With the statewide teachers’ strike settled, and the strikers gone home, the GOP in the West Virginia Senate introduced a bill to eliminate the State Department of Education, to lower standards for new teachers, and a host of other mischievous revenge actions, including the possible elimination of a program to feed poor students.
Those who have hatred in their heartsl never slumber nor sleep.
Teachers: Remember in November.
Diane Ravitch's blog 
Looks like we are going to need to buy more pizzas.
Their response was quick, but it at least makes their true feelings clear, and vindicates the teachers’ actions in getting a signed raise before going back to work. This lot really has to go, they have few saving graces, if any.
Introduced bills don’t have to pass. It’ll take a lot of work but. . . . .
I’d have said “Teachers, parents, and taxpayers remember in November.” Plus, what Duane said and way to shoot yourself in both feet GOP, keep up the good work! Do they really think no ones paying attention?
That’s when voters will have their say. It’s already happening in Texas. Democratic primary voting is up 115%, and justice reform prosecutors have won in Dallas and San Antonio. https://thinkprogress.org/texas-prosecutor-primaries-08904857f936/
Jon, I’d say that they don’t give a damn about whether anyone is paying attention. The voters haven’t voted them out nor even come close. . . , hopefully YET!
Years ago, when son Zorba was in high school, he said to me, “I don’t think I could ever be a Republican, Mom. They’re so mean.”
True then, maybe even truer now.
Going back to Diane’s recent post about “Where Was the National Democratic Party” when the teachers walked. Well, here’s another opportunity for the NDP to declare its real support for public education, for teachers, for children, for working and middle class parents who presumably are voters or potential voters. So where is the National Democratic Party?
As I mentioned yesterday, they’re busy planning summer fund raisers in the Hamptons and Martha’s Vineyard.
You know, where their real constituents and the ones they truly represent spend their summers.
Oh, that the OPPORTUNITY is recognized: ARE there Democratic hopefuls out there who truly grasp the fact that the nation’s citizens are fed up with the privatizing/testing mess and ready to get out the vote for any who will stand up for all-student-inclusive public schools and the protection of teacher experience?
When the 99% will realize that this party does not represent them? It is flaunting its power to oppress and subjugate with the grace of late 19th century robber barons.
Well said, Gruff. It’s disgusting. And this administration is purposely breaking up families and communities. The whole situation is reprehensible and immoral.
Several of them (16, in fact) are BUSY helping pass the BANK LOBBYIST ACT (as listed by Elizabeth Warren in a post yesterday). [In response to Gary Turetsky’s comment “So where is the National Democratic Party?”]
The idiom “he/she can’t walk and chew gum at the sme time” comes to mind.
They can only do one thing at a time? Really? I think they’re all seriously overpaid, then.
Not surprised at WVA govt.’s new offensive. The right has been on the offensive since the Powell Memorandum of Aug. 23, 1971 broadcast a legible, comprehensive order of battle. Since then, for those in power, there’s been permanent class war, race war, and gender war. Authorities in govt. and corporate boardrooms, in mass media and foundations, have a lot of power and know how to use it to get more power and to diminish the power of any resistance or opposition. They are vulnerable, without doubt, especially when folks from the bottom up consolidate and move extra-parliamentarily or walk out off the job. Problem is, the brave WVA teachers went back to work too soon for too little, surrendering the initiative which the right-wing govt. quickly seized back to extinguish resistance by replacing the rebellious rank-and-file now in place, in favor of a manageable teacher workforce, especially now that the labor police in the teachers union lost control of its own membership. In this permanent war, conflicts rise and fall, come and go, and settling is wise at opportune moments. But, settling for too little too soon when you have power in your hands and the other side on the run, produces an opening to the right which will swallow opposition. Yes, remember in November, for sure, but the authorities are not waiting for November; they’re making war right now to reverse the consequences of this historic teachers’ walkout.
My reply was sarcastic, ZORBA! The Bank Lobbyist Act was voted on preliminarrily ye
CANCEL THE ABOVE POST! I HIT THE WRONG KEY! EJPETRICK
My reply was sarcastic, ZORBA! The “BANK LOBBYIST ACT” is contrary to “PROGRESSIVE” values. If you read Diane Ravitch’s blog yesterday, the Senate took a preliminary vote on this proposed legislation which returns power to BIG BANKS. SIXTEEN DEMOCRATS (named by ELIZABETH WARREN in her referenced article) joined their Republican counterparts to support the measure which would set back in place conditions for a REPEAT BIG BANK FAILURE! The ACT would thus become LAW and erase Dodd-Frank! My comment was meant to shame those Democrats TOO BUSY saving their own financial ASSets to be concerned with striking teachers, marching students , and PUBLIC EDUCATION! [Gary T’s question to Zorba’s comment above was “Where is the National Democratic Party?”, and I answered that question sarcastically, I thought!!!]
Evelyn, it is frequently helpful to add a snark tag after a sarcastic comment.
Also, I am sure that, when you are speaking to people face-to-face, you do not yell at the top of your lungs half the time. Comments in which a great many of the words are written in all-caps is equivalent to Internet shouting, and many people find it rude and annoying.
Reblogged this on David R. Taylor-Thoughts on Education and commented:
I’d like to say I am surprised but I’m not.
Who ARE these people, anyway!?
Sorry, Zorba! I am not INTERNET savvy and don’t text or tweet! I use CAPITALIZATION for EMPHASIS! (Particularly to people who are misreading my comments or failing to GET the message I am sending.) COMMUNICATION is the KEYWORD. And, yes, I may be SHOUTING a little! These are trying times, and I tend to react vociferously when annoyed. Guess you’ll just have to put me in your RUDE box!
Oy! No, I guess I’ll just put you in my “ignore” box.
Bye.
We judge society by how they treat their young and their old. Clearly West Virginia legislators don’t get into heaven.
That rule went out the window with the Bill Clinton era. The old and the young are now considered nothing more than poorly spent money to our wonderful politicians (both parties!).
They know that heaven does not exist.
Fortunately,smarter folks were there and it did not pass. This time. We must be vigilant, however.
This was written by Amy Goodman about the WV teachers’ strike.
She probably didn’t know about the “FAST” one the WV GOP pulled.
Here it is: https://www.truthdig.com/articles/striking-west-virginia-teachers-revive-proud-labor-heritage/