My Interview with the Great Karen Lewis at the NPE Conference

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1. Joseph says:

   May 1, 2015 at 7:58 pm

   My patience ran out with all of the self congratulations relating to books and blogs. At what point do we discuss the Common Core and the toxic curriculum, that it engenders. Please provide time signatures outside of this “love fest”.

   Reply
   • Robert Rendo says:

     May 1, 2015 at 9:09 pm

     Joseph,

     There are no congratulations here . . . . Just an acknowledgment of how brave and integral Karen Lewis is, and a recognition of her personal and political courage.

     I love Karen. She is a humanist always and a warrior for social justice. She is going to beat all the odds, and if you can contribute some positive energy, imagine how it could help her and all of us on so many levels.

     I appeal you your open mindedness.

     Reply
     • Robert Rendo says:

       May 1, 2015 at 9:11 pm

       Correction:

       I appeal to your open mindedness . . . .

     • Joseph says:

       May 1, 2015 at 9:23 pm

       Robert,
       No one doubts the benefits of her running for Mayor. She is doing her job as labor leader to run for Mayor. The Union has sold out the children for the money from Gates. I am not sure about her bravery, since she is a victim of her health problems. Get over it. We have a struggle w/o the nonsense emotional baggage.

   • Duane Swacker says:

     May 2, 2015 at 9:15 am

     Joseph,

     What is a “time signature”?

     Thanks,
     Duane

     Reply
2. Zenqi says:

   May 1, 2015 at 10:33 pm

   Thank you Diane. I am a parent and did not know that much of Ms. Karen Lewis. She is like you a champion for kids. I am watching some of the footage on CNN about the killing and yes it was a killing of Freddy Gray. They talk about the poverty in the area and congressman Elijah Cummings cried and explained these kids deserved better. I believed what he was saying and believed he is heart felt and wants to help these people. Why CNN has not put two and two together to even mention the Common Core and how these children have no shot as long as Common Core is in place. How our education system continues to fail our kids. It was disgraceful that CNN did not address both issues while it had an opportunity. I was appalled and completely frustrated with our news networks for only reporting what they want to report. All of these issues happening in America revolve around the rich getting richer and destroy the middle class and the poor. It is a really scary world we are living in today!!! Please continue to do the work that you and Ms. Lewis do everyday to help all children not just rich ones. Thank you!!!

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3. m4potw says:

   May 1, 2015 at 11:15 pm

   To Joseph:

   You seem agitated when you express that:

   … Please provide time signatures outside of this “love fest”.

   You are out of luck if you ARE NOT one in three categories as per “love fest” guideline, in order to control the time signature:

   1) Parents or grand parents

   2) High school students

   3) Educator retirees.

   As Ms. Karen Lewis re-emphasized that whenever teachers and parents say enough is enough and whenever they are ready to unite to take an action, being as union leader, Ms. Lewis will 100% behind their movement and will support them to FULFILL their goal.

   In short, I guess you must take an action to provide yourself with your so called “TIME SIGNATURE”. It is much appreciated if you could share with readers in this website your time signature. Back2basic

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   • Robert Rendo says:

     May 2, 2015 at 12:38 am

     I agree with you 100%.

     Reply
4. Joseph says:

   May 2, 2015 at 8:10 am

   It is a great tragedy that has befallen the leader, Ms Lewis, and any one with her physical condition. Arundathi Roy warns us about those who would turn protesters into “pets”. When I opened this post I had hoped to hear from Ms. Lewis about the Union’s position of supporting the Common Core. “Many” children are suffering physically and mentally with their agenda based on the money that the Union received from Mr Gates. At the same time the Union mentions parents, when in fact it has betrayed children and parents as well as teachers. My sympathy for Ms. Lewis should not overshadow or mask these issues. “Personally”, I wish her well. The organizers of the event made their decision to place Ms Lewis in a forum in her condition, where Ms, Ravitch had never even met her beforehand.

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   • Terry Kalb says:

     May 2, 2015 at 9:35 am

     Joseph, you are wrong on so many levels. First, Diane Ravitch was NOT meeting Karen Lewis for the first time at this interview. Diane discussed their earlier first meeting at this NPE interview. Second- the Chicago Teachers Union is the first Teachers Union to come out loudly and strongly AGAINST the Common Core (and all the reforms it is cemented to) last year, before Lewis’s illness- in a brilliant resolution that is a national model. Your characterization of Karen Lewis is demeaning and insensitive, revealing much more about your character than hers.

     Reply
5. Joseph says:

   May 2, 2015 at 10:31 am

   Terry, as they they said in the Godfather, “Sonny, this is strictly business, don’t make it personal.” The video does seem to indicate a first time meeting with Ms Ravitch and the accompanying banter. This issue of their meeting is a “tempest in a teapot” compared to my other points. Karen Lewis is a public figure and is affiliates with the teachers union that supports Common Core. If you are saying that she stood up against the AFT and there is a schism there between her and Randi, this is the first that I have heard about it. Have you any links to this? Controversy over public policy should not invest your discourse, with personal attacks. Ms Lewis is a public figure, there is no attempt to demean her as a person, all comments are directed to the Union and it leadership. I look forward to seeing the directives by the Union “against” Common Core and the relinquishing of the Gates’ funding.

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   • Terry Kalb says:

     May 2, 2015 at 12:23 pm

     In the NPE interview, Diane tells the story of how she first met Karen Lewis, and how they talked for 4 hours in a hotel room, long before her illness.
     Here is the link to CTU’s strong stand against Common Core.|http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/answer-sheet/wp/2014/05/09/chicago-teachers-union-passes-resolution-opposing-common-core/

     Reply
     • Terry Kalb says:

       May 2, 2015 at 12:24 pm

       http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/answer-sheet/wp/2014/05/09/chicago-teachers-union-passes-resolution-opposing-common-core/

6. Terry Kalb says:

   May 2, 2015 at 12:26 pm

   and this :

   Click to access CTU-Common-Core-Position-Paper.pdf

   Reply
7. Terry Kalb says:

   May 2, 2015 at 12:27 pm

   and this:
   http://blogs.edweek.org/teachers/living-in-dialogue/2014/05/michelle_gunderson_how_ctu_dec.html

   Reply
8. Joseph says:

   May 2, 2015 at 2:56 pm

   thank you one in all for the postings, very impressive, disappointed that it did not appear as a headline with my local NY Union paper, Where does NYSUT and the UFT come down? I think that the frustration in NY, which may boil over in me, is that the State Assembly led by the Democrats, and NYC Council, march in lock step with the NY Unions as did out disgraced Assembly leader Sheldon Silver. So glad that the water that they are drinking in Chicago is different, particularly since we have such a large opt out community. A Republican in the NY Assembly recently had such a ban on the Common Core defeated. Karen Lewis is a great role model and was astounded that she was suddenly struck down after announcing her Mayoral candidacy. It reads like a Cold War thriller, Barack Obama swooping in to round up the Black votes in her absence.

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