Angie Sullivan is a teacher who regularly emails a long list of legislators, education advocates, journalists….and me. Here is her outraged commentary about Democrats who collect money from teachers and betray them and refuse to fund public schools. And her outrage at her own state union for supporting Democrats who don’t support public education. In many other states, the Democrats act no different from Republicans in their fealty to privatization and high-stakes testing. See New York and Connecticut as examples.
Angie writes:
I think it is time for CCEA [Carson County Education Association] to pull away from NSEA, the state. This political endorsement process is very tragic. I have never seen such a mess and so many bad decisions on too many levels to even speak about here.
To me it was a simple year – no TEI [The Education Initiative] – no endorsement, no money. Doesn’t have to mean we are not friends – just have to focus on TEI.
That would mean NO to almost everyone except about 5 people.
So Oct 10th my union gave $10,000 to Justin Jones to keep the Nevada Senate Democratic? Surely we could NOT have given it to Justin based on his education voting record or actually doing anything productive for public schools.
If I thought the Nevada Senate Democrats would act like this:
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=JabOtrfzjf8
I would be the yellow dog democrat Ive been my whole life. Straight ticket. But the abuse I have received over the last few years has opened my eyes to just how sick my party and union can be.
Justin is no good as an education candidate. The End.
I have begged and pleaded with my union and others to stop rewarding democrats and any others “because the other side is so much worse”.
What could be worse than ALEC legislation?
What could be worse than championing privatizing by charter?
What could be worse than loss in pay, benefits, and retirement?
What could be worse than threatening teachers like we are dogs?
What could be worse than no funds, no revenue, no plans to fund?
What could be worse than not supporting the TEI? In fact campaigning — by strategy — to do the opposite?
I’m supposed to be frightened by vouchers? Parent Trigger co-sponsored by Jones is worse than vouchers. Parents voting to kill their neighborhood schools?
Why do we insist on rewarding this bad behavior? In case Justin Jones wins, he does what to us next? Carry out his threats to “do something about evaluations”?
I have to put up with that.
What kind of favor does Jones deserve taking $10,000 from my union and $10,000 from Students First too? Both?
Who gave him this NSEA money? A committee who votes for endorsements as a clump? Murillo? Does Ruben get special favor from Justin Jones for himself?
Have we asked the members?
So Jones gets the money and to publish we love him . . . but the voter flyer excludes his name? So he got halfway endorsed? We gave him money but do not encourage anyone to vote for him. ok.
And what about all the candidates who we denied – because they wouldn’t be positive about TEI? What do they think when we give money now . . . to those with some mysterious perceived power?
CCEA needs to have more power and control over government relations in the south. The tail needs to stop wagging the dog and the dog needs to stop hiding in Carson City. And if a candidate from any party brings ALEC education reform or votes against us – we need to kick them out.
These education democrats like Justin Jones are not real – they need to be ousted from our endorsements. DFER (Democrats for Education Reform) are simply conservative democrats pushing a privatizing agenda on public schools. They are worse than a Republican — because they have infiltrated, bribed, and been bought privatizing reformers.
Proud to have a child in a charter – and trying to pass this as a democratic value?
As a teacher, I can continue to be disappointed.
Someone needs to get some backbone and stand up to these privatizing democratic bullies – because kids deserve advocacy – and a lot better endorsement system than this willy nilly NSEA parade – what a nightmare.
Angie.
Diane Ravitch's blog 
Yes just like Dan Malloy of. Connecticut
Sent from my iPhone
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Bravo. Good for her.
This should be the measure: “or actually doing anything productive for public schools.”
FOR public schools. It’s even more important at the state level given the federal climate for existing public schools, on both the R and D side in DC.
Also some Democrats still harp about the Common Core. As soon as one of them do that, I find myself not trusting them.
Fortunately NC has candidates who are willing to say that Common Core is damaged goods and we need to move forward AND they want to fund public schools. I feel good about the Democrat candidates NC has.
Democrats who spend a good part of every day either trashing or undermining public schools have a lot of nerve pushing the Common Core. Putting in a giant new mandate while disinvesting in public schools is a recipe for public schools to fail at it.
I’m particularly amused by the sappy, insincere “atta boys” to public schools for “good job!” putting in the Common Core. If public schools are doing a good job putting in Common Core, they are doing it without the support of the same politicians who pushed the Common Core. It’s phony. All of a sudden they’re vitally interested in the success of public schools, now that THEIR program is going in? Where were they when 30 states were cutting funding and public schools became the go-to national political punching bag for politicians?
as one of them does that, rather
Yet another report on funding cuts for public schools:
“Despite incremental increases in state support for K-12 education, funding levels still trail those before the Great Recession in 2007, according to a report released Thursday by the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities.
Overall, 30 of the 47 states analyzed are providing less per-pupil funding for K-12 schools this school year than they did before the recession. In 14 of the states, funding has been cut by more than 10 percent, the report says. In addition to the slow recovery of funding, at least 20 states cut their support for K-12 education compared to last year, the report found. ”
There are literally thousands of people who call themselves public ed advocates and get paid for that, including the state and federal politicians we hire and pay.
Are they all just lousy advocates, or do they not care what happens to existing public schools under their watch? Why are public schools faring so poorly under “ed reform”?
http://www.usnews.com/news/articles/2014/10/16/state-education-funding-lags-behind-pre-recession-levels
Yes, Democrats are just as much in the pockets of Wall Street, billionaires, and foundations as the Republicans. Both parties want privatization of everything: schools, hospitals, prisons, post office to rake in profits at the expense of our children and teachers.
This is why we activists must find viable candidates now with 2016 in mind. I fear it is too late for November 2014 elections in many states. For example, I’m in WI. Mary Burke is a weak alternative to Gov. Walker. But, this year, there is no other choice–it’s pathetic.
In addition, as activists, we need to support any person we know has a strong platform, and it will start with economic reform. Here is such a platform at DanforNebraska.com. Dan will not be on the US Senate ballot because of 100 signatures that were disallowed, but he is campaigning hard, getting lots of press and attention from Nebraskans with his platform.
Here are 2 things we must push for:
1) Nationalize the Federal Reserve & order it (Yellen can do this legally right now) to issue century bonds at no interest to all 50 states to rebuild infrastructure to start.
2) Pay for the rebuilding of our public institutions, especially urban, rural poor schools with a 1% Wall Street sales tax on derivatives & speculations. It’s estimated this will bring in trillions that could be shared by States to stop this privatization scheme not only of public schools, but also the post office and prisons as well as create jobs and stop union-busting (& clean up the unions that have become corrupt).
We must do more than work to tear down privatization; we must give solutions and provide ways to pay for OUR reforms – end poverty, teach every child to his/her potential, fund medical research, provide great transportation, and much more.
We have similar problems in Illinois. Fortunately we have people like Fred Klonsky speaking out against mindless endorsements. See http://preaprez.wordpress.com
Nevada’s “associations” are known to be heavily in bed with school districts and don’t actually help teachers for the most part. NSEA is a big joke as are the district affiliates statewide.
We already had one political party who were dedicated to privatizing public schools. Why Democrats thought we needed another one is beyond my comprehension.
They’re not even the leaders of the privatization movement they decided to join! They’re the followers.
To add to the outrage, I thought Angie might beat me to it, our Lt. Governor’s race showed the other side. Republican candidate Mark Hutchison railed against his opponent, Lucy Flores, for halting a bipartisan supported parent trigger law and blocking millions of dollars for Teach For America. Hutchison contends we need these excellent TFA teachers to replace our lousy current teachers. He claims she also stood in the way of pension reforms. He says he would model his administration after Chris Christie in New Jersey. This race matters for a couple of reasons. Our current governor would like to do these things, but is not as open about them, he is more covert. Governor Sandoval has designs on running for the U.S. Senate. Just picture another right wing senator in Washington if you can…. Should Hutchison lose he would be far less likely to do this, he would not want to turn over the governors mansion to a liberal that has and will defend public education. We teachers in Nevada would do well to vote for Flores in this election.
I am doing what I can here is Texas too. I would like to chat with other about what else can be done. I need more ideas to reach more people. The ignorance is think here is Texas.
I hope every teacher is walking precincts for Wendy Davis. THAT will make a huge difference in Texas!