A teacher in North Carolina contacted me to let me know that Students for Education Reform, an offshoot of DFER, will hold a rally this Saturday from 2-5 pm at Halifax Court in downtown Raleigh, North Carolina.
No doubt they will mimic their parent group in demanding more high-stakes testing, more privatization, more evaluation of teachers by test scores (but NOT in charter schools), and other aspects of the corporate reform agenda.
With the NC legislature poised to pass legislation to create a state commission to open charters that are exempt from criminal background checks, exempt from conflict of interest laws, exempt from diversity requirements, and free to hire uncertified teachers, this is not an opportune time to show support for this radical agenda.
Just last week, the California Democratic Party passed a resolution specifically naming DFER as a front for corporate interests and Republicans. DFER in fact was created by Wall Street hedge fund managers to introduce disruptive change into public education. Everything they advocate has demoralized teachers, closed schools, and harmed children and communities.
Show up to demonstrate your support for public education.
This is the letter:
“Dr Ravitch-
“Good afternoon. I’m a teacher in Raleigh, NC, and an avid
reader of your blog…I wanted to let you know that various university
branches of SFER are planning a rally at Halifax Court (which is
directly behind the state legislature and adjacent to our Department
of Public Instruction building) in downtown Raleigh on this Saturday
the 20th from 2-5pm.
“I’ve been made aware of this by a local college student who invited me
and my colleagues via our school email addresses. I have written her
back explaining at length my concerns about SFER, in hopes to educate her and her peers on the true goals and origins of that organization.
I also explained to her that I will attend the rally, but to oppose
the efforts of SFER, and not to support them.
“Might you be able to publicize this rally on your blog in hopes of
drawing teachers and parents to show up to demonstrate for our
children and against SFER?
“Thank you so very deeply on behalf of every professional educator I
know for your tireless efforts in support of education.”
Diane Ravitch's blog 
Pink Floyd:
“Does anybody here remember Vera Lynn? . . .Vera! Vera! What has become of you?”
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Well, with no background checks I guess the child molesters, drug dealers and other violent criminals who have served their time will head to North Carolina where they can get a good job teaching school!
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And maybe they can get Bernie Madoff paroled so he can teach Economics.
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I wouldn’t be surprised if people like that were already teaching in charter schools in poor areas in CA.
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Go to George1la and you can see Gloria Romero, head of DFER in California, at their press conference. We were there to video it. Watch and see what they do when asked real questions. It is fun. You can also watch uncut Michelle Rhee when she was last in L.A. and much more.
Concerning the democrats in California looks like their regular flim-flam to me. When they get rid of AB 375 to take away the “Due Process” rights of teachers, pay attention to the no accountability of charter schools and start to stop them, pass the legislation which stops the “Crazy School Bonds” you do not start to pay off for 20 years and there is a bill presently which limits that to 4 X the bond. Normal bonds are 2-3 times payoff not 12-20. When they go against school fraud. When they get rid of Deasy. Do you see what I mean? Only then can they truly make those spun statements as that statement does not match what is on the ground.
I was a fundraiser for the most important board race in the U.S. tonight and that was for Ratliff who is a teacher who has made the corporate privatizers go a second round. She beat $1.3-1.5 million with only $14,000. If you want to help the second largest school district in the U.S. change from a 4-3 for the devils to a 4-3 for the angels please help her. This is a national issue as has been blogged. As John Lennon wrote “Imagine.”
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