The California Democratic Party passed a resolution opposing corporate education reform.
It specifically criticized Michelle Rhee’s StudentsFirst and the Wall Street hedge fund managers’ group called “Democrats for Education Reform” as fronts for Republicans and corporate interests.
See the story in the Los Angeles Times here. The headline repeats the “reform” claim that they just want to “overhaul” schools, when the resolution below correctly describes their agenda.
The message is getting out. The public is beginning to understand the privatizers’ game of talking “reform” and “great teachers” while dismantling public education and the teaching profession.
This is great news!
Here is the resolution:
Supporting California’s Public Schools and Dispelling the Corporate “Reform” Agenda
Whereas, the reform initiatives of Students First, rely on destructive anti-educator policies that do nothing for students but blame educators and their unions for the ills of society, make testing the goal of education, shatter communities by closing their public schools, and see public schools as potential profit centers and children as measureable commodities; and
Whereas, the political action committee, entitled Democrats for Education Reform is funded by corporations, Republican operatives and wealthy individuals dedicated to privatization and anti-educator initiatives, and not grassroots democrats or classroom educators; and
Whereas, the billionaires funding Students First and Democrats for Education Reform are supporting candidates and local programs that would dismantle a free public education for every student in California and replace it with company run charter schools, non-credentialed teachers and unproven untested so-called “reforms”;
THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that the California Democratic Party reaffirms its commitment to free accessible public schools for all which offer a fair, substantive opportunity to learn with educators who have the right to be represented by their union, bargain collectively and have a voice in the policies which affect their schools, classrooms and their students;
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the California Democratic Party send this resolution to all elected Democratic leaders in California, publicize the corporate and Republican funding of these groups and work with the authors of this resolution to dispel the false reforms and support the real needs of the classroom: trained teachers, adequate funding, safe and clean facilities, diverse and stimulating curriculum and access to pre-school and higher education.
Diane Ravitch's blog 
Beautiful news.
I wonder how this will sit with Obama(?) Will he try to play silent like he did with the Chacago teachers’ strike?
Pay it forward >>>>!
This is my favorite line in the LA Times article:
“People can call themselves Democrats for Education Reform — it’s a free country — but if your agenda is to shut teachers and school employees out of the political process and not lift a finger to prevent cuts in education, in my book you’re not a reformer, you’re not helping education, and you’re sure not much of a Democrat,” said state Supt. of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson, a registered Democrat whose office is nonpartisan.
http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-democrats-20130415,0,2919125.story?track=rss
and he is such a great example with all the photo ops all over California. NO ONE is minding the children
Finally some Democrats stand up and speak the truth!!
It is about time. I have had to fight with the democrats for years to get anything done. This is hard to believe that it is not a trick. How did they suddenly change? What about all the legislation up there ready to vote for what they are saying they are against like AB 375? Is this going to be dropped? If not, Joke Time. You can go watch Gloria Romero and the DFER on George1la uncut in an interview in which DFER chokes when we ask “Real Questions.” Never believe anything unless they prove it. Something stinks. How can they change their colors so fast with the legislation going on? Of course, they know as I do that people do not read they just talk about things they do not know. I am reading 10-15 bills a day and there are 2,200 up for consideration right now like 12 bills to lower the passage of bonds from 2/3 to 55%. This creates “Permadebt” and it is all a result of our stopping the $90 billion Measure J which was a tax until 2069. The fourth bill presented was to lower the passage of transportation bonds to 55% from 2/3 and now there are 12 of them. Remember Machiavelli and the Borgia’s? Read all the tea leaves not just the ones on top. Caution is the best medicine in situations like this. Let’s see them prove it. You have to be in the mix daily to know what they are really doing and this does not really add up all things considered. It is not just about education. Education is closely tied to the criminal justice system and there is a lot of trading going on. Most have no idea of what really goes on internally politically with bills and about “Gut and Amend.”
After all, the democratic party considering education has been in total lockstep with the republicans regarding education and the destruction. Just look at the Prez and his Sec. of Ed. and what do you see but corporatizer privatizers way back at least to 1995. Can they change colors that fast? Why is the state in denial of the latest DOE OIG report on the total lack of accountability of charter schools? Why does LAUSD have more of then than anyone? Why are they making more? Will this reverse? Be Prepared. Remember, Trust, but not until verified. How many are daily involved in Sacramento. Not many. How many deal in all subjects? Not many. We are there. We know.
Too bad Antonio Villarigosa is leaving office–I’d like to see his response to this since he is a leading Democratic waterboy for corporate reform in California.
I posted this to the two candidates for Los Angeles mayor’s Facebook pages:
I would like to hear Eric Garcetti’s response to the CA Democratic Party’s condemnation of corporate driven public education reform that put the profits of hedge fund managers ahead of what teachers, researchers, and parents think is best for educating our kids.
Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa was a big supporter of this profoundly corrupt policy.
Will Eric Garcetti support PUBLIC public schools instead of trying to privatize them?
Eric Garcetti:
https://www.facebook.com/ericgarcetti?fref=ts
Wendy Greuel:
https://www.facebook.com/wendygreuel?fref=ts
It’s a start and big changes always seem to start in California. How dare those sleazy Republicans call themselves Democrats. Talk about a front group!
On corporate ed “reform”, there has been absolutely no difference between Republicans and Dems.
We may need to consider a third party.
Carrie, the action of the California Democratic Party offers hope that some state-level Democrats are waking up and realizing what is happening.
We don’t need a third party. We have to work within our parties to put them on the right side of history.
Diane, Diane, Diane, said in a teacher’s exasperated voice. YES, we do need third, fourth, fifth parties. The rules need to be changed to allow greater participation by all. I firmly believe the lack of political involvement and low voter turnouts have, in a major way, its roots in the two party system.
Duane
Forget a third party, we need a second party because this one party system is not working for us.
Love it.. Republicans blame democrats and democrats blame republicans… Your exactly right Carrie, when it comes to edu reform, they are all the same…they are all on a course set for privatization… Let’s hope common core implodes from within…
Reports by Seema Mehta follow the precepts of good journalism. She presents both sides of the story backed with pertinent quotes then allows the reader make her own decision. Main stream newspapers like the Los Angeles Times and reporters like Seema Mehta are so important to the continuation of the democracy.
Garrison Keillor wrote, “When you wage war on the public schools, you’re attacking the mortar that holds a community together. That’s not a conservative. That’s a vandal.” The vandals are at the school yard gates, and we need to fight them off with the facts carried by our collective voices.
The republicans seem to coming to the same conclusion…
http://illinoisreview.typepad.com/illinoisreview/2013/04/republicans-to-discuss-opposition-to-controversial-common-core-curriculum.html
LOS ANGELES – The Republican National Committee is meeting in Los Angeles this week to discuss several pressing issues, and one concerns the Common Core Education Standards. As reported this week on Illinois Review, Tea Partiers and homeschool moms are organizing a “Stop Common Core Illinois” effort to steer Illinois away from the federal standards program in which it has already stepped. The growing concern about Common Core is reflected in the proposed RNC resolution which reads:
RESOLUTION CONCERNING COMMON CORE EDUCATION STANDARDS
WHEREAS, the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) are a set of academic standards, promoted and supported by two private membership organizations, the National Governor’s Association (NGA) and the Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO) as a method for conforming American students to uniform (“one size fits all”) achievement goals to make them more competitive in a global marketplace, (1.) and
WHEREAS, the NGA and the CCSSO, received tens of millions of dollars from private third parties to advocate for and develop the CCSS strategy, subsequently created the CCSS through a process that was not subject to any freedom of information acts or other sunshine laws, and never piloted the CCSS, and
WHEREAS, even though Federal Law prohibits the federalizing of curriculum (2.), the Obama Administration accepted the CCSS plan and used 2009 Stimulus Bill money to reward the states that were most committed to the president’s CCSS agenda; but, they failed to give states, their legislatures and their citizens time to evaluate the CCSS before having to commit to them, and
WHEREAS, the NGA and CCSSO in concert with the same corporations developing the CCSS ‘assessments’ have created new textbooks, digital media and other teaching materials aligned to the standards which must be purchased and adopted by local school districts in order that students may effectively compete on CCSS ‘assessments’, and
WHEREAS, the CCSS program includes federally funded testing and the collection and sharing of massive amounts of personal student and teacher data, and
WHEREAS, the CCSS effectively removes educational choice and competition since all schools and all districts must use Common Core ‘assessments’ based on the Common Core standards to allow all students to advance in the school system and to advance to higher education pursuits; therefore be it
RESOLVED, the Republican National Committee, as stated in the 2012 Republican Party Platform, “do not believe in a one size fits all approach to education and support providing broad education choices to parents and children at the State and local level,” (p35)(3.), which is best based on a free market approach to education for students to achieve individual excellence; and, be it further
RESOLVED, the Republican National Committee recognizes the CCSS for what it is– an inappropriate overreach to standardize and control the education of our children so they will conform to a preconceived “normal,” and, be it further
RESOLVED, That the Republican National Committee rejects the collection of personal student data for any non-educational purpose without the prior written consent of an adult student or a child student’s parent and that it rejects the sharing of such personal data, without the prior written consent of an adult student or a child student’s parent, with any person or entity other than schools or education agencies within the state, and be it finally
RESOLVED, the 2012 Republican Party Platform specifically states the need to repeal the numerous federal regulations which interfere with State and local control of public schools, (p36) (3.); and therefore, the Republican National Committee rejects this CCSS plan which creates and fits the country with a nationwide straitjacket on academic freedom and achievement.
Republicans seems to be of the same mind here?
http://illinoisreview.typepad.com/illinoisreview/2013/04/republicans-to-discuss-opposition-to-controversial-common-core-curriculum.html
LOS ANGELES – The Republican National Committee is meeting in Los Angeles this week to discuss several pressing issues, and one concerns the Common Core Education Standards. As reported this week on Illinois Review, Tea Partiers and homeschool moms are organizing a “Stop Common Core Illinois” effort to steer Illinois away from the federal standards program in which it has already stepped. The growing concern about Common Core is reflected in the proposed RNC resolution which reads:
RESOLUTION CONCERNING COMMON CORE EDUCATION STANDARDS
WHEREAS, the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) are a set of academic standards, promoted and supported by two private membership organizations, the National Governor’s Association (NGA) and the Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO) as a method for conforming American students to uniform (“one size fits all”) achievement goals to make them more competitive in a global marketplace, (1.) and
WHEREAS, the NGA and the CCSSO, received tens of millions of dollars from private third parties to advocate for and develop the CCSS strategy, subsequently created the CCSS through a process that was not subject to any freedom of information acts or other sunshine laws, and never piloted the CCSS, and
WHEREAS, even though Federal Law prohibits the federalizing of curriculum (2.), the Obama Administration accepted the CCSS plan and used 2009 Stimulus Bill money to reward the states that were most committed to the president’s CCSS agenda; but, they failed to give states, their legislatures and their citizens time to evaluate the CCSS before having to commit to them, and
WHEREAS, the NGA and CCSSO in concert with the same corporations developing the CCSS ‘assessments’ have created new textbooks, digital media and other teaching materials aligned to the standards which must be purchased and adopted by local school districts in order that students may effectively compete on CCSS ‘assessments’, and
WHEREAS, the CCSS program includes federally funded testing and the collection and sharing of massive amounts of personal student and teacher data, and
WHEREAS, the CCSS effectively removes educational choice and competition since all schools and all districts must use Common Core ‘assessments’ based on the Common Core standards to allow all students to advance in the school system and to advance to higher education pursuits; therefore be it
RESOLVED, the Republican National Committee, as stated in the 2012 Republican Party Platform, “do not believe in a one size fits all approach to education and support providing broad education choices to parents and children at the State and local level,” (p35)(3.), which is best based on a free market approach to education for students to achieve individual excellence; and, be it further
RESOLVED, the Republican National Committee recognizes the CCSS for what it is– an inappropriate overreach to standardize and control the education of our children so they will conform to a preconceived “normal,” and, be it further
RESOLVED, That the Republican National Committee rejects the collection of personal student data for any non-educational purpose without the prior written consent of an adult student or a child student’s parent and that it rejects the sharing of such personal data, without the prior written consent of an adult student or a child student’s parent, with any person or entity other than schools or education agencies within the state, and be it finally
RESOLVED, the 2012 Republican Party Platform specifically states the need to repeal the numerous federal regulations which interfere with State and local control of public schools, (p36) (3.); and therefore, the Republican National Committee rejects this CCSS plan which creates and fits the country with a nationwide straitjacket on academic freedom and achievement.
Now this call needs to be taken up by the Democratic Party in all states and in the District of Columbia
Could this be a response to what’s been going on with the Rhee memo & connecting Students First? (I’ve said before, that if she’s using Student First monies to pay her lawyer, that could possibly be considered a criminal action, in addition to everything else.)
I would like to read about this. Link?
Reblogged this on Restore Reason and commented:
Maybe the AZ Dems Party needs to take a look at this!
Amen and Mazel tov…finally!
Andy Cuomo, you paying attention? lol!
While I appreciate the practicality of Diane’s answer to Carrie, I think that we, as educators, will be much more effective in our protest if we do not allow our voices to be co-opted into a Republican vs. Democratic frame. If we are HONEST with the public in pointing out that, yes, the Democratic Party has also been complicit in the school “reform” movement, we will gain much more support. We might even help wake up the public to the fact that we actually do have a one-party system right now.
Cory Booker is a classic Republican in Democrat clothing. He did nothing good for Newark except get Zuckerberg’s money into consultant’s pockets, and got the teacher contract all effed up. Where is the bonus monies now? Where are the promised great schools? TFA is all up in that joint, with a building of apartments slated to be built. Those Zuckerberg monies were spent on everything but the children and the schools. Booker will be a do nothing Senator as well.
Gloria Romero is as democratic as Trump or Hoover- what a shill