What will Betsy say to the National PTA at its national conference from March 13-15?
Will she tell them to give up and send their kids to religious schools?
Will she urge them to join her in defunding public schools?
Will she give them a lecture on how terrible public schools are compared to charter schools?
Will she try to persuade them to support school choice?
Will she say once again that public schools are a “dead end”?
More important, what will the PTA say to her?
Diane Ravitch's blog 
Here is a copy of Ms. DeVos most recent speech delivered to the US conference of mayors:
https://www.ed.gov/news/speeches/prepared-remarks-us-secretary-education-betsy-devos-us-conference-mayors
On Monday, I am going to contact the Dept of Ed, and ask if I can get an advance copy of her speech to the PTA convention.
LikeLike
She will pitch parental choice, especially in the great tax-subsidized educational marketplace. She will pitch education savings accounts, and the thrill of getting tax-deductions for contributing to these in addition to anything that comes from the federal and state allocations of tax dollars.
She will NOT tell parents that in the educational marketplace, schools and educational services choose their customers, and they mostly want students who are profitable, unproblematic, and easy to please.
She will NOT mention the loss of rights as children move away from public schools.
She will be so polite that people may think she is has perfectly reasonable ideas.
She probably will NOT mention that her wealth comes from AMWAY or what her brother has been doing for Trump.
LikeLike
This is one of the many reasons why I no longer respect the PTA. And I once was the First VP of the CT PTA and an active member of my local PTA.
LikeLiked by 1 person
At least there is the possibility that savvy PTA members might make Betsy DeVos answer to her actions; if there is no time allowed for voicing concerns, boycotting is also a possible act of resistance.
LikeLike
Virginia is an open carry state . Will they allow the parents to carry guns into the conference . After all the only thing that stops a bear or a bad guy with a gun is a good guy with a gun.
LikeLike
If Eric goes to jail will Betsy be joining him.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Wouldn’t that be grand!
LikeLike
Aside from the invitation to Betsy Devos, a number of other speakers are also questionable. The CCSSO has long been funded by the Gates Foundation to promote the controversial Common Core standards, high-stakes testing, and teacher evaluation based on test scores. The Foundation of Baltimore County Public Schools has been very involved in the controversial push towards the adoption of technology which has now been mired in scandal.
In fact, Dallas Dance, now indicted Superintendent, appointed Betsy Phelps as the director and promised to share his consulting money with the Foundation. “The foundation, under Phelps, was charged with three main objectives. The first [goal] was to “mobilize the community to financially support system-based projects” such as the ongoing digital conversion and corresponding curriculum update, Phelps said.” http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/maryland/baltimore-county/towson/ph-tt-education-foundation-0925-20130923-story.html
LikeLike
we have a governor (republican) in MA who made commercials for Charter schools. He said “we wanted quality schools in MA but we just don’t have them”… so therefore enroll your kid in charter. Also, we have Rep Stephen F. Lynch who said on NPR “parents can’t find a decent school in my district”. (he is in Greater Boston towards the south. These are people who have RESPONSIBLE positions in the government and with Baker for the budget so if we don’t have quality schools, they let’s hold them accountable. I keep repeating over and over, the governor brags about #1 in testing but they never say we are only #28 in equity — huge inequities across the state .
LikeLike
Mayor Walsh was standing behind me in a reception line last week (for a congressional candidate) and I turned and thanked him for his support for education. We just don’t see that in the governor and the DESE is corrupted by ideology and “dark” money
FOUNDATION BUDGET (for education). “”…school and local elected officials, including (Mayor Marty) Walsh, have been calling on the state to change the way it funds charter schools, saying the current method of redirecting per-pupil education aid to charters is robbing traditional schools of the money they need to thrive…”
“…A legislative committee two years ago found the state was underfunding public schools by hundreds of millions of dollars, but state lawmakers have been slow to respond…”
“…(Mayor Marty) Walsh said…his criticism about the city losing $195 million to charter schools next year is…with the state not living up to its funding commitments…”
For some reason, public school funding never seems to be part of an informing conversation on education. That’s not right.
LikeLike
Why did they invite an enemy of public education?
LikeLike
They say “to keep the dialogue open”..
LikeLike
Good question, Arthur.
LikeLike
It’s the Devil’s lair members who have invited the daughter of Dracula to speak. What’s so surprising?
The National PTA is a shill for reformers. They are not on our side.
I hope DeVos has her concealed weapon on hand in case any grizzlies show up and start in on the smoked salmon canapés during hors d’oeuvre hour.
LikeLike
Let’s hope that someone in the PTA has the courage and the knowledge to ask DeVos why she is draining public tax money away from genuine public schools and into charter schools in spite of the fact that The Office of Inspector General of the U.S. Department of Education has issued a report which finds that, because of their lack of financial accountability to the public “Charter schools and their management organizations pose a potential risk to federal funds even as they threaten to fall short of meeting the goals” because of financial fraud and the artful skimming of tax money into private pockets, especially hedge fund pockets.
If nothing else is required of charter schools, one thing must be required so that charter schools are accountable to taxpayers and inform taxpayers as to how taxpayer money is actually being spent; that one key thing is: Charter schools must be required to file the SAME detailed, public domain financial reports under penalty of perjury that public schools file.
Charter schools will cry out that this is “too burdensome” — yet public schools file such reports. What would the outcry be if public schools were “freed” of this “burden”? Why, the outcry would rattle the very heavens! So, why is it that private charter schools are allowed to get away with taking public tax money and not have to tell the public on an annual basis how those public tax dollars are spent?
Charter schools bill themselves as “public schools”, but Supreme Courts in states like New York, Washington and elsewhere are catching on to the scam and have ruled that charter schools are really private schools because they aren’t accountable to the public because they are run by private boards that aren’t elected by voters and don’t even have to file detailed reports to the public about what they’re doing with the public’s tax money.
LikeLike
YEP!
LikeLike
As usual she will laud the benefits of her version of ‘school choice’ which is really no more ‘let’s make schools pay’ or public education as a growth industry. Her speech can be previewed in a section of her forthcoming book: “How To Become Rich By Marketing Private Education As Public Education” or “I Don’t Give A Crap About Kids, Just Pass Me The Cash.”
Why the PTO would choose to listen to this woman is beyond me. She is totally inept and unqualified to speak on any educational issue. Having her as a “Keynote” speaker just legitimizes her for something she should never have been put in charge of.
She is an embarrassment to all career educators and having her speak at this function is a slap in the face to hard working public school teachers across our nation. She is a leech sucking the blood from the American education system.
LikeLike
What is the relationship of the National PTA to local PTAs? Do local PTAs pay dues or membership fees to the National PTA? I checked their website and am confused about the source of their support. Anyone out there who can educate me?
LikeLike
This is unfortunate. My school district has a wonderful PTA that often helped out our ELLs that couldn’t pay for class trips, gave my students a free book at the book fair and were eager to help in any way. Most of the teachers joined the PTA to show their support. Sadly, the National PTA has gone to the dark side by accepting $1 million of Gates money. He is using them to try to resuscitate the CCSS, and DeVos, who is against the CCSS (wink, wink) realizes that the Gates’ plot can help her destroy public education faster.https://www.gatesfoundation.org/Media-Center/Press-Releases/2009/12/National-PTA-to-Mobilize-Parents-for-Common-Core-Standards
LikeLike
I will pledge to request a speaking spot at my schools’ and district PTA’s next meeting to urge them to cut any ties they have to the National PTA and also talk to parents in neighboring districts to do the same.
Can we start a twitter hashtag today to shine a light on this? Perhaps #PTAorDeVos? Anyone have a better idea?
I am drafting a letter to the editor today.
Time for some more public education about the threats to public education.
LikeLike
there were people putting comments on the PTA national site yesterday so I did that. I don’t know if there is much advantage to “taking on ” my local PTA. I do email directly to School Committee members and we have a field “rep” from MA Association for School Committees who is “out and about” and is knowledgable. The letters to the newspapers are good (as you suggest)…. and I place comments in the local newspaper or the “MA ” Commonwealth, WBUR radio etc. One person found my email and she said that they often discuss those articles at her work place (even though a lot of people are commenting). My major issue I keep raising is that we have a republican governor and he uses trump as cover — he wants to do the same thing that trump does but he has a smile on his face and crocodile tears. The appointments to the board and other positions from the republican governor I see as more worrisome than the local PTA . My city has 3 reps in the state house so we feel “fractured” and there are splinter groups of parents who are not the PTA group but they feel they are not being heard by the local administration — so there are ways to gather with people ; have a coffee hour with any 3 or 4 or 5 parents who will spend the time.
LikeLike
“More important, what will the PTA say to her?”
And here’s the real question: if the PTA DOES try to say something to her will she listen? Or if the questions get too tough will she just end her speech? That DOES seem to be her M.O. http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/betsy-devos-visits-parkland-school-angers-shooting-survivors-article-1.3860816
LikeLike
Please, please support our nation’s public schools!!
LikeLike