Ralph Ratto, the author of the blog admonishing Campbell Brown for her unfortunate and ill-informed editorial in the Wall Street Journal has advice for other teachers:
These are trying times for those of us who love teaching. I refuse to sit back as we get pummeled in the media and on political platforms. We need to answer every accusation using every tool at our disposal. Those on the other side will stop at nothing to steal away our precious resources. We’re seeing that first hand with Student First’s underhanded methods.
I only wish, more of us would flood every social media site with responses every time any of us are unjustly attacked. We need to drive the discussion not respond defensively.
Good advice. If all the corporate reformers in the entire nation gathered in one place, they might fill a convention center. Maybe there are 20,000 of them. Maybe fewer.
There are more than 3 million teachers. Tell your story. Support your brothers and sisters. Speak out in every forum. Don’t let the ignorant and uninformed and self-interested destroy your profession or our public schools.
Diane Ravitch's blog 
Thanks again
Please go to this web site and scroll down to Goffstown School Board Watch with Donna Pinard: http://www.goffstowntoday.com/
She is a teacher in Goffstown and also a resident. She has a local show on cable where she critiques and exposes what is going on in her district. She does NOT hold back when addressing her bosses and Superintendent.
I would suggest other teachers come forward and expose what is going on in the schools.
Your original post on why we’re quiet, and a conversation months ago you and I had about the metaphors one could use to describe teachers’ plight, inspired this: http://fourthgenerationteacher.blogspot.com/2012/08/frog-in-pot-canary-in-mine-or-rats-from.html
Thank you for being our guiding light.
Diane,
Not sure where to post this. From Parents Across America… Very
Important for all to read. How you know you have the Broad virus
And how to fight back!
http://parentsacrossamerica.org/2011/04/how-to-tell-if-your-school-district-is-infected-by-the-broad-virus/
And vote!
I believe the words “We need to drive the discussion not react defensively.” should be our battle cry. I believe history repeats itself and we have been in tough economic times for a good number of years and therefor we need a scapegoat or someone to target with blame. Here in Ohio our governor and our local school boards have made the the high price of public education a major factor in their budgetary concerns. It seems that the cost of teacher salaries has been responsible for breaking the taxpayers backs. We are an easy target and strive for peace and resolution frequently on our backs.
We need to change the program and stop defending and start speaking out.
I agree, my husband is a teacher and I am a stay at home mom of 2 years who previously was in management in the business sector. I hate the level of ignorance there is about the school systems. But, I am well informed b/c I see what my husband does everyday, I see the time he puts in and I know financially what we have invested so he can do his job (this was a shock coming from the business sector which paid for training, conferences, supplies and technology needed to do my job). My question to OEA and local districts is why are you not working together to get a unified informative message out their. The information is there, show the state and local districts what it is they have. This is an asset, taxpayers are investors (they don’t see it that way). They need to know what they are getting for their investment. If you don’t see it as an investment and realize their is a return when it excels why would you support it. People waste money on crazy things, but it is because they see what they are getting or they see what they could get. Why do you think companies spend billions on advertisement?????? Unfortunately our society is not going to take the time to inform itself, so it is time for OEA and local districts to educate the community as well.
I have been following this blog “Dark Ages America” for years, and that is why I wasn’t surprised about this assault on teachers. Author Morris Berman, a professor and cultural historian, has been talking about our country’s decline for many years. I used to think (hope) it wasn’t true, but after the assault on teachers these last two years, he has been right on every point. Check out the new article, “Sociopaths Rule.” I want to warn you that he doesn’t offer any remedies…but at least you will understand the greater forces at play.
http://morrisberman.blogspot.com/
We must STOP supporting political pathetics as “leaders”, in the Democratic party and especially as union ‘leaders’.
The Democratic party has PROVEN in the last 6 years that it is “lead” by yuppie sell outs, diaper wetters, and finger wagging politically incompetent scolds. Since I was a 4 buck an hour 20 year old college drop out budding alchy cook in 1980, I’ve been voting for a $ocial cla$$ who either sell me out OR have the most erudite exhaustive excuses for enabling sell outs known to mankind. They have PROVEN that they are worthless… unless you’re comparing them to the tea party nutjobs.
As the last 6 years have PROVEN, unemployment for the current crop of Democrats is our only HOPE.
There is a completely untapped market for the bottom 80% of us – good policy and good government. Good policy and good government is stuff like: NON casino retirement security, NON AHIP-Care ‘health’ care access security, NON congressional b.s. of the week on unemployment and retraining security, NON junk community services, such as education for all, all founded upon NON Junk-Mart jobs.
WHERE are leaders figuring out how to address that market in the community of the bottom 80%+ of us? Who is starting to solve these problems, instead of people in charge who make excuses and who make fat paychecks, and who make crap compromises and expect us to applaud for a getting a smaller pile of crap dumped on our heads?
STOP listening to excuses from the cutting edge of conventional wisdom about how hard it is to politically beat mean meanies, cuz, you know, they’re not nice. Of course they’re not nice and they’re mean – they come from 1000’s of years of aristocrats using us all as doormats, boot lickers, serfs, catch farts and cannon fodder. They are NOT adolescents or kids, they’re adults who’ve chosen to be mean and they’re adults who will ONLY respond to being politically beaten, period.
I have a full time ++ job teaching high school math. I don’t have the time to figure out effective messaging and strategy and tactics – that is what I hire leaders for – and that is what I’ll fire leaders for not doing.
On Monday, at Lynwood H.S. in Wishy-Warshy, I had to endure a teacher’s union “leader” firing us up with her chatter about how mean the mean meanies are … and how the WEA is kow-towing to right wing lies about ‘teacher effectiveness”. I’m glad she’s been in the classroom for 28 years, but, Roger Ailes and Karl Rove and PATCO and Lee Atewater aren’t new, and finger wagging about mean meanies has NOT stopped them, in the least, for decades. If “Leaders” like her say ‘teacher effectiveness’ enough, then they’ll get a … luncheon with Sauron’s Ringwraiths ?? Opps, I mean a luncheon with the Chief Doublethinkers of the local Gate$ A$tro Turff$ blaming teachers for systemic failures?
(remember when you’re at the luncheon to hum “How Great Thou Art” at pictures of Bill, and, to get a glassy eyed stare when chatting about dear leader. Before I started this teaching thing 9 years ago, I spent 5 years working at Microsoft.)
rmm.
some people are hanging their hats on the idea that teachers need to help re-elect Obama and then demand that he work with them/step away from the worst of ed reform…
Several points on this:
1: does it matter whether its Obama or Romney? Is there any difference now between the two parties, esp on education? Or are we living in a plutarchy and elections are merely a sham, an illusion, to make us think we have choice?
2: what makes you think Obama would listen to you AFTER you’ve helped him win the election? He doesn’t listen to you now, he wont listen to you then – he has no incentive, especially since you’ve given away your leverage for FREE…
The time to make demands is BEFORE you give away the teacher vote/endorse him…
HOWEVER: you could, even now, RETRACT your endorsement of Obama… give him a wake up call, re-endorse IF he:
steps up to the plate, dumps Duncan, for example (a mostly symbolic gesture because Duncan’s merely the agent for the ed deformers and can easily be replaced by another)…
turns his back on ed deform
brings teachers/parents to table
meets these and other demands…
YOU HAVE THE POWER (of your teacher voice) – USE IT…