I am writing at the conclusion of the second annual conference of the Network for Public Education. Last year, we met in Austin, this year in Chicago.
It was a smashing success! Attendance was 50% higher than in Austin. There were attendees from every corner of the country. All the sessions were held in the Drake Hotel.
Saturday opened with keynotes by Tanaisa Brown of the Newark Students Union, which launched the sit-in in Superintendent Cami Anderson’s office, and Jitu Brown of the Journey for Justice, which is generating civil rights complaints against several major cities.
There were many outstanding workshops during the morning session. At lunch, blogger Jennifer Berkshire interviewed bloggers Peter Greene and Jose Luis Vilson, which everyone enjoyed.
After lunch, Yong Zhao gave a scintillating multi-media presentation, which was both educational and hilarious. At one point, the entire audience stood to sing “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer,” which Yong used to make a point about the value of being different. At times, he was almost drowned out by laughter. If you have a chance to hear him, don’t miss it. Or wait for the videos of the conference to go online.
Saturday afternoon, there were more workshops. We split for dinner but after dinner, Anthony Cody moderated a session of new documentaries about the schools. The film makers were there to describe their work.
Sunday morning, more workshops. I especially enjoyed Jesse Hagopian’s discussion of the racist roots of standardized testing. Jesse was accompanied by Seattle’s education director for the NAACP, which issued a protest against standardized testing.
Mid-morning, I moderated a discussion between Randi Wengarten of the AFT and Lily Eskelsen Garcia of the NEA. I asked them about the future of teachers’ unions, teacher tenure, Common Core, annual testing, whether they would pledge to reject any funding from Walton, Gates, and Broad (they did), and what advice they had for those fighting for public education and the teaching profession. Their answers were lively. See the tapes.
In the last event, I led a discussion with the great and much-loved Karen Lewis. Karen looks fabulous, but she is not fully recovered from her surgery. She shared her wisdom with us, and she was showered with love. Her message was to build alliances. Again, you must watch the tape.
Before the meeting, the wonderful Newark students presented me with a selfie stick (lots of selfies all weekend!). After showing me how to operate it, Tanaisha Brown asked me to show her that I could do it myself. I knew I was in the presence of a real teacher!
Everyone I spoke to told me how much they enjoyed the conference, how energized they felt, and that they would return home to pick up the struggle with renewed vigor.
It was a wonderful and inspiring event!!
I can’t wait to see the “tapes”. Maybe I can attend the next one. It sounds like an instructional weekend with lots of merriment amidst the sharing.
And that’s the way education should be.
Ellen #EnviousOfAllTheFun-I-Missed
It was a great conference, Diane. Thanks to you and NPE for organizing it. It was great to meet the few “regulars” I met, but wish I could have met more and had more time to talk with those I met. Perhaps next conference there could be a break-out session for us regulars to meet and shoot the breeze.
I saw your discussion with Rani W. and Lily E. It was very lively and the chat going on was just as interesting!! As I said in the other thread I am very impressed with your ability to maintain your dignity and honor to not respond harshly to others opinion. I myself have a very hot head and watching you I am learning that is not the way to get someones attention. You gain more attention by staying calm and centered. Thank you Diane!!! You are a great teacher!!!
I enjoyed the conference, as well. There were so many memorable presentations, but I want to say thanks to the BATS from NY for their session on the demise of special education. To use a favorite reformer phrase, you cannot not implement an IEP “with fidelity” under Common Core and its fanatical dependence on standardized testing.
I agree. It was great to be able to watch the speeches and panels livestreamed. As a retired teacher of the deaf, I also especially appreciated the panel on special education. There is so much misunderstanding about the needs and rights of the diversity of students with special learning needs. The panelists did a fantastic job explaining the harm of the Common Core/incessant standardized testing juggernaut for these students. Students are challenged when they are approached at their current level of functioning as delineated in their IEP, and taught by professional, experienced educators trained to work with these students. Teaching them at a frustration level, and testing them at a frustration level, is child abuse, not respecting their rights to the same “rigorous” curriculum as students who do not experience those serious challenges. Remember Vygotsky’s zone of proximal development? Oh, no way Arne or the drafters/crafters of the CC$$ would remember, since by and large none of them studied child development, first and second language development, or literacy development in non-challenged students and students with a dizzying variety of special needs. As Robert D. Shepherd has written, the CC$$ ELA standards are neglectful (by design) of 50 years of research in the learning approaches that children deserve.
I can only go by your report and several others that I read on Facebook, but reading between the lines it sounds like the Big Two Union leaders were talking out of both sides of their mouths.
Well, if nothing else, Diane got them both to publicly promise not to accept Gates/Walton/Broad/etc. funding. We’ll see if they’re true to their word, but at least their on record.
Peter Greene has a good summary of that discussion, Jon.
http://curmudgucation.blogspot.com/2015/04/randi-lily-and-diane-at-npe.html
I too wish I could have attended. Maybe next year!
Thanks!
Jon,
Randi outdistanced Lily by far on politicatalk..
Let’s just say I was not impressed by either.
Now put Karen Lewis up there and there’s true inspiration coming from some common sense!
Yes, the third mind is truly the charm.
Randi tried too hard, and I am too old to be easily impressed by rhetoric. What’s that old adage? Actions speak louder than words? If they want to lead, they had better start running to get to the front of the line.
Exactly!
Hope you’ll come to the West Coast next!
YES…the West Coast needs the meeting to be in California next year, preferably in Southern Ca. which is home to LAUSD, the second largest school district in the Nation….and the most beleaguered by the Broadies
Broad, Deasy, and Austin would surely get their paid claque to be bussed in to picket again and to protest against free universal public schools in favor of charters They would probably put on one of their notorious orchestrated street shows for the benefit of the media.
But with the vast numbers of our members would verify for all the world to see, who has the real smarts to lead American education using taxpayer funding.
Seattle!!
(My daughter lives there!)
It is great to hear how much joy and productivity came out of this conference. Quite the opposite of what one gets in the “reform” doom-gloom, numbers are gods, schools are failing” conferences.
Rick,
I hope you didn’t pay for any of those conferences!
Dear Dr. Ravitch:
Yah! Yah! I wonder how people could access to watch NPE conference online directly from home. I must be typical analog audience.
I am very excited to learn that you are magnet and audience is steel. Congratulations on the new level of 20 million of viewers.
If I am well and alive I will definitely attend the third annual NPE conference to celebrate American Public Education to be the WORLD CLASS EDUCATION SYSTEM.
Most of all, I hope you will be appointed to be SECRETARY of Department of Education in 2016. This will bring all conscientious educators’ dream comes true. Lot of love and respect for your dedication to PRESERVE American Public Education. XOXOXO May King
“I am very excited to learn that you are magnet and audience is steel.”
May,
Gonna have to “steel” that one from you!
Wish you would have been there!
I watched the live streaming and it was great to be able to participate from afar. I missed the end due to severe weather in my area. Can’t wait to watch the sessions I missed. Keep us posted. Hope the next conference can be held somewhere easy to get to, inexpensive to travel and stay, centrally located, and warm. Tall order.
“At one point, the entire audience stood to sing “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer,””
Sorry to burst your bubble Diane but it wasn’t the “entire” audience. I tell my students: There are two things you never want to experience in life; “Seeing me dance or hearing me sing” So in order to not put the great folks around me to pain, I didn’t sing. (glad it didn’t involve dancing)
Yong Zhao was quite humorous!!!
I could swear that you stood up although I’ll admit I didn’t hear your dulcet tones. I guess from what you say, Duane, I should thank you. 🙂
Hi Señor Swacker:
Please be brave to sing and dance. That is how we have a lot of fun with children and grand children.
When I was in Junior + High school, I had continuously tried out for the choir without giving up until my music teacher told me that he appreciated my enthusiasm in singing, but he must let me STOP. Hahaha. That will not stop me singing in the church. I just keep lowing my voice to my own hearing, but I am old and deaf, hahaha.
I appreciate that you like my strength like steel in fighting back for what is right for Public Education and teaching tenure.
I wish I were in Chicago, but I hardly walk properly without help. Hopefully, with regular exercise from today, I might be able to attend the third annual NPE conference, one year from now.
I am looking forward to meeting with Susan Lee Schwartz, Krazy TA, and you in audience. I only drink water, but I will treat all of you wine and beer, d’accord, señor Swacker? May.
Thanks for the encouragement to sing and dance, May!! I do sing and dance or at least move a little-not sure if I’d call it dancing.
I do hope you can make it next year! But in the meantime we’ll just have to keep on exchanging thoughts here on this blog.
My thoughts are with you and with you being able to get around better as time goes on!
Are any of the talks going to be available… you tube etc…?
I hope that you will have free time to watch:
http://www.schoolhouselive.org/npe-channel-1.php
Please note that this link is directly from this original thread. I hope that you will enjoy three videos. back2basic
I am sorry to misinform you. It was from different thread. It is from thread
“Peter Goodman: Another View of the NPE Conference in Chicago”
…Like almost everyone else who was in Chicago, he loved the mingling of education activists from across the nation. (this last sentence is an actual link to Peter Goodman report. Within his report, there is a link to give us three videos to watch conference both Sat and Sun). May
I’m so glad I was there. The conference was very inspiring, and it was great to see in person so many of the bloggers and tweeters I follow. I’m glad that videos of the speeches will be avaiable; I want to hear them again. The most noticeable thing for me was how easy it was to approach and talk to anyone and everyone there. A wonderful, intelligent and sincere group of people. I was especially glad to meet many parents. They are such an essential part of this struggle. So many strands came together: Common Core, standardized testing, charters, unions, the fight for teacher protections, including tenure and pensions, the fight for social justice, the need for a narrative, and so much more.
What an amazing conference! So many of our brightest lights in the resistance to corporate education reform were there. It was a pleasure to meet you in person, Diane. I feel energized and ready to continue the fight.
Amen
The whole conference was superfragilistickexpialidocious! ( I used to be able to spell that 😐 ). The Drake was very classy, the workshops were excellent, the lunch was delightful, Yong Zhao was over the top,fabulous. Edushyster was a great moderator,and a joy to meet. Jose Vilson and Peter Greene were wonderful and humorous. The Bats from Tennessee were a super tag team with many innovative ideas and Tim Skekar and his team provided us with much more to think about in teacher education.
Debra Meier shared many humorous memories of her early teaching assignments.
Diane and Karen Lewis were the perfect inspirational team to wrap up this very enjoyable conference. I wished that I were twins because I wanted to attend several workshops at the same time.
Commercial break here:
We’re really adding a lot of attractions that tourists will enjoy at our waterfront in Buffalo. We have the best food …Wings, dot dogs, pizza, beef on weck….and unique craft beers, (breweries right downtown). so I’m recommending Buffalo, NY for next year’s conference! It is Inexpensive,almost no traffic jams..famous architecture, and a great group of parents who love their children’s teachers…and dislike the high stakes, invalid and stupid tests. (July is better than April..our winter lasts 9 months! )
Thank you , Diane, and all the folks on your team who helped to make this conference so memorable!
I second Peg’s suggestion. And if you come to Buffalo you are only half an hour from Niagara Falls, one of the seven natural wonders of the world. You will also be able to walk to the Anchor Bar – the birthplace of Chicken (what you call Buffalo) Wings. Frederick Law Olmsted created numerous beautiful parks and parkways which are located throughout the city. And July is so perfect weather wise – not too hot or cold. Winters might be brutal, but summers are well worth the wait. If you all come we can organize some “field trips” to the Darwin Martin House (designed by Frank Lloyd Wright) and the Albright Knox Art Gallery or even explore the Underground Railroad route.
Plus, if you want to visit a dysfunctional school district – the Buffalo Public Schools has it all. Not because of the amazing teachers, but due to the mismanagement of downtown administrators and the Buffalo Board of Ed.
Ellen T Klock #AddictedToBuffalo
Retired School Librarian
Buffalo Public Schools
I wish I had known that you were there. Perhaps the next time there will be a way to let folks meet by city/ blog name etc. I was really happy to meet EduShyster and talk to her.
Maybe Phil could have a wine and cheese party to unite those of us who are helping in the attempts to undo the hype and lies of the un”reform” groups…including the BOE here..
Ill even pick you up from the airport – it’s only about fifteen to twenty minutes away from downtown. We don’t have the traffic issues of other major cities. Most destinations are no more than thirty minutes away.
Not knocking Buffalo..would love to visit there sometime BUT…I think it’s time for a West Coast Conference. I’d like to throw out Portland, Oregon as a possibility. Portland has become an amazingly convenient conference town with fast train service from the airport to downtown and several convention centers that were fairly recently built. The food is great, the people are friendly, the teachers need something to get excited about and the school board needs a good spanking! Please consider us out West!
Thanks to Robin, Diane, Anthony & other conference organizers, speakers & volunteers for a wonderful conference. My only regret is that there was not enough time to meet all the blog commenters (or identify them in that huge crowd–I was told 600 were in attendance–was that the number?). It was very inspiring &–like 2old2teach, I found the BATS sped presentation to be extremely informative and helpful. But–everything was wonderful & well-done. Congratulations to all for giving us some REAL PD–& a good time in the Windy City!
Now that you have whetted our appetite, Could you post a link to conference events that become available on line at your blog site? I follow your blog and really appreciate the wisdom and insite you offer there, so I will be watching for the links.
Thanks,
Al
The links to the conference events–the keynotes and panels–will be posted as soon as they become available. I am posting the Yong Zhao keynote in a day or two, but the first 15 minutes consist of people getting into their seats. That sort of stuff will be taken out when the videos are cleaned up.
Readers: The Chicago Sun-Times actually had an article about the NPE Conference yesterday, p.14, w/a picture of the closing keynote speakers, Diane & Karen Lewis!
The title was something like “Lewis Supports National Teachers’ Strike,” but don’t have this in front of me. (I think my husband already put the paper in the outside recycling bin–sorry.) But–press coverage!!
Sound-bite journalism. I hope the article was a little less sensational. Karen thinks before she speaks.
No, it really was a fair article, &, as I don’t have it now, not absolutely sure of the exact title (perhaps another Chicago area resident can locate this?).