yes it is a war on teachers
well beyond the war on other public workers such as that waged by Scott Walker and others in the thrall of ALEC.
This is war on those who would help the "other children" to be successful.
This is a war on those who might teach students to think independently, which is a major threat to the corporate domination of American politics
This is war to take resources and privatize them in a grab for more than half a trillion of annual spending on public schools
This is a war to "prove" that public schools are "failing" to justify, a la Shock Doctrine, abandoning them from their essential mission, which includes preparing them to be active citizens in a liberal democracy, and created a compliant, submissive work force that will not challenge authority
This is war to take away models of people who do things not primarily for the profit motive, which by their example inspires others to think beyond the profit motive
This is war to create a Hobbesian world of a war of every man against every other man - by calling it Race it implies that most will be losers, to which when that is pointed out corporatizers will say that represents real world reality.
NO IT DOESN'T. It represents a particular distortion of reality which privatizes profits and the use of public resources and socializes the real costs on to those who are excluded from the decision making process.
Cato kept repeating that Carthage must be destroyed. The "reformers" keep attacking teachers because that is the foundation on which meaningful public education is built.
This is war on those who would help the "other children" to be successful.
This is a war on those who might teach students to think independently, which is a major threat to the corporate domination of American politics
This is war to take resources and privatize them in a grab for more than half a trillion of annual spending on public schools
This is a war to "prove" that public schools are "failing" to justify, a la Shock Doctrine, abandoning them from their essential mission, which includes preparing them to be active citizens in a liberal democracy, and created a compliant, submissive work force that will not challenge authority
This is war to take away models of people who do things not primarily for the profit motive, which by their example inspires others to think beyond the profit motive
This is war to create a Hobbesian world of a war of every man against every other man - by calling it Race it implies that most will be losers, to which when that is pointed out corporatizers will say that represents real world reality.
NO IT DOESN'T. It represents a particular distortion of reality which privatizes profits and the use of public resources and socializes the real costs on to those who are excluded from the decision making process.
Cato kept repeating that Carthage must be destroyed. The "reformers" keep attacking teachers because that is the foundation on which meaningful public education is built.
Right and Wrong Answers on School Safety
Here’s a multiple-choice quiz:Which of the following should be part of a model school safety plan?That is the beginning of this Huffington Post piece by Marian Wright Edelman. I am NOT going to quote any more. You should read it.
a) Proven evidence-based models for school violence reduction that focus on preventing misbehavior and violence by promoting a healthy, positive school climate.
b) Threat assessment, emphasis on positive behavioral interventions, social and emotional learning, nonviolent conflict resolution, and community engagement including parents, students, educators, and faith and civic leaders.
c) Trained mental health professionals (social workers and psychologists) and school counselors to identify problems early and support students and educators.
d) Keeping school doors locked after the start of the school day, creating a space where children are safe to learn and teachers are safe to teach.
e) Putting armed guards and more guns in every school in America.
f) Arming teachers and principals.
g) Putting law enforcement in charge of school safety and school discipline.
If you answered e), f), and g) give yourself a failing grade. Despite the loud voice of the National Rifle Association (NRA), scholars, experts on school safety, and teachers overwhelmingly disagree with turning schools into armed camps rather than places of nonviolent positive learning. School safety is a non-negotiable priority. The current national debate about how best to achieve school safety is a natural result of the horror we feel when violence happens at a school like the unbearable Newtown, Connecticut massacre of 20 small children and their teachers. We must do all we can to end school and community violence, but we need to make the right choices and make sure the solutions are effective and do not create other dangerous consequences for children.
You should bookmark it.
You should pass it on to others.
But I have a few words of my own to add below.