Note to readers: I cross-posted this at Huffington Post 30 minutes ago. Please leave comments there as well as here. Spreading our story.
I had a note from an outstanding superintendent in a fine
suburban district in New York, someone I greatly admire. He is
experienced and wise. He has the support of parents, staff, and
community. He runs one of the state’s best school districts. He
wrote of the excitement and joy of the beginning of the school
year. He talked about the commemoration of Dr. King’s legacy. But
he ended on a sad note. He said he experienced the sadness and
humiliation of telling teachers and students about their test
scores and ratings, about how many students had failed the absurd
Common Core tests, which meant their teachers too had “failed.”
Suddenly, it struck me that the best way to remember Martin Luther
King was not to think of him as a statue or an icon, but to take to
heart his example. He did not bow his head in the face of
injustice. He did not comply. He said no. He said it in a spirit of
love and non-violence. But he resisted. He said no. He resisted. He
said, we will not acquiesce to what we know is wrong. We will not
acquiesce. We will not comply. We will not obey unjust laws. How
does that apply to the situation of public education today? Public
schools are drowning in nonsensical mandates. They are whipsawed by
failed ideas coming from D.C. and state capitols that are following
D.C.’s lead. They are subject to regulations and programs that no
one understands. These mandates are ruining schooling, not making
it better. The incessant testing is not making kids smarter, it is
making kids bored and turned off by school. Schools are trapped in
bureaucratic mazes that make no sense. What would Martin Luther
King, Jr., do? Would he passively submit? No. He would resist. He
would organize and join with others. He would build coalitions of
parents, students, teachers, administrators, school board members,
and members of the community who support their public schools. He
would demand true education for all children. He would demand
equality of educational opportunity, not a Race to some mythical
Top or ever higher scores on bubble tests. He would not be silent
as our public schools are worn down and torn down by mindless
mandates. He would recognize that the victims of this political and
bureaucratic malfeasance are our children. He would build a
political movement so united and clear in its purpose that it would
be heard in every state Capitol and even in Washington, D.C. And
that is how we should commemorate his life.
Beautifully written, Diane. Thank you.
That the lack of comfortable shoes is no excuse.
Tears as I type but thank you so much. We have to do this even though we may not know how. Worn down and torn down is not the way of a teacher.
Yes, we commemorate all the courageous lives by resisting and that resistance begins in our hearts where we know better. Each situation will be different, every uniting community will have unique personalities and resources. Combine these state after state and the collective conscious will become the change.
Amen, amen.
So well put. Cannot improve on his statements. We must stop them or we are a joke to his work. As my dad told me a long time ago. Even if you win there is too much there and they will come again, you must be always ready. This is MLK’s message. This is a continuous process as human nature is at work.
Friday, April 4, 2014. National teacher sick-out. In commemoration of Dr. King and all he stood for. WE MUST STOP THE MADNESS.
Well said Diane. I too worked for Dr. King and his dream. He dreamed and spoke so eloquently of Justice, accountability and responsibility. He waxed poetically of the content of your character and not the color of your skin. He said it did not matter where you came from , but where you were going. I believe Dr. King would be so sad at the state of affairs with the failing schools, the disengaged and disintegrated families, re-framing of the word justice to social justice and its intended consequence of the dependence on government instead of self, the further entanglement of local schools by the federal government and the testing to no end but to meet the iron-clad rules. Education is to build well-informed citizens with skills and knowledge to make our world better. The Race to the Top grants (I call them spider webs) for states, districts and now birth to 5 Early Learning Challenge and soon to come RttT for college are all to further dependence, control and total transformation of education by the federal educrats and businesses. Lets get the fights between the Unions heads , the vast organizations (Gates, Pearsons, Students First, etc..) of all political persuasions looking to make Big Bucks, the progressive writers who want to move from education to persuasion to their beliefs–let’s get them all out of the way. Embolden the local communities to get involved in the rearing and education of their children, instilling in them a sense of worth , dignity and independence to be the best that they can be. Then, America can once again shine even brighter amongst other nations. Thank you again. Regards
My letter to Board Members of Fordham Institute:
I too have served on Boards. One in particular is the homeless shelter and we have interfaith volunteers and management. When the standards are not kept up
I remind the board that “we are cheating our grantors” if we don’t deliver professional services. And, “if a child dies at the shelter it will be on the governor’s desk”…. so who is responsible and who is accountable? I know when the kid in the battle field “messes up” the kid is the only one who goes to jail…. I know that malfeasance is rampant (30 million dollars siphoned off from special education programs to feather the nest — 4 houses– of the superintendent.)
Alan Dershowitz was on NPR last week…. he said “if there were no Billie Bulger there would not have been a Whitey Bulger.” This is my point in writing to you as a board member.
So if policy is separable from action and implementation, how is one do determine
what is valuable, what is ethical, what is moral in society and how improvements can
be made. I know the teachers and students are being punished with high stakes tests and the ideology of the “Policy makers” is to allocate funds to the priorities — but without information on the evidential consequences of policy how does one know if they are fulfililng the role of a board member?
Jean E. Sanders, Ed.D.
Massachusetts
where Fordham tells us teachers are pricey and we need “Cheap” pension benefits
I am always impressed by your words, Dr. Ravitch. I agree that we honor Dr. King by resisting the “reformers”.
And, now, the next 50 years as the attacks at the very progress are at risk. There are those now taking us backwards. Thought I’d share an excerpt from comments to all teachers and staff yesterday – extremely pertinent in a “changing suburbs” district.
Dr. King’s message was about the future, rights, and freedom. He spoke of the non-violent means for the 20th century version of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Today’s leaders – carrying the torch – speak to us and our students about many of the same challenges –
– – – and new challenges evolving in response to the very changes that began 50 years ago and are testing the 21st century version of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.
For me, MLK taught me the vast difference between knowing, living, and communicating the truth AND masking and dressing up the truth to forward some other, disingenuous agenda.
In doing so, he paid literally with his life to lead in that fashion. His is a legacy of empowerment I can never fully repay.
Many of the kinds of people he fought for, the down and out, the underdog, etc. who have risen to power have not honored his legacy as they continue to twist his words nad pervert his spirit. That’s a truth I look forward to continuing to expose.
The people who use “civil rights” as the reason to reform education according to Rhee, Broad, Gates, etc. are hideous monsters whose lies should face consequences . . . .
Thank you, Diane!
I too have wondered what MLK, Jr. would say and do re: our horrid educational policies and the devastation wreaked across this country.
You nailed it! Again thank you.
Beautiful tribute to Dr. King, and call to action for all of us wishing to stand up to the ‘reformers’, representatives and corporations. Thank you for sharing.
Thank you, Diane.
Though Martin Luther King, Jr. Is best known for his speech fifty years ago, in reality he was not a dreamer, as he is falsely portrayed, but a man engaged in struggle and resistance to evil.
Resistance and struggle are the answer, resistance on thousands of fronts, in ways personal and public, in whatever ways people can find within themselves and among their fellows.
Resistance from teachers, parents and students, resistance to the soulless, smash-and-grab fraud that is so-called education reform.
Does anyone know if parents can opt out their child from SOLS in Virginia? I would like to opt-out my 8th grader this year in protest. Thanks!!
I am an English as second language teacher and these students have an extra challenge in passing all the standardized tests. Just not fair and a waste of precious time and resources. Imagine teaching an 8newcomer from Honduras about figurative language when he just needs to learn basic English!!!
These mandates are to hold teachers accountable. The state of our public education system is appalling. There are standards for everything. You have to pass mindless mandates for a driver’s license but many of our students can’t even read well enough to pass this simple test.
This is as ridiculous as stating that having a picture ID to vote is somehow racist. You can’t buy booze or cigarettes without a picture ID.
Let us join together, parents, students, teachers, and administrators to overcome the insanity of the destruction of public schools!