Jonathan Lovell, a teacher educator in California, received many messages after the election urging him to “keep your chin up ,” “don’t be discouraged,” that he decided to reply to one of them, the one that came from President Obama.
Here is his message to the President, followed by the President’s message to him.
Dear Mr President,
Thanks very much for this email. It has given me a lift during a period in which I’ll admit to experiencing “post mid-term blues.”
As a teacher educator who has spent the last 35 years visiting middle and high school English classrooms — about 2500 of them — helping beginning teachers reflect on their teaching practices, I cannot say that I am a supporter of the present RTTT-inspired direction of the USDOE.
I am, however, a strong supporter of your presidency and the overall direction, educational policy excepted, in which you have helped to steer our nation over the past six years.
I hope these next two years will provide you an opportunity to review and eventually approve an overhaul and eventual reauthorization of the ESEA.
As you know better than most, this piece of legislation has had unintended but easily anticipated consequences. Right now, it is leaving most children, and virtually all teachers, not only “behind,” but demoralized and frustrated.
I hope your next two years will give you a chance to publicly celebrate the public school teaching profession for the great contributions it has made to the strength and promise of our unique democracy.
And in the spirit of Bob Herbert’s magnificent new book Losing Our Way, I hope these next two years will also provide you with opportunities to celebrate the true mission of American public education, and to clarify for the nation, as well as to personally and politically confront, those powerful forces that threaten to undermine its fundamental importance.
My best,
Jonathan Lovell
Professor of English and Director of the San Jose Area Writing Project
San Jose State University
On Nov 7, 2014, at 2:00 PM, Barack Obama wrote:
Jonathan, the hardest thing in politics is changing the status quo. The easiest thing is to get cynical.
The Republicans had a good night on Tuesday, Jonathan — but believe me when I tell you that our results were better because you stepped up, talked to your family and friends, and cast your ballot.
I want you to remember that we’re making progress. There are workers who have jobs today who didn’t have them before. There are millions of families who have health insurance today who didn’t have it before. There are kids going to college today who didn’t have the opportunity to go to college before.
So don’t get cynical, Jonathan. Cynicism didn’t put a man on the moon. Cynicism has never won a war, or cured a disease, or built a business, or fed a young mind. Cynicism is a choice. And hope will always be a better choice.
I have hope for the next few years, and I have hope for what we’re going to accomplish together.
Thank you so much, Jonathan.
Barack Obama
Paid for by the Democratic National Committee, 430 South Capitol Street SE, Washington DC 20003 and not authorized by any candidate or candidate’s committee.
Dear Diane,
I’ve been receiving so many “keep your chin up” emails over the past few days, primarily from democratic organizations and individuals to whom I’d sent donations during the past several months, that I decided to respond to one of them: the President’s.
What I wrote is below, with the President’s email below that.
Ever fondly,
Jonathan Lovell
On Nov 7, 2014, at 3:21 PM, Jonathan Lovell wrote:
Dear Mr President,
Thanks very much for this email. It has given me a lift during a period in which I’ll admit to experiencing “post mid-term blues.”
As a teacher educator who has spent the last 35 years visiting middle and high school English classrooms — about 2500 of them — helping beginning teachers reflect on their teaching practices, I cannot say that I am a supporter of the present RTTT-inspired direction of the USDOE.
I am, however, a strong supporter of your presidency and the overall direction, educational policy excepted, in which you have helped to steer our nation over the past six years.
I hope these next two years will provide you an opportunity to review and eventually approve an overhaul and eventual reauthorization of the ESEA.
As you know better than most, this piece of legislation has had unintended but easily anticipated consequences. Right now, it is leaving most children, and virtually all teachers, not only “behind,” but demoralized and frustrated.
I hope your next two years will give you a chance to publicly celebrate the public school teaching profession for the great contributions it has made to the strength and promise of our unique democracy.
And in the spirit of Bob Herbert’s magnificent new book Losing Our Way, I hope these next two years will also provide you with opportunities to celebrate the true mission of American public education, and to clarify for the nation, as well as to personally and politically confront, those powerful forces that threaten to undermine its fundamental importance.
My best,
Jonathan Lovell
Professor of English and Director of the San Jose Area Writing Project
San Jose State University
On Nov 7, 2014, at 2:00 PM, Barack Obama wrote:
Jonathan, the hardest thing in politics is changing the status quo. The easiest thing is to get cynical.
The Republicans had a good night on Tuesday, Jonathan — but believe me when I tell you that our results were better because you stepped up, talked to your family and friends, and cast your ballot.
I want you to remember that we’re making progress. There are workers who have jobs today who didn’t have them before. There are millions of families who have health insurance today who didn’t have it before. There are kids going to college today who didn’t have the opportunity to go to college before.
So don’t get cynical, Jonathan. Cynicism didn’t put a man on the moon. Cynicism has never won a war, or cured a disease, or built a business, or fed a young mind. Cynicism is a choice. And hope will always be a better choice.
I have hope for the next few years, and I have hope for what we’re going to accomplish together.
Thank you so much, Jonathan.
Barack Obama
Paid for by the Democratic National Committee, 430 South Capitol Street SE, Washington DC 20003 and not authorized by any candidate or candidate’s committee.
Diane Ravitch's blog 
I guess I’m a little confused about how one can support Obama’s presidency overall but not support his educational policies. The educational policies are part and parcel of the whole – the neoliberal package that includes privatized war, domestic surveillance, the carceral state and on-going “austerity”.
exactly. And very soon, another war authorization, just requested by him.
Concerning that carceral state–In 2011, 2.97 percent of the adult U.S. population was in jail, in prison, or on parole. It is the highest percentage IN THE WORLD. Think of the most despotic, punitive country in the world. It is a higher percentage than one finds there.
I’ll clear it up for you: we have a two party system and, on every other issue besides education (environment and health care especially), Obama and the Dems are much much better than the nihilist GOP. These are presently the only two viable choices and I voted for the best one available.
I did tell the Warner campaign in VA that, while I intended to vote for the Dems, I would not work for the Warner campaign as a direct result of the Obama Administration’s abysmal education policies. I am very saddened by these policies especially because I support the president in many other issues (but not all of them). This support is rendered despite the failure of both parties to adequately stick up for working class families throughout the U. S.
I hope and pray that a strong progressive like Elizabeth Warren can run for national office so that my support isn’t tinged with such disappointment at the many ways that the Democratic party doesn’t advocate for working class and poor people. That said, I’m not willing to see the GOP take over every branch of government.
Hopefully, last Tuesday’s results will teach the Dems to forgo their milquetoast ways and corporate sponsors and strongly advocate for working class Americans
“. . . we have a two party system and, on every other issue besides education . . . ”
Ha, ha, ha, ha, hee, hee, hee hee ha ha ah ha!
That’s a good one duffster!
Ever hear of Wall Street Duffy?
Thanks John. I think you and I pretty much agree on these issues. Thanks for the post: it was imtended to jostle the President on the issue I care most about, at a point in his presidency when he might be susceptible to being jostled. I’ll let you know (ahem) if the President responds.
“Hopefully, last Tuesday’s results will teach the Dems to forgo their milquetoast ways and corporate sponsors and strongly advocate for working class Americans”
What on earth would make you think that? When have the Dems ever responded to a shellacking by moving away from their corporate sponsors? The only lesson they’ve ever learned is to move even further to the right and even deeper into the arms of their corporate sponsors.
But keep dreaming.
I have indeed heard of Wall Street being that I am a seventh grade public school history teacher. While I am not at all satisfied with Democratic party’s actions on Wall Street, there is absolutely no doubt that the Republican’s actions would be far worse.
I’ll say it again: the Democrat’s education policies are extremely disappointing. I absolutely hate the fact that a Democratic administration is responsible for the fact that 40% of my evaluation is based on a single crappy test. These policies are the reason that I sat on my hands and didn’t work for the Democratic party here in Virginia.
That said, affirming the obvious reality that Democratic policies are better than Republican policies (especially in the crucial areas of health care and the environment) should not earn derisive and disrespectful commentary.
I understand the “pox on both their houses” mentality. To a substantial degree I share it. In the meantime, I have to vote. If I don’t vote for a Democrat, this helps the nihilistic Republicans. Sorry for bucking the party line and pointing out this fairly obvious reality.
I understand your sentiment, John, but I think it hurts our chances of enacting progressive policy: http://wp.me/p3NpPC-85. When we tell Democrats that we’ll vote for them as long as they’re a little better than the Republicans, we give them license to trample on our values.
exactly, Duane
The Obama administration did absolutely nothing to prosecute the Wall Street offenders. How could Republicans have done less? I have a Political Science major for the record.
I was thinking the same damn thing.
I was thinking the same exact thing. That line in the letter was the crown jewel of all contradictions. In fact I stopped reading when. I read it.
I hope we get to see the President’s reply to Jonathan’s letter.
Or does he only write to voters when money is the object?
Did the Obomber address in any coherent fashion Lovell’s main request that took up almost all his letter?
Nary a word. A truly archetypical example of a politician not responding to a constituent’s (and supporter) concerns.
Looks to me like a mail-merged autoreply – standard boilerplate language with “Jonathan” stuck in just often enough to be patronizing.
Exacto!
Of course it was, Diane. My “response” was written in the spirit of Diane “practice kindness” post of a few days ago, re her knee rehabilitation therapy.
Yes, Dienne, I was thinking the same thing–& that tag at the bottom “Paid for by the Democratic National Committee…”
Sorry, Jonathan–not a “real” letter from POTUS at all.
I just cringed at how the national Democratic Party sounded in Ohio.
Whichever campaign consultant told them they needed to go out and lecture voters on how they’re stupid and lazy and that’s why wages haven’t gone up in 15 years should get fired.
They’re coming off the worst economic downturn of their adult lives, many of them will never recover financially, this happened to them thru NO fault of their own, and Democrats launched a national tour to deliver stern lectures on the “skills gap” and “the 21st century economy” to the rabble. It goes beyond “out of touch”. They live on a different planet.
People were looking for advocates in government and Democrats, not wanting to take “a side” offered tepid and carefully “agnostic” ADVICE. They’re not taking sides! They’re neutral on this whole middle class wage and income stagnation thing!
It was pure genius to run on blaming middle class workers for the decline of the middle class, and it has the added benefit of holding politicians and people who are actually powerful completely harmless. All this time it was the WORKERS who were holding down wages. They did it to themselves!
Obama’s reply was a canned response that in no way responded to Lovell’s concerns about education. I am guessing that Obama put together a generic letter to be sent out to his “apparent supporters” and this was it (apart from plugging in a different name). This is quite telling. There is the president and his cronies and then there are “THE OTHERS”. Sidwell Friends could certainly afford all the lastest and greatest “how to common core” publications and could hire umpteenth consultants to give teachers “common core” training to be passed onto Sidwell students. There is no NCLB or RTTT there. A President “of the People”??? I think not!
Am I wrong or wasn’t Jonathan’s email a reply to Obama? I am waiting for Obama’s reply to Jonathan but I won’t hold my breath.
GST,
That is the Obomber’s reply there.
Obomber wrote at 2pm and Jonathan replied at 321pm. Ball is still in Obomber’s court.
I’d be surprised if he even read it much less wrote it.
You’d have to be pretty naive to think that Obama is personally reviewing the marketing materials his staff is sending out.
My point, exactly, which is one of the reasons Obama is so out of touch with the genuine public. He neither listens or responds to the concerns of the “common” man, nor is he unique in this failing. Most presidents seem to lose touch with average citizens almost as soon as they take office give or take a few months. You would think they would have some dim memory of the great promises they made while campaigning.
Perfectly said, and applies to most politician. Thank you.
I love the abstract nature and purely theoretical support for labor unions from Democrats, too. They support labor unions! IN THEORY.
They’re just unhappy and deeply, deeply disappointed with the actual (few) remaining labor union members we have.
The US workforce has let DC Democrats down. NOT pulling their weight. Bunch a slackers and lay-abouts, really.
Destruction of Public Education, testing millions of children until their self-worth is damaged, punishing teachers for billionaires’ unresolved hatred toward their own teachers in their past, sick pathological Harvard breeding of public policy non-educators swarming over US children, segregating again/still children in poverty, selling the charter school get-rich scheme, outsourcing public education with Gülens, systematically dismanteling the Teaching Profession and marching into Higher Education with the same punitive crap of blaming profs, programs, teachers, the universe for PARCC Billionaire ToxicTest results?
Cynicism?
CYNICISM Mr. President?
Cold!
How can anyone separate these actions and still support him?
He makes “W” look like a choir boy…almost.
Maya Angelou said it best: When a person shows you who they are, believe them the first time.
There is no way that Obama/Duncan & Co. can EVER sell me on their mission and tactic to improving the education for our children.
Disaster and mindful harm to children, teachers, parents and our society.
Unforgivable!
“Cynicism”
Cynical is
As cynical does:
Promised “HOPE”
But delivered rope
But delivered “nope”???
“Hope a Dope”
One might hope
To slip a nope
But only a dope
A knotted rope
Agreed! All Obama had to do was listen to the parents and grandparents about education policies. As a true Democrat, I am disgusted by the policies that have been foisted on us but the Duncan plutocrats. If Obama had heard us, maybe the democratic outcome would have been better.
I read yesterday that the first thing Congress plans to do when they eventually return to work is pass charter/voucher legislation. That’s Job One.
The LAST thing Congress did before they went on break was pass a huge charter-building program. It’s the single thing they accomplished. 220 million to build new charter schools to replace public schools.
It is 100% charter/vouchers in DC. A laser-like focus.
Can anyone identify a single thing Congress has done for existing public schools in the last 6 years? Has Duncan even attempted to get anything for the public schools he disfavors? Do we have a single advocate in the federal government?
It’s nuts. It’s as if public schools don’t exist, except for the purposes of testing, scolding or sanctioning them. It is ALL downside for our schools. They’re political orphans. It doesn’t matter which side is in power. It’s lose/lose.
Chiara,
You are 100% correct!
Of course politicians love outsourcing public education to private companies. All they have to do is provide funding.
I’m not clear on why we’re paying them. It seems we could hire a competent, bonded accounting firm to pass funds to contractors and periodically audit accounts. Skip the political middleman completely.
So who wants to organize a mass letter from individual teachers, parents, and students? Much like a million man march – how about a billion teachers/parent/student letter campaign? Letters, Emails, Petitions? Sent to Obama, and our senators and congressmen and Arne?
Hah! And neither will I. See my response to Diane above.
Tried that. October 17, 2012. Not that we came anywhere close to a million letters, but there were a substantial numbers. At best, we all got a boilerplate autoreply. Fact is, Obama isn’t interested in listening.
“our unique democracy”
As irony would have it “dum-dums” are the product described by P.T. Barnum…
it is too late for Obama…but other democrats, who hope to have a future, need to hear two proper nouns. Pennsylvania and California. Republicans consider lip service to education while bashing teachers, and finding ways to belittle them a public service, which has served them well. When democrats do that, it does not work. It is a betrayal of the people on the front lines of dealing with the problems most important to a wide slice of the USA…..children and parents who care about public education.
The progressive Democrats will eventually caucus, and separate themselves from the neo-liberal policies of Clinton (he may live in Harlem, but he works for Wall Street) and that harridan he’s married to. Greens and Libertarians still get a barely significant 2% of the vote. What I can’t figure is how the public can support progressive ballot initiatives like minimum wage but still elect tea baggers like Cotton. Diebold rigging the results again?
Thanks for the new vocab word today, Michael!!
A true description of HC.
“Diebold rigging the results again?”
Nah, that’d never happen in Amerika now would it? Just ask Michael Connell.
Bill and Hillary have homes in Chappaqua (NY) and DC. I believe Bill may have an office in Harlem, but he doesn’t live there.