Tag: Ravitch

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.

Calling All Activists!

A few opportunities to speak out against the overuse and misuse of standardized testing…

United Opt Out National is hosting “Occupy 2.0: The Battle for Public Schools” from April 7-10th in Washington D.C.  Speakers over the course of the weekend include Diane Ravitch, Leonie Haimson, Nancy Carlsson-Paige, Brian Jones, and Karen Lewis.

New York Principals are hosting “More than a Number: How State Testing is Affecting the Educational and Emotional Health of Our Children” on April 10th at the Hofstra University Adams Playhouse at 7:00 pm.  Click here to register.

Wednesday Link Around

A few links to keep you busy the week before the holidays (because I know you weren’t busy already)…

Diane Ravitch
  • Inexplicably, Teach for America hack David Rosenberg called it reprehensible.  Jersey Jazzman has the story, including the brilliant opening line of “David Rosenberg of Teach For America is quite possibly the worst person in the world.”
  • Our old friend from Chicago, CTU President Karen Lewis chimed in with this…

Diane, et. al.
I have read these posts (alas I do not do Twitter), and I am struck by the lack of authenticity by the Rosenberg comment. Diane has been at the forefront of the desire to lift up the beleaguered profession of teaching in each and every post. She has drawn the connections between people who wouldn’t think of sending their children to public schools and their policies that are destroying the common good. Anyone who doesn’t know that in the marrow of their bones, doesn’t read her blog.

On the other, the educrats who do not agree with her, read her posts, too so as to keep abreast of her thoughts and are ready to pounce if they see an opening. There might have been a time where “politicizing” tragic events, especially mass shootings was thought to be in poor taste. That has changed with the 24/7 news cycle that continues to focus far too much time and energy on the perpetrator of the massacre than that of our precious victims. Rosenberg’s “false outrage” needs to be checked. That same false outrage should show itself when policies his colleagues support kill and disenfranchise children from schools across this nation. We in Chicago have been the victims of their experiments on our children since the current secretary of Education “ran” CPS.

The accolades heaped on a group of education missionaries, (hopefully with beautiful intent on the part of the TFA teachers) cannot go unchallenged. Diane does that. Day in and day out, she champions rank and file educators and the hard work they do. She has a special place in heart for those who see the value of the classroom and not as stepping stone to a more lucrative career or the opportunism of self-promoters like Michelle Rhee who, with her lies about her own classroom experience has catapulted herself into the welcoming arms of those who hate unions, tenure and anything else that provides due process and gives teachers real voice.

To David Rosenberg, Shanda! Shame on you for such a paranoid rant. If you had nothing of which to be guilty, those words would have rolled off your back.

To Diane – Keep speaking the truth!

Karen Lewis

Karen Lewis of the CTU
  • And finally, you can always count on the Chicago Teachers Union to tell it like it is.  Ms. Lewis’ union produced the video below.  Although it was geared towards the fat cats in Chicago, it can easily be applied to just about any area in the nation.

 

More Opposition to RTTT

Recently we shared with you the story of the UTLA, who would not sign their district’s application for Race to the Bottom Top (RTTT).  We recently received the message of gratitude posted below from the UTLA:

Dear President Beth Dimino,

UTLA President Fletcher asked that I write to on his behalf. Thank you so much for your post:  http://thepjsta.org/2012/11/02/bravo-utla/

UTLA and Port Jefferson Station Teachers Association stand in solidarity!

In Los Angeles, as you know, signing a RTTT grant application commiting more than $43.3 million to bring in $40 million, with undetermined on-going costs, at the same time we’re seeing higher class sizes due to the number of layoffs we’ve endured for five years in a row now — that would have been irresponsible. $4.3 million equals roughly 39 teachers and health and human services educators. Our classrooms and communities need smaller class sizes, not more beauracracy, which is what the RTTT grant would have created.

From our hearts to yours, thank you again for your post. It really means alot to us to see other locals recognizing that Race to the Top does not equate to reform and/or progress.

In Unity,

David

David Lyell
UTLA Secretary (elected)
213.368.6244

UTLA.net<http://UTLA.net>
Twitter.com/UTLANow<http://Twitter.com/UTLANow>
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Now another teachers union is emerging heroically in the fight for the soul of public education.  Ronnie Greco, President of the Jersey City Education Association, has refused to sign his district’s application for RTTT as well.

JCEA’s Ronnie Greco

Jersey Jazzman (a blog all of us should be reading) has a great summary of the situation.  Diane Ravitch has added Greco to her “honor roll of heroes of public education.”

Jersey Jazzman says:

This is very, very important for any teacher who cares about the future of his or her career to understand: this grant would have enshrined a series of practices that would have destroyed teacher protections, compensation, and work conditions – and have never been proven to increase student achievement.

and goes on to say…

It seems that the issues here are largely the same as the ones that came up during theChicago strike: teacher working conditions are student learning conditions. If you can’t show that any of these practices are going to help students learn – and, let’s be clear, as Greco outlines them, you can’t – then no teachers union should agree to them.

Bravo Ronnie Greco JCEA!  Your fight is our fight!

Letter Writing to President Obama

The great Diane Ravitch, one of public ed’s biggest supporters, is organizing a letter writing campaign to President Obama.  All PJSTA members should have received an email about it sometime in the past two weeks.  Below is the text from this blog post by Ravitch.  She explains what should be in the letter and how you can submit your letter.

I will write about this every single day from now until October 17.

Please write your thoughts about what needs to change in federal education policy and send a letter to President Obama by that date.

You can write it now and follow instructions here.

Anthony Cody, experienced middle school science teacher and fabulous blogger, has offered to coordinate our campaign to write President Obama on October 17.

We call it the Campaign for Our Public Schools.

Our campaign is meant to include everyone who cares about public education: students, parents, teachers, principals, school board members, and concerned citizens. We want everyone to write the President and tell him what needs to change in his education policies.

Tell your friends about the Campaign. If you have a blog, write about it. Wherever you are, spread the news. Join us.

Here are the instructions:

You can send your letter to Anthony Cody or to this blog.

Or you can send it directly to the White House, with a copy to me or Anthony.

Anthony will gather all the emails sent to him and me and forward them to the White House.

1. Email your letters to anthony_cody@hotmail.com.

2. Or submit them as comments to this blog. You can respond to this post or to any other post on this blog about the October 17 Campaign for Our Public Schools.

All letters collected through these two channels will be compiled into a single document, which will be sent to the White House on Oct. 18.

In ADDITION to this,

3. You can mail copies of your letters through US mail to The White House, 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. NW, 20500

4. You can send them by email from this page: http://www.whitehouse.gov/contact/submit-questions-and-comments

If you choose to write or email the White House, please send us a copy so we can keep track of how many letters were sent to the President.

One more thought: when you write to the President, also write to your Senators and Congressman or -woman and to your state legislator and Governor. Send the same letter to them all.

Let’s raise our voices NOW against privatization, against high-stakes testing, against teacher bashing, against profiteering.

Let’s advocate for policies that are good for students, that truly improve education, that respect the education profession, and that strengthen our democratic system of public education.

Let’s act. Start here. Start now.

Join our campaign. Speak out. Enough is enough.

Diane