Member of Congress joins with
The Network for Public Education and calls for public hearings on the misuse and abuse of standardized tests. Massive social networking campaign to be waged in coming days.
On March 2, 2014, following their highly successful National Conference, The Network for Public Education(NPE) sent out a call for members of Congress to hold public hearings on standardized testing. This call came in response to the onerous testing regime that has enveloped schools across the country and threatens to create a generation of students who possess less creativity and problem solving skills than previous generations.
Answering NPE’s call, Arizona Representative Raúl Grijalva (D-AZ-3), a member of the House Committee on Education and the Workforce, responded with a sentiment that has been echoed by parents and educators throughout the United States. The six-term Representative said, “The need for an impartial and transparent hearing on mandatory testing and privatization efforts directed at public education, is critical. We need to have an open discussion about the dismantling of public education. I hope the leadership of the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives will hold hearings that allow our public schools and the families they serve the opportunity to have an open and honest hearing.”
Bolstered by Congressional support and a network of thousands of grassroots activists, NPE has taken to social media to apply additional pressure on lawmakers to hold hearings. NPE’s executive director Robin Hiller explained the goal of the Wednesday, March 19 Twitterstorm.
“We are taking our message to Twitter because while we lack access to paid media, we have thousands of passionate educators, students, parents and citizens across the country who care deeply about our schools, and are truly concerned about the colossal waste of resources now being directed to standardized tests. We hope to raise awareness among the public, media and elected representatives around our call for Congressional hearings into the abuse of standardized tests,” Hiller said.
The Network for Public Education, which is led by education scholar and former Assistant Secretary of Education, Diane Ravitch, is asking for support for these hearings and hopes that other members of Congress will step up for America’s children as did Congressman Grijalva. The organization will follow up Wednesday’s social media blitz with a Day of Action on Monday, March 24, and is asking members of the public to join in contacting their elected representatives and media outlets.
About The Network for Public Education:
The Network for Public Education is an advocacy group whose goal is to fight to protect, preserve and strengthen our public school system, an essential institution in a democratic society. Our mission is to protect, preserve, promote, and strengthen public schools and the education of current and future generations of students. We will accomplish this by networking groups and organizations focused on similar goals in states and districts throughout the nation and share information about what works and what doesn’t work in public education.
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Diane Ravitch's blog 
I work in Raúl Grijalva’s congressional district. He was a school board member for my district for 12 years, and his wife is a long time friend of my principal. He’s co-chair of the progressive caucus. Another Arizonan, Kristen Sinema has introduced a bill HR 4172 to return to pre-NCLB testing schedules. Once in 3-5, once in 6-9, and once in 10-12. All of this gives me hope.
I’ve been involved in voting rights in Ohio for ten years on a volunteer basis. He’s wonderful on that issue. A national leader.
Good news.
(Put that on a napkin, eh?)
Given the introduction of H.R. 4172 by Rep. Sinema of Arizona and Rep. Gibson of New York, I would think that they, two, too, would get on board. http://beta.congress.gov/bill/113th-congress/house-bill/4172/text
Read this message from Superintendent of Schools in Ludlow, MA
http://superintendentlps.blogspot.com/2014/03/enough-is-enough.html?m=1
Rahm Emanuel gets asked very good question on charter schools, so he dodges:
“Things got a little testy between Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel (D) and MSNBC’s Chuck Todd during an interview on Thursday.
At one point, while Todd was asking Emanuel about charter schools, the MSNBC host asked if public schools would one day all be application-based.
“Is this where public school is going, everything application-based? You have to apply to whatever school you want to go to?” Todd asked.
Emanuel replied “No. You know, Chuck, I’m going to get you a one-way ticket out of Washington. You need to get out of the thin air. It’s affecting your brain.”
“Wow,” Todd responded.
Good for Chuck Todd.
Ask it again, reporters. Ask it until you get a real answer. That IS where they’re going with ed reform, they’re pushing the New Orleans model all over the country, and people need to know it before public schools disappear completely.
Let’s have a real debate. No one agreed to privatize the public school system when this was sold. In fact, it was sold as “improving public schools”. The public schools in my state aren’t “improved”, in fact, they’ve been harmed. Was the objective ever to “improve public schools” or was that purely political framing?
http://talkingpointsmemo.com/livewire/rahm-emanuel-chuck-todd-charter-schools-thin-air
Right now the AZ legislature is set to vote on allowing any Title I school student an “empowerment scholarship,” which would use public monies for private school tuition. Two hundred thirty AZ school superintendents objected in this letter. http://azednews.com/2014/03/14/230-arizona-school-superintendents-speak-out-against-privatization-of-education-empowerment-scholarship-accounts/