A reader sends this information:
http://abclocal.go.com/wpvi/story?section=news/parenting&id=7147532
SEATTLE (AP) – December 1, 2009 (WPVI) — The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation is giving the National PTA $1 million to teach parents about education reform. [Common Core]
http://www.missourieducationwatchdog.com/2013/02/pta-receives-more-money-to-push-common.html
ALEXANDRIA, VA, Feb 15, 2013 (MARKETWIRE via COMTEX) — National PTA announced today that it received a one-year $240,000 grant from the GE Foundation [General Electric] to further its efforts on the Common Core State Standards.
Diane Ravitch's blog 
Good Morning — The National PTA needs to show the movie: More Than A Number. This is an excellent but sad movie about the effect that High Stakes Testing Is Having On Students. High school students committing suicide because they fear their SAT scores are not high enough to gain entrance in an Ivy League College. While viewing that movie, I had to fight back the tears.
Marge
Also, Marge, the movie Race to Nowhere. It was shown in a church in our community–co-sponsored by the enormous high school (fed into from 5 suburbs). The audience was SRO, there was a great Q & A/discussion afterward with the high school principal & several other staff.
Money talks.
Which is why educators need to cut ties/memberships in organizations that are cannibalistic. Join the groups that defend public education and monetarily starve those that do not. Let’s not be our own worst enemies. And extend that to not conducting consumer business with organizations, companies and media outlets that would love to see public education and unions disappear.
Yes — money talks. I am 2 weeks in to my boycott of Amazon and my husband assures me they are feeling the pain.
I am also boycotting : Microsoft; Toys R Us; Georgia Pacific Products & Walmart.
Marge
For far too many, money is god. They will listen to anyone who has money, even if they are airheads.
The National PTA has been funding Common Core grants to locals for years – to help promote the implementation and understanding of the CCSS. Funded by Gate Foundation. It is an interesting pickle they find themselves in right now as bought and paid for advocates of CCSS but pushing back against high stakes testing. It is probably why, despite their support of some push back efforts on high stakes testing, they have yet to adopt a formal rejection of these tests. It is very troubling.
This is news to me and sheds a very different light on my previous belief that our PTAs were our best soldiers in supporting what is right or their and my children. I have been told locally by our district PTA Pres. that PTA could not get involved because they are non-political. Contrary to that local position, the national PTA carries a big stick of influence at the congressional level. It is obviously time to address this important revelation. Shame on me for not knowing this. Thanks Diane.
The root of all evil is money and the 1%ers giving money to continue the evil.
Amen.
The quote (and I believe it gets to the ‘heart’ of the matter better) is: The love of money is the root of all evil.
There will not be any useful debate on the merits of the Common Core Standards until the obsession with testing is rolled back substantially. It is a shame that our elected officials, in both parties, aligned themselves with unethical corporate players instead of parents teachers and students. The National PTA is presently working as a conduit for top down control in education. The people in charge at the national level are being played and are out of their league in this game.
Diane,
Is it possible to reach out to the PTA leadership and engage them in conversation/ debate about what it means to support a meaningful public education? This organization could be a powerful ally
Reblogged this on Transparent Christina.
I’m curious how an organization claiming to represent parents and teachers can take money to promote “reform” and still represent parents or teachers.
Arthur, could it be a matter of bad leadership (while the membership generally might not agree) as with the NEA, AFT & UFT? I was on PTA Council in our Illinois school district, and some of us were really fighting the officers (especially the President & V.P.) on child-centered issues (we had a referendum for a property tax/state equalizer, and these very officers were dead set against it, moaning, “It will take money away from OUR kids!” {this, a fairly
wealthy school district, as opposed to one such as East St. Louis, IL–read Kozol’s Savage Inequalities}). Needless to say, it didn’t pass.
Has anyone ever refused a Gates grant? I’m trying to be sympathetic, but it is baffling to me why these organizations and political subdivisions think this money comes without strings.
What is it? Are they blinded by the star power of the billionaires? Is Memphis so hard up they would sell their public school system? Why do they think they’re going to have any meaningful control once they accept these “gifts”? Obviously they don’t. The terms are laid out ahead of time.
It amazes me, just as an ordinary person, why some sense of restraint or caution wouldn’t kick in, and I don’t think I’m incredibly cynical.
If Gates came into their home and said “I’ll pay your mortgage if I can post my job chart for your kids on the fridge” would they TAKE that deal? “I’ll buy you a car if I can put your kids in the back and drive off”.
I’m starting to think they’re not responsible enough to be around children at all, let alone running US public education.
It’s just a complete abdication of responsibility. It’s like they were waiting for someone to come along and say: “here. I’ll fix this for you.” Do they not see what they’re giving up in this exchange?
blinded by the brilliance of the carrot…
I agree, Arthur. It certainly helps explain why the Colorado PTA is quiet about JeffCo’s involvement with Gates’ mega database inBloom.
Well, you told us that the Federal Government can’t order state education institutions to follow any particular type if curriculum or program; that’s why the Feds bribe states with offers of money. Sounds like Gates and GE understand that principle pretty well. It would come more natural to them, as it’s a common enough business practice.
Here in Washington State, our state PTA is joining with…McDonald’s. We are supposed to believe that because McDonald’s now has apple slices that all their food is good for kids. They are even allowing the McDonald’s Director of Nutrition to speak at the state convention.
One other interesting thing is that several of our Seattle schools PTAs are weighing whether to leave the organization altogether and become PTOs (Parent Teacher Organizations). They just don’t support the state and national PTA actions and want to see their hard-earned fundraising dollars go to their school.
Active teachers: is the McDonald’s logo to be found within the Pearson “standardized” tests? Just askin’…
This should be exposed and become a national scandal. Bill Gates tries to “rent” the PTA. Awful!! And of course there are strings attached – like showing “Waiting for Superman,” which violates all the PTA’s core principles about being advocates for public schools.
There is another film that can be used as a “counter” to “Waiting for Superman.” It is called “Go Public” and it premiered this week, produced by award-winning documentary filmmakers Jim and Dawn O’Keefe. It portrays a day in the life of an urban public school system and does so with remarkable insight and empathy, but without an ideological edge. It simply shows the diversity of students, the remarkable energy and enthusiasm of teachers, the small miracles that happen in classrooms, the problems of budget cuts and lay-offs, the triumphs and tragedies of kids from poor families, or kids with special needs, etc. The filmmakers trained students as camera operators and got other professional filmmakers to help tell the stories of 50 people — custodians, teachers, parents, teachers, and others — in 28 different schools. They managed to weave this into a seamless tapestry. Even Bill Gates might find it inspiring!