Two teachers have started a campaign to take their message to the White House: stop the Race to the Top!
The message of their campaign:
Give all students the same education your girls are getting! Abandon Race to the Top and stop privatizing public schools.
Join them!
Diane Ravitch's blog 
Here is the schedule. I am calling tomorrow and every Monday:
Contact the White House weekly at 202-456-1111 on your state’s designated day.
Message: Give all students the same education your girls are getting! Abandon Race to the Top and stop privatizing public schools.
MONDAY
1. Alabama
2. Alaska
3. Arizona
4. Arkansas
5. California
6. Colorado
7. Connecticut
8. Delaware
9. Florida
10. Georgia
TUESDAY
1. Hawaii
2. Idaho
3. Illinois
4. Indiana
5. Iowa
6. Kansas
7. Kentucky
8. Louisiana
9. Maine
10. Maryland
WEDNESDAY
1. Massachusetts
2. Michigan
3. Minnesota
4. Mississippi
5. Missouri
6. Montana
7. Nebraska
8. Nevada
9. New Hampshire
10. New Jersey
THURSDAY
1. New Mexico
2. New York
3. North Carolina
4. North Dakota
5. Ohio
6. Oklahoma
7. Oregon
8. Pennsylvania
9. Rhode Island
10. South Carolina
FRIDAY
1. South Dakota
2. Tennessee
3. Texas
4. Utah
5. Vermont
6. Virginia
7. Washington
8. West Virginia
9. Wisconsin
10. Wyoming
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Can you create conversation & links available via twitter link? I don’t use FB & would like to join & support. Love the idea. Thanks.
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Thanks, Dr. Ravitch!!! You should see the numbers soar after you posted!!!
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Sheila,
Does this help? Twitter hastag for this action is #StopRttT. Get the word out.
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This is a GREAT idea! But–please, people, we need more–hundreds of thousands more–calls than the number of letters that were sent October 17th (430–that’s all we could get from the entire U.S.?). This call will be much easier and much shorter than writing a letter–there is no excuse unless you don’t have a phone or can’t afford the long distance. But–other than those–it bears repeating that there is no excuse. Help your students, help your communities, help teachers teach children, and help keep the U.S. a democracy. Make Diane proud!
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Especially after an election, the government does not listen to the people. It has another boss.
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In some aspects, I agree with Joe. We are barking up the wrong tree. Obama has no reason to listen to us; however, every single member of the US House of Representatives and 1/3 of the senate is now running for reelection. These (and perhaps the other 2/3 of the senators) are who we should be targeting. I believe we are wasting time and resources contacting someone who will never run for elected office again.
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I agree. Let’s look at potential nominees who may start the 2016 Presidential run in a few days of both parties and also 3d and independent parties and groups. I would hope that teachers, me included could find the time to write our Congressional and Senatorial representatives. I wrote a letter on Oct. 17. I don’t a lot of free time but I did so for several reasons. One of which is to have a legacy that can be researched by decedents a few hundred years from now. What did my relative Mark, a teacher think about President Obama’s stand on education? Oh, let’s search Obama’s records.
Now, we have another opportunity. Let’s hope it’s better than the 430 letters out of a possible 3.5 million. A quick note is better than nothing at all folks. Of course, those who don’t have the time may find themselves with lots of time if they don’t get involved. Just a nudge.
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All of you are correct in that more needs to be done. Many of us have written letters to Pres. Obama. We now have around 800 people willing to call Pres. Obama and Donna just posted the this call out on Saturday. There are over 5000 people invited.
So I hope you are still willing to make the phone call. We’re planning to continue to do it until April 4th when many of us are or are at least hoping to travel to Washington D.C. http://www.facebook.com/#!/events/298659770235984/
Join us there too. I expect there’s a place for all of our advocacy. This may not work. . . but we have to try!!!
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I’m not Facebook expert, but might it not be a good idea to also launch this as a FB page — not just an event? Then every post will show up on our feeds which boosts exposure, be easy to share, and build a community? Not a criticism. I’m so glad you’re doing this. I’m in. Just thinking about what I saw political geniuses doing to build loud voices. Thanks!!
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Joanne,
There are actually a lot of conversations going on in this invite. Feel free to post the page daily on your wall.
There is another great site that may be of interest to you. The dumpduncan page? http://www.facebook.com/#!/groups/dumpduncan/
Creat community working hard to fight this!!! And thanks for joining us on this. We have close to 800 people signed up with 5000 invites. Please invite people as well. I’d love to have 10,000 join us.
We’re doing it until April and then at “The Battle for Public Schools” in Washington D.C., we’ll decide if we need to continue etc.
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Joanne – we are linked to a Facebook page for the event, as well. The phone campaign is linked to the Facebook page with the same name, Stop Race to The Top. The page is a couple years old and has over a thousand followers. Link to the page here: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Stop-Race-to-the-Top/118371311521182
or simply search Facebook for ‘Stop Race to the Top’. We have provided links on our Wear Red for Ed Facebook wall, as well. The twitter hashmark is #StopRttT .
Last week, we waited in long lines to vote – now it is time to wait on the line. Make those calls!
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Give all students the same education your girls are getting
Some Nashville parents would be happy with the education from Great Hearts Academy. Do teachers feel qualified to second guess parents? Why?
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Yes, Eric. There are times when teachers should disagree with parents. The reverse is true, too. But would you use the charged language “second guess” when talking about a doctor who makes a diagnosis according to accepted professional practice and her/his best ability? Teachers and other respected elements of the education world are citing real evidence that Charter Schools have not proven themselves to be the “answer.” So, yes, people do feel qualified to express this considered professional position. Do challenge it and question it, but please do respect teachers and their real experience. Certain people stand to make a great deal of money from demonizing teachers and denigrating public schools. Please remember this as you assess statements made in this national discussion.
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Y’know, Eric, if Great Hearts had actually been willing to give that kind of education to all comers rather than just rich white folks, they might actually be in business. But, typical of the racists ever since the Civil Rights Era, they’d rather destroy something than share it with “those people”.
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Like any charter with “open enrollment,” Great Hearts schools have an admission process. This guarantees that only parents and students who seek it out and jump through the hoops will attend. And it’s a little disingenuous to pin TN’s school board decision on teachers. Teachers are not school boards.
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Obama Won- Did Educators Lose in the Process? Great read!
http://www.alternet.org/education/obama-won-did-educators-lose-process?paging=off
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RTTT is horrible! Children & teachers & schools & states & neighborhoods should not have “to compete against each other” to be able to give all of our children the opportunity to a high quality public school education. It should be a right that is available for every American student. A great public education for all is a cornerstone of our democracy. RTTT totally destroys it! It’s extremely unfair!
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In Wisconsin we have some of the best public schools in this country. We have governor who wants to change all that. He is part of a national movement to privatize schoolsfor profit. Only the wealthy will be able to afford to send their children! I taught junior high and high school for 35 years in Illinois and Wisconsin and so proud of our public schools, but I am worried!
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I am happy to say that as of Saturday, we have 880 people committed to calling the White House weekly. Let’s hope we can get 18800 people to join!!!
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I called today on my state’s assigned day and the lovely operator spent some time searching for Race To The Top but couldn’t find it listed as a topic to comment on. We had a conversation about why it is so rotten and also I told her about Arne Duncan’s role in this. She said she would make a note of my calling about doing away with Race To The Top. I’ll call tomorrow to see if RTTT has been added. Karel Kilimnik
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