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NPE Action Endorses Paula Setser-Kissik for State Senate in Kentucky!

By dianeravitch
May 1, 2018 //
1

 

The Network for Public Education is delighted to endorse Paula Setser-Kissik for the State Senate in Kentucky. 

We review the qualifications and policies of every candidate we endorse.

The only way to change state and federal policy is to elect well qualified people who understand the importance of good public schools for all.

NPE Action is proud to announce that it has endorsed Paula Setser-Kissik for the state senate of Kentucky. Paula is one of three pro-public education, female candidates in that state who we have endorsed.  Paula’s campaign message is as follows:

Kentucky must invest in public education and stabilize public employee pensions through comprehensive and fair tax reform and alternative sources of revenue, as well as elect pro-public education candidates who will protect public education and not be influenced by outside interests.

When we asked her what policy changes she would propose, this is what she said:

I would like to see policies that enforce funding for education and pensions, decrease testing and destructive school competition, and increased options for true public schools (not charters) to be more flexible and innovative to meet the needs of their districts. I’d also like to get rid of Kentucky’s charter law that is due to take effect later this year.

Paula’s viewpoints are well aligned with the positions supported by NPE Action. She is opposed to using test scores to evaluate teachers; she wants to reduce the role of testing in schools; she believes in smaller class sizes and she understands the importance of protecting the rights of teachers.

Paula told us, “Public education provided both sides of my family with a path out of poverty, and both of my parents are retired educators. I’m very passionate about the need for traditional public education in a democratic society.”

And so are we. We hope you support Paula Setser-Kissick when you cast your vote. If she is elected she will represent District 12 of the Kentucky State Senate. The primary election is being held on May 22, 2018. The general election will take place on November 6, 2018.

You can post this endorsement with this link

Thank you,

​

Carol Burris

Executive Director, NPE Action

Pol. adv. by the Network for Public Education Action

 

Categories Education Reform, Kentucky, NPE Action Fund, Politics, Supporting public schools

Ohio: Gubernatorial Candidate Proposes Ban on Campaign Contributions by Charter Operators

By dianeravitch
April 24, 2018 //
14

 

Now, here is a startling and welcome development. Dennis Kucinich, who is running for Governor of Ohio, has proposed a complete ban on campaign contributions by charter operators. If charter operators couldn’t give campaign contributions, they would not be able to buy legislators or other state officials. Since public schools can’t make campaign contributions, that would level the playing field.

Are the voters of Ohio sick of charter corruption yet?

Charter school officials would be banned from making campaign contributions under a sweeping plan unveiled today by Democratic gubernatorial candidate Dennis Kucinich.

The former congressman and Cleveland mayor also wants a statewide vote on a constitutional amendment that would allow local school boards to decide whether they even want charter schools, which are privately operated but funded with taxpayer dollars.

“Ohio public educational funding has been subverted by special interest groups and for-profit charter school management companies, who through campaign contributions have, in the past decade, normalized the privatization of public education funding, creating an often substandard, for-profit system ‘education’ system, using and misusing billions of dollars in public funds,” Kucinich said.

“The normalization of what is essentially a wholly corrupt system constitutes one of the greatest scandals in the history of the state of Ohio because billions of public funds have been diverted away from public education and have enriched private, for-profit enterprises.”

He pointed to the founder of ECOT, the online charter school forced to close last month, who gave hundreds of thousands of dollars to state lawmakers who enabled lax oversight and the diversion of money from local school districts to charter schools.

“Any local school board member, member of the General Assembly, or employee of the Ohio Department of Education who accepts any payment, gratuity, or campaign contribution with a value of more than one dollar, or any pecuniary benefit in excess of one dollar from the operator of a charter school or on behalf of such entities will be subject to forfeiting any state benefit, including salary and pension,” Kucinich said.

He said he will ask the legislature to return to the public election of all members of the state school board, which was the case from 1956 to 1996, when governors were given the power to appoint several board members. Ironically, just two days ago Gov. John Kasich pushed to allow the governor to choose the entire board, because voters have no idea of for whom they are voting.

Kucinich pledged to “shine a light on the corrupt system that allows millions of taxpayer dollars to flow into the pockets of profiteering private charter operators, and then, into the political campaign coffers of politicians, all at the expense of local taxpayers, Ohio’s children, and quality public education.”

His running mate, Akron City Councilwoman Tara Samples, worked as a paralegal and board liaison for White Hat Management, long one of the state’s leading charter-school operators under Akron industrialist and major Republican campaign donor David Brennan.

Categories Accountability, Charter Schools, Corruption, Education Industry, For-Profit, Ohio, Politics, Privatization

I Am Rooting for Ellen Lipton for Congress in Michigan

By dianeravitch
February 28, 2018 //
0

 

I met Ellen Lipton several years ago when I met with a large group of superintendents.

Ellen impressed me as smart and passionate. She understands the importance and value of public schools.

She’s running from Congress and I urge you to support her.

We need more leaders in Congress fighting for strong public schools. With Betsy DeVos’ war on public education, it’s critical that we elect dedicated champions willing to stand up and defend public education for all of us.

That’s why I am thrilled to support Ellen Lipton for Congress (MI-9). Elected three times as a state representative in Michigan, Ellen was fearless and effective in the fight against DeVos and Governor Rick Snyder’s right-wing privatization agenda. If she is elected, she won’t let us down.

Join Team Lipton now and let’s elect a committed education champion to Congress!

Ellen has a background as a patent lawyer, scientist, and public education advocate. She opposed Snyder’s failed “Educational Achievement Authority,” which put corporate profits ahead of Michigan’s students.

We must all stand together to help elect Ellen. She will be a champion for public schools in Congress.

Join us,

Diane

P.S. Want to make an even bigger impact? Chip in now to Ellen’s campaign!

 

Categories Democracy, Michigan, Politics

Why Was Jill Stein at That RT Dinner with Putin and Mike Flynn?

By dianeravitch
December 5, 2017 //
130

When I first saw that now-famous photograph of Mike Flynn at Vladimir Putin’s head table in Moscow in 2015, I immediately recognized Jill Stein sitting at the same table, to the right, in the foreground. I wondered why she was there. I googled and learned that leaders of the Green Party in Russia were angry at her for not calling out Putin for his egregious human rights abuses. I wondered why no one in the media questioned why she was there or even noticed her presence.

I just discovered in my browsing that last June “Mother Jones” picked up the storynoticed her attendance in Moscow, noticed she was seated at the head table. When Stein was asked why she was there, she said she went to Moscow “to lay out some of my foreign policy proposals and get Russian reactions to them.” Why would a candidate for the American Presidency travel to Moscow to do that? That is certainly not customary. Since when do presidential candidates seek out the Russian reaction to their ideas about American foreign policy before they run for Office?

Then she said she actually didn’t speak to any Russians. She shook Putin’s hand and had no idea who else was at the head table. So she never got a chance to “to lay out some of my foreign policy proposals and get Russian reactions to them.” There was no laying out of ideas and no reactions to them. So why was she there? Why was she at the head table with Putin? Why didn’t anyone speak to her? In the future, will it be routine for all presidential candidates to check in with Putin first?

Stein received 1 million votes. Was she a spoiler who threw the election to Trump?

My mind boggles thinking of the many books that will be written about the 2016 election.

Categories Politics

Charles Foster Johnson: “You Can’t Fix Stupid, But You Can Vote It Out”

By dianeravitch
November 22, 2017 //
39

Texas Pastor Charles Foster Johnson has a great idea. If the people who work in schools were to all vote, they could vote out the cold-hearted politicians who are attacking public schools and the children who attend them. Rev. Johnson is leader of Pastors for Texas Kids.

What a simple and radical idea.

If every single school district employee were to register and vote, it would reshape politics in Texas.

“A top leader of the movement in support of public education is a charismatic pastor, the Rev. Charles Foster Johnson of Fort Worth. I heard him speak about the coming battle at the Texas Association of School Boards convention in Dallas last month.

“The title of the session at which Johnson spoke was provocative: “You can’t fix stupid but you can vote it out.”
His audience was a room filled with school board members and superintendents from across the state.
The session description promised to teach “a successful turn-out-the-vote effort” and how school board members can build “a culture of voting in the schools and the community…”

“I’ll tell you a dirty little secret,” Johnson told the standing-room-only crowd. “Nobody holding office wants you to vote. …

“We’ve got a Senate in the state of Texas — and I hope there’s somebody here who will quote me — that does not believe in public education for all children. It needs to stop right now.”

The math is there. Voter turnout is close to worst in the nation. Johnson estimates that there are maybe 700,000 school district employees. If they all vote, everything changes.

“We will get a different Senate, y’all. It’s as simple as that,” the pastor told educators…

“Plano ISD trustee Yoram Solomon shows The Watchdog how much this matters. Of 190,000 potential voters, about 10,000 voted in a school board election. A winner only needed 3,800 votes.

“Plano ISD has 6,700 employees. “They could have swung any race they wanted, if they were influenced to do so,” Solomon says.

“Plano ISD Trustee Yoram Solomon, at his home in Plano, is raising ethical questions about a statewide movement to get school district employees to vote out conservative lawmakers.

“Plano ISD Trustee Yoram Solomon, at his home in Plano, is raising ethical questions about a statewide movement to get school district employees to vote out conservative lawmakers.

“A draft resolution supporting a “culture of voting” is on the agenda in hundreds of state school districts. In Plano this week, Solomon raised enough questions to get it postponed.

“The resolution urges districts to offer employees a voter pledge or oath (“I am a Texas educator and I commit to vote in the March primary and the November general election. I will vote in support of public education in the interest of the more than 5 million Texas schoolchildren.”)

“The resolution also urges time off for early voting for employees and allows for school buses to take employees to the polls.

“Plano trustees will edit the template (good for them!) and add new language to the resolution “that will assure that there will be absolutely no influence on our employees, and that their votes will be confidential,” Solomon says.”

Great line!

YOU CANT FIX STUPID, BUT YOU CAN VOTE IT OUT!

Watch Rev. Johnson at the NPE Conference in Oakland and be inspired.

Categories Politics, Supporting public schools, Texas

California: Educator Explains Why John Chiang Is Best Candidate for Governor

By dianeravitch
November 20, 2017 //
13


In 2018, California will elect a new governor to replace Jerry Brown. Brown has been an ally to the charter industry, which has been allowed to proliferate with minimal accountability. This great blue state has put the future of public education at risk. Major funders—California’s Silicon Valley billionaires and of course Eli Broad—are all in for charters and privatization. Netflix founder Reed Hastings gives millions to the California Charter Schools Association, and he has asserted that elected school boards should be replaced by thousands of autonomous charter schools. Absent supervision and accountability, corruption is predictable.

Tom Ultican, who left Silicon Valley to become a high school teacher of physics and math, writes here about the governors’ race.

The candidate with the most money is Gavin Newsom, the former mayor of San Francisco. He has received campaign contributions from Silicon Valley, like Trump friend Peter Thiel. Strangely, he received the endorsement of the California Teachers Association, although Newsom publicly said that he was neither anti-teacher nor pro-teacher. His money comes from charter supporters, but Newsom will have the troops supplied by CTA.

CTA has to d3cide whether it will have a seat at the table or will be on the menu. The Vergara case demonstrated how eager the tech entrepreneurs are to destroy unions and teachers’ rights.

Tom Ultican explains why he, as an educator, will support State Treasurer John Chiang.

Chiang has collected the second largest pot of funding, Not from Silicon Valley billionaires, but from mostly Chinese-Americans.

Ultican writes:

“Because of the relentless attacks on public schools and educators, candidate views on education are key. Many self-styled “progressive democrats,” have adopted education positions attacking teachers’ unions and promoting privatization (Rahm Emanuel, Corey Booker, Antonio Villaraigosa). Some position statements promulgated by Chiang’s campaign:

In 1988, California voters approved Proposition 98, which requires a minimum percentage of the state budget to be spent on K-12 education. Unfortunately, while Proposition 98 was meant to create a constitutional “floor” for education spending, it has turned into a political ceiling. As a result, California is grossly under-invested in public education.”

“We also must protect the collective bargaining rights of our educators, classified employees, professors, early childhood educators and child care providers. It is critically important that the people who interact with our students and children every day have a seat at the table and a voice on the job to advocate for the best conditions possible for our children to learn.”

“We must also increase both the quantity and quality of California’s early childhood education programs and assure free access for all working families.

“We also know that small class sizes are the key to improving student learning. We need to expand the Class Size Reduction program so our students have every opportunity to learn.”

“Cities and states across the nation are jumping on board and are finding innovative solutions to provide two free years of community college. California needs to find a way to get to that place, where we make community college free while ensuring students are on the right path through participation and graduation.”

“To reclaim the promise of quality education, we must ensure that children and their families have access to wraparound services to meet their social, emotional and health needs.”

Read about the candidates. If you vote in California, be informed.

Categories California, Politics, Teachers, Unions

Missouri: New Republican Governor Pressures State Board to Fire State Superintendent so He Can Import Privatizer

By dianeravitch
November 16, 2017 //
27

New Republican Governor Eric Greitens has gained control of the state board of education, and he is pressuring them to fire the state commissioner, Margy Vandeven, who has some centrist nonpolitical ideas about helping improve the public schools.

One of the new board members is balking at the pressure from the governor. He doesn’t think he knows enough to fire the state commissioner.

The governor wants to bring in a chum who is committed to opening charter schools.

The state constitution says the board is supposed to be independent and nonpolitical.

The governor is politicizing the board so he can push the DeVos agenda. Apparently he wants to bring in a friend named Kenneth Zeff, who is allegedly a charter school expert. The two of them worked together as White House Fellows during the second Bush administration. Jeff has his BA in economics from the University of Michigan and an MBA in business from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania. He is a Broadie who worked in the Fulton County (Atlanta) schools and before that for the Green Dot Charter chain in Los Angeles.

The Missouri Association of School Administrators is unhappy about the governor’s effort to take control of the state board.


Melissa Randol, executive director of the Missouri School Boards’ Association, said the governor’s moves are “troubling.”

She said Zeff’s apparent support for charter school expansion “could have a negative impact on all public schools, but especially in rural areas where charter expansion would encourage school district consolidation.”

“We must preserve the integrity of our state constitution to ensure the commissioner does not become a political appointee of the governor,” Randol said.

Vandeven, who earns $191,544 annually, took the helm as commissioner in January 2015, replacing Chris Nicastro. Her goals then included expanding access to early childhood education, improving teacher quality and increasing accountability for teaching colleges.

In recent months, Vandeven, the state education department and state board have also taken a hard hand in demanding charter school quality by heightening pressure on charter school sponsors.

Just today: a challenge to the governor on his removal of state board members:

http://www.kansascity.com/news/local/news-columns-blogs/the-buzz/article184779833.html

Categories Charter Schools, Missouri, Politics, Privatization

New Jersey: Linda Weber, Candidate for Congress, Thanks You for Your Help!

By dianeravitch
July 17, 2017 //
4

Linda Weber is running against a Republican incumbent in New Jersey. Hers is one of the districts that Democrats hope to flip, so as to gain control of the House in 2018 and stop ztrump’s plans to defund public schools, environmental protection, Medicaid, and every other social program.

I put out an appeal to raise money for Linda when she needed to meet a June 30 deadline, and many of you responded with help. Linda met her goal, and she asked me to post this thank-you to you.

Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. To Diane and all of you who contributed to my campaign, I cannot thank you enough for your support of my candidacy for Congress in the 7th district of New Jersey. While I absolutely believe that we have a tremendous opportunity to flip this district, the reality is that I will need to raise a significant amount of money to do so. This is why your donations ahead of the June 30th campaign finance filing were so important.

While Trump tweets out insults, his Education Secretary Betsy DeVos is doing significant damage to our public education system. If elected, I will stand up to any and all attacks on our public education system. Both of my sons had the opportunity to graduate from excellent public schools, and I want every child to have the same opportunity regardless of income, race, or geography. My husband Mark is a public school teacher so I know firsthand the challenges that educators face. Know that if I am elected, our public schools will have a strong advocate in Congress.

Linda Weber

Linda Weber
linda@lindaweber.com
908-358-9168
http://www.lindaweberforcongress.com

Categories New Jersey, Politics

The Los Angeles School Board Race Next Tuesday

By dianeravitch
March 3, 2017 //
4

It seems every school board race in Los Angeles is a struggle for the existence of public education.

That is because Eli Broad and his billionaire friends pour millions of dollars into local school board races (and Eli is one of the few billionaires who actually lives in Los Angeles) to try to control it.

Why do they want to control it? None of them has a child in the system. They despise public schools and they want to turn Los Angeles into a charter school demonstration district. It is all about power and money. No matter how many scandals they are in charter schools in Los Angeles or in California, or how many charter leaders are arrested, or how much money is stolen or misappropriated, the charter school advocates won’t give up. They refuse to devote their energy and money to rebuilding the Los Angeles public school system.

Despite Eli Broad’s last-minute disavowal of Betsy DeVos, don’t be fooled. He is thrilled to see a like-minded reformer in charge of the U.S. Department of Education. After all, he is used to it. He was best buddies with Arne Duncan and John King. It wouldn’t do to have someone in the federal Department who actually cared about public schools.

The Network for Public Education Action Fund hopes you will vote for pro-public school candidates next Tuesday.

In District 2, one of the most vociferous advocates of privatization is Monica Garcia. We urge you to vote either for Lisa Alva (teacher) or Carl Petersen (parent) so that Garcia is forced into a runoff.

NPE Action Fund did not make an endorsement in the race for school board chair.

I personally endorsed Steve Zimmer because I know him and believe that he will be far better than any of his challengers. Eli Broad, Richard Riordan, and Michael Bloomberg have bundled a large amount of money to defeat Steve, and that’s reason enough to know that he want him gone. He has tried to be reasonable but they don’t want anyone reasonable. They want a puppet.

I urge you to vote in District 2 for either Alva or Petersen.

And to vote for Steve Zimmer, if you live in his district.

Categories Charter Schools, Corporate Reformers, Education Industry, Los Angeles, Politics, Privatization

How to Flip the States to Preserve Progressive Values

By dianeravitch
February 27, 2017 //
13

There is a little-known group called “the Flippables,” created by smart young people to focus energy on state and local political races. They identify crucial down-ballot races and help the candidates that represent liberal, progressive values..

Over the past dozen years, Tea Party Republicans have concentrated on gaining control at the state and local levels. They have knocked out moderate Republicans, driving Republican policy to the far right.

Democrats have wrung their hands and lamented but that was fruitless. Republican governors now control most state houses and legislatures.

The Flippables showed their power in Delaware over the weekend, where the Democratic candidate Stephanie Hansen beat her opponent. If Hansen had lost, Republicans would have gained control of the Delaware Senate. Currently, Republicans control 25 states–governor and legislature–Democrats control only 6. Flippables raised $131,600 for Hansen, enough for her to compete and about half f what she raised.

https://apple.news/A6-ZAvvxMSq2id7gn7__M2Q

One-party control is not good for democracy, especially when that once-venerable party is now led by white nationalists who scapegoat religious and national groups and excoriate the free press.

I am sending money to the Flippables. I have also sent gifts to the ACLU, People for the American Way, and other important defenders of our rights and freedoms.

I just made a contribution to the campaign of Jon Ossoff, who is running for an empty Congressional seat in Georgia’s 6th District, vacated by radical conservative Tom Price, who joined Trump’s cabinet in charge of HHS, where he hopes to repeal Obamacare and stop funding Planned Parenthood. Jon has been endorsed by civil rights icon John Lewis.

Categories Politics, Resistance
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