Diane Ravitch: Charter schools are making our public schools worse - The Washington Post

Charter schools are making our public schools worse - The Washington Post

Charter schools are making our public schools worse

Diane Ravitch is a historian of American education at New York University.

In 1988, teachers union leader Albert Shanker had an idea: What if teachers were allowed to create a school within a school, where they could develop innovative ways to teach dropouts and unmotivated students? The teachers would get the permission of their colleagues and the local school board to open their school, which would be an R&D lab for the regular public school. These experimental schools, he said, would be called “charter schools.”

Five years later, in 1993, Shanker publicly renounced his proposal. The idea had been adopted by businesses seeking profits, he said, and would be used, like vouchers, to privatize public schools and destroy teachers unions. He wrote that “vouchers, charter schools, for-profit management schemes are all quick fixes that won’t fix anything.”

Shanker died in 1997, too soon to see his dire prediction come true. Today, there are more than 7,000 charter schools with about 3 million students (total enrollment in public schools is 50 million). About90 percent  of charter schools are nonunion. Charters are more segregated than public schools, prompting the Civil Rights Project at UCLA in 2010 to call charter schools “a major political success” but “a civil rights failure.” They compete with public schools instead of collaborating. Charter proponents claim that the schools are progressive, but schools that are segregated and nonunion do not deserve that mantle.

The charter universe includes corporate chains that operate hundreds of schools in different states. The largest is KIPP, with 209 schools. The-second-largest has 167 schools and is affiliated with Turkish preacher Fethullah Gulen. About one of every six charters operates for profit; in Michigan, 80 percent  are run by for-profit corporations. Nationally, nearly 40 percent of charter schoolsare run by for-profit businesses known as Educational Management Organizations.

The largest online charter chain, K12 Inc., was founded with the help of former junk-bond king Michael Milken and is listed on the New York Stock Exchange. The biggest single virtual charter was the Ohio-based Electronic Classroom of Tomorrow, which collected $1 billionfrom Ohio taxpayers from 2000 until its bankruptcy earlier this year. The charter’s 20 percent graduation rate was the lowest in the nation.

Charter schools pave the way for vouchers. More than half of states now have some form of public subsidy for religious and private schools. Voucher schools are not bound by civil rights laws and may exclude students based on religion, disabilities and LGBT status.

Charters are publicly funded but privately managed. They call themselves public schools, but a federal court ruling in 2010 declared they are “not state actors.” The National Labor Relations Board ruled in 2016 that charters are private corporations, not public schools. As private corporations, they are not subject to the same laws as public schools.

The anti-union Walton Family Foundation  is the biggest private financier of Continue reading: Charter schools are making our public schools worse - The Washington Post

WATCH: Dem lawmaker plays audio of crying immigrant kids -- as Republican tries to shut him down

WATCH: Dem lawmaker plays audio of crying immigrant kids -- as Republican tries to shut him down

WATCH: Dem lawmaker plays audio of crying immigrant kids — as Republican tries to shut him down

ep. Ted Lieu (D-CA) on Friday took to the floor of the House of Representatives and tried to force his colleagues to listen to audio of wailing immigrant children who had been separated from their parents.

As Lieu took the floor, he brought up a large photo of immigrant children who had been taken from their parents and placed into a detention facility — and he proceeded to tear apart President Donald Trump’s immigration policies.

“If the Statue of Liberty could cry, she would be crying today,” he said. “As I stand here there are 2,300 kids that have been ripped away from their parents by our government.”

Lieu then asked his colleagues to imagine how they would feel if they had their children taken from them without even telling them where they were being held — and then he started to play leaked audio of a child immigrant detention facility obtained by Pro Publica earlier this week.

Rep. Karen Handel (R-GA) then tried to shut Lieu down by information that the rules prohibit “the use of an electronic device to make sounds in the chamber.”

Lieu, however, kept playing the recording, despite her objections, until its completion.

Watch the video below.

WATCH: Dem lawmaker plays audio of crying immigrant kids -- as Republican tries to shut him down

As unions await a key Supreme Court decision, a simple plea: ‘Educators want their voices heard’ - The Washington Post

As unions await a key Supreme Court decision, a simple plea: ‘Educators want their voices heard’ - The Washington Post

As unions await a key Supreme Court decision, a simple plea: ‘Educators want their voices heard’

Across the country, frustrated and fed-up teachers have staged school walkouts to demand fair pay and adequate resources for public schools. One common denominator of these public actions: They occurred in states with laws that weaken unions and their ability to collectively bargain for better wages, benefits and working conditions — which, when it comes to public education, are teaching and learning conditions.

No student should attend schools with overcrowded classrooms that lack desks for every student, that function with textbooks as old as their parents and where the teachers’ salaries do not cover living expenses, forcing them to take second jobs.

Collective bargaining allows employers and employees to forge agreements on the basis of shared interests that address both parties’ priorities and concerns. Without bargaining rights, educators are left with few options to have their voices heard and are forced to take more public actions, such as protesting to lawmakers, to have their priorities addressed.

Any day now, the Supreme Court is expected to release its decision in Janus v. AFSCME Council 31. That ruling could eliminate requirements that workers represented by and benefiting from a union contribute to it financially through “fair-share fees,” depriving unions of funds they need to advocate on behalf of their members, thus weakening unions’ ability to advocate for better teaching and learning conditions.

Our organizations do not see eye-to-eye on all education issues, but we agree that teachers and students lose when teachers don’t have a collective voice to advocate for their profession and their students. Teacher unions give educators voice and ways to influence important issues and policies that directly benefit students, from protecting education funding to supporting teacher development and improving school climate. Education Week’s 2018 Quality Counts data showed that the top 10 states in educational performance have high union density, whereas the bottom 10 states have low density. Data clearly show that students perform better where teachers are more fairly compensated, because higher salaries attract more-qualified people to the profession and help keep them in the classroom.

And while some groups are dedicating millions of dollars to weakening public employee unions, these efforts are out of step with Americans, particularly teachers. A recent Associated Press poll of Americans found that nearly two-thirds approve of national teacher unions. Educators for Excellence recently released the initial findings of a survey of educators from across the country showing that a vast majority of teachers believe teacher unions are essential. The survey found that 85 percent of teachers regard unions as Continue reading: As unions await a key Supreme Court decision, a simple plea: ‘Educators want their voices heard’ - The Washington Post

NPE and Schott Issue a 50 State Report Card on School Privatization - Network For Public Education

NPE and Schott Issue a 50 State Report Card on School Privatization - Network For Public Education

NPE and Schott Issue a 50 State Report Card on School Privatization

This morning the Network for Public Education and the Schott Foundation released  Grading the States: A Report Card on Our Nation’s Commitment to Public Schools, a report that evaluates the extent to which the 50 states and the District of Columbia are funneling public money away from community public schools to privately run charter and voucher schools. The report also measures the consequences of school privatization on students’ civil rights and taxpayers’ rights to know how their dollars are spent.

You can find the report and see where your state stands here.

Grading the States is the first in-depth nonpartisan report card to measure each state’s commitment to democratically governed public schools. It also includes state by state measurement of whether each state’s charter schools and voucher-funded private schools protect student civil rights and guard taxpayers from fraud and the misuse of public funds.

If you scroll down the page you find here you will also see our interactive map.

We need you to help us get this important report out to the public.

Below are some “clickable” tweets that are easy to send.

And here are some memes you can download and use on Facebook or with your Tweets.

Please share this page on social media and let others know about this very important report.

NPE and Schott Issue a 50 State Report Card on School Privatization - Network For Public Education

WATCH: “Things That Make White People Uncomfortable”–Super Bowl champion Michael Bennett in conversation with Jesse Hagopian – I AM AN EDUCATOR

WATCH: “Things That Make White People Uncomfortable”–Super Bowl champion Michael Bennett in conversation with Jesse Hagopian – I AM AN EDUCATOR

WATCH: “Things That Make White People Uncomfortable”–Super Bowl champion Michael Bennett in conversation with Jesse Hagopian

Of course we are supposed to score the touchdowns…but at the same time we also are supposed to speak for the people who don’t have a voice.

–Michael Bennett

Last night was one of the more meaningful and and enjoyable evenings of my life.

I had the great honor of joining Super Bowl champion, three time pro bowler, proud feminist, and my good friend Michael Bennett in conversation at a sold out Town Hall Seattle event. In this wide ranging conversation, we talked about the the outspoken players on the Seahawks, Michael reconnecting with his birth mother, his commitment to feminism and intersectionality, his decision to not go on a state sponsored trip to Israel to play in front of Trump and Netanyahu, the N-word, food justice, why he sits for the national anthem, the movement for Black lives, the Las Vegas Police threatening his life, his commitment to education and supporting youth programs, the spiritual awakening he had during his recent trip to Africa, and so much more.

What made this conversation so meaning for me, is that I got to tell him, in front of hundreds of people, how much I’ve learned about leadership, empathy, dedication, and friendship from him.  What made this experience so riveting for everyone there was how raw, vulnerable, wise, and uproariously funny Michael Bennett is.

Watch this video and be changed: WATCH: “Things That Make White People Uncomfortable”–Super Bowl champion Michael Bennett in conversation with Jesse Hagopian – I AM AN EDUCATOR

I Voted for Jill Stein. Was I Wrong? | gadflyonthewallblog

I Voted for Jill Stein. Was I Wrong? | gadflyonthewallblog

I Voted for Jill Stein. Was I Wrong?

On November 8, 2016, I had a heart attack.

That’s not a metaphor.

I went to vote. I went to the doctor. I was sent to the hospital.

How much of that was a result of the Presidential election? I will never know.

But whenever I think back on that day, I am filled with a sense of bone-deep sadness.

After only a little more than a year in office, Donald Trump is already the worst President of my lifetime – and that’s saying something after the disaster that was George W. Bush.

Yet today our country is separating parents and children seeking asylum on the border and locking them away in detention centers. Nearly every cabinet secretary is an incompetent plutocrat put in office to dismantle the department in which they’re in charge. Meanwhile, Trump insults traditional allies and consorts with dictators all over the globe. And nationwide white supremacists of all stripes are emboldened, on the rise, and openly running for office.

I wish there is something I could do to go back in time and change the results of that day. I wish there was something I could do to stop Donald Trump from being elected President. And though I did not vote for her, I would do anything to have Hillary Clinton defeat him.

On that day, though, I voted for Jill Stein.

There’s nothing I can do about that now.

I imagine going back in time and telling myself not to do it. “Go vote for Hillary,” I imagine Future Me telling Continue Reading: I Voted for Jill Stein. Was I Wrong? | gadflyonthewallblog

Betsy DeVos’ Deputy Privately Admitted Trump Administration's Idea Could Hurt Kids | HuffPost

Betsy DeVos’ Deputy Privately Admitted Trump Administration's Idea Could Hurt Kids | HuffPost

Betsy DeVos’ Deputy Privately Admitted Trump Administration’s Idea Could Hurt Kids
Candice Jackson indicated she was against rescinding the Obama-era school discipline guidance that protects brown and black children.

One of the Department of Education’s top civil rights appointees said in a private meeting that it isn’t necessary for the Trump administration to rescind school discipline guidance designed to protect black and brown children. 

The appointee, Candice Jackson, also acknowledged that such a move could harm vulnerable kids, according to a document obtained by HuffPost. Still, the guidance remains on the administration’s chopping block.

The Obama-era guidance is supposed to help prevent schools from disproportionately punishing black and brown students. However, in recent months, it has come under fire from the Trump administration and has become a target for rescission.

Jackson, who now serves as second in command at the Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights, made these comments during a phone conversation in March with representatives from the Southern Poverty Law Center, a civil rights advocacy group. At the time, Jackson was temporarily serving as the highest official in the Office for Civil Rights, an agency that enforces federal civil rights laws in schools. 

In the call with the SPLC, Jackson said much of the opposition to the guidance is based Continue reading: Betsy DeVos’ Deputy Privately Admitted Trump Administration's Idea Could Hurt Kids | HuffPost

UPDATE: Teacher And Civil Rights Groups File Complaint Over Family Separation | HuffPost

Teacher And Civil Rights Groups File Complaint Over Family Separation | HuffPost

Teacher And Civil Rights Groups File Complaint Over Family Separation
“We believe in helping children thrive, not in confining them to heinous, abusive situations,” said the president of the American Federation of Teachers.

Teachers unions and civil rights groups filed a human rights complaint at the United Nations Wednesday morning over the Trump administration’s policy of separating families caught illegally crossing the border. 

The zero tolerance policy designed to deter illegal border-crossing puts parents in jail while their children are placed in detention centers. It resulted in nearly 2,000 children being separated from their parents from mid-April through May. 

Education and civil rights groups have decried the policy as inhumane. In filing a formal complaint with the U.N. Human Rights Council, the nation’s two teachers unions, as well as civil rights groups like the NAACP and the Hispanic Federation, are claiming that the policy violates international treaties such as the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees. Notably, U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley announced Tuesday that the U.S. was leaving the Human Rights Council, saying that the body has failed to hold abusers of human rights accountable.

“The trauma caused by family separation is heinous under any circumstances, particularly in a civil society centered on family values,” the groups say in the complaint. “It is intolerable and unlawful to separate families who have sacrificed everything to escape the toxic circumstances of their home countries.” 

Randi Weingarten, president of the American Federation of Teachers, told HuffPost that this issue especially resonates with the teachers she represents.

“We love children. These kids should actually be in schools and with their parents and with their families, not separated from them,” Weingarten said. “We believe in helping children thrive, not in confining them to heinous, abusive situations.” Read more: Teacher And Civil Rights Groups File Complaint Over Family Separation | HuffPost

ALEX WONG/GETTY IMAGES Randi Weingarten serves as president of the American Federation of Teachers, one of the groups that filed a human rights complaint at the United Nations over the Trump administration’s policy of separating families at the border.

AFT President Randi Weingarten Responds to Trump Executive Order
American Federation of Teachers - https://www.aft.org/node/12598

WASHINGTON—Statement of AFT President Randi Weingarten responding to President Trump’s executive order following universal condemnation of his policy of ripping children from their families:

“Thank God President Trump caved under the universal public condemnation and outrage over his administration's unconscionable policy of ripping children from families and caging them. To be real, the first step is not tweeting, but reuniting these children who have suffered irreparable harm and trauma along with their parents.

“This struggle for basic humanity is not over—family unification cannot be traded for indefinite family internment or imprisonment. The families seeking asylum are not criminals, they are fleeing near-certain death in their own country and seeking refuge and compassion from our nation.

“The complaint we delivered to the United Nations this morning still stands. These actions still violate basic human rights and have caused deep and traumatic harm. The nations of the world must take action against these immoral and hateful acts by this administration. It has been heartening to see that while Donald Trump’s government may be motivated by a polarizing and dehumanizing ideology, the American people—through their condemnations and outrage—spoke out in ways that could not be ignored. We must continue to speak out and act to protect the values and principles of this nation of immigrants and on which our nation was founded.”

# # # #

The AFT represents 1.7 million pre-K through 12th-grade teachers; paraprofessionals and other school-related personnel; higher education faculty and professional staff; federal, state and local government employees; nurses and healthcare workers; and early childhood educators.

American Federation of Teachers - https://www.aft.org/node/12598

Disaster Capitalism Strikes Puerto Rico’s Schools - In These Times

Disaster Capitalism Strikes Puerto Rico’s Schools - In These Times

Disaster Capitalism Strikes Puerto Rico’s Schools
The government’s plan to close 179 public schools and open charters has residents alarmed.

SAN JUAN, PUERTO RICO—It’s Valentine’s Day at Eleanor Roosevelt elementary, and chocolate goodies and Krispy Kreme donuts sit in the back of Axamara Pérez’s classroom. Her first-graders are eager to finish their assignment so they can start the party.

Since Hurricane Maria hit in September 2017, “to get them excited about something, you really have to do a lot,” says Pérez.

It’s almost impossible to forget realities on the island, which include hurricane recovery, a 12-year financial crisis and devastating austerity measures. The island owes bondholders $75 billion, a result of mismanagement and a century under a colonial superpower. To save money, 179 schools have been shuttered, and Puerto Rico Education Secretary Julia Keleher announced in April that a quarter of the 1,100 remaining schools will close this summer.

Morale is low in the Eleanor Roosevelt community, where some students still live without electricity. Letters to parents receive no response, requests for parent-teacher meetings are ignored, homework goes unfinished and teachers feel pressure to keep the school from closing.

“Even though we are trying to get back to normal—emotionally, we are not back to normal,” Pérez says. She has worked at Eleanor Roosevelt for 19 years and is one of the dedicated staff members who have helped keep the school off the closings list. Puerto Rico’s public schools lost 8 percent of their students in the post-hurricane exodus. But Eleanor Roosevelt still has 279 students, well above the threshold of 150 that Keleher suggested could trigger a closure.

Keleher saw in Hurricane Maria what she calls “a real opportunity to press the reset button.” In a sweeping “education reform” plan unveiled by Gov. Ricardo Rosselló on March 29, Puerto Rico is simultaneously opening charter schools. Critics worry the plan will replicate what happened to New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina: With the charterization of that school system, thousands of AfricanAmerican teachers were fired to make way for a predominantly white and inexperienced workforce. Keleher has promised not to lay off permanent teachers, but about a sixth of Puerto Rico’s teachers are on year-to-year contracts. Others worry that their job descriptions will change or they will face long commutes over mountainous roads.

“We are not like books that you move from this school to another school because they need them in another library,” says Noralis Medina, who was transferred when her Continue reading: Disaster Capitalism Strikes Puerto Rico’s Schools - In These Times

If Dems are the party of the people, let's act like it - CNN

If Dems are the party of the people, let's act like it - CNN

If Democrats are the party of the people, let's act like it

(CNN)As leaders of two of the largest unions in the country, we represent more than three million public service workers -- including teachers, nurses and corrections officers, just to name a few. These folks belong to unions to fight for the kitchen table issues that matter to all Americans, union and non-union alike: a living wage, quality health care, public education, a secure retirement and a just and vibrant democracy in the workplace and in America. In other words, our members are part of the fight for the American Dream and a better life for themselves, their families and their communities.

Traditionally, the Democratic Party has supported these issues, and has supported them for everyone -- not just the few at the top.

As at-large members of the Democratic National Committee, we have automatic delegate status (commonly known as superdelegate status) when it comes to picking the party's presidential nominee. In other words, under the current rules, we can pledge our support to any presidential candidate at the Democratic National Convention.

It's a system that the Democratic Party developed over time to ensure that, in the event of a closely divided primary, automatic delegates could step in to make sure the candidate who received the most primary and caucus support would reach the margin of victory, and the party would always emerge from our convention with a clear nominee. It's a system that the Democratic Party developed over time to ensure that members of Congress and other Continue reading: If Dems are the party of the people, let's act like it - CNN