Jersey Jazzman Writes to the President

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1. craftysongs says:

   October 17, 2012 at 2:25 pm

   Dear DR:

   Please read my newest blog posting: “Attention All Bankers!! Tax liability soiling your pretty new money? Bring it to the Charter School Laundromat. You’re gonna clean up!” http://yomizblog.wordpress.com/2012/10/17/attention-all-bankers-tax-liability-soiling-your-pretty-new-money-bring-it-to-the-charter-school-laundromat-youre-gonna-clean-up/

   If you like it, would you please spread the word? Thanks for all you do. I read your blogs every day and they continue to inspire me.

   Cheers, Elizabeth Rose

   Yomizblog.wordpress.com http://www.elizabethrosemusic.com

   Reply
2. KathyRichardson says:

   October 17, 2012 at 2:33 pm

   Diane, Thank you so much for your work.

   My letter to Obama

   October 17, 2012

   Dear President Obama,

   I believe you are passionate about the potential for education to change the future for children and thus our nation. But the innovations your administration is seeking are taking us down the wrong path. Some of us have been working to improve education for many years. We have studied learning, curriculum, the change process, and supporting children in poverty. We are the professional educators that have had no voice in this administration. We have been able to make important changes in various schools throughout the nation, but have never had the commitment of time and money necessary to make the level of change we seek. I believe you would be inspired by what we do and have done. For me and my colleagues, the teacher’s unions have been irrelevant throughout my more than 40 years of living my passion for children and teaching. I am dismayed that the union is shown to be the face of education everywhere I look. I think the unions have a role but it is so minor compared to the myriad of professionals who have dedicated their lives to accomplishing what I believe are your goals. Please listen to those who are, not tied to ideology, but to a search for understanding. Listen to professional educators. Sincerely, Kathy Richardson Math Perspectives Teacher Development Center Bellingham, WA

   Sent from my iPhone

   Reply
3. Linda says:

   October 17, 2012 at 2:47 pm

   Diane,

   I mailed my letter this Saturday. I got this response via email. They must have had my email in their database. I suppose everyone will be getting this form letter. I handwrote a note saying I did not want a RTTT form letter. I suggested they save the paper, stamp and the staff person’s time and buy a book for a D.C. child instead.

   Well, I guess they didn’t read my note or they didn’t really care.

   Here is a cut and paste of the email letter I just received.

   October 17, 2012

   Dear Linda:

   Thank you for writing. My Administration is working to ensure all America’s young people have educational opportunities worthy of their potential, and I appreciate hearing from you.

   There is no stronger foundation for success than a great education. We must provide our children with the world-class schools they need to succeed and our Nation needs to compete in the global economy. Our classrooms should be places of high expectations and success, where all students receive an education that prepares them for higher education and high-demand careers in our fast-changing economy.

   My Administration has made historic investments to strengthen our education system, including our Race to the Top program—the most ambitious education reform our country has seen in generations. Race to the Top focuses on what is best for our students by engaging state and local leaders and educators in turning around our lowest performing schools, developing and rewarding effective teachers, adopting meaningful assessments, and tracking the progress of our students.

   To comprehensively reshape our educational system and better meet state and local needs, we also need to reform the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB)—a law that has helped advance accountability and expose disparities in opportunities and outcomes, but labels too many schools as failing and imposes too many unworkable remedies. Because America’s students could not afford to wait any longer for Congress to act, my Administration launched a new Federal-State partnership to provide States flexibility to advance educational reforms in exchange for a commitment to raise standards, improve accountability, and help teachers become more effective. The first round of States to receive flexibility was announced in February 2012, and while they are required to maintain a focus on underserved students, they can now move away from one-size-fits-all interventions and mandates and instead do what is best for students.

   The future of America’s economic strength is determined each day in classrooms across our Nation. To be successful, we must cultivate a learning environment with an effective teacher in every classroom and an effective principal in every school. Supporting a strong teaching workforce and inspiring school leadership is a top priority for my Administration. In these challenging financial times for State and local budgets, we have worked to help schools keep teachers in the classroom, preserve or extend the regular school day and year, and maintain important afterschool activities. My Administration has also put forward a robust plan to strengthen and transform the teaching profession through a series of investments to help States and districts pursue bold reforms at every stage of the profession. This includes attracting top-tier talent and preparing educators for success, creating career ladders with opportunities for advancement and competitive compensation, evaluating and supporting the development of teachers and principals, and getting the best educators into the classrooms of the students who need them most.

   Across our country, young people are dreaming of their futures and of the ideas that will chart the course of our unwritten history. A world-class education system will equip our Nation to advance economic growth, encourage new investment and hiring, spark innovation, and ensure the success of the middle class. Preparing our students for higher education and rewarding careers fulfills our promise to our Nation’s young people and strengthens America for generations to come. To learn more about my Administration’s work, please visit http://www.WhiteHouse.gov/Issues/Education.

   Thank you, again, for writing.

   Sincerely,

   Barack Obama

   Reply
   • Dienne says:

     October 17, 2012 at 2:59 pm

     “…including our Race to the Top program—the most ambitious education reform our country has seen in generations.”

     Well, it is that. At least, if you consider dismantling public education “reform”. But it is certainly ambitious anyway!

     Reply
4. Michael Brocoum says:

   October 17, 2012 at 2:50 pm

   As I recall President Obama Had Linda Darling Hammond as his educational advisor during his 2008 campaign and dropped her for Duncan after he won election. Duncan’s philosophy is in line with President Obama’s as written in his book “Audacity of Hope”.

   Reply