Edward F. Berger explains one reason why Democrats got hammered on Election Day. President Obama alienated teachers by walking in the footsteps of George W. Bush. He and Arne Duncan wreaked havoc on public schools. They outraged and demoralized teachers.
The Democratic party adopted the Republican agenda, and they turned off a day part of their base:
“The Obama administration, and especially Arne Duncan, dealt a blow to educators, parents and educated citizens when they sided with corporations like Pearson, and those who believe a punishing blow to teachers and public community schools will improve American education.
“The USDOE is now an agency without credibility, driven by ideologies that are not based in reality. For example, pushing the false belief that bad teachers are responsible for troubled schools. The Obama administration discounted the real factors that hold children back – poverty, fear, instability, and futility generated by a failed economic system, not teachers or bad parents. In doing this, President Obama has lost the confidence of our educated leaders and shamed his largest support base.
“By systematically destroying the nations confidence in educators and public schools, and following unqualified, self-appointed change agents like Bill Gates, Eli Broad, Michelle Rhee, Mike Bloomberg, and a few dozen other profiteers, this administration undermined confidence in educators and fact-based education. To do this they develop tests to prove that bad teachers are exposed by student tests. They do this by whatever means Pearson can profit by selling tests, and more tests, that are made mandatory for all school districts to buy and force into place. To do this, they overlook what schools really do for children and for the future.
“President Obama ignored votes of no confidence in Arne Duncan and the present course of the USDOE. He totally discounts scholars and experienced education leaders. In doing so, he destroyed his base. He has let stand the false charges that teachers and teachers associations are the problem, and he has allowed the re-segregation of schools in many states. He has supported access to public tax dollars by religious schools. He has provided wealth from our education tax dollars to profit-driven corporations, not to kids.”
Diane Ravitch's blog 
Pretty much hits the nail on the head.
I actually retired early from teaching because I was losing all self respect! It’s a terrible time to be a teacher. Everyone is against you and you feel as though you can’t do anything right. I lived for the small successes I could see every day with my students and tried hard not to let the negativity surrounding my career get me down. We HAVE to change this climate. Teaching is the MOST important job in the country. Teachers should be at the top of everyone’s list for a high level of respect, not to mention pay. Who will want to go into teaching if this keeps up?
NC has a great organization called Aim Higher Now NC, which focused on education for our elections. We got a lot of Democrats and pro-public education back into our General Assembly. Other states would do well to have organizations focused on elections dedicated to the subject of education, I suppose. It seemed to work here.
Quote from Edward Berger’s post: “and he has allowed the re-segregation of schools in many states.” I’ve stated this irony before. The resegregation of the public schools abetted by the educational policies of the first black president.
That is exactly why he was trusted and believed. Its the same witu Cory Booker. They are manchurian candidates, a bait and switch. Give the illusion that they are Democrats and “of the people, for the people” but seriously, when you look at their lives, it isn’t as if they came up from absolutely nothing and made themselves into somethings. At least in Newark’s last mayoral race, people saw that Ras Baraka was the real deal and Shavar Jeffries, tho he had a humble start, was 1000% corporate america–he might as well have been an 80 y.o. albino, old and white.
People were fooled by Obama. Young kids of all colors were fooled by Obama, blacks were fooled hook line and sinker. They voted for a black democrat for president and they got the bait and switch. I guess other than the comfort of their own wealth, I don’t know how these politicians and “change’makers” sleep at night.
Anyhow, what I’m meaning to write is, OF COURSE this could only come from the first black president that the masses of people it would affect would trust to do right by them, and it was the perfect storm. The corporate pigs were leading up to this for a long time.
Yes Donna. Obama accomplished in education what the Republicans could only dream about.
There was a point in time when America’s traditional district schools were ever integrated enough to be “re-segregated?” Do you have a citation for that?
In reality, America’s traditional district schools, especially (interestingly) outside of the South, never were integrated to any appreciable degree—the de jure segregation prohibited by Brown nearly instantaneously transformed into de facto, with segregation created and maintained by discriminatory real estate and banking practices; zoning laws and suburbanization; and intimidation by private citizens and police forces. Iris Rotberg has stated it perfectly: “The primary exceptions to increased student stratification [caused by school choice] are in communities that are already so highly segregated by race, ethnicity, and income that further increases are virtually impossible . . .” That would describe to a tee virtually every charter school in states like New York.
Integrating America’s traditional district schools admittedly does not seem to be a priority for the president (or Congress). It doesn’t seem to be a priority for most people who send their kids to or who support traditional district schools, either.
You don’t live where I live (suburban Detroit). Suburban public schools here are highly diverse due to increased flight from the city and some surrounding communities that are primarily minorities (Pontiac, Mt. Clemens, Ypsilanti). The charters in those communities are highly segregated.
Plus, the charters go up to gentrify communities in many cases. Once white people start moving in a little, the charter goes up.
And segregation doesn’t necessarily apply only to ethnic status. It can also occur due to ability (academic or athletic). Charters in my area routinely “counsel out.” The segregation can also be intellectual.
There are studies, which have been posted on this blog, that reflect increased segregation due to charter schools. So if segregation was barely happening by your interpretation, imagine how incredibly segregated it must be becoming now.
Detroit “suburban public schools are highly diverse”? Based on what I’ve seen of suburban Detroit, I think you’re going to have to be a little more specific about what suburban public schools you’re talking about.
Steve, I’m well aware that in some jurisdictions, charters may be worsening segregation. In communities that are already hypersegregated, they aren’t.
And given the historical reality and trend of white flight, I am usually pretty skeptical when people bring up integrated suburbs–quite often these are simply in the middle of the transition from white to minority (Ferguson, MO, is a great example). In these cases, charters might accelerate the process, but the process will occur in any event.
Well my HS (pop about 2000) was populated with a mix of (approximates) 35% white, 28% black, 25% asian, and the rest “other”. That was before reform. As of around 2010 there were 12 white students on register. Don’t know what it is now since I am retired. I’ve gone to many meetings concerning using public school space for charter schools and the pro charter parent attendees were almost all white.
FLERP, go to southern Oakland county and you’ll see lots of diversity. My high school alone has 43 different primary languages. We have apartment complexes that are segregated but they all feed our high school. We have sizable African-American and Asian American populations in our school plus our share of good old suburban Caucasians.
(I’m currently hosting after school chess. My room has 5 white kids, 7 African Americans, and 2 Asian Indians.)
The schools are basically open enrollment and draw kids from surrounding neighborhoods (Redford, Southfield and Pontiac).
Tim, obviously if it’s already hypersegregated, well, you can make the easy leap of logic. And just because you’re skeptical it doesn’t mean that these integrated communities don’t exist.
Increasing segregation in Arizona schools
http://asba.iwswp1.com/2014/09/15/race-ethnicity-poverty-factor-into-the-re-segregation-of-arizonas-schools/
It’s not just teachers who have been aliented.
As a parent, I totally agree with this writer.
So the right wing attempt to abolish the Dept of Education and dismantle Race to the Top will not face as much opposition as in the past.
The right wingers love those vouchers, certainly. Don’t they like the charters too? Privatize, profitize?
Reblogged this on David R. Taylor-Thoughts on Texas Education.
This is exactly why I did not vote Democrat this election. Nor did I vote Republican. The two parties have morphed into one megaloparty when it comes to education that I call the Democrapublicans. Both are enthralled by corporate reformers; both hate public schools, teachers and unions. I sincerely hope that these elections serve as a loud “wake-up” call for the Democrats to return to their fold.
It will not be a wake up call for the Democrats to return to their fold. This political thumping will make Democrats even more cautious, even more right wing.
“Mission Accomplished!”
Mission accomplished! Have no fears
World’s now safe for profiteers
Dismemberment of public schools
In atmosphere where chaos rules
The American people have spoken and they seem to like rabid radical right wing politicians who want to take us back to 1914 or maybe even 1814. I am just stunned that Wisconsin, Florida and Maine reelected those extreme right wing governors with a proven regressive track record. Did union people and teachers actually vote for these GOP thugs? The only lesson that Democrats will have learned from this debacle is to further trend to the right. Obama is a corporate center right president (though he is more liberal on social issues), he’s more right wing than Eisenhower. Now that the GOP is fully in charge, except for the White House, will Social Security, Obamacare, Medicare and Medicaid be eliminated? Obama is always ready to compromise and meet the GOP more than half way, even when it comes to Social Security. I have no doubt that someone like Scott Walker will become president in 2016 and then good night, Irene.
What do you think Charlie Crist is genius? He was Jeb Bush’s best buddy. He was pro vouchers. He was pro Charters schools. He was pro merit pay. He was pro life. He was against gay marriage. He was a Republican. Then he was an Independent. Now he is a Democrat. All of the sudden he has switched his stance on all the issues I mentioned above and you suddenly believe he is not what he obviously is. I have seen some naive posters on this board but you sir take the cake. Open your eyes and acknowledge that a Democrat is to a Republican as diarrhea is to a turd. No difference at all their chemical moral and ethical compositions; they are exactly the same and until people realize this fact and accept the truth nothing will ever change. Wake up already.
Out of respect to Dr Ravitch’s blog, could you devise an analogy that’s not scatological? Am sure you’re clever enough.
In Florida I voted for Charlie Crist because I felt he was ,by far, the more honest and reasonable candidate. I think Scott’s money and the quantity of his negative ads in which he portrayed Crist as a man “with no core values” and a flake, paid off for Scott. He also blamed Crist for the loss of jobs in 2008, which we all know, was due to a general meltdown. If you spew enough garbage at people, the small minded folks start believing it.
If you are a teacher in Florida and you voted for either Charlie Crist or Rick Scott you deserve exactly what you have coming to you. Charlie was just as destructive for Public Education as Rick Scott has been. Claiming that Crist was the more honest of the two obviously immoral and corrupt candidates is like saying you are happy to have contracted herpes instead of chlamydia. They don’t call if Floriduh for nothing. You should have voted green or written in Nan Rich. Empty suit Charlie wouldn’t have changed a damn thing. He is a spineless flip flopper with a proven record of accomplishing nothing at all and that’s why he lost to such a pathetic candidate like Rick Scott. Stop voting for the lesser of two evils and send a message two the two party monopoly which is clearly now one party which has been merged and bundled together by the corporate controlled special interests and their endless stream of money.
“Claiming that Crist was the more honest of the two obviously immoral and corrupt candidates is like saying you are happy to have contracted herpes instead of chlamydia.”
Is Rick Scott treatable with antibiotics? If so, I’d have to go with Scott.
Although I suppose my answer might change if Rick Scott had gone undetected for a long period of time. In that case, I might prefer Crist. But it’s definitely a choice we’d all prefer not to have to make.
I am clever Book Lady very much so but who the hell are you to to state what is and what is not appropriate within this blog. I think if my comment was somehow inappropriate it would have been removed or addressed by Mrs. Ravitch. You have heard of a moderator haven’t you smarty pants?
I’m alienated on public ed and I’m not a teacher. I didn’t sign up for federal and state government working together to bash public schools, whatever the end game was and whatever the well-intentioned Big Theory was.
I’m not happy. I don’t think I should have to pay people to weaken and denigrate public schools. I don’t care if they prefer a privatized system. We don’t have a privatized system (yet, thank God).
I think they took the job and they should do the job, and “the job” is not imposing their vision of a privatized system on existing public schools.
This is a deal-breaker for me. If Democrats want to work against public schools they should feel free to follow Republicans (and they are FOLLOWING Republicans- this isn’t “leadership”, they’re followers) but I support public schools and I’m not voting for politicians who don’t. Further, I don’t even think they’re doing their jobs. Something like 90% of the kids in this country attend public schools. I know our schools are unfashionable right now, but I think it’s incredibly irresponsible and reckless for all of these adults to abandon them.
They can’t “improve public education” by weakening and denigrating the schools 90% of kids attend. That’s ridiculous. It won’t work. It isn’t working.
That was fuuny!
Funny! Flerp.
Diane, I don’t know if you saw this, but I find it incredible. Apparently there are two new studies out that show that public schools outperform charter schools in Arizona and Texas.
The Washington Post wrote this up as “charter schools work”
I mean, this is just propaganda at this point. Talk about burying the lede!
The headline should be “public schools outperform charter schools in Texas and Arizona” but they spun the hell out of it. They should be embarrassed.
“By 2011, according to the paper, the charters were doing no worse than those in the traditional sector. They weren’t doing much better, either, but Steven Rivkin, an economist at the University of Illinois at Chicago and one of the authors of the paper, said he was optimistic that charters would keep improving.”
Can you tell my why my public school would imitate a charter school? If charter schools are doing WORSE, shouldn’t they be imitating public schools?
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/wonkblog/wp/2014/11/07/two-new-studies-show-charter-schools-work-if-you-give-them-time/?Post+generic=%3Ftid%3Dsm_twitter_washingtonpost
Well Obama says one thing and does another. And when he doesn’t say a word, there is the corporate agenda at work. Students? They are being used by the FEDs. to line pockets of the rich.
While this is all very true, Obama has also alienated workers (by his refusal to create jobs as FDR did) and environmentalists (by his “all of the above” energy policy and failure to do anything substantial to reverse catastrophic climate disaster). What this shows is that he has, from his 2008 campaign, when his key economic advisors and campaign contributors were from Wall Street, never been a liberal, much less a progressive. His allegiance, shown by his actions (or lack of them) and NOT his silver-tongued rhetoric, has always been to Wall Street and corporations. Bailing out Wall Street with billions of dollars of our money and refusing to prosecute any “too big to jail” Wall Street fraudsters/banksters, while mostly ignoring Main Street, should have persuaded liberals and progressives that Obama was never in their corner. His and Arne Duncan’s push to privatize public education and trash teacher unions follows inevitably from his allegiance to the Plundering Class top 5% which selected him (and which selects all national nominees from both wings of the One Corporate Party).
The Obama Administration will stay the course on public ed. They could care less what voters think.
They just did a new round of grants. 90% of it is going to the outside ed groups for “innovation!”
They don’t trust public schools and they don’t particularly value public schools. Our schools can”t even get a grant without some DC-approved org doling out the funds and directing the policy. I’m sick of it, and I’m sick of paying a huge staff to direct funding everywhere BUT public schools.
http://www.ed.gov/news/press-releases/us-secretary-education-arne-duncan-announces-highest-rated-applications-investin
here’s yet another disturbing bit of news, from Politico:
http://www.politico.com/morningeducation/1114/morningeducation15931.html
MOVERS AND SHAKERS
— Fordham Institute’s New Media Manager Joe Portnoy — the man behind the “What does the Gadfly say?” and “Schoolhouse of Cards” videos — is headed to the Education Department’s Office of Outreach and Communications. Morning Education was reassured that Fordham’s video production will continue. Portnoy also said he’ll bring the comedy to his new post.
Yep, that’s the author of the video that has Mike Petrilli saying “Diane’s turned into a kook”. Now playing at OUR Department of Ed. Gotta do some outreach on CCSS!
Want to see the execrable “Gadfly”?
[http://bit.ly/1uef8v3]
Public schools will continue to get screwed.
Duncan is so completely captured by the 150 movers and shakers in ed reform he is hopeless.
It’s complete and utter capture. There’s no dissent at all. Hell, they go FROM the Obama Administration To the Broad Foundation. They hire exclusively members of the club. It’s a revolving door. The Obama Administration may as well BE an ed reform lobbying group. They are quite literally the same people.
Obama’s education legacy will be weaker public schools and an explosion of charter schools. I don’t think they have time to turn it around, even if they wanted to. They’ve done real damage.
DC is an exclusive club, and we’re not in it.
I think people know it, too.
I think it’s largely a trade-off of philosophy for (large amounts of) money. Additionally, the media seems to also fall in line with the money (coincidence?), so no hits from the papers or pundits. The Citizens United case is obviously a massive problem, but even without it, the plutocrats can still dominate the media.
I’m sort of mildly curious what Democrats and Republicans will do in Congress now that Republicans are in control.
I don’t think they can funnel anymore money to charters after last session’s huge funding blitz, so I’m not sure what the anti-public schools focus will be.
Backpack vouchers! That’s my bet. :
Absolutely.
Obama lost my vote the second time he ran precisely because of the public education issue. I still supported Democrats at the state level (had to. . .ALEC was destroying NC)—but I am waiting to see if the Democrats can realign with its old values.
I still want to know: why did Obama distance himself from unions (teachers)?
Because he is fundamentally anti-union. He has admitted that Reagan is one of his role models.
Joanna, Obama’s biggest campaign contributors for 2008 were the bankers/Wall Street, not exactly union friendly and the best reason I can think of why none of the bankers were held accountable for the great recession and even continuing to take multi-million dollar bonuses on the tax payers dime. Obama even stated publicly that honoring contracts was most important hence justified the bonuses. Apparently honoring contracts didn’t apply to teachers when Rhode Island fired teachers who refused to go along with unilateral action to increase the working hours without compensation which Obama also supported very publicly. Like you I voted for Obama for 2008 but not afterward.
He did it because he really does not like or support us Joanna. This is his true self, he has no more elections to win, he can now cement his legacy with his new friends to permanently reform education. There will be no feigned concern now. He is and has always been an arrogant elitist who thinks he knows more than us mere mortals.
Well shame on him. He needs to go to his room.
I’ve said the same thing in my blog. ( gfbrandenburg.wordpress.com )
Interesting factoid on Politio today.
StudentsFirst, the advocacy group founded by former D.C. Chancellor Michelle Rhee, spent $2.2 million to boost education reformers in the midterms. The breakdown:
40 percent of the spending was directed toward Democrats,
52 percent toward Republicans and
8 percent toward nonpartisan races.
The group expressed satisfaction with the results: 86 percent of the candidates it backed in the general election won on Tuesday.
Investments in campaigns by StudentsFirst seem to confirm there is not much difference between the parties on policies that RHEE and her billionaire friends like.
I will be happy when I read that Rhee has left our planet.
Answer to the question on the post: because he wanted us to turn around. 🙂 So, I turned around and didn’t vote for him. He thought he was going to turn the schools around, but he turned the voters around instead.
“Gonna jump down turn around pick a bail a cotton, gonna jump down turn around pick a bail of hay”
“Well, he picked me up, he turned me round, he set my feet on higher ground! Glory Hallelujah, Jubilee”
“Turn your love around!! Don’t you turn me down. I can show you how. Turn your love around.”
“You do the hokey pokey and you turn yourself around. . .that’s what it’s all about.”
“In jazz, a turnaround is a passage at the end of a section which leads to the next section. This next section is most often the repetition of the previous section or the entire piece or song.”
Yep. The turnaround for RttT was a repetition of NCLB.
(Turn around)
Every now and then
I get a little bit lonely
And you’re never coming round
(Turn around)
Every now and then
I get a little bit tired
Of listening to the sound of my tears
(Turn around)
Every now and then
I get a little bit nervous
That the best of all the years have gone by
(Turn around)
Every now and then I get a little bit terrified
And then I see the look in your eyes
(Turn Around, bright eyes)
Every now and then I fall apart
(Turn Around, bright eyes)
Every now and then
I fall apart
(Turn around)
Every now and then
I get a little bit restless
And I dream of something wild
(Turn around)
Every now and then
I get a little bit helpless
And I’m lying like a child in your arms
(Turn around)
Every now and then
I get a little bit angry
And I know I’ve got to get out and cry
(Turn around)
Every now and then
I get a little bit terrified
But then I see the look in your eyes
(Turn Around, bright eyes)
Every now and then
I fall apart
Turn around, bright eyes
Every now and then
I fall apart
And I need you now tonight
And I need you more than ever
And if you only hold me tight
We’ll be holding on forever
And we’ll only be making it right
‘Cause we’ll never be wrong
Together we can take it to the end of the line
Your love is like a shadow on me all of the time
(All of the time)
I don’t know what to do and I’m always in the dark
We’re living in a powder keg and giving off sparks
I really need you tonight
Forever’s gonna start tonight
(Forever’s gonna start tonight)
Once upon a time
I was falling in love
But now I’m only falling apart
There’s nothing I can do
A total eclipse of the heart
====================
Total Eclipse of the heart pretty much summarizes the Obama Administration’s attitude towards public education.
To Obama:
And these lyrics by Malvina Reynolds, the last line being the most important for me. I’m a mama who is not for Obama when it comes to public education. He needs to be turning around before I turn around and my boy is grown and our country has thrown away its schools. (Please no, heaven forbid).
Where are you going, my little one, little one,
Where are you going, my baby, my own?
Turn around and you’re two,
Turn around and you’re four,
Turn around and you’re a young girl going out of my door.
Turn around, turn around,
Turn around and you’re a young girl going out of my door.
Where are you going, my little one, little one,
Little dirndls and petticoats, where have you gone?2
Turn around and you’re tiny,
Turn around and you’re grown,
Turn around and you’re a young wife with babes of your own.
Turn around, turn around,
Turn around and you’re a young wife with babes of your own.
Republicans, democrats…..there isn’t much of a difference since they are all owned by the same people. They keep the population polarized so they can chip away at our rights while we bicker like brothers and sisters. Until we take back the elections by not allowing corporations to buy everything we are just wasting energy. And they know it.
Let us not forget how Obama betrayed all working people when he refused to travel to Wisconsin and stand up against Scott Walker as he dismantled collective bargaining rights for public sector workers.
True that, Vermont. In his first campaign, he told us he would put on his walking shoes and walk with us (the actual quote can. of course, be Googled). Fools that we are, we believed him–twice. However, we have to look at/plan for the future–Hilary (part of this whole Democrep debacle–same old same old, & DO read Carl Bernstein’s book &–BTW–still waiting to hear from some Arkansas teachers on this blog-?!), Jeb, Christie, Jindal & every other incorrigible who wants to run, spend millions (& the Kochs will put up plenty of that). It’s time–BEYOND time, actually–for US to get it together & draft Warren or Bernie Sanders or Alan Grayson and put them up to WIN via the power of the people–last time I looked, 99% is much more than 1% &–with some concentrated effort, we CAN pull this off (think Newark, think Torlakson, think of all the little victories). Not start all over (WHAT was the NY WFP thinking?!), not start a whole new party, not start from scratch, but get a REAL, 100% bonafide PROGRESSIVE Democrat (or Independent!), & get to work. BTW–Ill-Annoy isn’t all bad–we have a GREAT one here–U.S. Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky.
I, for one, would love to see her run–she’s the real deal.
Yes, very sad, we expected more of Obama. Just to point out, the one state that just replaced a R governor with a D one is Pennsylvania, where outgoing Tom Corbett systematically alienated a great majority of those who have anything to do with public education from K to college, while incoming Tom Wolf repeatedly hammered on the point that (from his web site): “Over the past four years, Governor Corbett’s $1 billion education cuts have led to increased property taxes, massive layoffs, larger class sizes, and the elimination of valuable programs.”
Wolf won 55% to 45% — the same margin as Obama in 2008 in PA. But Wolf will do what Obama should have done: honor his commitment to public education.