The question before the June 5 recall election in Wisconsin was whether big money would be enough to carry Governor Scott Walker to victory.
Now we know. Money was more than enough.
When I heard the results last night, I was disappointed but not surprised. The polls were discouraging, and they were right. People power was not sufficient to overcome the enormous advantage that Walker had as a result of the millions of dollars that poured in from out-of-state people. Walker had become the poster boy for the hard-right, having stripped collective bargaining rights from working people and demonized their unions.
What hope is there for the future? Plenty. We know from history that bad ideas may prevail for a time, but with enough work, even the worst of autocracies and regimes die. Bad things don’t last forever. They don’t die by themselves; they don’t collapse. They die because of determined, relentless opposition from those who understand what is at stake for their children and their society and who are willing to take personal risks to stand up for what is right. Fools, liars, miscreants, authoritarians, and evil-doers are eventually exposed (this list of adjectives describes many of those now in power, here and elsewhere–it is not a personal reference to Walker).
There will be another election, and next time those who seek a better society for their children and everyone else’s must do more to win popular support.
Walker’s victory was a tremendous loss for our nation. It will embolden the hard right to renew their mean-spirited attacks on those who do the daily work of serving the public. It will embolden those members of the 1% to keep pouring millions into the coffers of those who protect their privilege.
The work of educating the public now begins again. The change will happen. It is up to each of us to do what we can, when we can, where we can, how we can, to make it happen.
Diane
P.S. There is a light in the midst of the darkness. The Democrats seem to have captured control of the Wisconsin Senate by one vote. They won’t be able to roll back any of Walker’s destructive legislation, but they can stop further damage to education, children, and the environment.
Diane Ravitch's blog 
Diane – thank you for your continuing fight and intelligent voice regarding education in America today. I am a teacher in Wisconsin for 13 years now and have been witness to innovative teaching give way to lockstep educational curriculum that is no longer dynamic, nor holistic in teaching our children. We have forgotten the human aspect of teaching the arts, literature, history and music. These disciplines inspire and intrigue us. As a teacher of history I agree, power ebbs and flows and we must ensure that our children and the future of our education system are not victims to these fluctuations.
I think focusing on the money hides one of the most important issues in this election – the way people talked about the unions. Unions were the “THEY”, not the big corporations. My takeaway? My colleagues and I must do a better job of telling our stories. The real stories about the day in and day out lives of our members – about their students, colleagues, families and the community. To steal a Romney line, “Unions are PEOPLE.” When we can help others understand us better as people just like them, struggling to do the right thing, our success rate will improve.
I was there. I knocked on well over 500 doors in Racine and Kenosha over the past week.
Diane
We may have lost one battle but we did not lose the war. I am attaching this eamil sent to me by Mark Miller the new Dem House Maj leader in Wisconsin. Walker may have survived the recall, but the Dem’s won a very important seat in a Wis Senate recall election. With Mark Miller promising that Scott Walker will be met with a resounding NO from Senate Dem’s from this day forward. This good news indeed.
Please see below:
JoEllen,
Last night was a tough night for us in Wisconsin. After being outspent 8 to 1 by Scott Walker and the billionaire Koch brothers, we lost the gubernatorial recall.
But what the national media is not telling you is: I am the new Democratic Senate Majority Leader after winning an important Senate recall election by just hundreds of votes.
Starting today, Senate Democrats will be a strong check on Scott Walker’s power. If Walker tries to pass extreme policies that bust unions, hurt women, or attack middle-class families, we will have one word for him: No. We will demand laws that benefit the middle class and start repairing our state.
PCCC members have stood with us in Wisconsin every step of the way.
The donations you made to the Wisconsin Democratic Party and Wisconsin Senate Democrats directly helped get out the vote that fueled last night’s Senate win.
From the bottom of my heart, I want to say thank you. Despite the disappointment in the governor’s race, your efforts helped us achieve victory and restore balance in our state.
I look forward to working as partners with bold progressive activists in the days, months, and years ahead.
Solidarity,
Mark Miller, incoming Wisconsin Senate Majority Leader
What we will need to do now is refuel and be on our way again. Thanks, Diane, for giving us the encouragement to do so and to JoJo for sharing Mark Miller’s e-mail.
I’m glad the Democrats now control the Senate. I hope that Wisconsin voters are out in November to make sure the majority isn’t short lived. It will be tough. There are a lot of people who see union jobs as a cushy way to work without putting in too much effort. They contrast their own work environment (or non-work environment these days) against the union safety net and don’t see why their hard earned money should go to pay for something they don’t have. As an unemployed teacher, I know my job was never cushy and certainly not with the current anti-teacher climate, but I also know that the current rush to the right is much bigger than my job security. I hear no strong, unified voice in defense of the little guy, just attacks against the current crop of right wing power brokers. Whining is not going to win in November. We had better know what we stand for, why, and how we can accomplish it.
So it was better when only labor unions had the $ to buy elections – so they could “negotiate” their contracts with the people (i.e. Democrats) they elected?
No, I am not enamored by some of the shenanigans of unions. I never really benefited from the union because I was never a tenured teacher (late career). People seem to think that being tenured means you can’t be fired. No, it just means that the administration has to have a documented reason to fire you. Without it, you can be fired because a Board member’s child doesn’t like you. Without it, you can be fired because the superintendent’s best friend’s daughter needs a job.
The people of Wisconsin have spoken although I am not surprised at the amount the Walker people got to spend considering the source of their $$$$. But I have to wonder why the DNC didn’t pour a similar amount into this election. Obama was hardly supportive even after the union made mounds of concessions.
I will try to keep up the fight, but for that to really happen, every teacher in the USA needs to take greater action on their own as well. We can no longer depend on unions for support.
Good for the Wisconsin Democrats!
However, there are Democrats & there are other Democrats. People were asking why the DNC & the Obama Administration weren’t doing more to fight Walker. I was very disappointed (but not surprised) to read the bold headline–in today’s Chicago Sun-Times–
“BEYOND RECALL- Wisconsin’s Mixed Message-While voter’s in the Badger State kept their Republican governor in office, they’re still comfortable voting for Obama.”
So, then, is this the only concern? Not about what happens to a state (last time I looked, Wisconsin hadn’t seceded from the union), so long as the national election is secured.
As I recall, when this all started in Madison, people were looking for the president who had pledged to get his walking shoes & come to stand with the workers. At that time, Ed Schultz et.al. asked where he was.
What happened?
I am very happy Scott Walker won re election in this recall. He is the one bold enough to stand up to the Unions. In the years I’ve dealt with Unions. They have done me no good. I pay dues and got much of nothing out of my union. Now things will finally change for the better for Wisconsin. I am all for tax breaks to businesses. Then they will consider not laying people off or consider moving out of state. They might hire some new people. Remember when Harley Davidson was thinking on moving out of state. Under the Diamond Jim Doyle days. New businesses will think of moving here. I am happy that teachers can now be let go if they are not doing a good job. No matter how many years they have on the job. That they will have regular performance reviews. Only the best teachers will now be teaching our kids. Programs and services will not be cut. Classroom sizes will not increase. Teachers will not be laid off. Unless your a district who isn’t using Act 10. Districts using Act 10 say things are going good for them Unlike all the lies told by the Liberals and union thugs. I feel Walkers win will affect who votes for Obama. There is a good chance he will not be elected a 2nd term.
The problem is that the most successful U.S. districts are unionized; the more unionized the state, the better the students perform. What’s good for teachers is what’s good for students, and vice-versa.
I worry about Wisconsin’s educational future.
CW, perhaps you feel that the union never did anything good for you because you never took the opportunity to utilize the resources that WEAC provides such as professional development, educational resources, legal assistance, financial assistance workshops etc. My union protected prep time, now some of my colleagues have lost prep time, teaching seven classes, one period of tutoring and a 30 minute lunch.
As for the issue of only the best teachers teaching our kids, how do you suggest we determine this? Will these evaluations of teachers take into account parental support of education or lack there of, innate intelligence, student level of commitment? Will these evaluations factor in poverty, poor home conditions, drug and alcohol use, English proficiency? You cannot determine a teacher’s effectiveness solely by a test. This year, I was not observed once in my classroom. I invited administrators to come, but none showed up, yet, I was given an evaluation. Is this best for me, who wishes to have feedback and input and is this best for kids?
Ultimately, it is about the kids and making sure teachers have adequate support and security to do an effective good. Teachers alone do not educate children, we all do by our actions and our words. When our politicians and supposed “news” sources demonize teachers, it provides a model of disrespect to teachers, thus exacerbating the issue. Your word “thug” is inflammatory and suggests violent aggression and this simply is not the case. These extremes have divided our state and nation. Please, choose your words carefully and bring civility back to a conversation that is critical to our nation.
CW, though I have qualms with much of what you posited, I’ll focus on just this statement: “Only the best teachers will now be teaching our kids.”
I have two questions for you: By what criteria should one judge the quality of a teacher? How can you be sure that only the best teachers will be left?