Bridgeport’s only newspaper, the “Connecticut Post,” endorsed the same three candidates as the Network for Public Education. The newspaper wants to see an end to the rancor and it wants the board members to be independent. Their goal, like that of NPE, is to elect a board that cares about the students, their community, and their public schools, and is not subject to dictation by politicians and outside interest groups.
Archives for category: Supporting public schools
The Network for Public Education has endosed candidates in several crucial local school board elections. NPE has a process that involves surveys of all candidates in each contest. We give our endorsement to those who support their community public schools and oppose privatization and the pernicious misuse of high-stakes testing.
We don’t have money, but we count on the help of all those who care about the future of public education to stand with those courageous enough to run for office. We count on the power if numbers, the power of democracy.
An Update on NPE’s Endorsed Candidates
Welcome to the twenty-third edition of our newsletter. This week we are pleased to announce FOUR new endorsements! We also have updates for you on our previously endorsed candidates.
New NPE Endorsements in Rochester, Bridgeport
We are pleased to announce the following endorsements:
Liz Hallmark, Rochester County School Board (NY)
Howard Gardner, Bridgeport School Board (CT)
Andre Baker, Bridgeport School Board (CT)
Dave Hennessey, Bridgeport School Board (CT)
The primaries in both Rochester and Bridgeport take place in two days, on September 10th, so please spread the word!
We are delighted to announce our endorsement of Liz Hallmark! Liz earned a Doctorate in Education at the University of Rochester and has worked as a teaching artist at schools throughout the Rochester City School District. Currently, Liz is an Adjunct Professor who teaches Masters-level teaching candidates at Nazareth College and the Warner Graduate School of Education.
As both an educator and a parent of two children who graduated from city schools, Liz firmly believes that it is time for there to be an educator on the Rochester City School Board, and NPE agrees! The Democratic Primary is on September 10th (only two days away) so spread the word. We invite you to read our full endorsement here and visit Liz’s website.
We are excited to announce our endorsement of three candidates for the Bridgeport Board of Education: Howard Gardner, Andre Baker, and
Dave Hennessey.
The September 10th primary in Bridgeport — Connecticut’s most populous city — looks to be a key contest in the battle for control of the school board. In recent years, politicians and school officials have enacted damaging reforms in Bridgeport and a change in the make-up of the board is necessary to correct the course of the school district.
Andre Baker, a four-term Bridgeport City Councilman, brings a political experience and history of working cooperatively with the diverse electorate of Bridgeport. Dave Hennessey served 38 years as a teacher and coach in Bridgeport and has also been a member of the Bridgeport City Council. Information Technology Professional, Howard Gardner, brings extensive business and community service experience to the race.
To continue reading about our endorsement of these candidates, click here. There are only two days left until the primary, so please spread the word!
An Update on NPE’s Endorsed Candidates
The summer is ending, but our candidates are still up and running!
This summer, NPE has endorsed several candidates. We thank all of our followers for helping to support these great candidates. As the summer comes to an end, we would like to give you a brief update on where our candidates stand:
Sue Peters is running for Seattle School Board, District 4. Sue has nearly a decade of experience in Seattle public schools.
This summer, Sue won 41% of the primary vote, despite being outspent by her opponent by 8:1. The general election will be held on November 5th. You can visit Sue’s website to read more.
Marie Corfield is running for New Jersey Assembly. As a mother and public school teacher, Marie is truly dedicated to protecting public schools and helping their students thrive.
This summer, Marie held the #CorfieldMoneyBomb, and we thank you for helping to make this fundraiser so successful! The general election will be held on November 5th. You can visit Marie’s website to read more.
Ronda Scholting is running for Douglas County School Board in Colorado. Ronda is a proud mom of two sons who graduated from Douglas County schools. She also works with Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals. Last week, we wrote to you about the Koch brother’s plans to contribute thousands of dollars on her opponent’s campaign. Please help support Ronda by visiting her website. You can also RSVP here to see NPE’s Anthony Cody speak in Douglas County on September 12th.
If you would like to get an autographed copy of “Reign of Error,” you can order it through the Network for Public Education.
If you want it to be personalized, with a greeting to you, you can order that too.
All proceeds benefit the Network for Public Education. I am contributing the books, so will make no profit fom this offer. The goal is to support NPE.
Make a contribution to NPE and receive a personalized copy of Reign of Error by Diane Ravitch
Pre-order Reign of Error by September 15th. There is a limited number of special signed copies!
The Network for Public Education is pleased to offer our friends an opportunity to pre-order a copy of Diane Ravitch’s new book Reign of Error signed by the author for a contribution of $100 to NPE. For a $200 contribution, Diane will inscribe her latest release with a personal message.
Here is an excerpt from an early review:
“When it comes to education, notoriously plagued by fads, it’s always difficult to determine truth. Ravitch, however, earns the benefit of the doubt by the supporting facts, figures, and graphs she brings to her argument, a lifetime of scholarship, and experience in and out of government”
Reign of Error is shaping up to be the biggest education release of the year. It looks to change the dialogue about education reform in the same way that Diane’s 2010 publication, The Death and Life of the Great American School System brought new attention to the plight of our public schools.
Make a donation to NPE and we will ship your personalized copy of Reign of Error via USPS by September 18.
It is easy to make a donation with PayPal. Choose an option below.
Make a $100 contribution and receive a signed copy of Reign of Error by Diane Ravitch.
Make a $200 contribution and receive a copy of Reign of Error signed with a personal dedication of your choice by Diane.
Over the past several months, I have honored several superintendents who have stood up for their students, their staff, and their community schools.
I have identified hero superintendents in Michigan, New York, Oklahoma, Illinois, and elsewhere. We need to find them and thank them.
These are men and women who have upheld their ethical responsibility to their profession and to children.
They have spoken out boldly and fearlessly against the misuse of standardized tests to judge teacher quality and to label schools as “failing.” They have spoken in support of professional standards for teachers and for teacher and principal evaluation. They have withstood the bullying of uninformed politicians and arrogant policymakers. They have refused to bow to misguided conventional wisdom. They have been a source of wisdom and inspiration for their staff and their community.
When the superintendent is a hero, he or she enables the staff to act with dignity and professionalism.
Do you have a hero superintendent in your community?
If so, send me public statements they have made so I may highlight their courage and integrity.
Mark Naison is one of the founders of BAT, the Badass Teachers Association. He says that what is happening to public education today is nothing less than a coup d’état, a stealthy takeover of public education by elites who know little or nothing about education. Some do it for the power; some for greed; some for ideology. Whatever their reason, it is time to resist.
Naison writes:
“There Has Been an Education Coup D’Etat In the US- Time to Organize Resistance”
“When a country has suffered a Coup D’Etat, as Chile did in the 1970’s, or a foreign invasion, as France did during the start of World War II, it takes a while for the population to figure out how to resist. Some collaborate, some passively conform, some pretend compliance and grimly go about their business, some move into active resistance, even at the risk of their lives
“While it would be foolish to pretend that what has happened to education in the US in the last ten years has had the same life threatening consequences, it does have many of the elements of a Coup D’Etat. A well financed and highly motivated elite with little or no background in teaching or school administration has seized control of Education Policy in the US, excluding teachers and parents voices, and has imposed a grim test regimen on the nation’s public schools that has driven joy and creativity out of our classrooms and made teachers hate their jobs. The Common Core Standards, imposed with lightning speed across the country through bribery and intimidation is but the latest example of how School Reformers borrow the ethos and strategy of dictators to impose their policies. Teachers, parents, and students who have had no chance to discuss the standards, much less see them in operation before deciding whether to support them, are presented with a fate d’accompli and told they are undermining national progress if they dare to ask questions, and if they are teachers or principals, told that opposition can cost them their jobs
“Well, despite the intimidation, a resistance has emerged, composed of parent opt out groups, anti- testing and anti-Common Core Coalitions, and this group, the Badass Teachers Association. With Common Core now part of professional development for teachers in most school districts, it is time to help the resistance spread. Just letting teachers know there is a group like BATS which thinks current policies are crazy is an important step. We now have a one page document in the files that you can print out and distribute to colleagues.
“Please discretely hand this out to your colleagues and friends. Most will probably not want to join, but knowing there is a resistance of this size and militancy will give them courage and make them feel empowered to resist covertly, in their own classrooms. And who knows, over time, they may join us
“But the important thing is to spread the word. Let people know that 26,000 teachers across the country have said “enough is enough” to top down Education Reform and are determined to fight back.
“It’s not only our jobs that are at stake, it is our students and our children’s education, and the future of democracy in this country that are on the line.”
After much deliberation, I have decided to support Bill de Blasio for mayor of New York City.
I thought long and hard, because I know and respect some of the other candidates.
I issued the following statement to the de Blasio campaign.
“I am proud to support Bill de Blasio for mayor of New York City. I support him because I believe he will be a great mayor with a fresh vision for the city, its families, and its children. It’s time for a change. Bill de Blasio knows that he must rebuild the city’s school system so that there is a good public school in every neighborhood. I endorse his plan to ask the wealthy to pay a little more in taxes so the city can provide universal pre-kindergarten for all four-year-olds and more after-school programs for middle-school students who need them. I am proud to stand with Bill de Blasio for a better New York City.”
Bill de Blasio understands that the mayor must stand up for all 1.1 million students in the New York City school system and make the system function well for all of them.
He knows that public education will suffer if the city continues on its present course of privatization, high-stakes testing, and closing of neighborhood schools. He understands that churn and disruption are bad for children, bad for families, bad for schools, and bad for communities.
Bill de Blasio recognizes that this is a time to build anew. It is time for fresh ideas, new thinking, a recognition that the life of every child is precious and that public education is a cornerstone of our democracy.
If he is elected mayor, I believe Bill de Blasio will use his position to strengthen public education, to listen to parents, and to give educators the respect they deserve for the work they do daily.
He realizes that schools can’t do the job alone, which is why he has pledged to increase spending for early childhood education and after-school programs and to reduce class sizes.
These are research-based programs that the children of New York City need.
Is he an idealist, as some charge? Yes. Does he offer hope for a better future? Yes.
Bill de Blasio will work to provide equal opportunity for all of New York City’s children.
This is his goal, and it is mine too.
And that is why I endorse him for mayor.
Larry Lee is a native of Alabama who has taken a great interest in community schools. A few years ago, he was the lead author of a report about ten outstanding rural schools in Alabama. If you read it, you may find yourself crying when you learn how hard parents, teachers, principals, and communities are struggling to educate the children of poor rural communities. He wrote about the importance of creating a culture of expectations and building trust among parents and the community. He wrote about schools that “build a sense of family.” Larry, who is a member of the board of the Network for Public Education, was not a supporter of the Alabama Accountability Act. He didn’t see how it would help build the trust and community support that he knew was crucial to these rural schools that were struggling to do their best against the odds. When he read an article in the Alabama press written by Beltway insiders Chester E. Finn, Jr., and Michael Petrilli, he was not at all pleased. He wrote a letter.
Dear Mr. Finn,
You and Michael Petrilli recently had an op-ed piece on al.com that stated in the lead paragraph….
Cotton State conservatives are rightfully proud of the brand-new Alabama Accountability Act, which will allow thousands of students to escape failing public schools starting this fall, and take publicly-funded scholarships to the private schools of their choice. Experience from other states indicates that these scholarships will provide a lifeline to the children in the 79 failing schools recently identified by state superintendent Tommy Bice.
Since I live in Montgomery, Alabama, and spend a great deal of time staying abreast of education issues in this state, I would like to comment on your op-ed.
Obviously you have little knowledge of the Alabama Accountability Act, and even less knowledge of Alabama and the “failing” schools identified. (which are 78, not 79 as stated in your article.)
School began here on aug. 19, the day your article appeared, so those students from “failing” schools who are availing themselves of the opportunity to transfer have largely done so by now.
and you might be interested in knowing that rather than the “thousands of students” you predict will escape, the number as of thursday afternoon was 6. as in SIX. that’s right, out of nearly 30,000 kids who attend these 78 schools, only six (as of the afternoon of aug. 22) were transferring.
After all the chest pounding and grand standing by those legislators who passed this law and boasted that they made sure no one in education knew what they were doing, after all the work done by the state department of education and the revenue department to come up with data, to reprogram computers, to come up with new rules, to set up new units to deal with this law, after more than $50 million was set aside from this coming fiscal year’s education trust fund budget to offset the impact of this law—it is a HUGE FAIL.
It is the Hindenburg of Alabama legislation. and I’ve been watching for a long time since I am older than you are.
The numbers never worked. It was no more than a fairy tale. It defied logic. It ignored reality.
Rather than asking two very important questions 1) why are these schools failing and 2) what can we do to help them, it instead twisted the old adage “if you are in a hole you need to stop digging,” into “if you are in a hole, you need a bigger shovel.”
My hope and prayer is that if we learned just one thing from this very expensive and pointless exercise, it is that anytime this state sets out to develop education policy, professional educators should be at the table.
Larry Lee
334-787-0410Education precedes Prosperity
334-787-0410Education precedes Prosperity
A large national alliance of civil rights organizations has joined under the umbrella heading of “Journey for Justice.”
This coalition has called for the resignation of Secretary of Education Arne Duncan.
To understand why, read the flyer it distributed.
Anyone who thinks that closing public schools and replacing them with privately managed charters and with vouchers is somehow part of the civil rights movement has no understanding of the purposes of the civil rights movement.
It was not to destroy the public sector but to assure access to good education, decent housing, and jobs without any racial discrimination.
It struggled for equality of educational opportunity, not privatization or a “race to the top.”.
It did not claim that poverty could be cured by “fixing” schools or privatizing them.
It demanded an end to poverty by creating jobs and justice.
It fought segregation in schools and housing.
That vision is not the vision of the corporate reform movement in education today.
It fights not for equality of opportunity but for a market-based system of winners and losers.
It accepts segregation as tolerable.
It is not a civil rights movement.
The Journey for Justice calls out these contradictions and speaks truth to power.
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It is a curious fact that there has never been a
successful,state takeover of a local school district. Correct me if
I am wrong. Maybe there is one somewhere but I don’t know of any.
Pennsylvania took control of Philadelphia in 2001, and Philadelphia
is near bankruptcy. New York took control of the Roosevelt school
district and increased its debt. New Jersey controls several of the
state’s lowest performing districts, some for decades, which have
remained troubled. State takeover, it may be said, has no track
record of success. That’s why I applaud the Virginia School Boards Association and
the Norfolk schools for suing the state to block
legislation intended to void local control. When schools are
floundering, they need help, and the state should provide it
without delay. But academic trouble should not be a rationale for
short-circuiting democracy. Message to states: Work with the people
in the community, not against them.
This is a stunning analysis of the relationship between labor unions and the Democratic Party.
It is a must-read.
Many in education have been baffled by the bipartisan consensus around Republican ideology. Micah Uetricht is not baffled. He says without hedging that “Democrats have swallowed the Right’s free market orthodoxy whole. Much of the party appears to have given up on education as a public project.”
Teachers unions, he writes, have been unable to articulate a coherent response to their abandonment.
That is, until last September, when the Chicago Teachers Union went on strike. He writes:
“The union has been unafraid to identify the education reform agenda pushed by Mayor Rahm Emanuel and his party nationally as an attempt to exacerbate inequalities within the education system, strip teachers of power and erode their standards of living, and chip away at public education as an institution, and to call such Democrats enemies. Rather than continuing an insider strategy that has netted so little for the rest of labor over the years, the CTU has entered into open opposition with the neoliberal wing of the party.”
This is an important development. And this is an essay you must read.
