By all accounts, the election of 2012 will be close.
For educators, the stakes are high.
Mitt Romney supports every kind of privatization, from charters to vouchers to full-time online schools, and he has no problem with for-profit schooling.
His agenda threatens the survival of that most basic of democratic institutions, the public school.
Educators supported President Obama when he ran in 2008. They enthusiastically embraced him as a true change agent, expecting that he would make major alterations to the noxious federal law No Child Left Behind.
But after his election, instead of calling for a major change in NCLB, he launched his Race to the Top, which builds on the flawed strategies of NCLB. Although President Obama has won the endorsement of the NEA and the AFT, many of the nation’s nearly four million teachers are discouraged by his policies. If they sit home or if they are lukewarm, he could lose the election.
We can’t let that happen.
So I am doing my part by writing a short speech that would win educators back. If he uses this speech, he would win the election. He could incorporate the following into his acceptance speech at the Convention in Charlotte or use it on a subsequent occasion:
“I want to address a few words to the nation’s hard-working teachers and principals, to its dedicated leaders and school board members. You hold the future in your hands. Your work will determine whether America is a great society, a just society and a creative society in the future.
“I know you have been disappointed in my approach to education. I know that teacher morale is at a low ebb. I know there is far too much pressure to teach to the test. That degrades the joy of learning.
“I know that most of that pressure comes from mistakes we made when we launched a ‘Race to the Top.’
“I know now we were wrong.
“Judging teachers by the test scores of their students is wrong. I understand now that this method doesn’t work. I apologize to you for letting it happen.
“You know that I have spoken out repeatedly against teaching to the test. I would not want this for my children, and you should not want it for yours or the children in your care. This is mis-education.
“Our country is now spending billons of dollars on testing and test preparation that should be spent in the classrooms of America, bringing back the 300,000 teachers who lost their jobs. reducing class sizes, restoring libraries, and providing services directly to children.
“Our nation must out-innovate the world and it won’t happen by picking a bubble on a standardized test. It will only happen if we encourage critical thinking, free inquiry, and a sense of wonder and imagination in every classroom.
“We want our students to lead the world in their love of learning. We want them to be the best in creativity. We want them to know history and foreign languages, science and mathematics, literature and geography. We want them to rexperience the liberating power of the arts. And we want them to have physical education every single day so that they are healthy and fit.
“One more thing. I realize that we were wrong to require states to allow more privately-managed schools as a condition of getting money from the Race to the Top.
“Through our mistakes, we inadvertently unleashed a movement to privatize our nation’s public schools and to turn them into for-profit centers for equity investors and technology corporations.
“This is unacceptable. Folks on the right have wanted to privatize our schools for half a century. We can’t let that happen.
“When we look around the world, we see that the top-performing nations have great public systems. We do not want to revive a dual school system in our nation’s cities, dividing up our public funds between a weakened public system and aggressive charter chains.
“And so I am directing my Secretary of Education Arne Duncan as of this day to cancel the Race to the Top. The fact is that learning is not accomplished in a “race.” Races are fine on the sports field, but not in the classroom. Learning is accomplished because of the patient effort of students, teachers, principals, parents, and communities working together.
“From this moment on, the U.S. Department of Education will dedicate its efforts to improving public education; to supporting equality of educational opportunity; to enforcing the civil rights of our students; to funding the districts where need is greatest; to strengthening the research and information that we need to upgrade our schools; and to recognizing that the primary responsibility for reform lies with the states and districts that are closest to the problems.
“Yes, we must improve public education. But we must do it in ways that make our communities and our democracy stronger. We must do it in ways that respect the dedication of our educators. And we must do it in ways that recognize that many children and families need extra help because of the burdens of poverty. We must do what we can to lift those burdens and to bring about the greatest of American goals: equality of educational opportunity.
Hopefully, he’ll listen and use it! Thank you!
Well, I think that would be outstanding, but I don’t believe it will happen.
Whether it is Romney or Obama, in terms of public education, there is little difference and their goal is to annihilate the public school system. If people choose Obama it will be for other reasons, not education.
I believe many who voted for him in 2008 will not vote at all and that will favor Romney. Many, many, many educators have written for the past two years and nothing has changed…it has only gotten worse.
I believe Obama will lose and I believe he blew it when he abandoned his base.
Where was he for Wisconsin? Where was he for the Chicago teachers? Didn’t he even send Axlerod to help Emanuel? I have lost all faith in the man who gave me hope. Arne Duncan has been a disaster and I don’t think Obama even gets it. His girls are fine…said and done.
I will go back to voting the Green Party for Presidential candidates.
Your vote for the Green Party is a wasted vote. What you will prove is that you will show The Democrats that you prefer Romney/Ryan as your Presidential Team. That is vote for the very worse situation for public education…far worse than what Duncan has given us. That is also a vote for smaller government but much tighter government control on our personal life. This is a bad lesson for the children as you will show them no vote is better than making a choice.
Okay, so I won’t vote for the Green Party, but I will still vote who I think best represents my thinking/beliefs, the Justice Party candidate, R. Anderson.
If teachers, massively, along with other awakened Democrats and the Occupy people, would vote for Stewart Alexander, I bet that party could win, if the counting machines are not rigged. As it stands, people think Obama is a Democrat but he isn’t. Take a look where he stands politically, cozily beside Romney, and in the quadrant that is diametrically opposed to social justice and liberties! http://www.politicalcompass.org/uselection2012
See, this is the problem. There isn’t ONE alternate candidate that will get the majority of the educator-vote. Therefore, the zealots will win and get Romney in.
I probably will too, for the first time ever. Since I live in a firmly blue state, it is likely a foregone conclusion here. Therefore, I will vote my conscience, which is to avoid both of the plutocratic sock-puppets we have been offered. 300 million people in this country, and these are our best choices? I resent the notion of holding my nose and picking the least bad.
I agree with you Alan and that’s why I think Obama will lose.
It’s a combination of a ‘Hobbesian Choice’ and prisoners dilemma all wrapped into one.
I commend you for voting your conscience. If more people did, the non-corporate parties would finally stand a chance.
Are you familiar with this neat site? http://www.politicalcompass.org/uselection2012
Obama is not going to use your speech or anything remotely like it. Watch him pay lip service to how great “effective teachers” are and then turn his back on them when the time is right. If he is re-elected he will continue his Race To the Top, standardized testing, worshipping Arne Duncan as God agenda. Obama has betrayed the tens of thousands of teachers who supported him 4 years ago. These teachers are rightfully angry. They are so angry in fact that many of them will stay home on Election Day as you mentioned above. I also think that there are quite a few of these teachers who will vote for Romney based out of spite or the belief that vouchers might not be so bad compared what Obama has started. (And not yet finished) Let’s just hope that the Chicago teachers fighting for our profession prevail. A victory for the Chicago Teachers Union could be a watershed event to finally turn the tide on the ed-deform movement as all change usually starts at the local level.
If they choose to vote for Romney out of spite, they spite themselves and their students. Not a smart choice. If they choose to not vote, I feel that is irresponsible. With all of the faults of the Obama administration, they will pale under Romney and the Republican crew with the ALEC-driven agendas. The Barbarians are at the gates.
FIRE DUNCAN! Hire Ravitch!
That’s what I was going to write.
I will be voting for Obama because I feel the alternative will be much worse. Yes, I agree with the many fine critiques of his education policies that have been advanced by Dr. Ravitch and others. However, since I believe poverty is a critical factor in education, I feel we must look at what the candidates propose on that front. There are also other issues I care about. When I look at Medicare, healthcare, tax policies, environmental policies, voting rights, equal pay for women, student loans, support for same-sex marriage, energy programs, and foreign policy — well, I think there is no comparison. In my view, a Romney Ryan administration would be disastrous for many of us who are not in the 1%.
Honestly I think we are screwed either way…just different levels or how severe…..I am losing hope and Obama may have blown it…he never should have abandoned all of us…teachers, parents, students, citizens, workers, the lowly middle class, the poor, etc…he has not listened to our concerns.
Yes Linda, you got it! This country is screwed under either corporate sponsored candidate which ultimately will be all who make it to the White House!
Take a look at this which spells out that the U.S. president is the tool of the corporations. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R3PXZQBuVlc
What I have learned in my journey into the rabbit hole is this:
The CIA works for the U.S. president who in turn is the tool of the corporations to look out for their interests, and they are united in groups like Bilderberg and the Council of Foreign Relations.
If you look at the directives from the top (from the One World Company Ltd. as Daniel Estulin calls the corporations) you can see how they are able to choose their candidate for U.S. president and even for other countries’ high office. Through them and the CFR and with help of the CIA they are able to control foreign policy, which explains why the CIA is used to stir trouble in regions where loot can be found. Also think of the south American fascist regimes the CIA has helped make possible. Enough said.
Check out some real news:
I meant to start you out with this video. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eGJtB4UDUYA&feature=share&list=UU2Xd902w9u5_2oa7SHFSvZw
I have to agree with you, although I have been so angry about the
administration’s rotten education policies, one has to look at the big picture. What would happen to Medicaid and other public programs under Romney/Ryan? More poverty and misery…more for the 1%.
Less gay and women’s rights. A truly dystopian U.S.A.
Why do people think there are just two candidates? Imagine the change possible in the way people vote if the corrupted, coopted corporate media would inform people of all the candidates out there and what they stand for! Most people have not heard of the others!
But, if you think Obama is a Democrat, you are wrong. Dems are supposed to be left of center. Look where Obama stands! Not even slightly right!
http://www.politicalcompass.org/uselection2012
RTTT is certainly a slap in the face to teachers considering how many of us supported him. But to expect him to show ANY remorse is REALLY wishful thinking. The mixed messages he sends to educators will cost him the election in my opinion. Holding his convention in a completely nonunion venue is yet another mixed message. I don’t see how he could truly expect our support.
I am a patient optimist
I know a few impatient optimists. Glad you’re the patient kind 🙂
Sure would be GRAND if Pres. Obama would incorporate these words!
My fear as is yours and others, is that many will just stay away from the polls. There are other grave issues on the table besides education: social security, medical issues, taxes, these should get the voters to the polls. Not to vote just because one does not agree with the education stances (I don’t like them either) is pathetic. If Arne Duncan was not the country’s superintendent, things might be different. The alternative choice on the ballot is horrendous in so many ways.
Agreed!
If President Obama used these words, I’d be sending money and signing up to do whatever I could to help his campaign. He’ll probably still get my vote, but without the enthusiasm I initially had when I believed he really would bring positive change to our country. Unfortunately he has sold out to those with money and lost his connection with real teachers.
d rather a candidate look me in the eye and honestly state their policy than to stand in front of me and lie like Obama has to teachers for 4 years.
We can dream.
If and that’s a big ‘If’. Here’s the irony. His policies have cost teachers their jobs. Our apathy and indifference may cause the same for him. Karma?
Obama’s educational policies are an abomination and are probably worse than NCLB. I can only speak for myself, but when I look at the alternative to Obama, it is just unacceptable. The GOP has gone mad, it has gone so far to the right that it is off the charts……..antichoice, anti-evolution, pro-social Darwinism, climate change denial, anti-environment, anti-science and even more anti-union than the Democrats. What a choice…..between the bubonic plague (GOP) or herpes+pnuemonia+shingles (D). Most of the other democracies have more than 2 choices and their campaign seasons last only a few months not years. I wish we had a viable third or fourth party but it’s not happening in my lifetime. Obama can make the best speech in the world but it is his actions that speak the loudest and his actions have been lacking in regards to education and unions, to say the least.
h@DianeRavitch @wordpressdotcom Although I am sickened by the policies of Race to the top I never felt quite convinced that all of this testing nonsense we have become obsessed with is something that he actually supports and in fact I have read and heard him speak on this issue noting some of the flaws of a teach to the test model but like so much of obamas first term he has disappointed us. Like you I still have optimism but what really confuses me Is why have many prominent liberal/democratic leaders fallen under the spell of privatization. Cory Booker wants to make Newark a better place for its citizens, same is true for Emmanuel in Chicago. I think in the end the difference is how they feel about teachers and education and in my mind there is a real difference between the republican agenda and their union busting ideas and the maybe naive and often misguided policies of this administration. I think intentions are important to take into consideration and for that reason I could never support a Romney presidency.
I can never support Romney. I want to support Obama. I just need a clear signal from him that he knows his policies in education are wrong and that he wants to change them.
Sorry to say I just heard Rahm Emanual or however his name is spelled praise race to the top. Bummer. . . .
Karen Lewis said Rahm told her that the bottom 25% of Chicago students were a lost cause, and he didn’t want to waste resources on them. Neoliberal all the way.
Look at Cory Booker getting a chance to speak. That man is a complete and total fraud that we know was bankrolled by right-wing interests to use education “reform” as a way to divide blacks and unions.
I think you did get a clear message. They played Tom Petty’s Won’t Back Down at the DNC.
People on the liberal left frequently complain about Obama’s broken promises, but in 2008 he was quite open about his support for charter schools, which most readers of this site know to be the primary Trojan Horse for privatizing education.
As political scientist Adolph Reed, who lived in Obama’s state senate district, wrote in 1996 (!):
“In Chicago, for instance, we’ve gotten a foretaste of the new breed of foundation-hatched black communitarian voices; one of them, a smooth Harvard lawyer with impeccable do-gooder credentials and vacuous to repressive neoliberal politics, has won a state senate seat on a base mainly in the liberal foundation and development worlds … I suspect his ilk will be the wave of the future…” (Adolph Reed, “The Curse of Community,” Village Voice, 1/16/96).
There it is, distilled to bitter, 200 proof: “vacuous to repressive neoliberal politics” and “a base mainly in the liberal foundation and development worlds.” Take a look at the charter school nexus, and you will often find the same unholy alliance of purportedly liberal foundations and real estate developers.
As Reed so presciently observed, Obama is a repressive, chameleon-like neoliberal to his core, and a strong argument can be made that he serves to misdirect and dissipate political energies and coalitions that might otherwise resist what is being done to students, teachers and the public schools.
If we want to keep the public education from being handed over to profiteers, and really hope to support schools that cultivate the deep human encounter that is good teaching, then it might be best to show the Democrats there’s a price to pay for their betrayals.
“If we want to keep the public education from being handed over to profiteers, and really hope to support schools that cultivate the deep human encounter that is good teaching, then it might be best to show the Democrats there’s a price to pay for their betrayals.”
I completely agree. A vote for the Democrats is a statement that we are OK with them acting like Republicans on education and other issues. I want the old Democratic Party back. That’s not going to happen if we keep voting for the new, Republicanesque Democrats like Obama.
I’d rather have a Republican who acts like a Republican, than a Democrat who acts like a Republican. I want two different political parties again.
The Republicans aren’t acting like Republicans! Maybe it’s time for a third party. Sharon’s links to Mike Lofgren are compelling and a must read (and see). They are in the “Deborah Meier Explains Why Gates Failed” post.
The Democratic Party is not the party I grew up with. I saw the Truman speech from 1948 on C-SPAN, and let me tell you, the party has gone far, far astray. I don’t trust any of the prospects for 2016 to do right by teachers or by the public at large. Because the GOP has staked out a semi-fascist agenda, the Democratic Party has veered further and further to the right in order to get more votes from Republicans disgusted with their party. The party has also been infiltrated by Third Way, neoliberal types since the late 1980s.
Very, very interesting. Thanks for sharing this.
Yes, that speech would have me not only assuring my vote, but, campaigning neither of which I feel like doing right now.
Actually supporting real public education does give a real chance to improve and develop our future.
Wow, that is a great speech.
It would be nice, Diane. But it would be empty words like the rhetoric he’s been spewing to placate us for years. He’s lost my vote. I know Romney is the enemy – he would galvanize us – no one would be fooled like they are with Obama. My vote is with Dr. Jill Stein after 30 years voting as a democrat.
I wouldn’t vote for Obama again even if he gave this beautiful speech. As we know from the last four years, for President Obama talk is cheap. For me, he’d have to give the speech and follow it with strong action the very next day. But he won’t. Zebras don’t change their stripes.
The Alamo hoped for help, I fear we are on our own. I can’t support Romney in large part due to my faith as a Christian, Obama hasn’t earned my support either. It seems a lose-lose situation. I could change my mind too with a signal of change, but could I believe Obama? I have to agree with Paul Thomas, I have no party this election, they both hate me and my profession.
Thanks so much, Diane. I think this has great potential.
I say that because I know who does have Obama’s ear about education. This is someone who is very committed to children, high quality education and social justice, so I find it very difficult to believe they would be encouraging the presidient to continue to support most of our policies (I’ve heard them speak against the perils of high-stakes testing, when the stakes were much lower than today.)
Since Obama has, thus far, not addressed a lot of the details around education polilcy, I think there is a chance that he could take a stand for children, families, communities and equal educational opportunity now. I think he knows he can still repudiate all the unproven policies. I think he may realize it’s time to rebuke the profiteering that benefits corporations much more than students, which began under Bush.
I think that where we have arrived today is summed up in the Agenda of the Gates Foundation Sponsored Education Innovation Summit 2013 in AZ, when a panel that includes Ron Packard, CEO of the lucrative K12 Inc online schools (which have not resulted in great outcomes for kids), will be discussing:
“A Class of Their Own: From Seed to Scale in a Decade: What does it take for an education company to reach $1B?”
BTW, the nearly 4M teachers that you mentioned does not include the disenfranchised teachers in higher ed and all of the famiy members of teachers who are voters.
Thank you again, Diane, for your continued commitment to true high quality education for children, families and communities.
The Gates Foundation and its ilk have bought off the Democratic Party in general, and Arne Duncan in particular, lock, stock, and barrel.
The Democratic party leadership is being completely consistent. Arne Duncan, Rahm Emanuel speaking at the convention, the platform that touts charter schools and the destructive policies of Race to the Top, etc.
Whatever happens with the elections, we’ll still have our fight on our hands. Let’s not lose sight of this! Supporting Chicago teachers and the community they have rallied — THAT’s a focus we cannot afford to lose.
Today’s Portland Press Herald’s editorial discussed the anti-democratic aspects of Governor LePage’s efforts to push school privatization in Maine. A key quote:
Some might say that the [LePage] administration is right to consult experts, but what’s going on here is something much more serious.
These transactions are robbing the public of its ability to oversee education.
The local school committee would have no influence in how locally raised tax money and state subsidy was spent in these virtual schools. Those questions would be governed by state law, which may turn out to have been written by a vendor, accountable only to its investors, which stands to collect millions from Maine taxpayers.
After inventing stories about special entrance exams for Maine college-bound students, and opining, without evidence, that the whole world looks down on Maine because of the alleged low quality of our schools, Gov. LePage does not have much credibility when it comes to education policy.
Now he should have even less.
http://www.pressherald.com/opinion/state-has-outsourced-policy-on-virtual-schools_2012-09-05.html
When it snows in Miami…
🙂
I think it’s worth a read of this Q&A sponsored by Scientific American, with responses from both Obama and Romney on science education.
http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=obama-romney-science-debate
See question #5.
Romney writes:
“To the contrary, teachers unions are consistently on the front lines fighting against initiatives to attract and retain the best teachers, measure performance, provide accountability, or offer choices to parents.
Real change will come only when the special interests take a back seat to the interests of students. Across the nation, glimmers of success offer reason for hope. Charter school networks such as the KIPP Academies, Uncommon Schools, and Aspire Public Schools are producing remarkable results with students in some of our nation’s most disadvantaged communities. Florida Virtual School and other digital education providers are using technology in new ways to personalize instruction to meet students’ needs.”
Diane,
I wonder if an appeal to First Lady Michelle Obama would work. She champions ending child obesity—public school lunches are changing as a result by requiring more fruits and vegetables effective this school year. I wonder if she realizes the number of students who will not benefit from updated school lunch menus due to vouchers, virtuals, online course providers, etc. Could the number of students who by pass the school lunch program due to corporate style reform diminish her efforts? Shouldn’t the President’s education policy help, not hurt, the First Lady’s efforts? I wonder how she would respond.
What a sharp message to President Obama from Diane.
If I may add, educators in Wisconsin were so disappointed with President Obama’s silence throughout the recent recall campaign. He spoke during his first campaign of putting on his walking shoes in support of picketing union workers. All we got were a few token comments of support from the President and a recall eve tweet.
In respects to the rest of the states suffering through similar attacks, Wisconsin was ground zero of the education debate last spring.
We were hammered with extraordinary anti-union advertising funded outside our state.
http://oneteachersperspective.blogspot.com/2012/06/explaining-failed-recall-to-my-preteen.html
Of course, Diane came to our aid.
http://oneteachersperspective.blogspot.com/2012/06/diane-ravitch-its-time-for-change-in.html
But the national Democrats, including Obama and his campaign, sat it out–while national Republican organizations pumped tens of millions into Gov. Walker’s campaign to trounce public worker’s unions and public educators.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/the-wisconsin-recalls-big-money/2012/06/06/gJQAKAyiJV_graphic.html
Romney is not a choice, but the energy and precious $$ of many Wisconsinites are not going Obama’s way this season….unless we get a message like the one Diane writes.
For decades, Democrats have depended on public educators…we’ve been treated lately like we are expendable.
If past behavior is the best predictor of future behavior, our President will say your outstanding speech and then do the bidding of the reformers anyway. With my highest due respect, even though I admire you greatly, Dr. Ravitch, I honestly don’t think that “we inadvertently unleashed a movement to privatize our nation’s public schools and to turn them into for-profit centers for equity investors and technology corporations.” Rather, the “NO ACTION” taken by our President, our elected officials, and our unions makes me believe this was done by design. The collusion runs deep.
Diane, I believet that you are absolutely on track with your convictions that our President can listen to us and learn from the mistakes of the anti-teacher, anti-union movement that has devestated the education of children across our nation! He is an intelligent and empathetic leader who has, unfortunately, been influenced by the louder, highly influential voices of the organized movement to destroy public education for their own profit. They had his ear first but this does not mean that we stop talking! Our voices are more important than ever and President Obama is the only chance we have to help public education! Speak out and be heard… he will listen.
I absolutely agree, 100%!!
We have two choices to make in the November 2012 election. If Romney wins, we have absolutely NO chance of having our voices heard. If President Obama wins, we have a chance to make a difference. Romney will make sure all states become right to work states and all schools will eventually be privatized. In my opinion, we cannot make a decision to not vote at all because without a voice we cannot change the educational situation at all. I believe that if we continue to communicate the shortcomings of the Charter system as well as the current testing standards and the strengths of the public school system, we can win. It is a cause worth fighting for.
IT’s always good to remind everyone what tyranny looks like.
When they ignore the 10th Amendment of the Constitution, I’m not sure why you think they will listen to you.
This will only get WORSE if he wins a second term. You must know that.
You might get Romney to stop RttT but unfortunately he wont dismantle the US DOE.
If you want a scrap from your master, I’d suggest making Romney your master. At least you might get a scrap. Obama will give you more grief.
“Romney will make sure all states become right to work states and all schools will eventually be privatized. ” DonnaJ has it correct, MOM. Romney is far worse. A Romney presidency would bring the death of workers’ rights as we know them. If you support workers’ rights to negotiate within an organization that advocates for them, you would not want Romney as your candidate.
Well, I don’t feel better about Obama…he lies to us and does the same as
Romney. I can’t vote for Romney. I won’t vote for Obama…he used us and he has abandoned his base. We are screwed either way.
Like you, Diane, I am a patient optimist, although the “patient” part has definitely been ‘tested’ lately when it comes to public school education, not necessarily with our President. Your letter to Obama is perfect and I strongly feel that IF it could be received by both the President and First Lady, it COULD make a difference. I hope that somehow, some way, you’re able to get it into their hands. In the meantime, thank you for ALL that you continue to do for our cause.
Should teachers fail to make the Obama administration pay for their abandonment of democratic public education, it will be many decades before they have any sway in any party on the national or local levels.
His re-election would call our bluff.
Hey NEA and AFT. The tail is wagging the dog. Politicians must be answerable to the people, not the other way around. You are too close to the power structures of the democratic party for your actions to mean anything anymore. We have been co-opted and rendered irrelevant.