Archives for the month of: December, 2017
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ProPublica: Exodus of Scientists from the Environmental Protection Agency

By dianeravitch
December 26, 2017 //
9

ProPublica and the New York Times collaborated on a report about the flight of scientists and environmental protection specialists from the EPA. Trump made clear that he wants to reduce the role of the agency and to restrict its ability to do its job when he hired Scott Pruitt to run it. As Oklahoma Attorney General, Pruitt had sued EPA many times on behalf of the oil and gas industry. He has busied himself eliminating regulations that protect the environment and pushing out scientists.

Pruitt, Trump, and other administration doubt that climate change is a reality, and they avoid or ban the use of the term.

“More than 700 people have left the Environmental Protection Agency since President Donald Trump took office, a wave of departures that puts the administration nearly a quarter of the way toward its goal of shrinking the agency to levels last seen during the Reagan administration.

“Of the employees who have quit, retired or taken a buyout package since the beginning of the year, more than 200 are scientists. An additional 96 are environmental protection specialists, a broad category that includes scientists as well as others experienced in investigating and analyzing pollution levels. Nine department directors have departed the agency as well as dozens of attorneys and program managers. Most of the employees who have left are not being replaced.

“The departures reflect poor morale and a sense of grievance at the agency, which has been criticized by Trump and top Republicans in Congress as bloated and guilty of regulatory overreach. That unease is likely to deepen following revelations that Republican campaign operatives were using the Freedom of Information Act to request copies of emails from EPA officials suspected of opposing Trump and his agenda.

“The cuts deepen a downward trend at the agency that began under the Obama administration in response to Republican-led budget constraints that left the agency with about 15,000 employees at the end of his term. The reductions have accelerated under Trump, who campaigned on a promise to dramatically scale back the EPA, leaving only what he called “little tidbits” in place. Current and former employees say unlike during the Obama years, the agency has no plans to replace workers, and they expect deeper cuts to come.”

The Trump administration has made clear that it disapproves of the Paris Climate Accord. So long as Trump is in office, there will be no effort to address environmental issues, and the fossil fuel industry will have free reign to pursue its goals.

Categories Environment

Ohio: Charter School Graduation Rates Way Below Rates of Urban Districts

By dianeravitch
December 26, 2017 //
8

A study in Ohio reveals that the state’s charter schools have far lower graduation rates, even when compared to urban districts and excluding dropout recovery schools. This story appeared in the Columbus Dispatch.

“Even when excluding dropout-recovery schools, the four-year graduation rates of charter schools in Ohio are half that of traditional schools, and 28 points lower than the largest urban districts.

“Charter schools not classified as dropout recovery have a four-year graduation rate of just under 45 percent, compared with 73 percent in Ohio’s six biggest urban districts — Columbus, Cleveland, Cincinnati, Dayton, Akron and Toledo.

“Having it be that low is surprising. Very surprising,” said Howard Fleeter, chief analyst for the Ohio Education Policy Institute, who produced the data.

“Given that Ohio charter schools draw most of their students from urban districts, and those urban districts have a higher concentration of poverty than the non-dropout charter schools, the graduation numbers should be closer, Fleeter said.

““The (charter) school numbers look really bad. The question then is to figure out why,” Fleeter said, stressing that some charters are showing high graduation rates, so it’s not an indictment of the whole system. “The next step is, let’s look behind the averages and see what’s going on. There are places where they’re not doing nearly as good a job as others. Why is that?””

Categories Failure, High School Graduation

The Ruth Marcus Paradox: “I Have Never Loved My Country More”

By dianeravitch
December 26, 2017 //
29

Ruth Marcus, columnist for the Washington Post, describes her paradoxical view.

“Here, for me at least, is the comforting paradox of the age of Trump: I have never respected a president less, nor loved my country more.

“This sentiment may startle. It may rankle, even. It comes in a week that witnessed the passage of the worst domestic policy legislation of my lifetime, followed by the now ritual but always repulsive lauding of President Trump. First by the Cabinet courtiers summoned for that purpose; next by Republican lawmakers willing to lay it on just as thick — even more nauseating, because they know better than the servile flattery of their words and because they occupy, theoretically anyway, a coequal branch.

“And this patriotic burst comes disconcertingly in a year that has seen the public display of the racist, xenophobic worst that America has to offer. These ugly impulses existed long before Donald Trump’s pursuit of the presidency and will, sadly, outlast him….

“Has there been a more embarrassing year for the United States? Thinking Americans cringe at what foreign countries and their leaders make of us and our president, with his reckless upending of international agreements, his bigoted and poorly executed travel ban, his unashamed ignorance, his reckless tweets, his endless susceptibility to flattery…

“George Washington, in his farewell address, advised fellow citizens to “guard against the impostures of pretended patriotism.” It is hard not to recall that admonition when listening to Trump’s faux-patriotic posturing against kneeling NFL players and his demand that they show “total respect for our national anthem, for our flag, for our country.”

“Real patriotism would be to recognize, as the Supreme Court did three decades ago in overturning a criminal conviction for burning the American flag, that “we do not consecrate the flag by punishing its desecration, for in doing so we dilute the freedom that this cherished emblem represents.”

“Real patriotism would be not to denounce the “Russia hoax” but to insist that Congress — and for that matter, special counsel Robert S. Mueller III — get to the bottom of what happened in the 2016 election and, even more imperative, that the United States strengthen its defenses to prevent future meddling.

“That is the patriotism Trump has awaked, in me and so many others. Because our fundamental fight is not against Trump. It is for America.”

Categories Education Reform

Most Educators, including Conservatives, Oppose School Choice

By dianeravitch
December 26, 2017 //
12

[A NOTE TO READERS:I am posting on a limited schedule for the next week.]

A poll conducted by Education Week found that most educators—including those who voted for Trump—oppose school choice.

Opposition to vouchers is stronger than to charters, but both are opposed.

“Overall, however, charters were viewed almost as negatively as private school vouchers by the educators who participated in the October survey of 1,122 educators conducted by the Education Week Research Center.

“A plurality of those surveyed—45 percent—“fully oppose” charter schools, while another 26 percent “somewhat oppose” them. And 58 percent don’t support using government funds to help students cover the cost of private school, while 19 percent said they “somewhat oppose” vouchers. Meanwhile, about half oppose or “somewhat oppose” tax-credit scholarships, which give individuals and corporations a tax break for donating to scholarship-granting organizations.”

Categories Charter Schools, Education Industry, Opinion Polling, Privatization, School Choice

The U.S. Has the Highest Rate of Child Poverty in the Developed World

By dianeravitch
December 25, 2017 //
41

On Christmas Day, it is traditional to remember those who are less fortunate and to resolve to make the world better for them, not just to offer charity.

It is important to recognize the growing inequality in America and the return of extreme poverty and to understand why this is happening.

This article by Premilla Nadasen of Barnard College helps us understand what has happened to our great country.

The New Deal enacted programs that reduced poverty and enabled many to rise into the middle class.

But something changed. Many things changed. Over several decades, the social safety net built to strengthen our nation and spread hope and opportunity has been shredded by the rich and powerful.

“Since the 1970s, the safety net has been diminished considerably. Labor regulations protecting workers have been rolled back, and funding for education and public programs has declined. The poor have been the hardest hit. With welfare reform in 1996, poor single parents with children now have a lifetime limit of five years of assistance and mandatory work requirements. Some states require fingerprinting or drug testing of applicants, which effectively criminalizes them without cause. The obstacles to getting on welfare are formidable, the benefits meager. The number of families on welfare declined from 4.6 million in 1996 to 1.1 million this year. The decline of the welfare rolls has not meant a decline in poverty, however.

“Instead, the shredding of the safety net led to a rise in poverty. Forty million Americans live in poverty, nearly half in deep poverty — which U.N. investigators defined as people reporting income less than one-half of the poverty threshold. The United States has the highest child poverty rates — 25 percent — in the developed world. Then there are the extremely poor who live on less than $2 per day per person and don’t have access to basic human services such as sanitation, shelter, education and health care. These are people who cannot find work, who have used up their five-year lifetime limit on assistance, who do not qualify for any other programs or who may live in remote areas. They are disconnected from both the safety net and the job market.

“In addition to the reduction of public assistance and social services, the rise in extreme poverty can also be attributed to growing inequality. To quote the U.N. report: “The American Dream is rapidly becoming the American Illusion, as the U.S. … now has the lowest rate of social mobility of any of the rich countries.” In 1981, the top 1 percent of adults earned on average 27 times more than the bottom 50 percent of adults. Today the top 1 percent earn 81 times more than the bottom 50 percent.

“Declining wages at the lower end of the economic ladder make it harder for people to save for times of crisis or to get back on their feet. A full-time, year-round minimum wage worker, often employed in a dead-end job, falls below the poverty threshold for a family of three and often has to rely on food stamps.”

Do we want America to be the Land of Illusion, no longer the Land of Opportunity? Are we prepared to do something about it?

Categories Betsy DeVos, Billionaires, Inequality, Koch Brothers, Poverty

Christmas in Brooklyn in 1900

By dianeravitch
December 25, 2017 //
15

Today is a day to remember Lena Sittig and the Brooklyn Christmas Tree Society.

With the deep poverty and inequality in our society today, it seems that poor children will have to rely on the kindness of strangers rather than those elected to “promote the general welfare,” as the preamble to the Constitution says.

For those who have forgotten, please re-read the Preamle to the Constitution, which places promoting the general welfare right up there with providing a common defense.

“We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.”

If our society spent as much on establishing Justice and promoting the general welfare as it does on our common defense, we would have a far more perfect Union.

Categories Education Reform

May We All Share the Joy of Christmas

By dianeravitch
December 25, 2017 //
1

Thanks to my friend Larry Lee in Alabama for sharing this beautiful rendition of Beethoven’s “Ode to Joy”

Categories Education Reform

Don’t Forget Opa on Christmas

By dianeravitch
December 25, 2017 //
2

Please watch.

Remember your parents and grandparents today. They miss you.

Categories Education Reform

Merry Christmas!

By dianeravitch
December 25, 2017 //
11

Contrary to what you may have heard from certain politicians, the phrase “Merry Christmas” was never banned. Some stores, out of respect for customers of different religious faiths, use the phrase “Happy Holidays,” and there’s no reason to ban that sign of tolerance.

As a Jew growing up in Houston, my family celebrated Christmas every year. We decorated a Christmas tree, we children woke up at dawn to open our presents. We looked for any evidence that Santa had visited. We didn’t have a chimney but we were sure he brought our gifts. We didn’t attach any religious meaning to Christmas.

Celebrate as you wish. In this country, we have freedom of religion and many religious faiths and traditions.

My wish for this day is that we look inward and find the compassion and heart to fight for a world of kindness, compassion, and justice for all people. Care for others. Life is better for each of us when it is better for all of us.

Instead of sending Christmas greetings to me, do something specific and meaningful. Join the Network for Public Education and support better public schools for all children and families.

Merry Christmas!

Categories Education Reform

Pastors for Texas Children Sends a Message of Hope and Love for Children and Public Schools

By dianeravitch
December 24, 2017 //
24

Pastors for Texas Children is one of the best friends of children and public schools in Texas and, increasingly, in other states as well. Under the leadership of Rev. Charles Foster Johnson and Dr. Charles Luke, PTC is working in other states to organize church leaders to preserve the separation of church and state and to support children and public schools in their communities.

Pastors for Texas Children has been a powerful force in stopping the passage of vouchers in the Legislature, not by lobbying but by standing for its principles—love of children, families, communities, and religious liberty.

I want to add a personal note: Charlie Johnson, I love you. You make me proud to be a Texan!

Charles Foster Johnson writes, on behalf of Pastors for Texas Children:

“As we enter this most holy season of the year, we turn our hearts in humble gratitude to God for the mission and ministry God is giving us through Pastors for Texas Children. It is remarkable what God has allowed us to accomplish together in four short years.

“Because of you and your witness, faith leaders and educators are banding together all over Texas to stand firm for public education as a provision of God’s Common Good.

“Not only do we have 2000 pastors and congregational leaders here in Texas, but we are also expanding our mission to other states. Pastors for Oklahoma Kids is up and running and conducting a successful mission on behalf of public schools there. We have organizational meetings happening now in Indiana, Kentucky, Tennessee, and Mississippi, and robust conversations with leaders in Arizona, Arkansas, Alabama, Missouri, Georgia, North Carolina and South Carolina.

“The most significant part of our witness is the actual compassionate assistance and help we are able to provide for neighborhood and community public schools. Countless thousands of churches are now joining in creative partnership in school improvement projects and one-on-one child mentoring and tutoring. Children are growing and learning. Teachers are empowered and encouraged. Lives are being touched and changed.

“In short, God’s Word of Love is becoming fleshed out.

“We were able to bring our witness to bear in grassroots communities all over Texas to block private school vouchers once again in the Texas Legislature. We have become a trusted moral voice in Austin.

“Influential media such as the Dallas Morning News, Washington Post, Austin American Statesmen, NPR, Texas Tribune, Houston Chronicle, and Baptist Standard are taking note of our work.

“Our own social media messaging has gained a large following this past year, mobilizing and encouraging a strong pro-public education message, as well as underscoring our bedrock conviction for religious liberty and church/state separation.

“Many education advocacy groups are recognizing our work and witness together. We spoke at the annual meetings of Texas Association of School Administrators, Texas Association of Community Schools, and many other gatherings of influential educators. On your behalf, we were privileged to accept the “Friend of the Year” award from Friends of Texas Public Schools.

“Denominational groups such as the Baptist General Convention of Texas that birthed us, the United Methodist Church, and the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship are initiating mission partnerships with PTC.

“Furthermore, national organizations such as the wonderful Network for Public Education and the Center for American Progress have recognized our work and created platforms for our message. National public education advocates such as Carol Burris, Diane Ravitch, and Randi Weingarten have become good friends and colleagues to us.

“There is much work yet to do. But, for now, as we slow down and enjoy our families and congregations this Christmas, we pause and give thanks.

“And we remember that “the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness cannot overcome it.”
God’s peace to you all!”

Rev. Charles Foster Johnson – Executive Director, Pastors for Texas Children

—
Rev. Charles F. Johnson
M: 210-379-1066

Dr. Charles Luke
M: 940-768-8594

Categories Separation of church and state
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