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Thursday, May 31, 2012

Geaux Teacher!: TEACHERS' LETTERS TO OBAMA

Geaux Teacher!: TEACHERS' LETTERS TO OBAMA:
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TEACHERS' LETTERS TO OBAMA

I have posted a recent resolution to President Obama from the American Federation of Teachers and an Open Letter to President Obama written in April by the President of the National School Boards Association.

In November of 2009 TEACHERS began an initiative of writing letters to Obama. This action was led by National Board Certified Teacher Anthony Cody. It is important to note that TEACHERS were the leaders in recognizing the vagaries of the current wave of public education "reform." Teachers were the first to bravely push back and speak out, and teachers continue to work hard to turn around the highly politicized movement to privatize our public education system.


OPEN LETTER TO PRESIDENT OBAMA

By Anthony Cody on November 2, 2009


Dear President Obama,


I was one of the millions of teachers across the USA who actively supported your candidacy. I organized a fundraiser with fellow educators, and walked my neighborhood precinct during the primary. I used my blog onTeacher Magazine to share your vision. I took heart when I read on your campaign website:

Obama believes teachers should not be forced to spend the academic year preparing students to fill in bubbles on standardized tests. He will improve the assessments used to track student progress to measure readiness for college and the workplace and improve student learning in a timely, individualized manner. Obama will also improve NCLB's accountability system so that we are supporting schools that need improvement, rather than punishing them.

NSBA PRESIDENT'S LETTER TO OBAMA

My previous entry posted the just-published resolution by the American Federation of Teachers Executive Council. Teachers are being called union thugs and accused of only being concerned about their pay and "expansive" benefits.

This letter was published in April by the President of the National School Boards Association. NSBA is an association made up of ELECTED OFFICIALS. They negotiate contracts with unions. Interesting that they see eye-to-eye on the issues of high stakes standardized 
tests and the need for a rich, diverse curriculum which includes the arts.

Letter to Obama by NSBA’s President

April 17, 2012

Dear President Obama:

The night of your election, in Grant Park, you said, “I will listen to you especially when we disagree.” We are all committed to the best educational future for the children of America. Yet, as the nation prepares for the reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA), school board members and top educational thinkers overwhelming urge abandoning the current “command-and-control” federal educational oversight. America’s treasure lies in unleashing the creativity of our youth. Though well-intentioned, the current federal direction is ignoring and working against much of what we know about student motivation and achievement. Instead, the federal government should support local efforts to ignite curiosity, creative potential, and a drive for excellence among students and staff.

AFT EXECUTIVE COUNCIL RESOLUTION

HOW MANY TIMES AND IN HOW MANY WAYS BY HOW MANY QUALIFIED EDUCATORS DOES THIS STATEMENT HAVE TO BE MADE BEFORE IT IS HEARD?Testing Should Inform, Not Impede, Teaching and Learning

PASSED BY EXECUTIVE COUNCIL, MAY 2012 – TO BE RECOMMENDED AT AFT CONVENTION

All children deserve a rich, meaningful public education that prepares them for the opportunities, responsibilities and challenges that await them as they become contributing members of a democratic society. Growing our nation’s future citizens and workers is a serious undertaking that calls for a thoughtful focus on teaching and learning. Since the implementation of the No Child Left Behind Act, the growing fixation on high-stakes testing has undermined that focus, putting at grave risk our students’ learning and their ability to meet the demands of the 21st century economy and fulfill their personal goals.

The current generation of low-level, high-stakes tests—and their extreme misuse as a result of ideologically and politically driven education policy—has not improved our schools. Indeed, several studies have shown the exact opposite: test-based rewards and sanctions for schools have slowed our progress in narrowing the achievement gap and have diverted attention away from many other important educational goals.

Appropriate assessments are an integral part of a high-quality public education. By contrast, the current test-and-punish accountability model has seriously damaged public education. We have lost vital parts of the curriculum because they are not subject to testing. Student learning time has been sacrificed in favor of testing