[Forgive the posting of the headline with no text. I am at NY1, our local all-news station. No sooner did I put in the headline when I was called in to be interviewed by Sam Roberts of the New York Times. I closed my iPad, and the blank post flew into cyberspace. ]
The Atlantic has a comprehensive article about the education wars in Bridgeport, Connecticut.
The Democratic machine was shocked by the victory of the insurgent slate, which made clear that they are not fans of Paul Vallas. Of course, there is a fascinating backstory, and the article represents it fairly.
Most fascinating is that the article speculates that the Bridgeport election may indicate that the tide is turning against the corporate style of testing-accountability-privatization-teacher-bashing. Not just in Bridgeport. The public is catching on.
When the public catches on and demands change, the politicians follow.
With the election of Bill de Blasio in New York City, the discrediting of the grading system in Indiana, the resignation of Tony Bennett, the defeat of the deceptive parent trigger in Florida twice by Florida parents, the voter rejection of vouchers last fall in Florida, the indictment of the biggest virtual charter operator in Pennsylvania, the rejection of the Luna laws in Idaho……drip, drip, drip, drip.
Diane Ravitch's blog 
Because any time the public gets to have a say so and the law is enforced as in the case against Vallas the billionaires, who can only operate in the dark, lose. You have the unique situation of a former judge bringing up a case for the public on a point of law concerning Vallas before her collegues. How often can you name when this happened except for this time? We have to take the situations where they come up as gifts from them to us. Vallas and the billionaires cronies thought they could get away with breaking the law. The last thing on their mind was a former judge calling their illegal card. It happened just as other stuff does. The same thing just happened at LAUSD. We did not know that Aquino would suddenly resign and the billionaires didn’t either. We just moved before they did for once. No dark cigar filled rooms in the dead of night with armed guards this time. We had a chance to infect them with public participation and now it is too late as in Bridgeport. That is what it is.
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George,
U r so right on this one. Don’t look for any captains out there…none exist. The captains are bought and sold. It’s us together defying the DEFORMERS like we did re: Syria.
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Similarly, I am impressed by the popular rising in Windham, CT to oust Governor Malloy’s personally appointed “Special Master” Adamowski in his reign of terror over the elected Board of Education. The voters there have spoken at a recent BoE meeting that the BoE members work for them, not Adamowski, and that the members are to enact the wishes of the people and not that grandiose fraud.
It seems that the People are awaking!
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Yvonne, we are the captains of the ship. Look at what a few dedicated people have done in these different districts up to Chicago and San Diego. Now we are taking on LAUSD. Luckily, there is a new board of all lifetime teachers and the board president also a former superintendent of a different school district in L.A. County. They only need us to help them and to have their back as we do. They are so evil they cut off T.V. of one of the most important meetings at the district in years put on by Steve Zimmer. We videoed it anyway and it will be able to be watched soon.
Attitude is everything especially if you have the facts in hand. Always have the facts. Any of you remember Jack Webb “Just the facts Mam, just the facts.” This is how it must be. Documents, documents, analyze, analyze, put into context, present, watch their hair curl and faces drop on the ground. We do it all the time. Remember the Boy Scout Motto “Be Prepared.” Then have ethics, then attack with only the truth, then you convince people, that is how we do it. Keep it KISS.
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It is happening finally. Better late than never we say. It is up to us to take this gift from the billionaires as they have stumbled and turn up the heat. This is not the time to say “Job Well Done” as it is not done just started. The “Battle Royale” has just begun. Do you really think they will give up easily? NO way. They are starting a full on attack in LAUSD. Big money and power there as in Chicago and N.Y. All three have the billionaires under attack with the truth. The truth and public participation is what they cannot stand. Is there a way in N.Y. to make them put off that decision on the schools until after the election I ask? If De Blasio wins the game turns upside down on the billionaires again.
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