We need lawmakers willing to make the wealthy pay their fair share so the rest of us get the civil society we deserve – and that includes paying for the pension obligations we’ve already incurred.
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Armed with bundles of cash from the Walton Family and others, Allen has been organizing functionaries to disrupt Democratic rallies across the country including a speech by Warren in Atlanta last month. I wonder how she’s moving her protestors around – perhaps utilizing $2 million a year private jets like the one leased by Texas-based charter chain IDEA.
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There is a saying often used in politics in Virginia, “No permanent friends, no permanent enemies.” Let us assure you Governor Northam and General Assembly members, that is not what we teach the children. We teach them to not take advantage of their friends because a friend wouldn’t do that. Or if you’ve already learned that lesson, you could just break down and do the right thing. #FundOurSchools
The fundamental problem is Oakland has a dual education system with 37,000 students in public schools and 15,000 in charter schools. It costs more to operate two systems. Every school district in California that has more than 10% of their students in charter schools has severe financial problems. Oakland has the largest percentage of charter school students in the state with 29% so financial issues should be the expectation.
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Why is it that lunch-shaming stories never shame those who take lunch out of the hands and mouths of children?
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One of our BAT members posted a summary of each presidential candidate after their time at the 2019 #PublicEdForum. We found each summary to be insightful and worthy of a compilation post. Shannon Ergun is a long-time BAT from Washington and both actively involved in BATs, her local and state union, as well as, the NEA BAT Caucus, serving as the Treasurer.
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We are headed back to the pre-Civil Rights era. One where white people may exercise their privilege in ways too terrible to imagine. Is EVIL returning?
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Charter schools siphon money from authentic public schools serving the neediest students creating a deficit spiral. Money gushes out of public districts which have to cut teachers and programs to patch budget gaps which in turn result in even more parents pulling their children out of the public schools and trying to enroll them in charters.
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In an apparent reaction to the 2014 school board election, new Republican Governor Asa Hutchinson and the state of Arkansas assumed stewardship of Little Rock School District (LRSD). A law passed January 28, 2015 authorizing the takeover requires the state to give control back to Little Rock voters by January, 2020. New racially motivated proposals hearkening back to the days of openly racist governor, Orville Faubus, ensure minority residents lose their democratic rights. Big money from the Waltons – The world’s wealthiest family – is driving privatization and segregation within LRSD
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Until society commits to supporting its children with equitable resources, social justice and an evaluation system that’s more valid than standardized testing, the next generation will continue to struggle.
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Read our November State News highlights!
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Under the handle of my classroom door is a red button. That button allows teachers to secure their classrooms from the inside. Before the red button, teachers used their keys to lock their doors from the hallway. The mechanism protects us, but during the first lockdown of the school year, my red button fails to engage.
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So when white billionaires pour cash to charter school lobbying groups – as the Walton’s did Thursday for charter school protestors at an Elizabeth Warren rally – it isn’t exactly convincing.
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i-Ready sells digital math and English lessons to school districts. It provides diagnostic testing which recommends interventions for struggling students that it then provides. i-Ready’s pedagogy embraces competency based education (CBE) a theory promoted by the US Department of Education and blended learning theory also financially supported by the federal government. CBE is the latest name for an education theory that failed in both the 1970’s and 1990’s. Blended learning theory is an experiment with almost no research supporting it but lots of research pointing to its health risks. Students dislike i-Ready.
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Denver voters rejected the portfolio model of school management on Tuesday. Candidates endorsed by the teachers union were the victors and the “corporate school reform” candidates lost. Leading up to the election, the education focused publication Chalkbeat pointed out,
Libertarianism views modern governments, with their reach and regulation of society, as an evil to be curtailed. Libertarians question why a government should be allowed to take their money (note the sense of private property) and give it to others in the form of welfare programs, research grants, health insurance and benefits, provision of a pension, and education. (Especially education.)
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Republicans don’t seem to get the message. Voters – regardless of political affiliation – care about public schools.
Jump into November with your commitment to get out and vote! Speaking of elections, we want to take a minute to thank everyone that has stepped up to run for office in the name of fighting for public education, or those that worked on campaigns for candidates that they believe will best represent what we value.
Read MoreBAT leaders, state admins and members have been very busy on the streets, either working for campaigns or running for elections! We did a quick check this morning to get an idea of what everyone is going to be watching at the polls tomorrow. Here’s the rundown.
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