Michigan’s Emergency Manager Law Repealed
Michigan Governor Rick Snyder was rebuked by voters yesterday as they repealed the law that gave dictatorial powers to emergency managers appointed by the governor to control fiscally distressed districts.
Public Act 4 of 2011 was rejected by a vote of 52-48.
Snyder installed emergency managers to take control of public education in Detroit, Highland Park, and Muskegon Heights. The managers in the two small districts abolished public education and handed the students to for-profit charter chains to run. The Detroit emergency manager imposed a drastic plan to lay off teachers, privatize many schools, and increase class sizes.
Public Act 4 of 2011 was rejected by a vote of 52-48.
Snyder installed emergency managers to take control of public education in Detroit, Highland Park, and Muskegon Heights. The managers in the two small districts abolished public education and handed the students to for-profit charter chains to run. The Detroit emergency manager imposed a drastic plan to lay off teachers, privatize many schools, and increase class sizes.
Warning!! Washington State Ain’t Over Yet!
Hold off on popping the champagne corks, corporate reformers.
Voters in Washington State advise that the state is an all-mail-in state and many ballots have not yet been counted.
This from one reader:
It’s not over yet. There are still over 600,000 ballots to be counted and nearly 300,000 of those are from the two largest metropolitan areas. One of those counties is leaning no and the other is ever so slightly leaning yes. I’m still hopeful that the balance will change. Oh, and in WA, it’s not terribly uncommon for the voters to pass an initiative and for the courts to overturn it. Our I-1185 is definitely going to pass like several times before, but the courts keep determining the basic concept of the initiative illegal. I am hopeful that if the charter school initiative
Voters in Washington State advise that the state is an all-mail-in state and many ballots have not yet been counted.
This from one reader:
It’s not over yet. There are still over 600,000 ballots to be counted and nearly 300,000 of those are from the two largest metropolitan areas. One of those counties is leaning no and the other is ever so slightly leaning yes. I’m still hopeful that the balance will change. Oh, and in WA, it’s not terribly uncommon for the voters to pass an initiative and for the courts to overturn it. Our I-1185 is definitely going to pass like several times before, but the courts keep determining the basic concept of the initiative illegal. I am hopeful that if the charter school initiative
The Bill Gates Challenge
Now that Bill Gates and his billionaire buddies have managed to buy a law authorizing charter schools in Washington State, over the objection of virtually every education-related group in the state, almost every parent association, local school boards, superintendents, principals teachers, and the League of Women Voters, it is time for him to show his real faith in charters.
Bill, put your children in the first charter school to open in Washington State.
Show that you really believe in them.
Demonstrate your sincerity.
Not for other people’s children, but for yours too.
Bill, you know there is no evidence for the superiority of charters ov
Bill, put your children in the first charter school to open in Washington State.
Show that you really believe in them.
Demonstrate your sincerity.
Not for other people’s children, but for yours too.
Bill, you know there is no evidence for the superiority of charters ov
Billionaires Buy Charter Law in Washington State–but Just Barely
Bill Gates, Alice Walton, the Bezos family (of amazon.com) and a handful of other billionaires poured more than $10 million into a charter referendum in Washington State and won, but just barely.
For their investment, the state gets 40 charter schools over the next five years. Watch for new legislation and more millions to lift the cap.
Watch charter schools drain resources from public schools.
Watch the privatization movement pick up steam as Gates and Walton use their richest to persuade voters to abandon public schools for privately managed schools.
These are the latest results:
For their investment, the state gets 40 charter schools over the next five years. Watch for new legislation and more millions to lift the cap.
Watch charter schools drain resources from public schools.
Watch the privatization movement pick up steam as Gates and Walton use their richest to persuade voters to abandon public schools for privately managed schools.
These are the latest results:
Teacher: Stop the Scripting!
A frustrated teacher writes:
I am in my 21st year of teaching and have been close to quitting every year for the last six years. The pressures to conform and follow a script even when I know it’s bad for kids have been really, really stressful. I am a creative teacher, and I feel like I’m fighting for the right to work 3 times harder than I have to. We now have teachers who are “script followers” telling those of us who aren’t standardized that we are sub-par because we actually plan our lessons rather than doling out prefabricated workbook pages. I haven’t quit yet because I’m not sure what else I would do– teaching is truly a calling for me. I also have a great, supportive principal who gives me the autonomy I need to get the job done– which I do with most kids. As for the shortage– our small
I am in my 21st year of teaching and have been close to quitting every year for the last six years. The pressures to conform and follow a script even when I know it’s bad for kids have been really, really stressful. I am a creative teacher, and I feel like I’m fighting for the right to work 3 times harder than I have to. We now have teachers who are “script followers” telling those of us who aren’t standardized that we are sub-par because we actually plan our lessons rather than doling out prefabricated workbook pages. I haven’t quit yet because I’m not sure what else I would do– teaching is truly a calling for me. I also have a great, supportive principal who gives me the autonomy I need to get the job done– which I do with most kids. As for the shortage– our small
The Most Important Education Vote Yesterday
The most important education vote yesterday occurred in Indiana.
As the Fort Wayne Journal-Gazette pointed out in its editorial, this election has national implications.
Tony Bennett had become the face of rightwing reform in America.
His mission was to bring the ALEC agenda to life in the Hoosier State.
He was head of Jeb Bush’s Chiefs for Change, the group of state superintendents that were most eager to privatize public education, expand charters and vouchers, turn children over to for-profit corporations, and reduce
As the Fort Wayne Journal-Gazette pointed out in its editorial, this election has national implications.
Tony Bennett had become the face of rightwing reform in America.
His mission was to bring the ALEC agenda to life in the Hoosier State.
He was head of Jeb Bush’s Chiefs for Change, the group of state superintendents that were most eager to privatize public education, expand charters and vouchers, turn children over to for-profit corporations, and reduce
Luna Laws in Idaho Go Down to Stunning Defeat
Voters in Idaho gave Mitt Romney a landslide but simultaneously voted overwhelmingly to repeal the “Luna Laws,” the brainchild of state superintendent Tom Luna.
This stunning victory for public education demonstrates that not even red-state Republicans are prepared to privatize public education and dismantle the teaching profession.
The Luna Laws imposed a mandate for online courses for high school graduates (a favorite of candidates funded by technology companies), made test scores the measure of teacher quality, provided bonuses for teachers
This stunning victory for public education demonstrates that not even red-state Republicans are prepared to privatize public education and dismantle the teaching profession.
The Luna Laws imposed a mandate for online courses for high school graduates (a favorite of candidates funded by technology companies), made test scores the measure of teacher quality, provided bonuses for teachers
Why Do Hedge Fund Managers Love Charters?
Julian Vasquez Heilig has a scintillating new post on one of the most interesting questions of our age:
Why do hedge fund managers adore charters?
Many sit on charter boards.
They have their own PAC called Democrats for Education Reform to spread campaign cash to charter-friendly
Why do hedge fund managers adore charters?
Many sit on charter boards.
They have their own PAC called Democrats for Education Reform to spread campaign cash to charter-friendly
Indifferent to Kids–and Proud of It!
Good news from Colorado
Stand for Choldren endorsed five Republican candidates in Colorado, and all five lost!
A friend in Denver reports:
“In addition to going for Obama tonight, Colorado stood up to Stand for Children. All 5 Democratic candidates where SFC supported Republican opponents won, albeit one by 115 votes.
“Maybe they have overstepped their “power.” And earlier in the day I heard the Colorado Executive Director of said organization resigned.
“Now back to getting public education back.”
A friend in Denver reports:
“In addition to going for Obama tonight, Colorado stood up to Stand for Children. All 5 Democratic candidates where SFC supported Republican opponents won, albeit one by 115 votes.
“Maybe they have overstepped their “power.” And earlier in the day I heard the Colorado Executive Director of said organization resigned.
“Now back to getting public education back.”
Who Tried to Buy School Elections?
Robert Valiant has launched a website to gather information about who funded campaigns for charters and vouchers and against teachers, unions and public education.
If you have links to newspaper articles or other reliable sources, please post them to this website.
I hope that a law firm or investigative journalist will find out where Rhee collected money and which races she supported. She certainly influenced the legislature in Tennessee, where she helped Republucans gain a super-majority, enabling her ex-husband TFA State Commissioner Kevin Huffman to impose the full rightwing reform
If you have links to newspaper articles or other reliable sources, please post them to this website.
I hope that a law firm or investigative journalist will find out where Rhee collected money and which races she supported. She certainly influenced the legislature in Tennessee, where she helped Republucans gain a super-majority, enabling her ex-husband TFA State Commissioner Kevin Huffman to impose the full rightwing reform
President Obama Re-Elected, and Now…
Now that President Obama has been re-elected, supporters of public education must redouble our efforts to end educational malpractice and rejuvenate American education.
It’s time to stop the privatization of public education.
It’s time to stop using invalid methods to judge teacher quality.
It’s time to stop high-stakes testing.
It’s time to stop closing schools.
It’s time to stop teaching to the tests.
It’s time to end the obsession with
It’s time to stop the privatization of public education.
It’s time to stop using invalid methods to judge teacher quality.
It’s time to stop high-stakes testing.
It’s time to stop closing schools.
It’s time to stop teaching to the tests.
It’s time to end the obsession with