue.
Last Thursday, I wrote a letter to each of our state
legislators in light of the release of the test
scores. I also wrote a letter to our parents in
anticipation of the avalanche of negative press and press releases
from the State – lots of spin and magical thinking. I
posted them on our district
website Thursday evening. On a normal weekend
in early August, it would get about 30
hits. By Friday morning I was getting emails
from all over Long Island, California, Louisiana, Indonesia,
etc. Apparently, my words have found resonance beyond
Comsewogue.
PJSTA: What has surprised
you most about the response to the letter?
you most about the response to the letter?
RELLA: There’s
one common theme. It was expressed best by a
teacher:
one common theme. It was expressed best by a
teacher:
I am an elementary teacher in the Plainview
School District for almost 30 years. I cried when I read your
letter. It was such a relief to read that someone influential (like
yourself) in a school district gets it!Thanks for being so “right-on” in your
appraisal of the current testing situation and for speaking so
eloquently for me.Most appreciatively,
I cried when I read her
email!
email!
PJSTA: When did you realize
that it was going to be a rallying point for groups who support
public education?
that it was going to be a rallying point for groups who support
public education?
RELLA: By the
weekend people from around the Island – more
correctly, teachers, from around the Island
–were emailing and calling. Teachers who have
set up major blogs, etc.
weekend people from around the Island – more
correctly, teachers, from around the Island
–were emailing and calling. Teachers who have
set up major blogs, etc.
PJSTA: Which elected
officials did you write to?
officials did you write to?
RELLA: Our three
local legislators, Senators LaValle and Flanagan
and Assemblyman Englebright.
local legislators, Senators LaValle and Flanagan
and Assemblyman Englebright.
PJSTA: Have they all
responded to you? If so, what have their responses
been?
responded to you? If so, what have their responses
been?
RELLA: I spoke
with all three. They understood my
points.
with all three. They understood my
points.
PJSTA: When you say they
understand your point, are they in agreement with you? Did
they express to you whether or not they are supportive of the
Common Core and it’s implementation or is it something that they
oppose?
understand your point, are they in agreement with you? Did
they express to you whether or not they are supportive of the
Common Core and it’s implementation or is it something that they
oppose?
RELLA: Let
me phrase it this way. Steve Engelbright said that
he supports the views I expressed in my letter. He
said he would be proud to stand next to me in the “public square”
and do just that. He’s coming on
Saturday. I’m proud to know him.
me phrase it this way. Steve Engelbright said that
he supports the views I expressed in my letter. He
said he would be proud to stand next to me in the “public square”
and do just that. He’s coming on
Saturday. I’m proud to know him.
PJSTA: Why should people
attend Saturday’s rally?
attend Saturday’s rally?
RELLA:
The Common Core implementation and testing is hurting
children. We need to stop it now. We need to
fix it now. If it can’t be fixed – we need to SCRAP
IT! STOP IT – FIX IT – or SCRAP
IT!
The Common Core implementation and testing is hurting
children. We need to stop it now. We need to
fix it now. If it can’t be fixed – we need to SCRAP
IT! STOP IT – FIX IT – or SCRAP
IT!
PJSTA: What would make the
rally a success in your eyes?
rally a success in your eyes?
RELLA: We’re
going to need hundreds of thousands of emails, tweets, etc. to get
to the Governor, Commissioner, Regents, and the legislature.
The rally last June had over 10,000 people – it didn’t get a single
word of coverage down here. The traditional media is
OUT. The power of social media is the way we will communicate
with those hundreds of thousands. In fact, that’s why I’m
doing this here, on the PJSTA blog.
Channel 12’s editorial director was looking to
speak with me. They’re done. The filtering is too much
for me. Last Sunday’s NEWSDAY had a
two sentence quote from my letter. Given the tone of the
article, it looked like I was saying: “I can’t understand why so
many of our kids failed.” I can perfectly understand
it. The Commissioner told us last fall that it would happen,
he designed a test to make it happen, and then it happened.
I’m done with them.
going to need hundreds of thousands of emails, tweets, etc. to get
to the Governor, Commissioner, Regents, and the legislature.
The rally last June had over 10,000 people – it didn’t get a single
word of coverage down here. The traditional media is
OUT. The power of social media is the way we will communicate
with those hundreds of thousands. In fact, that’s why I’m
doing this here, on the PJSTA blog.
Channel 12’s editorial director was looking to
speak with me. They’re done. The filtering is too much
for me. Last Sunday’s NEWSDAY had a
two sentence quote from my letter. Given the tone of the
article, it looked like I was saying: “I can’t understand why so
many of our kids failed.” I can perfectly understand
it. The Commissioner told us last fall that it would happen,
he designed a test to make it happen, and then it happened.
I’m done with them.
PJSTA: What can people do
after the rally? What is the next step?
after the rally? What is the next step?
RELLA: Contact
that group above – weekly! An email or a tweet is no big
deal. We’ll probably have a “day” to do it en masse.
Numbers matter. The first question I was asked by one of our
legislators was: “How many emails did you
get?” With apologies to Will Shakespeare: They have
taught us well but we “will better the
instruction.”
that group above – weekly! An email or a tweet is no big
deal. We’ll probably have a “day” to do it en masse.
Numbers matter. The first question I was asked by one of our
legislators was: “How many emails did you
get?” With apologies to Will Shakespeare: They have
taught us well but we “will better the
instruction.”
RELLA:
LOL.
LOL.
PJSTA: Any final words or
thoughts?
thoughts?
RELLA: WE (ALL of
us collectively) ARE THE ONLY ONES WHO CAN GET THIS
DONE. Up until now, no group has gotten it done – NOT
the educational leadership – schoolboards, superintendents,
administrators – NOT the unions – NYSUT, UFT, AFT, NOT the
parents. NOT our State representatives. ONLY
COLLECTIVELY DO WE HAVE A SHOT AT DOING THIS. Also, keep
in mind that none of the rhetoric used in the past has
worked. Time to try something
different
us collectively) ARE THE ONLY ONES WHO CAN GET THIS
DONE. Up until now, no group has gotten it done – NOT
the educational leadership – schoolboards, superintendents,
administrators – NOT the unions – NYSUT, UFT, AFT, NOT the
parents. NOT our State representatives. ONLY
COLLECTIVELY DO WE HAVE A SHOT AT DOING THIS. Also, keep
in mind that none of the rhetoric used in the past has
worked. Time to try something
different
No one is going to help
us – EXCEPT ALL OF US TOGETHER
Thanks again to Dr. Rella for taking time out of his busy schedule
to provide us with his thoughts. We are looking forward to
throngs of people at Saturday’s rally. Just a reminder it
will be at Comsewogue High School at 12:00 pm.
For more information on the rally you can follow Students Not
Scores on Twitter or use the hashtag #studentsnotscores.
The Official Website of the PJSTA 