Monday, April 22, 2013

NPE News Briefs ← from The Network for Public Education

NPE News Briefs ← from The Network for Public Education:


Greetings! 

This is a Special Edition of our newsletter, to announce an exciting new feature: The NPE Newsblog. 

If you are "in the know" you might have seen an email titled The Pennsylvania Education Crisis Highlights, edited by Ken Derstine. Ken assembles the hottest stories from around the country, and offers a bit of his own analysis on the trends he is observing. It is a great way to capture a sense of everything happening, and he has brought this to our NPE web site. Please visit, and bookmark or subscribe to this page to stay informed about what is happening in the fight to save our schools. 

 Please share this newsletter with friends, so we can build our network of those working to support our schools. If you would like to make a donation, or become a member, you can do so here. And don't forget to "like us" on Facebook, and follow us on Twitter!


NPE News Editor's Note
Corporate Reform is Teetering

Dear Friends,
Today's articles show a perfect storm developing against corporate education reform. What the response will be from the corporate reformers remains to be seen, but today's articles show there is a rising awareness of and opposition to corporate reform. From opposition to Common Core developing on all sides of the political spectrum, to rising opposition by parents to high-stakes testing, to rising opposition to the Gates inBloom data-sharing project, to the incredible backtracking in an LA Times interview by Michelle Rhee to what she has been saying about high-stakes testing and teacher evaluations for the last ten years, to the rejection by the Tennessee legislature of charter expansion; today's links show that the house of cards that is corporate education reform is teetering.  Now is the time to make your voice heard. Seize the time!



Ken Derstine
Editor, NPE News
Slogan Chosen: "Public Education is Not For Sale!"

Thanks to the hundreds of you who offered slogans or voted to help us choose the best one. The winner of the runoff, with more than 50% of the vote, was Public Education is Not for Sale!
Please go here to our new store.Proceeds will support the cause. 
NPE Webinar #2: Student Organizing 101

Student Organizing Webinar: Tuesday, April 30, 8:30 pm Eastern

Featuring student activists Stephanie Riviera, Sarah Smith and Israel Munoz.

These dynamic students will discuss the ways they have taken action to affect change around their own educational futures, and provide suggestions and advice for other students who want to do the same.

Stephanie is enrolled at Rutgers, and is a founder of Students United for Public Education. Sarah Smith participated in protests at the state capital of Wisconsin against Scott Walker, and now attends the University of Wisconsin in Madison.

Israel Muñoz is a high school student in Chicago, active in Chicago Students Organized to Save Our Schools. He has been involved in the fight to stop the closing of more than fifty schools there.  
 
Register here . You will be emailed a link to the webinar a day or two before the event. 
Please forward this newsletter far and wide! 
 
In solidarity,
 
NPE sq

The Network For Public Education