StudentsFirst ‘parent trigger’ petition: Phony signatures?
A petition in support of “parent trigger” legislation in Florida spearheaded by StudentsFirst, Michelle Rhee’s education advocacy group, apparently has numerous signatures on it from people who say they didn’t sign it.That’s what the Miami Herald/Times reported in this story after questions were raised about the authenticity of signatures on the petition and reporters sent e-mails to everybody on it to see if they actually signed it. The story said:
On Sunday, The Herald/Times sent an email to each person who had allegedly signed the online petition. Of the 241 who responded, 212 confirmed their signatures. … But 29 people said they had not signed the petition….
“I did NOT join my name to a petition in support of the so-called Parent Empowerment Act,” wrote John Raymaker, of Tallahassee. “Instead, I signed a petition OPPOSING this act. More deceitful, incredibly dishonest tactics!”
E-mails I sent to StudentsFirst spokeswoman Ileana Wachtel went unanswered. The Herald quoted StudentsFirst Regional Press Secretary Calvin Harris as saying the group “stands by the authenticity of
State funding for preschool drops as Obama calls for expansion
State funding for preschool across the country dropped last school year after a decade of growth, tapping the brakes on the quality and reach of programs as President Obama has called for a massive expansion of early childhood education, according to a national survey scheduled for release Monday.
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