The Schott Foundation is one of the few philanthropies that unabashedly supports public education and recognizes its importance in a democracy. Schott has supported the civil rights group, Journey for Justice, whose leader Jitu Brown has a powerful voice. (Jitu is a member of the board of the Network for Public Education.)
Schott underwrote the production of a video about the work of J4J.
“Schott grantee partner Journey for Justice Alliance released a compelling short documentary chronicling the fight against education reform in the age of Trump and DeVos. Beyond the rhetoric coming from DC, for years Journey for Justice has been raising the voices of those most impacted by budget cuts and privatization. Following J4J’s cross-country trip from Detroit to Washington, D.C. to oppose Betsy DeVos’ appointment as Education Secretary in early 2017, this film not only shows the profound hurt that these policy changes cause, but the inspiring organizing done to resist them.
“As J4J National Director Jitu Brown is led away from the Senate hearing room, he says “it’s an act of cowardice to run toward privatization and away from equity. We are as far away from Brown v. Board as we were in 1957.”
“Film Description:
“Many are voicing concerns that Education Secretary Betsy DeVos is unqualified, motivated by profit, and advancing a harmful agenda.
“Over a year ago, we organized a group of parents, educators, and students to travel from Detroit to Washington to raise their voices at DeVos’ confirmation hearing. We came to advocate for a public education system based on equity and democracy. We came because we had already lived with the consequences of policies that undermine those values, policies that DeVos had advocated for in Michigan. We came to speak truth to power and we were silenced—shut out.
“Please watch and share this 30 minute documentary made by 180.”
Diane Ravitch's blog 
I love the Schott Foundation and John Jackson and Cassie Schwerner. They are making a difference
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We will come closer to the goal of justice for all when we, representing us through the schools, stop discriminating against students via mental capabilities as is done with the standards and standardized testing regime. How can it be okay for the state to reward some students while at the same time castigating, punishing, withholding from other students opportunities to learn, especially since the mechanisms that are being used, standardized tests, are so rife with error, falsehoods and pyschometric fudging that the whole process is completely invalid and using the results of that invalidity filled process can only net one more invalidities?
How do we allow such inanities, insanities and invalidities to continue harming the most innocent of society, the children? Why do we allow such stupidities to exist?
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Where is the justice in those inanities, insanities and invalidities of the malpractices of standardized testing?
Hint: There is none!
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to fight against standardized testing we have first to fully recognize that its purpose is to protect the injustice of keeping people in their social “place”
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Teachers have been teaching, and students have been learning long before standardized tests had a vice grip on the process, and long before politicians and billionaires inserted themselves into education. Standardized testing with high stakes is a Trojan horse designed to do maximum damage.
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YES, we have indeed. Plus we are better than any standardized test. Teachers know and I trust teachers.
Standardized Tests are indeed TROJAN HORSES.
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Jitu is the bomb. Period, full stop.
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