Anthony Cody reports that Democratic leaders in Washington State passed a resolution condemning the Common Core standards.
“The Central Committee of the Washington State Democratic Party has passed a resolution that roundly condemns the Common Core standards. This is the first time a statewide Democratic Party committee has taken a public position against the Common Core, and it happened in the back yard of the Gates Foundation, which has provided the funding that made the national standards project possible. This could signal a sea-change for the beleaguered standards, because up until now, political opposition has been strongest in the Republican party.
“More than 200 delegates representing 49 legislative districts, from 29 counties, gathered at the Red Lion Inn in the state capital, Olympia on Saturday, Jan. 24, where there was a showdown between “new Democrats” and a scrappy coalition of education and labor activists. Activists mixed in with the delegates, and carried homemade signs expressing their opposition to the Common Core. They also arrived early and made sure there were flyers on each chair carrying their message.”
Diane Ravitch's blog 
“Bad Foundations”
The Gates Foundation is condemned
For fissures in foundation
The Common Core does list and bend
And threatens all the nation
make that “The House of Gates has been condemned”
Right on, SomeDAM Poet.
Nice!
Let’s all send this news to our local Democrats! Time to get with the program — Common Core and Democracy are inconsistent!
Don’t bother with NJ Dems.
Thank you Washington State education and labor activists, and thank you Anthony Cody for your advocacy and reporting.
Memo to Hillary Clinton and Elizabeth Warren
cc: Lily and Randi, “New Democrats”
Get with the program.
Thank you for a ray of hope!
I’m one of the folks who helped promote and pass the resolution to oppose common core in Washington state at the state Democratic party meeting yesterday. My husband and I David Spring are almost ready to publish our book which outlines the big picture of the attacks on our public schools- You can read the first few chapters here. We are THRILLED and TIRED. THANK YOU EVERYONE WHO STANDS UP AGAINST THE CORP ED REFORMERS!! http://weaponsofmassdeception.org/
Thanks, Elizabeth.
Thank you Elizabeth and David. I will be forwarding your information to my state union leadership (PSEA) with the hope that with a new governor, Tom Wolf, we can get the democrats here in Pennsylvania to wake up and run against the Common Core.
Now I understand why by daughter picked up and moved across the country to Seattle a few years ago and has happily take up residence there. It’s not just the sailing and hiking opportunities, it’s the people.
Kudos!
My daughter also moved to Seattle a couple of years back and loves it. Expensive place to live but quite a vibrant town. I visited her last summer and enjoyed Seattle.
Based on today’s good news from Diane I’m thinking of loading up the truck and heading west too. Seriously, Duane, the key is to be there in the summer when it’s not raining.
Gratitude for your efforts!
Elizabeth, can you guys work on Senator Murray? She’s in lockstep with President Obama and Secretary Duncan on all education policy.
I agree that we need to work on Senator Murray. But first we need to work on our own State legislature. Once Senator Murray sees her State moving away from Common Core, she will too. After all, she is up for re-election next year. Our next goal is getting a bill passed in the Washington State legislature and that will be difficult because the billionaires have a pretty firm grip on our legislature. We still think we have a chance. After all, no one thought we could get the resolution past the State Party. We have about one month to get the bill passed. We will keep you posted.
Thank you, David. Murray being up for re-election next year is a huge opportunity. Washington state legislature is the single place I’ve seen that stood up to Secretary Duncan, so great work and continued good luck with them. Politically, this is parents versus money. I hope people continue to speak out.
Here is our latest news- How to get your state democratic party to oppose common core. http://weaponsofmassdeception.org/latest-news
Good for them for getting the state Party to focus on public schools. I listened to the DC Senate Democrats on NCLB and other than the now-familiar stern, scolding ed reform lecture on “accountability” they didn’t seem much interested in public schools at all.
I’m getting whiplash. When they were all selling Common Core last spring “our” public schools were doing great work putting it in. What happened? We’re back to sanctions and punishments already?
Don’t forget SB 5246 last year where the senate rejected VAM for teachers. Quite a few Republicans voted with most Democrats.
Now, why would I vote for Hillary or Warren over Rand Paul? Education is the foundation of democracy, and it should be the deciding issue.
There are anti-Common Core activists on the left in other places, such as Wisconsin and California, but it is very difficult to get the left to go against Common Core, we find. Believe me, activists have been trying! It’s bewildering to see that on the left in places like New York, and now Washington, there is anti-Common Core momentum. What soundbites, what messages are working in other states? We are trying hard, and listening to our teachers who belong to BATs. Help us figure out the messaging that works with politicians and activists on the left. We moms have discussed if it is a misogyny thing–you know, education being the domain of “hysterical women” who need to listen to “the experts” like Arne Duncan. Insights into what worked in Washington to turn the tide would be MUCH appreciated. Elizabeth Hanson, I need your book!
Go to the link by Elizabeth that is above at 10:45 am.
Nancy, We included several important messages in the article we just posted on our website (weapons of mass deception (dot) org. However, this huge victory was not about the message. It was about a lot of hard work by a whole team of people during the past year – all of whom understand the importance of protecting our schools and our kids. Our team included parents, teachers and political leaders who worked one step at a time through several legislative districts and then spoke with state delegates one delegate at a time. We believe that if we can do this in Washington State, where we deal with Bill Gates and his cronies every day, it can be done in other democratic states also. Just be ready to spend an entire year working on this project and keep a positive attitude! We should have the book out in a couple of weeks. But we are thrilled that the Washington State Democrats have passed this resolution. There is now a bipartisan bill being negotiated in our legislature and this resolution will go a long way towards helping us pass that bill. Our main concern is helping our kids by stopping Common Core in Washington State.
Congrats and thanks for the work. A battle one with many, many more to come.
UH… I must have missed The Red Lion’s Inn gathering… the news was full of John Boehner and Bebe, or the Ukraine’s latest conflict, and Nigeria’s imploding state, and the oil … and the climate… and the Super Bowl and the Academy Awards and Golden Globes, and Sundance and…
yes “But we are thrilled that the Washington State Democrats have passed this resolution.”
Now if the people of this land were to here that the Gates common core crap is condemned….
Thankfully, Diane Ravitch and Anthony Cody are letting the American people know that parents and teachers oppose Common Core. Folks simply need to stop listening to the corporate media and start listening to Diane and Anthony. Be sure to tell other parents and teachers about Diane’s blog and Anthony’s blog.
In case you haven’t noticed, I tell everyone at the Newssite Oped News, about the things Diane posts.
That’s a democrat I could vote for. I am looking at any democrat’s point of view on education and if they are promoting public education without Common ARNIE Core then they get my vote. Vote these other turncoats out.
“Fire”
What started as a flicker
Is growing into flame
And full-on raging wildfire
Will follow just the same
The point where fire lingers
About to flicker out
Has passed beyond the fingers
There really is no doubt
Bravo for the Democratic committee. It is nice to see that we share a bipartisan issue. Several Republican Central Committees have sent resolutions to our reps as well. As evidenced by the response on the Education Committee on a bill proposed by Rep Elizabeth Scott who tried to get them to postpone testing at least til we saw what it could do with privacy issues—the committee reps folded to Randy Dorn the state superintendent of education. Chelan-Douglas rep, Brad Hawkins as member of that committee, sat like a bump on a log and he had been WELL INFORMED as too what was happening with Common Core. Too bad we do not have had more knowledgeable reps involved. Governor Insley is on board with this nonsense.
Our committee has spoken to representatives (state and fed) as well as school board members and have gotten no where. Teachers have drunk the kool aide as well, but more and more experienced teachers are retiring. I volunteer in 2 schools and see teachers struggling to get the standards met all while dealing with behavioral issues and children having problems reading.
Thank you David, Elizabeth, and Susan, this is a big victory. I wrote about it on my blog: http://alexandramiletta.blogspot.com/2015/01/washington-state-democrats-lead-way.html
I enjoyed your blog. I posted this comment there:
I am a teacher, too, and maybe you have read my commentary at the Ravitch blog.
I also write at Oped News, a progressive site, whose publisher’s mission is to publish the truth. Here is a link to my writing there. http://www.opednews.com/author/author40790.html
I link to articles which I think are important, as this is place where readers post links to important articles in media across the nation, and many publish their own articles and ‘diaries’ ( where they write in their own voice.)
Long threads and important conversations ensue, and i get the daily newsletter and a feed from people whom I follow.
I am one of a few educators who write there,but so does Dan Geery who ran for Senate in Utah and was a teacher.
http://www.opednews.com/author/author501269.html
I wish more teachers would write there, or post links to their blogs.
Take a look
Yours Susan Lee Schwartz
(you can message me there.
Thanks Susan, Elizabeth Hanson and I read Oped News all the time and we appreciate you posting Diane Ravitch articles on Oped News so that more people get to hear what Diane has to say. Keep up the good work! Regards, David Spring