My thanks to Akron Superintendent David W. James for answering the questions that some readers have asked.
And congratulations to superstar LeBron James for supporting public schools in Akron!
Diane,
I felt compelled to provide some additional information based on some of the responses to your blog that I have read here today.
First, LeBron is a wonderful partner of the Akron Public Schools (APS). The I Promise School (IPS) is a public school. We fund the students like we fund all other students in our district of approximately 21,000 students. The school was not built from the ground up, we are using an existing APS facility that was used to house students while their schools were being rebuilt. By the way, we have rebuilt 32 schools so far.
Students are selected by lottery among students from across the district who perform below the 25th percentile in reading. In addition we have an independent auditor from a local financial services firm observe the randomized lottery process.
While opening a new school will result in adjustments among other schools across APS, this is no different than our National Inventors Hall of Fame STEM Middle and High Schools or our Akron Early College High School, where enrollment is from across the district.
In terms of the teachers, they are union members represented by the Akron Education Association, and I am proud of the fact that we agreed to use an interview process to select them. The District and the Association also agreed to the modified school schedule without contention because it is good for kids.
APS funds this school as we fund all other schools within the district. LeBron and his Foundation partners are funding most of the wrap-around supports and extra services above and beyond what we typically provide. For those of us in the public and not-for-profit sectors, we constantly worry about sustainability.
The free breakfast and lunch meals provided to all APS students are also provided to the IPS students. The bus rides provided to APS students in grades K through 8, who live more than 2 miles away from their school, are provided to the IPS students, in accordance with Ohio law. Our resident students are not charged tuition.
Our partnership with LeBron James goes back over 10 years. His commitment to our children is absolutely genuine.
David W. James, Superintendent
Akron Public Schools
Diane Ravitch's blog 
Bravo to APS & LeBron James!
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“The District and the Association also agreed to the modified school schedule without contention because it is good for kids.”
Any chance you could elaborate on this “modified” school schedule? Is it a longer day, longer year, both? What is the extra time used for? More recess (which would be good, but all kids should be getting more recess)? More opportunities for sports and fun extra-curriculars? More field trips? Is it to work with parents to better accommodate work schedules and keep kids off the streets? All of those things could definitely be “good for kids”.
But if it’s just more seat time in pursuit of better test scores, then, no, that’s not good for kids (or teachers or anyone else for that matter). If school is a welcoming, joyful place, more time in it is good. But if school is just a prison, making kids stay there longer is harmful, even if test scores go up.
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It’s both. 8-5 school days, and an extended year into June. It’s been in other articles.
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Why don’t you do a little homework before you start spewing more of your incessant bile? This is the type of school that would have given Al Shanker a big, warm smile.
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Hey! Easy!
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Maybe someone else needs to spend some time in moderation for attacking other commenters. This seems to be a pattern.
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Provide some constructive ideas for a change. You have a habit of resorting to have people banned on this blog because you are incapable of making coherent arguments. The comment above is a perfect example. No facts, no knowledge, but certainty. Much like your dismissal of threats to our nation and civil discourse from foreign aggressors.
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Perhaps you don’t understand whose blog this is, Greg. I have no control over who gets banned.
BTW, what do you think Diane would do if you accused her of “spew[ing] incessant bile”? But you wouldn’t dare, would you? Only people like me and Norwegian Filmmaker.
P.S.: Whom did I ever get banned, anyway? NYCPSP was in moderation for all of about three weeks because she attacked NF. I had nothing to do with that. I’m not aware of anyone else who’s been moderated, let alone banned. I could, however, tell you of those who have left this blog because of attacks from people like you and NYCPSP.
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Come on, I was in moderation for at least a year!
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And P.P.S.: Why do questions and dissent make you so angry anyway?
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Questions and dissent do not bother me. Your incessant droning which has no basis in reality does. No need to try get me banned. I am done commenting on this blog. I don’t want to be part of a club that includes you. You win, au revoir.
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Greg,
Please don’t leave. Ignore comments you don’t like. I do it every day. You can too.
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Greg,
Don’t you dare quit.
I need you.
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I trust you are a man of your word.
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I didn’t know this was a club. Do I get a button or pin for being a member? No. Correct me if I’m wrong, but this is a place of free speech and debate. Greg, I challenge you to stay. A few times, I have gotten into such heated discussions with a charter board member here, I was rightly warned to mind my manners. No prob. I am not perfect. Diane’s wishes are my commands. I eased up. Let’s see if you have skin thick as a veteran teacher. Challenge on! Stay.
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GregB,
I was going to ignore this except for the gratuitous mention of my name, which I hope Diane Ravitch finds justification for a response from me. I responded to similar types of comments directed against both Democrats and those who criticize Trump made by both NW and dienne77 the way that you have — if that is an “attack” as dienne77 just gratuitously posted, then I am guilty as charged.
I now ignore their posts. And fortunately, I’ve noticed that Lloyd Lofthouse has recently often responded to dienne77 exactly what I am thinking. Thank you, Lloyd! GregB, maybe if you wait a while, Lloyd will respond the way you would. And you can just stay out of it.
I feel for you. I agree you should ignore the bile directed toward anyone who dares to criticize Trump that is so often posted by dienne77. That’s what I have been working hard to do.
By the way, LeBron James is one of those people who criticizes Trump.
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^^and for the record, I am still in moderation!
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No, you are not
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Great! Thank you!
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Oh for pity’s sake, NYCPSP! Your “name” got brought up because you are the only one I can think of who has been “banned” (if you call a couple weeks of moderation “banned”) and I had nothing to do with that. I didn’t even post on that thread! But somehow defending myself now becomes an attack on you.
I post an honest question, Greg comes around accusing me of “spewing incessant bile” and accuses me of trying to get people banned (something Diane knows is false) and yet I’m the guilty party here.
Ay ay ay (speaking of people who don’t post nearly as much because of the attack-atmosphere around here).
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Dienne, Cut it out. I value Greg’s comments. He is thoughtful and rational. Yet you are trying to push out one of our regular readers and best commenters. What is wrong with you? Why aren’t you able to engage in civil discourse? If he leaves, so will you.
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dienne77,
I hope this is helpful in answering your question as to why Greg “accuses me of trying to get people banned”
You posted the following response to Greg B on August 1, 2018 at 7:32 pm
“Maybe someone else needs to spend some time in moderation for attacking other commenters. This seems to be a pattern.”
Some people might consider the above comment you made about GregB “trying to get people banned” and some might not.
Please re-read my reply above. I never said anything about you “attacking” me — in fact, it is just the opposite — I pointed out that some of my replies to you were considered an “attack.”
So I find it quite odd that you would feel aggrieved at me when you have no reason to do so.
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I read this post because I am interested in someone in the public eye, like LeBron, who is willing to stand up for public schools. I don’t care for celebrities except for whatever they can contribute to the public good besides their entertainment.
A few comments:
An extended school day, if it keeps kids engaged and delighted with learning and activities, can be a good thing, and I see nothing wrong with this unless it’s used to slave drive the kids into test prep, the way they do at charters schools like Success Academy. Maybe this school will offer enrichment after school, such sports, visual and performing arts, cooking, you name it . . . . That is my hope.
And now about my fellow commenters:
STOP it all of you.
NYCPSP, while I don’t on agree with him/her, does articulate things with great depth and careful thought. Sorry, but I will never like either party and will not support establishment Democrats until they change their orientation big time. In the meantime, I support progressives and Socialist Democrats, like Alexandria Ocasio Cortes, and ernie Sanders and Cynthia Nixon.
Still, NYCPSP has valuable, thought provoking comments that I don’t like and often disagree with, but they are thought provoking nonetheless, and the fact hat he/she makes me think is valuable.
Thank you NYPSP. You are valid.
Dienne is like a knife. She is one f the sharpest, brightest, and meticulous commenters I have ever read. I believe she has somewhat of an antagonistic style from time to me, but she nonetheless has incredibly valuable things to say and she’s not afraid to say them. And she’s spot on with he analysis of things. She is into critiquing people and events based on their merit, and not on their labels. She should be recognized for doing so.
The same thing goes for GregB. He offers insights that are so critical, even if he does berate people by attributing to them, in insulting ways, characteristics that have nothing to do with their commentary. However, GregB offers a lot of insight into the American mindset and how American society has evolved in the way it has and to the extent it has, and what true intellect would not want to learn about that? He is to be praised for that, even if he’s nasty and inappropriate with me.
Therefore, all I can says is stop it all of you! You don’t have to feel caught between a herring and a salmon when all you have to realize is that you are all the very stream that sustains both fish (sorry if this does not translate well from Norwegian!).
You are all allies of each other in terms of the final outcomes even if you are not allies of each other in the methods for achieving those outcomes. This is understandable , and does not make any one of you more valuable or less valuable than the other.
Yes, Diane is right, Don’t any of you leave. Stay, and sharpen each other’s wits and build each other’s wisdom. Dienee, that goes for you too; you are a sharp, aimed harpoon, and there’s nothing wrong with that.
My two cents . . . .
Norwegian Filmmaker
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From Diane to Dienne,
I thought a lot last night about the verbal fisticuffs on the blog. We are in a battle against oligarchs and the federal government. We need to stand together. No in-fighting inside the tent.
We need two things: unity and hope.
Sniping at one another damages our cause.
Don’t criticize others are on our side.
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GregB
Continue to write at this blog. Your wisdom make us all think.
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There’s an old truism that if you write a letter in anger, it’s best to sleep on it and decide if you’re going to send it the next day. I should have done that. Although I do not use this as an excuse, please let me explain my frame of mind last night. I had just returned from a two-day tour of black churches in the Detroit metro area, my second in three weeks. I experienced two opposite, conflicting emotions: inspiration and admiration for the people I met and shock and despair by what I saw mile after mile. I saw poverty that almost made what I remembered from the Mississippi Delta seem inconsequential.
So when I saw this post, my first reaction was, “Finally, some good news! I really need this.” I’ve been following the development of the I Promise school closely. I was initially very skeptical, thinking it was a charter in sheep’s clothing. But I have been pleasantly surprised and often thought to myself, it’s too bad Al Shanker isn’t alive to see this. There will surely be bumps in the road ahead; it might even fail. But the negative comment coming on the heels of the first day of its existence, mingled with the experiences of the past two days, caused my negative response. As I look back on it today, I wish I would have followed Diane’s advice to ignore it.
I will pledge to keep my comments more focused on the issues and not on emotion in the future. I read virtually every post and every comment on this blog. Most educate me, some anger me, some cause me to stretch my civic education muscles and keep them from atrophying. My respect for all of you knows no limits. As I have written before, this is an island of informed sanity in a world that seems to be spinning out of control. I apologize for having created this drama. We do need “unity and hope.” And if we can’t forge it here, we’ll never be able to strive for that unreachable goal. Lastly, I used to tell my students if the world was as I wished it was, it would probably be a lousy place. That’s why we have to learn from each other’s experiences and ideas. I need to follow my own advice.
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Thank you, Greg.
In desperate times like these, those of us who are fighting the oligarchs must stand together.
I think it was LBJ who said, “never piss inside the tent.”
Humor, art, hope, and unity are our necessity.
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That’s better. Milk and graham crackers for everyone, on me.
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I guess since Greg is posting, I’m not banned for his choice to leave, right?
“Don’t criticize others are on our side.”
Okay, but can we not have a double standard on that then, please? Can I not be accused of “spewing incessant bile” for posting a question? Can I not be falsely accused of trying to get people banned, please? All I’m asking for is the respect you are asking me to give Greg. Can other people please debate me on the substance of what I’ve posted rather than personal attacks, strawmen and other such things? Because I’m tired of being abused in the name of “civility”.
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Response from Diane to BackAgain:
I kicked you off my blog because you repeatedly insult me, insult public school teacher’s, and repeat the narrative of Corporate Reformers about how bad our public schools are.
That’s your opinion and you are welcome to express it at The 74 or any number of Reformer sites. But not here.
The rules of the Blog are clear and have been often stated. This is my living room, and those who join the conversation are expected to be civil to me and to others. We disagree but we don’t insult one another. Rule #1 is you don’t insult your host.
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You’re welcome . . . .
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This comment lacks detail and shows a laziness to do any reading or research before posting. Wrap-around services were mentioned…they are going far beyond drill and kill or extra recess.
I love the concept…my only concern would be in regards to equity. While the school having ties to James will likely provide a boost to student morale I believe research shows that pulling an “at-risk” population and putting them in one school is not good for the students being pulled or the higher “achieving” students. A mixed group not only creates greater equity, but also greater results. The equitable process might be to provide these services to these students in their neighborhood school. Hopefully, success at Labron’s school will lead to expansion to all neighborhood schools and students.
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JCK, that is an interesting question about whether putting an “at-risk” population together in one school would not be good.
I don’t have a lot of confidence in the conclusions of those studies that say you have better results with mixed groups. I suspect the schools with mixed groups are far more affluent and benefit from having fewer high needs students rather than simply the presence of higher achieving students. It seems as if this new school will give those most at-risk students — and their families! — services and advantages that aren’t financially feasible to most schools with an entirely at-risk population.
In any event, it is a good experiment to try. I certainly agree with you that ultimately every student in every neighborhood school should get these services.
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NYC psp
In another thread, if you were the commenter who made a point about relative support for public education by establishment Dems and progressives, you can read the 2016 history of Weingarten, Podesto, and Mook’s disparagement of unions who supported Bernie. It’s summarized at ShadowProof, a site developed by progressives from FireDogLake. Rhetorically, if you were in Sanders’ position, how much energy would you devote to Weingartner’s cause? Weingartner, if on the same page with Podesto and CAP, may support their education agenda. Bernie may not even know what teachers want given the alliances of their union leaders in AFT and NEA….Gates?
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Linda,
I don’t quite understand your question. You made some reference to “Weingartner’s cause” and I have no idea what that is.
If I were in Sanders’ position I would support public education, period. Not any “cause”, including a union’s “cause”.
I would support public schools and oppose charters. There should be no funding for schools that are not part of the system which means they are overseen by the very same people who oversee public schools. There should be no “charters” — there could be choice schools that are part of the system. That eliminates the very worst problem of charters — that because they are free to dump students, they are incentivized to dump students if they become too expensive or bothersome to teach.
If I were Bernie Sanders I would strongly speak out against “Democrats for Education Reform” and I would strongly endorse Cynthia Nixon over Andrew Cuomo.
If I were Bernie Sanders, I would have ALREADY endorsed the NAACP’s moratorium on charters.
If the progressives aren’t strongly speaking up for public education, then why aren’t they? Do they not think it is important?
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JCK:
The “At Risk” kids are in schools together all over the country!
That’s how we got to the place we are now!
They’re probably all together in Ackron, too.
I’m sure LeBron will bring in mentors and, of all people, himself.
His own story, told in front of the kids would be enough to keep anybody trying, day in and day out.
In my county, we’ve begun calling those kids “At Promise”.
(Not related to LeBron’s School. Related to a TED talk by a professor at UCSB, Victor Rios.)
I agree with you, JCK, that a mixed group does often produce greater equity and greater results because some kids can be role models for others. But honestly, lots of schools and even school districts across this country do not have that luxury. The current socio-economic makeup of our schools has been created by years of redlining, prejudice, racism, and hatred. Even in our policies. Meanwhile, the kids still file into the classroom.
We can lament that some schools aren’t more diverse.
Or we can roll up our sleeves and grow where we are planted.
Clearly, LeBron rolled up his sleeves.
I, for one, will watch with great interest to see how things go.
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NYC psp,
I don’t think progressives have a corporate-funded think tank like the Center for American Progress. If they did and the organization was framed as liberal, had the media’s ear, and was strategically involved, at the highest levels, in the campaign of the Democratic nominee for President, I would hope the organization wouldn’t support TFA, privatized public education and reject taxes as a means to replace the starvation of education funding.
If progressives had a “think tank” like CAP, I would hope that they wouldn’t take $2 mil. from anti-democracy, Bill Gates.
I recognize you choose to separate establishment Dems, from CAP, I interpret the evidence differently.
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The only truly progressive think tank in DC is the Economic Policy Institute. It receives no Gates or Walton gmfubding.
The only truly progressive education think tank is the National Education Policy Center in Colorado, run by Prof Kevin Welner.
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Again, what does a think tank have to do with politicians and the positions they take on issues?
Just because CAP exists did not make Ralph Northam become pro-charter in how he governs in Virginia. Northam made his choices and that’s why I supported him.
Just because Northam’s “progressive” primary opponent was probably despised by the CAP people did not mean that the very same “progressive” primary opponent was not the DFER politician of the month.
Is Governor Jerry Brown a big CAP person? Does it matter when Jerry Brown is one of the most pro-charter Governors around?
Linda,
Please list the prominent progressives who strongly attack TFA and charters and support the NAACP’s moratorium on charters. Because I’m still looking for them. And I will stay ask the unanswered question as to why progressives don’t care very much about public education.
I already know why some (not all) mainstream Dems won’t support public schools and demand the end of charters. I just can’t figure out why progressives won’t do it. Do you?
But in the meantime, I will support Ralph Northam and I don’t care whether CAP likes him or hates him. I support Northam because he supports public schools. I didn’t support Northam’s progressive CAP-hating opponent because he was DFER pro-charter.
How about you? I don’t understand whether you support Northam or if you are saying he should have been defeated even if that meant that Virginia became more pro-charter. Would you have been happier if a pro-charter DFER “progressive” endorsed by Bernie Sanders was Governor of Virginia?
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NYC psp
If “silence” is the alternative to cheerleading for both privatization of schools and the starvation of public funding for schools, the progressives’ needle is closer to a win for public education.
Bernie’s supporters being trashed and finding out about it through leaked tapes, wasn’t beneficial to a relationship between the AFT and progressives. A very important question is, What has the AFT done to make amends. In Delaware, what the NEA has done is worse than doing nothing.
All of the missed opportunities to bash hedge fund reform grifters are on the doorstep of the Democratic establishment and Republican Party, for 20 years. I’ll give the upstart progressives some time to get out of neutral.
If my choice is between a DFER candidate and the same, only without the affiliation, I’ll choose the one who talks about taking down the oligarchy.
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I’ll support that candidate that talks about taking down the oligarchy, too, UNLESS that candidate is willing to sell out public schools to charters and it turns out the candidate who is not talking about taking down the oligarchy happens to be standing up strong for public schools.
Given a choice between a Democratic who is pro-public schools and one who is a favorite of DFER, I will vote for the Democrat who is pro-public school. Like Northam.
I don’t have a problem with voters like you preferring a pro-charter candidate like Northam’s opponent Tom Perriello who probably talked a lot about “taking down the oligarchy” (although apparently the oligarchy does not include the billionaires who support charters and DFER).
I would have supported Perriello in the general election even though I knew he was pro-charter and had he won Virginia would likely already have dozens new DFER approved charters. Perriello was much better than the Trump-supporting Republican.
I can understand voters who prefer the pro-charter Democrat if the candidate is more progressive against the “oligarchy”. And I hope you can understand voters like me who prefer pro-public education Democrats over DFER Dems.
I just don’t like the hypocrisy of those who believe that the progressives who support DFER and charters and won’t stand up for public schools are more upright and honest than moderates who support public education. They are not. They are just different. And we voters should decide – in the primary – which issues are most important to us. I’m on this blog because public education is most important to me and I don’t vote for pro-charter primary candidates over pro-public school ones, regardless of what labels someone else gives them. There is no excuse for a progressive to be wishy washy on public education and I don’t understand why you think there is.
But I will always vote for the “progressive” pro-charter Democrat who will sell out public schools over the right wing Republican who will sell out our entire country.
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^^^PS, if you want to abolish teachers unions like the AFT and NEA because they are corrupt, I won’t argue with you. I’m not knee jerk pro-union. I have no control over what the union does. Teachers do. If they promote a corrupt union, then maybe the Janus decision is correct. Is that what you are saying?
Because you brought up the NEA and AFT and I could care less what they think about any politician. I care about public schools. Not the union. Public schools and not directing money to privatized charters and calling them “public charters” and being impressed at their great results with their cherry-picked kids as some “progressives” seem to be.
I don’t know what the NEA and AFT have to do with anything, but if your argument is that they said something nasty about Bernie and are corrupt, then buy all means abolish them. I’m not going to argue with whatever point you are making.
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NYC pcp
Did you change the hypothetical?
If the choice is between Tim Kaine and a DFER progressive, I don’t know any NPE supporter who would choose DFER’s candidate.
Do you think voters have been misled to think Northam is pro-privatization, while Perriello is pro-privatization and is skating through on progressive laurels?
Just as the worst Democrat is better than the best Republican, the worst union is better than no union.
AFT and NEA decisions and inaction could be dismissed as “confounding” but, they’ve been too harmful. The Janus decision was a devastating blow to the nation’s democracy, which could have been avoided with Hillary’s or Bernie’s election. The Hillary camp decision to go for the cross over Republican vote instead of the union vote (Michael Moore warned anyone who would listen that it was a mistake) smacked of stupidity and a desire to run a limousine liberal campaign. Evidently, the Hillary strategic team likes their mistakes because they keep repeating them.
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He’s doing the same thing in Los Angeles!
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Standing ovation to all involved!
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We constantly worry about sustainability.
But you have had a ten year relationship. That bodes well for the future.
LeBron’s support for wrap around services is wonderful.
May the force be with all of you for proofs of concept, sustainability, and wonderful years ahead long after the publicity machinery is gone.
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I believe LeBron is the real deal. I watched him on HGTV build a bunch of homes for poor single moms. He wants to help people out of poverty.
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It sounds like it is, but I would like to be assured it’s going to by run by an elected school board. The school is part of the school district. Right? Democracy is very important.
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Good question.
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The Akron School Board is democratically elected. And Supt. James is responsive to everyone. I do not live in Akron proper, but when I had a negative experience a few years ago with some unsupervised students in a county park, he responded to me immediately and addressed the problem.
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The school is ASB? Good.
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“Students are selected by lottery among students from across the district ….”
Hmm. A lottery is, by definition, rivalrous and excludable.
So is the school really a public school, given public means non-rivalrous and non-excludable?
Gosh, I really hope is not some kind of sleight-of-hand.
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or that even with recgonzied best intentions, those who know how to manipulate the game will NOT be given a chance to use sleight-of-hand policy to corrupt those intentions
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Thank you for posting this, Diane. I am an “immigrant” to this community and have made it my permanent home. It’s a great place to live and easy for me to understand why LeBron is devoted to it.
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Well done … to both Akron schools and to LeBron for attempting to address needs of students. As a Title I Reading and Math teacher, I applaud addressing the issue of struggling readers. I wish you success.
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40 years ago, a friend who lived in Akron told me 100,000 of the people living in Akron were displaced from the West Virginia Appalachian region. Impoverished and displaced from mining and timber, they took the road to the north as did thousands of African-American people from agricultural regions both on the eastern coastal plain and the Mississippi Riverthat delta. Whole city blocks of Detroit came from the Appalachian foothills where I grew up. The economic boom that uprooted these people fueled a vast increase of wealth for many, but in my lifetime, the reverse has taken place, and places like Akron look like refugees from an attack.
I applaud the attempts of the schools to deal with this continual social upheaval, aided by a guy who is just a basketball player. Now we know why he is so good. He has a big heart to keep him going.
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This quote from Akron Superintendent James is why this public school that LeBron is partnering with is so different than charters:
“Students are selected by lottery among students from across the district who perform below the 25th percentile in reading.”
I like that LeBron wants to spend his money to subsidize the education of the struggling students who need it most, and not those whose results will give him the most bragging rights.
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As to the issue of Lebron and the school he has started, kudos. I love Lebron and not just As a basketball player.
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Ohio has a distinction. It is 2nd only to Alabama and California in the amount individuals are allowed to contribute to candidates (NCSL site). State, campaign finance law rigged Ohio to become an oligarchy.
Ohio candidates can receive unlimited campaign funds from state parties, which explains why ECOT funded Ohio’s Republican Party.
Alaska and Washington are the only states that limit money from outside of their states.
Illinois is the only state that recognizes self-funded candidates have an advantage over poorer candidates.
New York advantages corporations over unions.
Not one state recognizes that corporations use the CUSTOMERS’ money to elect candidates. The campaign finance laws, created by the rich, usurp power from the American people by limiting the influence of the money from worker paychecks, pooled and allocated by their ELECTED union representatives.
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Awesome!!! Bravo to all stakeholders that made this happen without profit!
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Balderson, a Republican, endorsed by Trump and reluctantly, by Kasich, for an Ohio special election to be held Aug. 7, plans to raise the Social Security age. Keep in mind that, despite propaganda from ALEC and AARP, an age of 78 is about average for an American’s life.
Balderson, serving his wealthy friends, wants to punish people for working instead of inheriting. Vote for his opponent, Danny O’Connor.
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re: tone of this “debate” – –
Read “The Monsters Are Due on Maple Street” (or watch the Twilight Zone version).
re: picking away at not perfect aspects of LeBron’s good intentions while the tax breaks for the uber wealthy, charters, and union bashers are killing public education
“The fall is gonna kill you!”
This is exactly what the bad guys want
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We recognize that there are various individuals whose heart is in the right place that provide funds to improve educational opportunities for the students instead of aiming to line their own pockets at the expense of the children they are supposed to serve. Unfortunately, there are too many of the latter and not enough of the former.
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Wow. These comments have been quite a read.
GregB: Thank you for stepping up and saying that you probably jumped in a bit too hastily. It takes a very big person to step up and say, “I make a mistake. I’m sorry.”
BTW, The context for your comments was really quite moving. Wow.
Dienne77: Can I bring you a glass of wine? 😉
I learn a great deal, both from Dianne’s words and from those who comment here.
As much as it might seem to the contrary, I would urge readers and posters to stay in touch with that emotion, and harness those feelings and use them for the greater good. Our world needs passionate, and yes, emotional leaders. Emotion not a bad word; it’s a good word. Diane is using that emotion every day. That’s why this blog is so fun to read! She is passionate, and even emotional, about her values and beliefs. To be devoid of emotion is to live a flat, monotone life. Kids will never relate to that!
Go to any school in the country, and ask kids who their favorite teacher is. I guarantee you that the person they tell you will be the most passionate and emotional person on the staff. The trick is that they use their passion and emotion for good, to be inclusive, respectful, and to reach kids.
“The oppressed, instead of striving for liberation, tend themselves to become the oppressor.” -Paulo Freire, “Pedagogy of the Oppressed”
If you are an educator and/or a parent, and you are reading and/or commenting on this blog, (and I suspect most of us are at least one, and likely, both), you know that we are living in dark times. Support for education, from government, especially in terms of funding, is low and at risk in most places. Support from site and district administration varries widely, from very supportive to downright hostile. The needs are great, the resources are small.
We must band together for the sake of our children, and of our democracy!
In-fighting will only zap our energy, and cause us to fall away, bitterly licking our wounds and cursing the other under our breath. If we use all of our energy fighting each other, we will have none left to fight for the children who need us to be their voice.
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If LeBron James is dumb, what can one possibly say about the people who helped put the current miscreant president in office? To say they are dumb is too kind, to say venal gives them too much credit. Confederate-dreaming fools is best, I think. Racist, for sure. Maybe dupes. (“I will be rich someday so let’s cut taxes now in anticipation.”) The words thoughtful, decent or responsible do not come to mind.
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