Parent Leaders in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, Oppose Gulen Charter School
Two parent leaders in Lancaster, Pennsylvania–John MGrann and Dennis Deslippe–are organizing opposition to a Gulen charter in their community. The Gulen charters are the largest charter chain in the nation. They are associated with a reclusive Turkish imam who lives in the Poconos but has a powerful political movement in Turkey.
This is their petition:
The application for a new charter school in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, has generated a strong public response in
This is their petition:
The application for a new charter school in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, has generated a strong public response in
Activists in Four States Organize to Support Public Education
If you are in Indiana, Michigan, Ohio, or Illinois–or anywhere else–please join with parents, students, and educators to support public schools. These states have been targets for rightwing demands for privatization. Enough is enough. Time to organize and mobilize to fend off the attacks on teachers, principals, and public schools.
Time For Action Update:
Parents Across America, in cooperation with Northeast Indiana Friends of Public Education and with other grassroots groups, invites you to “Public Schools Across America,” a 4-state Regional Action Planning Meeting.
Time For Action Update:
Parents Across America, in cooperation with Northeast Indiana Friends of Public Education and with other grassroots groups, invites you to “Public Schools Across America,” a 4-state Regional Action Planning Meeting.
Save Texas Schools Rally This Saturday!
I will be in Austin this Saturday to support the children and educators of Texas. Please join me!
Final Countdown
Save Texas Schools March & Rally This Saturday!
Dear Save Texas Schools Supporter,
WE NEED YOU to join thousands from across Texas calling for an end to under-funding and over-testing our children! This is a crucial week at the legislature, with education funding and testing bills being considered. An overwhelming response on Saturday can provide the momentum to turn the tide.
Confirmed speakers include Diane Ravitch, Supt. John Kuhn, Supt. Mary Ann Whitaker, former TEA Commissioner Robert Scott, Dineen Majcher from TAMSA and other Texas business, student, teacher and parent leaders.
According to Politifact, Texas put 25% LESS funding into schools in 2012 than in 2002, while requiring more and more from schools.
Now is the time to stand up to the state and say, “Put the funding back into schools.” Texas kids can’t be left standing outside a courtroom door for the support they need today!
Rally Details
11 am march on Congress Ave., noon to 1:30 pm rally at the Capitol.
Expected Attendance: HUGE! Let’s top 2011′s record of 13,000.
Save Texas Schools is launching a petition drive this week to call for a return of the $5.4 billion needlessly cut from public education in 2011. Sign today and make sure that our legislators hear loud and clear that Texas Kids Can’t Wait!
Just Added
Friday Night Dinner with Diane Ravitch
STS is sponsoring a pre-rally dinner with nationally-known education reformer Diane Ravitch on Friday, Feb. 22 at First United Methodist Church (west side of state capitol) from 6-8 pm. Light dinner included ($10 suggested donation). Click here to register. Open to the public.
Save Texas Schools | 5604 Manor Rd. | Austin | TX | 78723
Final Countdown
Save Texas Schools March & Rally This Saturday!
Dear Save Texas Schools Supporter,
WE NEED YOU to join thousands from across Texas calling for an end to under-funding and over-testing our children! This is a crucial week at the legislature, with education funding and testing bills being considered. An overwhelming response on Saturday can provide the momentum to turn the tide.
Confirmed speakers include Diane Ravitch, Supt. John Kuhn, Supt. Mary Ann Whitaker, former TEA Commissioner Robert Scott, Dineen Majcher from TAMSA and other Texas business, student, teacher and parent leaders.
According to Politifact, Texas put 25% LESS funding into schools in 2012 than in 2002, while requiring more and more from schools.
Now is the time to stand up to the state and say, “Put the funding back into schools.” Texas kids can’t be left standing outside a courtroom door for the support they need today!
Rally Details
11 am march on Congress Ave., noon to 1:30 pm rally at the Capitol.
Expected Attendance: HUGE! Let’s top 2011′s record of 13,000.
Save Texas Schools is launching a petition drive this week to call for a return of the $5.4 billion needlessly cut from public education in 2011. Sign today and make sure that our legislators hear loud and clear that Texas Kids Can’t Wait!
Just Added
Friday Night Dinner with Diane Ravitch
STS is sponsoring a pre-rally dinner with nationally-known education reformer Diane Ravitch on Friday, Feb. 22 at First United Methodist Church (west side of state capitol) from 6-8 pm. Light dinner included ($10 suggested donation). Click here to register. Open to the public.
Save Texas Schools | 5604 Manor Rd. | Austin | TX | 78723
Corporate Greed Sweeps Away Public Schools in Philadelphia
Abetted by the example of Race to the Top, as well as encouragement from the Gates Foundation, the William Penn Foundation, and the rightwing Corbett administration in Harrisburg, the state-appointed School Reform Commission in Philadelphia is poised to close an unprecedented number of Philadelphia public schools. The schools are under enrolled, says the commission, but the commission created the under-enrollment by opening charter schools. now Philadelphia will run a dual system, like many other cities, even though the charters are no better than the public schools.
Cui bono?
Cui bono?
How Tony Bennett Won While Losing
Dan Carpenter explains here how defeated superintendent Tony Bennett plans to keep control of Indiana even though he is now state superintendent in Florida.
Those corporate reformers love to mess up schools and communities with their big ideas.
They don’t like democracy.
Those corporate reformers love to mess up schools and communities with their big ideas.
They don’t like democracy.
When “Reality” Shows Lie
A reader commented on Oprah’s television mockumentary about the “miracle” of charter schools in New Orleans. By the state’s own data, New Orleans ranks 70th of 70 districts. By the admission of the pro-charter Cowen Institute at Tulane, two-thirds of the charters are “failing” schools. But the myth lives on. Another zombie idea.
Now we have the reality TV circuit manufacturing an image (note the overlapping soundtrack) to reinforce the charter school myth. What reality TV constructs is research-lite. It proposes to give insight, yet in this case, the proposal is cloaked with the intent to forward the privatization of education –research bias at its finest. What is consistently apparent in charter schools is the pick and choose basis of its student population while siphoning monies intended for public education –education as commodity while the neo-liberal train rolls on.
A disturbing actuality about the reality-genre, is that TV shows in the past (from Leave it to Beaver to Family Ties
Now we have the reality TV circuit manufacturing an image (note the overlapping soundtrack) to reinforce the charter school myth. What reality TV constructs is research-lite. It proposes to give insight, yet in this case, the proposal is cloaked with the intent to forward the privatization of education –research bias at its finest. What is consistently apparent in charter schools is the pick and choose basis of its student population while siphoning monies intended for public education –education as commodity while the neo-liberal train rolls on.
A disturbing actuality about the reality-genre, is that TV shows in the past (from Leave it to Beaver to Family Ties
LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH 2-18-13 Diane Ravitch's blog
Diane Ravitch's blog: [image: Click on picture to Listen to Diane Ravitch] Inside the Interlocking Directorate of Corporate Reform by dianerav In this installment of her investigative analysis of the National Council on Teacher Quality, Mercedes Schneider reviews the career of Deborah McGriff. This provides a fascinating insight into the tangled web of the corporate reform movement. How Mayor Vincent Gray Is Failing DC Students by dianerav During Michelle Rhee’s book tour, the nation will hear a lot of claims about the dramatic changes she imposed on the D.C. schools, which qua... more »
