Harbinger
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In 1923 Adolf Hitler incited an insurrection against the German government.
He was tried, given a slap on the wrist, and became a convicted felon.
Des...
IN: Governor Says No To Dolly Parton's Book Program
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Here at the Institute, we love Dolly Parton's Imagination Library very
much. It is one of the best, most effective philanthropic and educational
programs i...
Teacher in a Strange Land: Who ARE These People?
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Teacher in a Strange Land: Who ARE These People?
or most of my adult life (other than a brief but wonderful stint in the *People’s
Republic of Ann Arbor*)...
Teachers I Respected and Admired–Carmen Wilkinson
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In this series of posts, I draw from my 14 years teaching history in three
urban high schools between the mid-1950s and early 1970s and my experiences
as a...
Strange Science of Reading Law Suit
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By Thomas Ultican 2/20/2025 December 4, 2024, two law firms from New York
and Chicago respectively filed a class action law suit against reading
curriculum...
AMERICA, BOUGHT AND SOLD
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For the sake of argument, let’s assume that your family’s wealth is roughly
average, which means that you’re worth about $1 million, a big jump from
2019. ...
Possible Conflict of Interest for Paul Egan?
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The ABC Caucus is running on transparency, which is refreshing. However, it
appears ABC is only being transparent when it suits itself. "Meet the new
bos...
What is to be done
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https://inthesetimes.com/article/billionaire-takeover-fight-overwhelm?x-craft-preview=91aadebf7c2ec6e3260cf65d85363af8b78f895da98266feb39af65e64616c1cllyco...
Bad Words in Schools
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Over the past few years, I have volunteered in four local schools, in
varied programs. And—as a retired veteran teacher—I understand why
students’ identiti...
Catfight
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When there’s a change in power on a school board, the hope of the
electorate is that they have chosen serious people who will focus on issues
of importance...
We are NOT going to leave the US
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what is below the fold was written as a comment on a piece by Mikey
Weinstein called “There are no words” but also after reading the piece by
Phil in Den...
January Parent Engagement Resources
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Participation in School Activities by Spanish- and English-speaking Parents
of Enrolled Students: 1999–2019 Improve family communication with active
listen...
Who is the new CEO of Teach For America?
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From 1990 until 2013, the CEO of TFA was the founder, Wendy Kopp. Under her
leadership the program grew from a small organization that struggled to
make pa...
The Orange Turd feeds the racists
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The Orange Turd has been feeding red meat to the millions of angry racists
for the past 8 years. He has succeeded in hoodwinking these sad souls into
placi...
Site Index - Updated December 31, 2024
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When I was teaching,
I got tired of hearing how bad American educators were.
*My Promise *
WHEN I STARTED BLOGGING IN 2011, I said I planned to speak ...
Juntos lo haremos
-
En el año que viene, tendremos que tomar decisiones difíciles sobre quienes
queremos ser en cada comunidad y como nación. Ha sido un año muy intenso.
Desde...
Defining Productivity, Cost, and Efficiency
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Recycled material here… The central problem with US public schools is often
characterized as an efficiency problem. We spend a lot and don’t get much
for i...
Number 18 — A barely-hanging-on Blogoversary
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Blogoversary #18 SEPTEMBER 14, 2006 I started this blog while I was still
teaching, in 2006. I had just begun my 31st year as an educator. Just like
in pre...
Student "Growth" Measures Are STILL Biased
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This caught my attention:
New Jersey school districts may soon be evaluated differently, *with a
greater emphasis on student growth* as compared to stud...
AIN’T IT AWFUL
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As the terrible feelings of dread and angst spread across the world the
great majority of the American people feel powerless before the onslaught
of those ...
Vote NO on the UFT Contract. Here is Why:
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The best reason to vote no on this contract is this: UFT Unity* lied* to us
in 2018. They misrepresented that contract. It was predicated on deals we
wer...
Metaphors in ‘I Have a Dream’ Speech
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In this article, we will explore the powerful use of metaphors in Martin
Luther King Jr.’s “I Have a Dream” ...
Read more
Testimony to the CPS Truancy Task Force
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I prepared testimony for one of two public hearings held by the Chicago
Public Schools Truancy Task Force, a body mandated by state legislation.
The meetin...
There Is A Teacher Shortage.Not.
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THERE IS A TEACHER SHORTAGE. And just to be sure you understand, it’s not
that teachers don’t want to teach. It’s not that there aren’t enough
teachers cer...
Book Banning Turns to Dick and Jane
-
Breaking News: Dateline February 4, 2022 - Parents in Dimwitty, Alabama
have asked the Dimwitty Board of Education to ban the children's primer *Fun
with...
Have You Heard Has a New Website
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TweetHave You Heard has a new website. Visit us at
www.haveyouheardpodcast.com to find our latest episodes and our entire
archive. And be sure to check out...
Follow me at Substack
-
I've moved. Follow me at Substack
I'm now posting regularly at Substack. You can subscribe for free to my new
Edu/Pol blog at michaelklonsky.substack.com
...
Aspiring Teachers Get New Help Paying For College
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[image: colorful classroom pattern]
*; Credit: shuoshu/Getty Images*
Cory Turner | NPR
New rules kick in today that will help aspiring teachers pay for c...
Tips Akses Situs Judi Qq Tanpa Perlu Takut Nawala
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Kegiatan berjudi slot melalui situs judi qq online, sekarang sudah
dilakukan oleh banyak penjudi Indonesia. Tentu, Kamu yang sedang membaca
artikel ini a...
The Threat of Integration
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I have lived in the same house in the Miracle Mile section of Los Angeles
for over 30 years, where up until now I have had little or no interaction
with th...
We fight for a democracy worthy of us all!
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The nation stands at a crossroads, said NEA President Lily Eskelsen García
in her final keynote address to the 2020 NEA Representative Assembly and
it’s up...
The Passing Of Chaz 1951-2020 Age 69
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I am the son of Chaz and like to inform you that he passed away this
afternoon from the COVID virus. My father passed in peace beside his loved
ones. We ar...
The Fight For Our Children
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*The number of suicides among people ages 10 to 24 nationally increased by
56 percent between 2007 and 2017, according to a new federal report showing
the ...
Read to Self: Just a Kid and a Book.
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Date: Monday, January 5, 2020 Place: My classroom Student: Mrs.Mims, could
we start doing Read to Self again because I got this great book for
Christmas an...
Keeping Progressive Schools Alive
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Dear Friends and Colleagues, Happy New Year and a special thanks to those
who respond to past blogs about choice, et al. I always mean to respond to
each c...
Reminiscences
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I just finished dumping the rest of my lesson plans. I guess I held on to
the calculus ones for so long because I spent so much time working on them
an...
Just Asking for some Teachers I know.
-
Recently Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers stated, We must … recognize that
part of supporting our kids in the classroom means supporting the educators
who t...
Cara Menang Bermain Judi Bola Online
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Bermain judi bola online tentu saja memiliki kesenangannya tersendiri baik
itu mendapatkan keuntungan maupun ketika menantikan hasil skor pada sebuah
perta...
A Critique of Standards-Based Grading
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It first happened to me about ten years ago. I was beginning my third year
of teaching in a new school in Washington, DC. Social studies teachers were
si...
My First and Last Visit to Hudson Yards
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Figuring I did not need to invite any more darkness and vulgarity into my
head than that provided on a daily basis from Trump’s White House, and
after read...
Reduced time for testing? Not so fast.
-
NYSED and Commish Elia continue to say that the NYS Assessments are of
reasonable length, I completely disagree.
Here is what NYSED states are average expe...
The World According to Michelle Rhee
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The men behind the curtain fashioning the brave new world of corporate run
education in America! Michelle Rhee is the founder of StudentsFirst, The
New T...
Whose Opinions Matter in Education World?
-
It's hard to identify education heroes and sheroes. And perhaps even harder
to pinpoint just whose work is slanted, paid-for and dishonest.
Blockchain: Life on the Ledger
-
Originally posted on Wrench in the Gears:
I created this video as a follow up to the one I prepared last year on
Social Impact Bonds. It is time to examine...
New Local Businesses in Sacramento
-
Starting a new local business in Sacramento is a monumental task, but can
be accomplished with footwork, perseverance and knowledge. One must learn
the loc...
Lesson Plan: Rhyme and Rhythm in Poetry
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I’ve started a recent unit on poetry with my class. I’m not a poet, and I’m
not a poetry fan (I don’t hate it, but I’m a prose gal), so this makes it
harde...
The Apotheosis of Betsy DeVos
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Betsy Devos has drawn few headlines in recent months, and that is a good
thing for the Secretary of Education. Her tenure began with Vice President
Mike P...
Education Is a Civic Question
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In their final post to end Bridging Differences' decade-long run, Deborah
Meier and Harry Boyte urge readers to put the energy, talents, wisdom, and
hard w...
Site News: New Home for Education News & Commentary
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Quick! Get over there! The daily education news roundup and education
commentaries that you're probably looking for are now being published over
at The Gra...
Should We Be Grateful?
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In an odd turn of events, and with little explanation, Michigan Governor
Rick Snyder has decided to return the state’s School Reform Office back to
the Dep...
An Open Letter to NC Lawmakers
-
An Open Letter to NC State Lawmakers and NC State Superintendent Mark
Johnson: I am a NC native, voter, and public school teacher. I am
addressing you all ...
The Secret to Fixing Schools (My Next Bestseller)
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The Secret to Fixing Schools (My next bestseller) Prologue I just finished
watching a fascinating documentary on Netflix entitled, “The Secret”. The
film p...
Farewell, Sleep
-
Today is the official last day of my spring break. I've done a scientific
survey: My natural bedtime is 2 AM, and my natural wake up time is 9:41
AM. Tom...
REPORT: States With the Best and Worst Schools
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States With the Best (and Worst)Schools
By *Evan Comen, Michael B. Sauter, Samuel Stebbins and Thomas C. Frohlich*
January 20, 2017- http://247wallst.com
...
Test Refusal = People Power
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In recent months, social media has been ablaze with talk of regular folk
taking action to resist the Trump agenda. Protests are a daily occurrence,
and ev...
Random Musings and Observations. . . .
-
I’ve been gone a while from the blogging scene. Some of my more regular
readers no doubt noticed but did not hassle me about it. Thank you for
that. Sinc...
AB 934: A LEGISLATIVE FIX FOR VERGARA?
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By Michael Stratford | in the Politco Morning Education Report | via email
05/24/2016 10:00 AM EDT :: Two national education groups are backing a
Califor...
MY NEW BLOG
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My new blog will consist of fictitious headlines, meant to be a blend of
humor and satire. I apologize ahead of time if any other satirical site has
simila...
Thank you
-
Dear Readers,
Thank you for visiting *The Perimeter Primate*. This blog is being retired
for the time being. Although I no longer post here, I do still s...
I am Retiring
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I have some news: I am retiring from the PBS NewsHour and Learning Matters.
[[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other
conte...
New Beginnings: Kickstarter and EdWeek Teacher
-
Greetings to InterACT readers one and all! If you’ve been following posts
here recently you might recall that I’m moving my blogging activity to
other loca...
Adelaide L. Sanford Charter School
-
*“With Adelaide L. Sanford Charter School closing, Newark families must
move on.”* The Star-Ledger (NJ), 6/25/2013
NEWARK — Bobby and Troy Shanks saw the...
DBAC (District Advisory Council Budget Advisory Committee) meets 6:30 PM, Tuesday Nov. 19, at Espresso Metro (2104 11th Ave at Freeport Blvd.) DAC Nominating Committee meets 8 PM, Tuesday Nov. 19, at Dad's Kitchen (2968 Freeport Boulevard Sacramento)
DBAC Meeting Topics for 11/19/13
Presentation and discussion of Period 4 (October) fiscal reports on how much your school is receiving and expending.
How will parents and school sites have input in how the LCFF funds will be spent at their schools.
Open forum on the "Core Waiver" and effects on tutorial funding.
Economic impact of the proposed new SCUSD Graduation Requirements
The future of School Site Councils. Will they remain a tool for parents to have an impact on connecting their school's spending to student achievement?
The DBAC provides an open meeting for school site council, and PTA members to learn and exchange ideas that affect our local schools. All parents, staff, and community members are welcome to attend.
DAC Nominating Committee to decide on candidates for a new board 11/19/13
The District Advisory Council (DAC) executive board was removed at the November meeting. A new board will be elected in December to serve out the term. The Nominating Committee is meeting tonight to select candidates for the office of President, First Vice President, Second Vice President, and Secretary. If you have a desire to run or know someone who is crazy enough to be interested you should attend tonights meeting.
Advisory Committee members please stand and be recognized.
This is an effort to recognize and better communicate with all those who serve on one of the districts many advisory committees, if you are a parent, staff, or other member of a school site council, ELAC, DAC, PTA/PTO, budget, task force, or other district/school advisory body, please reply with your name, committee name, and title. We want to insure that you are receiving pertinent information on our schools and the district. Thank you.
FACEBOOK – Miffed Mothers from around the country have their collective hands on their hips in response to U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan’s foot in mouth indictment of “white, suburban moms.” Just two days after Duncan commented “some of the pushback is coming from, sort of, white suburban moms who – all of a sudden – their child isn’t as brilliant as they thought they were…” Georgia moms Teri Sasseville and Meg Norris gave birth to MAD, Moms Against Duncan. “We wanted a place for Moms to vent, but also a place for action,” explains Norris, “We wanted to turn the energy of a country of angry moms into a win for our children.”
In less than 48 hours, working in conjunction with established state and national groups, like Parents and Educators Against Common Core Standards, we have had an impressive response. Over 2,000 moms shared their indignation, joining the Facebook group “Moms Against Duncan (MAD).“ Included in those numbers are also many dads and grandparents. Members have been stern and quite creative in their responses to Secretary Duncan’s ill-advised attack on America’s Moms. (Arne, don’t make us come up there!) Teri Sasseville says “we hope to use this energy to build on the national network that is already in place and make more people aware of Common Core – it is already in our schools.” Norris added, “We want to empower Moms and protect our schools, our teachers and our children from the abuses of Common Core.” Some very specific strategies are being birthed by the MAD Moms. Stay tuned!
With her long-held goal in sight, Courtni Laughlin left Placentia City Hall last July with a new permit to create a nonprofit training center for adults with autism, Down syndrome and similar disorders.
The 23-year-old earned a child-adolescent development degree from Cal State Fullerton, has been working and volunteering with individuals with autism for a decade and even helped establish a special education program in Nairobi, Kenya.
Now she is trying to open the No Limits Learning Center, which would provide life skills to high-functioning adults with such challenges. She signed a lease and has spent $40,000 converting a former mattress showroom into classrooms.
But she has hit a bureaucratic wall. Placentia and the Orange County Fire Authority repeatedly changed requirements, then she couldn’t secure the necessary fire safety
Hillsboro School District: 3 more storylines from Common Core's rollout
Yesterday, I posted a story about College Preparatory Mathematics, or CPM, the math curriculum the Hillsboro School Districtadopted this year to align itself with the new Common Core State Standards. If you missed it,click here.
While reporting the story, I learned some other things about Common Core’s rollout in Hillsboro, particularly at an Oct. 16 information session that the district put on for parents, and during a Nov. 4 visit to the district’s largest elementary school,Witch Hazel.
There have been many arguments both supporting and against Common Core made across the nation and here in Oregon. I won’t get into those here. If you’re interested, here is a list of “frequently asked questions” at the Common Core’s official website, here are some arguments against the standards at a parent-led Oregon group’s website, and here is a PolitiFact post that rates the truth value of the attacks on the standards (it focuses on Florida, but much of the analysis would also apply to Oregon).
And here are three things that didn’t make it into yesterday’s story:
In language-arts, an increased emphasis on language’s function
In Witch Hazel English classes, Common Core drills students on how and when to use
Here’s a good news story on health coverage that the public is largely unaware of. The number of uninsured children continues to decline to historic lows – a remarkable accomplishment given the high childhood poverty rate and tough economic times. Yet a majority of Americans are unaware of this achievement.
In a poll CCF commissioned by PerryUndem Research and Communications, we found only 13% of Americans realize that children are gaining coverage. In fact, a majority of Americans think the number of uninsured children is rising. That’s understandable given the slow economic recovery. Many don’t realize that, behind the scenes, Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program have been hard at work meeting the health coverage needs of children.
Today we are releasing our annual look at children’s coverage rates. The report, entitled Children’s Health Coverage on the Eve of the Affordable Care Act, finds that the uninsured rate for children continues to decline reaching 7.2% in 2012. Adults age 18-64 lag far behind with 20.6% uninsured. Coverage expansions coming in 2014 will start moving the adults’ coverage rate in the right direction, but the lesson from our nation’s experience with covering children is that it takes time and a sustained commitment.
The Children’s Health Insurance Program Reauthorization Act of 2009 paved the way for continued improvements in children’s coverage. The Affordable Care Act, passed in 2010, helped reinforce those gains for children by requiring states to hold steady in their commitment to children’s coverage.
This success story for children reflects years of hard work on the part of federal and state leaders, and other stakeholders — including the philanthropic community, children’s advocates, community leaders and health care providers, that worked cooperatively to streamline a path to coverage for uninsured children through Medicaid and CHIP.
Our country’s success is a testament to what states can accomplish when they “lean in,” have adequate funding, and work with the federal government to meet the needs of families.
Speaking of states, our report found some regional disparities that should give policymakers in certain parts of the country pause. An estimated 45.5% of uninsured children live in the South, 29.4% in the West, 15.6% in the Midwest and only 9.4% in the Northeast. Children living in the South and West are at risk of falling further behind in coverage rates if they live in a state that rejects the Affordable Care Act’s Medicaid funding to offer coverage to more uninsured parents and other low-wage earners. That may sound counterintuitive but research shows that putting out the welcome mat for uninsured parents is the single most effective strategy states can employ to bring uninsured children in the door to coverage.
Our report also found that Latino children continue to be disproportionately uninsured and that school-age children are more likely to be uninsured than younger children. Interestingly, children living in rural areas were one of the few groups that showed no improvement in their coverage rates – and their coverage rate of 7.8% is higher than the national average of 7.2%.
Full implementation of the Affordable Care Act holds the promise of reducing the number of uninsured children by as much as 40%. The lessons learned from years of sustained effort on improving Medicaid and CHIP for children shows that our country can make this work. And let’s not forget Medicare – which has been at it for even longer – resulting in virtually universal coverage rates (99%) for seniors.
We are not there yet for children and their families, but on the eve of the Affordable Care Act, the success of Medicaid and CHIP reminds us to stay the course for a better tomorrow. When children’s health needs are met, they show up to school better able to learn. When parents don’t have to worry about unpaid medical bills, the whole family is more financially secure. And investing in our children today creates a stronger workforce for tomorrow.
Cross posted from Georgetown University’s Center for Children and Families Say Ahhh! blog.
State Schools Chief Tom Torlakson Partnering with California PTA to Provide Common Core Resources to Parents
SACRAMENTO—State education officials are working with the California State PTA to get information on the Common Core State Standards into the hands of parents across California, Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson announced today.
As part of this effort, the organizations are distributing the Parents' Guide to Student Success—a series of resources designed to help parents understand what their children will be learning at each grade level in English-language arts and mathematics.
"Parent Involvement Day is the perfect time to release these guides—because we know that well-informed, engaged parents can make all the difference in our work to give every student a world-class education," Torlakson said. "With modern standards and assessments and a new approach to school funding, we have a historic opportunity for serving these students, their families, and our entire state."
"This is a crucial time for public education," said California State PTA President Colleen A.R. You. "The new Common Core standards will help us prepare all students for college and careers, and help them develop vital critical thinking and deeper learning skills. We're delighted to have Superintendent Torlakson's support in sharing information as widely as possible with parents about what the new standards will mean for their children and schools."
Originally developed by the National PTA, each guide includes:
An overview of some of the key items students will learn in the Common Core State Standards for English-language arts and mathematics.
Ideas for activities that enable parents to support learning at home.
Topics of discussion for talking with teachers about student academic progress.
These state-developed standards, which California and 45 other states have voluntarily adopted over the past few years, are designed to provide all students with the deeper learning, critical thinking, and other skills they need to prepare for college and a career. They describe what students should know and be able to do at each grade level.
# # # #
Tom Torlakson — State Superintendent of Public Instruction
Communications Division, Room 5206, 916-319-0818, Fax 916-319-0100
Heartland Institute President Joseph Bast called the public school system a “socialist regime.” Michelle Rhee cautions us against commending students for their ‘participation’ in sports and other activities.
Privatizers believe that any form of working together as a community is anti-American. To them, individual achievement is all that matters. They’re now applying their winner-take-all profit motive to our children.
We’re Sliding Backwards, Towards “Separate and Unequal”
In 1954, the Supreme Court decision in Brown vs. the Board of Education seemed to place our country on the right track. Chief Justice Earl Warren said that education “is a right which must be made available to all on equal terms.” Thurgood Marshall insisted on “the right of every American to an equal start in life.”
But then we got derailed. We’ve become a nation of inequality, worse than ever before, worse than during the racist “separate but equal” policy of Plessy vs. Ferguson in 1896. The Civil Rights Project at UCLA shows that “segregated schools are systematically linked to unequal educational opportunities.” The Economic Policy Institute tells us that “African American students are more isolated than they were 40 years ago.”
The privatizers clamor for vouchers and charters to improve education, but such methods generally don’t serve those who need it most. According to a Center on Education Policy report, private schools serve 12 percent of the nation’s elementary and secondary students, but only one percent of disabled students. Forty-three percent of public school students are from minority