A reader told me that she received an email from the Obama campaign asking her how the administration’s education policies have affected her.
I received the same email, as have, I assume, thousands or millions of others.
So, yes, please tell the campaign how Race to the Top has affected you.
Let them know how their policies have pushed state legislatures to pass teacher-evaluation systems that are unproven, inaccurate, unstable, and punitive.
Let them know how teachers will be evaluated based on the test scores of students who are chronically absent.
Let them know how teachers will be evaluated based on the test scores of students they never taught.
Let them know that the rankings produced by these systems are arbitrary and capricious.
Let them know that the merit pay programs they have spent $1 billion to promote have universally failed to affect student achievement.
Let them know that test scores are not synonymous with good education.
Let them know that charters have evolved into a means of undermining public education, which is the bedrock of our democratic society.
Let them know that teachers want to collaborate with their colleagues, not compete with them for dollars.
Let them know that you expected Secretary Duncan to complain when your state cut the budget for the arts, for libraries, for class size reduction, for higher education, and you were disappointed that he was silent.
Let them know that you have been disappointed that Secretary Duncan has not spoken out forcefully and often against state laws that strip teachers of any job protections because such laws remove academic freedom from teachers.
Let them know that the high-stakes testing that the Obama administration has insisted upon is hurting your children and changing their education into a daily drill for the next state test.
Let them know that you might want for your children what the Obama girls receive at the Sidwell Friends school–a rich curriculum and teacher-made tests, small classes, and good facilities for learning and teaching.
Let them know how the Obama education policies have affected you.
They need to know.
Diane
Diane Ravitch's blog 
They also need to know that people will be considering that when they vote. I think they take the votes of teachers/unions for granted and assume that we will fall in line. I have never been an Obama backer, but the education policies of this administration may be his greatest failing in a list of them. The damage done by this to our educational system is catastrophic. Note also that none of their kids will be forced to endure this. Good for thee and not for me seems to be the motto.
I wrote that post rather quickly. Please excuse the awkward wording.
I’ve received and answered similar emails. I just don’t know where cyberspace sends our responses. Could it be Duncan is intercepting them???
I did not receive this e-mail, although I CONSTANTLY receive e-mails asking for $$ & time donations. (Along with insulting invitations to–“w/a$5-win a chance” to have dinner at George Clooney’s or Sarah Jessica Parker’s!)
I have answered that, while I did both in 2008, & enthusiastically voted for Obama, I cannot, now, in good conscience, give any kind of support unless the following are accomplished:
1. Replacement of Arne Duncan as Ed.Secy. w/a PROFESSIONAL educator-preferably, Dr. Darling-Hammond or Dr. Ravitch.
2. STOP Race to the Top & its requirements, thus ending, as well, high-stakes, standardized testing, saving billions of $$$ which can go directly to public schools.
3. (Although the 1st 2 will do!) Streamline or abolish the Federal D.o.Ed. Save $$$ to, again, go directly to the schools. “Too many cooks spoil the broth…”
Also, this has to be accomplished before November.
Excellent public education & an ensured good future for America’s children? Yes!
Dinner with the President, George Clooney & Sarah Jessica Parker?
I could care less.
Retired, sadly, none of that will happen…Pearson and other education companies now have their mitts on the system, and they will never let it go.
Pearson notwithstanding, how would we know if we don’t, at least, try? Should FairTest, DumpDuncan, United OptOut & PAA disband & give up, which will undoubtedly lead to the sacrifice iof America’s children?
Simply complaining/responding to a blog doesn’t help (except for, perhaps, making the person who wrote it feel better). This IS a problem, & all problems require solutions, especially one which, unsolved, will have horrendous repercussions.
AND– how many teachers, parents & community members disagree with the Obama Administration’s education policies, which are destroying our public schools? Hundreds of thousands (& even more!) of us CAN make a difference.
November is closer than we think, & it’s up to us to do something.
. Thank goodness for Diane–she writes the blog to
make us think (& to carry on). Yes WE can!
One has to love those presidential election years when the campaign – not the candidate – pretend to care for the constituency. After years of neglect the campaign remembers that there are real people who need to be convinced at the last moment – real people are of course those perceived as middle class, the poor are not considered people.
No surprise Obama’s campaign wants us to share our experience with the education system, there is no way for him to actually know since his daughters attend a private school that requires more then $34000 tuition. Of course one can claim that the reason Obama sends his daughters to an “ivy league” children’s school is precisely because he knows better then anyone else what has been happening in public education since George Bush the I.
Barack Obama is probably a great father who is too much of a responsible person then to send his kids to the system being run by president Obama. The father Obama wouldn’t want the reckless president Obama’s ‘race to the top’ to diminish his kid’s education prospects and reduced them to multiple choice test takers, he probably wishes them a great future. Not to mention, as someone who reside in Washington DC the daughters will be subjected to the cruel, harsh neo con experiment conducted by Michelle Rhee.
It seems that Obama’s daughters’s ‘ Sidwell Friends’ school that provided education to many oligarchs is being run on the complete opposite principals then the public education system. Obama himself praised the school for not over testing nor using them as a sole way to measure students achievement.
‘Sidwell Friends’ school has an extensive art program with enormous verity for a student to pick from, but also a “Studio Art program” that is a ” process of self-expression is a pleasure and a challenge that requires a willingness to be personally involved with each project.”. plus a drama and music programs where “students learn vocal and hand chime technique and performance” and where “Instruments from all of the major families are presented”.
They also pride themselves with a library that has ” current collection of books numbers over 20,000″ many of which are – and that man Coleman is not going to like this – work of fiction which the students can borrow and read. There are student’s clubs Chines studies, and endless amount to sports and sport facilities for boys and girls of every age and every interest. In short everything Obama and Duncan alongside their oligarchs Gates and Walton decided to deprive everyone else from.
Last but not least the student to teacher ration – and Rhee, Duncan, Obama, Bloomberg, Rick Snyder, Bill and Melinda Gates are not going to like this – is 7.8 to 1.
I assume because they don’t have great innovative, accountable super teachers who can handle 40 students in a classroom.
I made a small donation a few weeks ago and got a call today asking if I had any views on the Obama administration. I told the campaign rep that I’ve resigned myself to voting for Obama, but want the administration to get rid of Duncan and Race to the Top. When asked if I’d be willing to volunteer for the campaign, I said I’d be spending my efforts lobbying my union NOT to give money to Obama. Personally, I’ll vote for Obama (the alternative will be worse), but it would be ludicrous for the UFT in New York to support, give money to, or campaign for the Obama administration’s education policies.
Reblogged this on Transparent Christina.
FYI, I tried to look at the Obama letter after school yesterday and it was blocked by the DOE.
Reblogged this on Kowalogy and commented:
Great posting from Diane Ravitch. Let the Obama administration know what you think of current education reform efforts.