More than 200 deans of education at scores of colleges and universities have organized to resist the corporate reformers’ efforts to deprofessionalize teaching and destroy public education. They call themselves Education Deans for Justice and Equity. They work in partnership with the National Education Policy Center. If you are a faculty member, please ask your dean to sign on. If you belong to an education organization, please consider adding its support.
“Dear Education Deans:
“As the start to a new academic year unfolds, so do increasing attacks on public education. Building on the “Declaration of Principles” that was released in January of this year and signed by 235 education deans, many of us feel compelled to continue to speak out collectively, publicly, and forcefully.
“Towards this end, we have prepared a new statement from education deans, “Our Children Deserve Better,” that counters the harmful rhetoric and actions currently coming from Washington with alternatives that are grounded in an ethical foundation, sound research, and a commitment to democratic values. The statement is a project of Education Deans for Justice and Equity, in partnership with the National Education Policy Center.
“Invited to sign are all current and former deans of colleges and schools of education in the United States (or comparable positions such as chairs, directors, and associate deans in institutions where there is no separate dean of education or school of education). We urge signing by August 30, because we are planning for the public release and distribution of the statement in early September.
“Please consider signing, and please consider committing to encouraging at least several other education-dean colleagues to sign so that we reach our goal of hundreds of signatories. The statement and the form for you to sign on is here:
https://goo.gl/forms/JXR2s1LZUcd6DaNh2.
“In solidarity,
“Kevin Kumashiro, on behalf of EDJE and NEPC”
Thank you, Diane. Posted and sent to others.
Thank you Dr. Ravitch for your dedication in posting “the” new hope for American Educators.
Finally, Americans have “a project of Education Deans for Justice and Equity, in partnership with the National Education Policy Center.”
I am still in shock to learn that how and why the current American President and the current Senate Majority Leader can be in their position. Is it for American Public interest, or foreign interest?
Who is confused about patriotism, nazism, fascism and communism? Definitely, the answer is the gullible citizens who can be WEAK and GREEDY immigrants or overwhelmed jealousy uneducated, ignorant and poor/rich people in any countries. Back2basic
Academic deans in all disciplines should join Deans for Justice and Equity. They should band together with UnKochMyCampus to thwart the richest 0.1%’s attacks. Gates-funded Frontier Set is a threat to universities via “implementation of business models for corroborative course development and delivery”. Frontier boasts that the associations of land grant colleges and state universities are part of the plan.
Deans should read the Gates-funded New America plot that erodes the public colleges created by prior generations to offset the privilege of legacy admission-based education. The plan posted at N.A.’s site is called “Starting from Scratch or a New Vision for Higher Ed”. They should learn about CAP’s plan for student outcome measures linked to accreditation, published in Forbes, co-written by a former New America employee.
Bill Gates is disgusting. Reportedly, the computers at the public, University of Washington, were essential to the development of his knowledge. He and his family are TAKERS living in the state with the most regressive tax system in the nation.
Where is the plain denunciation of the exploitation of contingent faculty that belongs up front in any project claiming to “resist” in the name of “justice” and “equality”? Frankly, I think the document ridiculous and offensive. Nobody’s anti-the-various-cliches here. Mr. Gates is certainly disgusting, as one commenter puts it here, but so is a masquerade “reform” that shows no practical solidarity with faculty.
I’m sorry, Diane but I feel you were misled by this bunch. How am I wrong?
Alan,
The proof will be in the pudding. That pudding being the ensuing actions that the group takes. I hope that there is more to the group than a single statement. We’ll have to wait and see. Did you read their statement?
Alan,
No, I was not misled. Education deans don’t decide what % of the faculty should be “contingent.” The board of trustees make that decision, with the University president.
Dr. Kumishira, years ago, warned, in an AAUP publication, about the business takeover of universities. An association of deans that he leads would be highly reputable and entirely praise-worthy.
Diane has not been misled.
Reblogged this on Crazy Normal – the Classroom Exposé.
Ok, I’ll think about these ideas. Not convinced yet but maybe I’ll see it as you have.
I wish they had written it a few years back before they were under attack. They obviously recognize that the damage is longstanding. That being said, I welcome their eloquent support for public education. Everyone, check to see if your own college or university has signed on.
I just sent an email to mine.
For years, Dr. Kumishira has advocated for a university system, independent of business coercion.
How many of them spoke up as the charter movement started steamrolling across America? Now that the colleges and universities are in the cross hairs, it becomes an issue?
At least someone is speaking up. An eighth of a loaf is better than none, I suppose
The deans organized in response to an organization of deans–a much smaller number-advocating for coorporate reforms. I don’t recall the name of the other group.
It’s neither appropriate nor wise to criticize your allies as self interested.
Gates-funded Pahara Institute boasted it had its first Fellow in an education dean position- Karen Gallagher of the Rossier School at the University of Southern California. The public deserves an answer to why she is picking up a public-subsidized paycheck at a public school while being a fellow of Pahara. The founder of Pahara and New Schools Venture Fund described NSVF’s “marching orders …to develop diverse charter school organizations to produce different brands on a large scale.”
From the USC WEBSITE:
Dean Gallagher has been an active national speaker and thought leader on the emergence of online learning models. She has contributed several opinion pieces on the trend towards Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs), including Where’s the Real Learning?, High Quality Online Learning: A Discussion with USC’s Karen Gallagher and Rethinking Higher Ed Open Online Learning.
Dean Gallagher is a leader of the Rossier team that opened USC Hybrid High School in September 2012. This LAUSD public charter school, of which the dean chairs the oversight board, uses technology in a fully blended and rigorous curriculum along with self-paced learning to assure that 100 percent of its graduates are accepted into a four-year university. About 80% of the students, mirroring USC’s urban neighborhood, qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, an indicator of children living in poverty.
President of the public University of California system is Janet Napolitano, who was featured at the Walton-funded GenNext site. GenNext’s goal, privatization of schools. Napolitano has used her position to attack public pensions. Again, the public is due an answer to the undermining of public education by those paid by the public. The first professional obligation of institutional leadership is survival of the enterprise, not its dismantling.
Dr. Kumishira has been on the side of students and education, against business interests, for a long time. His effort to bring together an organization of 200 deans deserves high praise.