Seattle Schools Community Forum: The Times Leads Its Readers on How to Think about Public Education

Seattle Schools Community Forum: The Times Leads Its Readers on How to Think about Public Education:

The Times Leads Its Readers on How to Think about Public Education

The Seattle Times is the major newspaper of record in our city and it really does fall to them to give the fullest picture in their reporting and then, if they must, lead their readers to a conclusion about that story (or write an editorial.)

The Times did both things recently.


First, there was a fairly good editorial about what newly re-elected Governor Inslee should do about education.  

Inslee made education a centerpiece of his re-election campaign. And voters sent him back to Olympia for four more years. Now they and the Legislature need to hear Inslee’s voice and feel his leadership, through ideas and, when needed, political pressure.

To answer the McCleary ruling, the Legislature must end its reliance on locally raised taxes to pay for basic education — when it convenes in January.

And I love their acknowledgment about the role poverty plays:

Too many school children continue to drop out of school, get unequal education services because of their families’ economic situations and miss out on important career opportunities.

But then we get to this:

On the negotiation table is local levy reform, which might come with some pain for urban taxpayers, not to mention more money from another source, such as a new capital-gains tax. And most important, any new money or redistribution of existing dollars need to be spent on methods proven to improve the outcomes for Washington’s students.

I like that toss-off remark of "some pain for urban taxpayers" because that pain will be felt by schools.  I'm guessing they mean the levy cliff but since they are vague, it's hard to say.  But great that they believe there needs to be new money. 

But that last sentence about "methods proven to improve," well, I'd like the Times to let us all know what they had in mind.  I agree that outcomes are currently not good for all children but that is the struggle of public education -finding ways to educate every child. 

But the Times gets back to the good (bold mine):

Still under contempt of court, the governor and the Legislature need to pick the most fair and least painful financial solutions. They should not waste the 2017 legislative session arguing.

But lawmakers should take care of the education question first. The governor should increase the pressure by saying he will sign only education-related bills until the McCleary work is finished.

He also has an opportunity to turn the conversation toward solutions that would make lives better for kids, such as more money for quality preschool and a new approach to career and technical education with a science and technology bent.  

Also to know is that Washington's Paramount Duty recently submitted to Seattle Schools Community Forum: The Times Leads Its Readers on How to Think about Public Education:

Will Donald Trump destroy U.S. public education? - The Washington Post

Will Donald Trump destroy U.S. public education? - The Washington Post:

Will Donald Trump destroy U.S. public education?

There’s a reason that people who care about public education in the United States are mightily worried about President-elect Donald Trump. There are, actually, a number of reasons — all of which lead to this question: Will Trump’s administration destroy U.S. public education?

The short answer is that he can’t all by himself destroy America’s most important civic institution, at least not without help from Congress as well as state and local legislatures and governors.

State and local governmental entities provide most of K-12 public school funding. And there is no appetite in the country for intense federal involvement in local education, which occurred during the Obama administration at such an unprecedented level that Congress rewrote the No Child Left Behind law — eight years late — so that a great deal of education policymaking power could be sent back to the states.

But the more complicated response is that if he pushes the education policies that he espoused during the campaign — especially for more “choice,” such as voucher programs in which public money is used for private school tuition — he can drive the privatization of public schools with unprecedented speed, furthering the movement that has been growing under former president George W. Bush and then President Obama. Some public systems are already threatened — and nobody knows what the tipping point for many others could be.

[Trump faces backlash over appointing Bannon as a top aide]

He can do this through funding and regulation, and by selecting an education secretary who supports privatization, which he is expected to do. In fact, Education Week reported that Gerard Robinson, a member of Trump’s education transition team, said that Trump would seek to implement “a new way of how to deliver public education” — a statement giving some public education advocates panic attacks. It is likely sobering as well to Obama administration officials who could see some of their efforts toward educational equity reversed.

Trump said he would take $20 billion in federal funding — though he didn’t make clear where he would get it — to establish block grants that states can use to help children in low-income families enroll at private and charter schools. In a somewhat mixed message, he said that although states would be able to use the money as they see fit, he would push them to use it for school choice. And the names of potential candidates for education secretary that have been floated by Trump’s team are avid choice and privatization supporters, including Ben Carson, Betsy DeVos, Williamson Evers and Kevin Chavous.

That many people are worried that Trump could deliver a fatal blow to public schools speaks not only to his views and those of the people around him, but also to the past 15 years of school Will Donald Trump destroy U.S. public education? - The Washington Post:

Educators Brace for Trump – Cloaking Inequity

Educators Brace for Trump – Cloaking Inequity:

Educators Brace for Trump

The Wall Street Journal recently reported on what Trump has in mind for eduction. In fact, Donald Trump has promised an education bill in the first 100 days.

He has indicated he will spend $20 billion on school choice during the campaign. He’ll probably block grant that money from Title I and other important locations. The Democrats for Education Reform (DFERs), Black Alliance for Educational Options (BAEO), the Education Post and the education “reformers” in general must be really, really happy right now. Maybe even BAEO’s Howard Fuller– although I haven’t asked him, he blocked me on Twitter after this. Here’s what Tawnell D. Hobbs Tawnell.Hobbs@wsj.com had to say in the Wall Street Journal.

Educators are bracing for a big boost to school-choice programs under President-elect Donald Trump, but he has been silent on some other major topics affecting the nation’s public-school students.

Mr. Trump has said that he would pump billions into “school choice,” including backing voucher programs, which are popular with many parents but often opposed by public-school districts. And as the nation’s new education law is set to be fully implemented next school year, some educators are wondering if it will be derailed.

“His education platform has been so in the background, we really don’t know where he stands,” said John Yun, associate professor in the College of Education at Michigan State University.

Mr. Trump hasn’t provided an overarching plan for education. But he has said that he would reprioritize federal dollars to provide an additional $20 billion for “school choice” to give families more educational options. School choice entails using public-school dollars for alternatives to traditional public schools, such as for charter schools, private schools and online campuses.

“As your President, I will be the nation’s biggest cheerleader for school choice,” Mr. Trump said in September when he announced his school-choice plan. “I want every single inner-city child in America who is today trapped in a failing school to have the freedom—the civil right—to attend the school of their choice.”

Under his plan, states would have the option to allow the funding to follow students to private or public schools, in what some educators call a voucher system. Distribution of the funds would favor states that have private-school choice, magnet schools and charter laws.

Charter-school proponents are enthusiastic about the shift, but teacher’s unions are skeptical.

“We’re thrilled,” said Christine Isett, a spokeswoman at the Texas Charter Schools Association. “How he divvies the money amongst the different groups remains to be seen. We’re anxiously waiting.”

To read the entire article please visit the Wall Street Journal and read the article here (I don’t want to steal their content). My thought in the article:

The presidential candidates didn’t say much during the campaign season on the nation’s new education law, the Every Student Succeeds Act. The law is expected to give states more local control over academic standards. It is unclear where Mr. Trump stands on the law and his campaign couldn’t be reached for comment.

“There’s no reason why Donald Trump couldn’t rethink the whole law right away,” said Julian Vasquez Heilig, director of the Doctorate in Educational Leadership program at California State University, Sacramento.

Will Donald Trump actually going to DC and blow everything up? Will he actually even live in DC?

For more on school choice, click on vouchers and charters.

Please Facebook Like, Tweet, etc below and/or reblog to share this discussion with others.

Want to know about Cloaking Inequity’s freshly pressed conversations about educational policy? Click the “Follow blog by email” button on the home page.

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Educators Brace for Trump – Cloaking Inequity:

CURMUDGUCATION: Jeb's Charterpalooza Coming Soon

CURMUDGUCATION: Jeb's Charterpalooza Coming Soon:

Jeb's Charterpalooza Coming Soon

Proud to say that today's email includes my media registration invitation to this years convention thrown by Jeb Bush (out-of-work politician) & Foundation for Excellence in Education (FEE)-- Transforming Lives Through Education.

I am interested in seeing what happens next to Jeb!, who now occupies a weird sort of reformster twilight zone. On the one hand, Herr Trump appears to fully embrace Bush's education policies, or at least the Let a Million Charters Bloom part. But Bush himself--well, it seems unlikely that Jeb is in line for Trumpian Ed Secretary. And that bitter taste resting on Bush's ivy league palate must be getting only more and more bitter as it becomes obvious that President Trump will be following a lot of the policies that Candidate Trump used to smack Bush over the head. What happens when hated political enemies actually stand for pretty much the same policy ideas? How exactly do you criticize someone for pursuing policies that you totally agree with?

The conference is as always aimed at bringing lawmakers and policymakers [and money makers] together "for in-depth discussions on proven [sic] education policies and innovative [sic] strategies to CURMUDGUCATION: Jeb's Charterpalooza Coming Soon:

The Real Power Behind Trump is White Fear | gadflyonthewallblog

The Real Power Behind Trump is White Fear | gadflyonthewallblog:

The Real Power Behind Trump is White Fear

White people are terrified.

Shaken, panicked, scared beyond our capacity for logical thinking.

We’re so apprehensive, we elected Donald Trump, a reality show clown, to the White House.

Yeah, I know. Hillary Clinton wasn’t exactly inspiring. And the Democrats dropped the ball ignoring the populist mood of the country and the needs of middle class workers.

But 58% of white folks supported Trump. He only got 21% of nonwhite voters. In fact, Whites is the only major group he won – not black people, not Hispanics, not any other race or nationality.

Just white folks.

Trump bragged about sexually assaulting women – and yet 53% of white females voted for him.

Trump is an admitted serial monogamist who cheated on various ex-wives – and yet 65% of white Christians voted for him.

Trump promised to bring back outsourced manufacturing jobs while his own The Real Power Behind Trump is White Fear | gadflyonthewallblog:

The Tough Road Ahead - Bridging Differences - Education Week

The Tough Road Ahead - Bridging Differences - Education Week:

The Tough Road Ahead

Deborah Meier continues her conversation with Harry Boyte. To read their full exchange, please visit here.

Dear Harry and friends,

It's hard at the moment to continue the thread of our discussion. But maybe the following is, in its way, in keeping, even if not a response to your last blog. Note also that I'm writing as though none of our readers are happy with the election results (that itself is part of the problem I face—I don't want to get into their heads)!

I sit here thinking of what to say. I have two contrary instincts. One, to reassure and continue the tough task of rebuilding a democracy movement, and two to focus on protecting the truly vulnerable who shouldn't be reassured. There are too many out there who have reasons to fear for their lives. How can we combine these—do we have the resources (in time and money) to protect those in imminent danger and put together a "winning coalition" for us all!

Democracy (as I define it!) rests on an assumption of community that's missing in America. My anger, even hatred, for many of the Trump supporters (and Trump) makes it hard for me to feel the empathy needed, as I noted above, to imagine them as members of my beloved community. Yet...I suppose I must.

Dilemma. Yes, reactionaries (including many conservatives) interpretation of the Constitution and our founding principles are not entirely wrong—historically the founding fathers did not agree to the idea that even all men are created equal, nor that the rulers of the nation should represent any white women. Still they were less fussy than many today about what who could enter the U.S. and which men could vote: as long as they were white men with sufficient property they were, even begrudgingly, counted as citizens. My grandmother crossed the border without any visas. She was thoroughly undocumented as were millions and millions of white immigrants (even Jews! And Papists!) when America was "great". Many of the white Trump supporters actually wouldn't have qualified to vote—for lack of sufficient property. And women. And... and... and... (Not to mention people of another color—who were barely considered human). It's a complicated history.

The founding fathers created a system that could temper short-lived passions, "mob rule", and thus that wouldn't endanger their privileges. We've fiddled with it for 250 or so years and created a messy combination of principles, sometimes in conflict with each other. And, maybe wisely, they aren't easily changed. I'm not sure right now that I'd like some of the changes that might be victorious in today's climate.

Yes, we won a slim plurality, probably not a majority. Still, more people who voted wanted Clinton than Trump. And based on who didn't vote, probably that's true of them too. Besides, who knows how the voter suppression that resulted from the Court's ruling against the Voters Rights Act impacted who voted. Maybe "we" lost by something appalling about American culture—so few bother to participate (and how hard it is to do so in many places). The loss of so-called millennials in this last election, and the cynicism and alienation, possibly, among so many Black voters (who didn't turn out in the numbers we anticipated), made the electoral victory of Trump possible. But, even more—the lack of participation in the basic daily politics of democracy that you have been fighting for all your life may be the root cause.

The anger of some white workers over their imperiled status—and privileges—could be an asset if targeting the even less privileged wasn't the first (and second) response. 

Am I naïve to think that if kids spent 12 years having to deal with democracy and its conundrums in school—especially schools that were more integrated—rather than spending those 12 years in a thoroughly authoritarian institution we might produce a differently empowered citizenry? Pete Seeger's song "This Land is My Land, This Land is Your Land" maybe has to be experienced: "This School Belongs to You and Me."   

I both find myself reassuring others at the same time that I want to ring a bell of alarm. How do I fuel the indignation of our allies while also keeping us from making permanent enemies of all those who voted for Trump?

After-thought: The other enormous factor in our loss is the gradual disappearance of an organized working class. (Note how, for the first tie in years, the media is using the phrase "working class"). The workplaces of yore were once where, in one way or another, ordinary Americans got to know each other. And it was in unions that they experienced what it meant to stand shoulder to shoulder on behalf of their common problems. Maybe if the unions had been more democratically organized internally we would not be facing the crisis we're in. If our unions hadn't too often forgot that means determine ends, and that democracy is not a luxury even and maybe especially when facing "the enemy."   

DebThe Tough Road Ahead - Bridging Differences - Education Week:

Schools Matter: The Anti-Otis As the New White House Minister of Hate

Schools Matter: The Anti-Otis As the New White House Minister of Hate:

The Anti-Otis As the New White House Minister of Hate

Those readers who are cool enough to be fans of the old Andy Griffith TV show will remember Otis Campbell, the lovable and good-hearted town drunk who made a habit of visiting the bootlegger, getting bombed, and turning himself in at the Mayberry jail, where he regularly locked himself into "his" own cell.

Donald Trump has just appointed the hateful and sinister Anti-Otis, Steve Bannon, as the new Chief Strategist and Chief Counsel to the President of the United States.

Now that it is sinking in that Trump has appointed the first white nationalist to a key White House position, the reaction has been swift, hard, and deep.  In the coming days, weeks, and months, alt-right media mogul, Steve Bannon, will be examined from historical and contemporary angles by journalists and bloggers, and his nazi values and policy influence will be clearly exposed at every turn.

Here is the police report that led Bannon to be charged with domestic violence 20 years ago.  According to Rachel Maddow's researchers, Bannon's wife later reported threats to their children if she appeared in court, and that is how the case ended in a dismissal. From Politico:

On Feb. 22, 1996, a complaint was filed against Bannon by the Santa Monica District Attorney’s office for misdemeanor domestic violence, battery, and dissuading a witness, according to Los Angeles County court dockets obtained by POLITICO.

The counts issued against Bannon in the domestic violence section include count 273.5(A), which according to the Schools Matter: The Anti-Otis As the New White House Minister of Hate:

Trump considering wildly unpopular cabinet choices for Education Secretary – Missouri Education Watchdog

Trump considering wildly unpopular cabinet choices for Education Secretary – Missouri Education Watchdog:

Trump considering wildly unpopular cabinet choices for Education Secretary

Earlier in the election cycle, candidate Trump leaked some possibilities for his choice for Education Secretary. On the list were people like Ben Carson (talented surgeon, but not a student of education policy or process) and William Evers (who already served once in the U.S. Department of Education in the George W Bush administration.) Those across the country who fought Common Core were enthusiastic about someone like Evers being appointed. He has long been a fellow warrior against the Core and should have been an obvious choice for a candidate who campaigned saying Common Core was terrible and he would get rid of it.

So it was somewhat of a surprise to read yesterday that President Elect Trump has now placed Michelle Rhee and Eva Moskowitz on his list of potential appointees to the Education Secretary post, and that is putting it mildly. The nation of warriors against Common Core is spitting mad that he would even consider Rhee, a watergirl for the Core from the very beginning. Search the web for Rhee and Common Core and you will find dozens of articles showing her spouting CCSSI talking points, with conviction, even just two years ago, well into the revolt against the national standards.

Gretchen Logue wrote on MEW about her appearance on Fox & Friends talking about Common Core remarking, “She wasn’t listening a whit to what several people had said about the standards or the interviewer relaying other horror stories from citizens about the standards.  She clearly doesn’t care.  She is defending an agenda and could care less what it is doing to teachers or children.”

The New York Times wrote this about Ms. Rhee in 2011 when Washington DC schools were under investigation for the high rate of erasures and suspiciously high test-score gains. In one school the percentage of answers erased and changed to correct answers was 97%.

“Ms. Rhee, the chancellor of the Washington public schools from 2007 to 2010, is the national symbol of the data-driven, take-no-prisoners education reform movement…  These days, as director of an advocacy group she founded, StudentsFirst, she crisscrosses the country pushing her education politics: she’s for vouchers and charter schools, against tenure, for teachers, but against their unions.”

Rhee’s greatest success has been her ability to raise money to become an education lobbyist for businesses who want to make money off of public education. Take Friends of Bedford, a private contractor who she brought in to fix Dunbar Senior HS in New York. FOB was not successful in turning around the failing school which, as most public schools do, had to take all eligible students, not just the ones they wanted as FOB had done at the much touted Bedford Academy. Valerie Strauss at the Washington Post wrote that it was unlikely one success would translate to another for FOB. “The schools have little in common, but there’s this: The head of Friends of Bedford, Chief Executive George Leonard, shares an ignore-the-parents management philosophy employed by Rhee when she ran D.C. schools.”

It seems Gretchen was right about Rhee’s complete disinterest in parent’s needs or perspective.

And this is someone Trump is considering for Education Secretary?

Then there’s Eva Moskowitz head of the vaunted Success Academy charter school corporation and at one time potential mayoral candidate in New York City.  Her schools are noted for are two things: test scores and discipline. The test scores are high. The level of discipline is also high. This exchange between PBS’s John  Merrow and Moskowitz paints a pretty clear picture of life inside a Success Academy school.Trump considering wildly unpopular cabinet choices for Education Secretary – Missouri Education Watchdog:

Rhee-lated $tory: Michelle Rhee answers Ravitch in New Book

al$o $ee Rhee-lated $tory: Excerpts from "Rhee The Art of the Deal" a new $tory about Corporate Education Reform and the Woman that make$ it Happen!

 Big Education Ape: Success Academy Scrubs Their Public Video Page | Gary Rubinstein's Blog - http://bigeducationape.blogspot.com/2016/09/success-academy-scrubs-their-public.html

Spotlight on BAGLY: Dignity, Leadership and Bravery | Schott Foundation for Public Education

Spotlight on BAGLY: Dignity, Leadership and Bravery | Schott Foundation for Public Education:

Spotlight on BAGLY: Dignity, Leadership and Bravery

In honor of #GivingTuesday on November 29th, the Schott Foundation has reached out to some of our grantee partners to get the low-down on what they do, who they’re doing it for, and the challenges that they handle like rockstars every day.

The Schott Foundation began partnering with BAGLY in 2014 to support their work around school climate and the LGBTQ youth experience in Massachusetts.

Today, we’re talking to Kurtlan Massarsky, Director of Development & Marketing.

WHO: Boston Alliance of Gay Lesbian Bisexual and Transgender Youth (BAGLY)
WHERE: Boston, MA
WHAT: LGBTQ Youth Leadership
THEIR FICTIONAL CHARACTER OF CHOICE: “I would have to characterize BAGLY as a unicorn. Together we are strong, magical, and beautiful.”

SF: Tell us about the organization – how did it get started, and why?
KM: Formed in 1980, BAGLY is likely the oldest youth-led, adult-supported LGBTQ youth organization in the country. BAGLY’s creation was a response to the unique barriers, challenges, and need for community amongst LGBTQ youth. Through the decades, BAGLY has been here to respond to and support LGBTQ youth through triumphs and heartache, ranging from the AIDS crisis to the legalization of marriage equality. True to our roots as an organization formed by youth and for youth, youth leadership remains a cornerstone of BAGLY’s programming and vision, even as the work has changed throughout the years.

What are the main objectives of the organization?
At its core, BAGLY exists to lift up and support LGBTQ youth communities and individuals. A large part of that work goes to nurturing LGBTQ youth leaders. We have a saying that we aren’t here for “tomorrow’s leaders,” because LGBTQ youth are already leading, today.

At BAGLY, we envision a future for LGBTQ youth that is free of oppression and harassment – but, more than that, we see a future that has incorporated the needs and potential of LGBTQ youth into the fabric of a successful society.

What are the core services/activities of the organization?

“We have a saying that we aren’t here for “tomorrow’s leaders,” because LGBTQ youth are already leading, today.”

BAGLY has grown a lot in the last 37 years, and so has our programming. We’re still the hub for Greater Boston’s LGBTQ youth, and have retained our iconic Wednesday Night activities, ranging from monthly potluck dinners to vogue contests and mini-functions. In 2013 BAGLY opened the doors of its Community Center on Beacon Hill, which houses a free clinic, library, and cyber center, and hosts support groups, special events, and even a new Dungeons and Dragons cadre!

Statewide, BAGLY funds and provides technical assistance to the AGLY Network, comprised of 15 independently-run LGBTQ youth groups across Massachusetts. In addition to supporting the AGLY Network, BAGLY hosts several statewide events, including an LGBTQ-friendly college fair, The BAGLY Prom, and MA Youth Pride.

Outside of direct service, BAGLY is deeply involved in advocacy efforts on policy issues ranging from addressing LGBTQ youth homelessness to public accommodations access for the trans communities.

What are the challenges facing the organization? 
Articulating the complex work of a social justice organization that serves LGBTQ youth is both an energizing task and a daunting challenge. As social attitudes and laws have changed for LGBTQ people, there’s a prevailing sense that LGBTQ youth don’t experience the same barriers and hardships of generation’s past – and sometimes that’s true. As the resources, time, and energy that poured into the marriage equality fight dissipate, it has become harder to remind the larger LGBTQ community of the need and disparities faced by today’s LGBTQ youth.

How would you describe the people you serve/advocate for? What is important to them?
Being an adult working at an LGBTQ youth organization is equal parts nostalgic and mind-blowing. The young people who take advantage of BAGLY’s programs and services are some of the most inspirational leaders I’ve come across in my personal or professional life. BAGLY prioritizes working with homeless LGBTQ youth, LGBTQ youth of color, and young trans people – and seeing their leadership, drive, and compassion constitutes a daily lesson in humility. Sometimes what’s important to BAGLY youth is as simple as having a warm place to do homework and get a snack in our community center, and other times it’s protesting outside of the Massachusetts Statehouse with a bullhorn and hundreds of their peers chanting for change.

“It has become harder to remind the larger LGBTQ community of the need and disparities faced by today’s LGBTQ youth.”

Sitting in BAGLY’s community center, as I write this, are 10 youth who come here regularly. I asked them what they find important, in their lives and at BAGLY, and three words seemed to come up again and again: dignity, leadership, and bravery. I think those three words say more than I could in 3 more paragraphs.

One last question, Kurtlan – what do you love most about this work? 
Not every organization can provide the experience of impacting individual lives and help to direct progressive and inclusive policies at the state level. Working at BAGLY allows all of us who work here to learn and grow with the very people who attend our programs. Whether someone has just earned their GED, gotten their first job, or testified in front of the legislature, we are here, in the community center, to see their successes and triumphs.

#GivingTuesday is a chance for all to support incredible work happening around the country. Don’t forget to keep BAGLY in mind on November 29th!

Donate

Check out BAGLY’s website, and follow them on Facebook and Twitter to keep up-to-date!

Spotlight on BAGLY: Dignity, Leadership and Bravery | Schott Foundation for Public Education:

Tougher Times For Latino Students? History Says They've Never Had It Easy : NPR Ed : NPR

Tougher Times For Latino Students? History Says They've Never Had It Easy : NPR Ed : NPR:

Tougher Times For Latino Students? History Says They've Never Had It Easy

Lincoln Elementary School for "Mexican" children in Orange County, Calif., 1930s.

Courtesy of "Fire in the Morning"/National Museum of American History

There's been lots of chatter on social media and among pundits, warning that the treatment of immigrant kids and English language learners is going to "get worse" under a Donald Trump presidency.

Some people on Twitter are even monitoring incidents in which Latino students in particular have been targeted.

But I wonder: When were these students not targeted? When did immigrant students and their families ever have it easy?

People are often surprised to hear that many of these children, with brown skin and "foreign-sounding" names, are U.S. citizens by birth. Yet 95 percent of Latino students in U.S. public schools are American citizens, according the latest survey by the National Council of La Raza.

Immigration is no longer the primary factor driving Latino population growth. In fact, since 2009, the number of Mexican immigrants leaving the U.S., voluntarily and involuntarily, has exceeded the number of new arrivals.

I've been reporting on education for 27 years and covered lots of stories about this population, especially this year as we've set out to report on how the nation can educate the nearly 5 million students who are learning English. And I can't imagine things getting that much worse, especially for Latinos who arrived as toddlers or were born in this country.

In 1947, Gonzalo and Felícitas Méndez, pictured here with their daughter, Sylvia, battled in the courts for the right to equal education in California.

Courtesy of "Fire in the Morning" /American History Museum

Just look at our history.

Before Brown v. Board of Education, there were schools throughout the southwest that were explicitly created to keep U.S.-born children of Mexican descent separate from white children. As the school superintendent of Garden Grove, Calif., wrote in defense of white-only schools in 1945: "Most children of Mexican descent cannot speak English, have no proper health habits and need training in morals, manners and cleanliness." A school board member in nearby El Modena added, "If we educate the Mexicans better, who would pick our crops?"

Sure, that was a long time ago. Let's fast forward to 1988, the year Lauro Cavazos, a sixth-generation Texan, became the first Latino to serve as Secretary of Education. He drew controversy for berating and blaming Latino immigrant parents for their kids' dismal education. He questioned their values and suggested that education was not a priority for poor Latino families.

From his bully pulpit, Cavazos did little to highlight the awful treatment of these kids at the hands of some uncaring educators and closet segregationists who oversaw education policy at the state and local level. Today, Latinos are among the most segregated students in America.

Secretary of Education Lauro Cavazos, the first Hispanic cabinet member in the United States government, and President Ronald Reagan in the 1980s.

Corbis via Getty Images

Then there was President Bill Clinton, who aspired to be the first "education president." For eight years his administration offered little as southern states like his home state of Arkansas struggled to deal with a massive influx of Latino immigrants who took up jobs nobody else would do.

Like the Mexicans in Gainesville, Ga., who were recruited by the poultry industry. I remember how schools in that community were overwhelmed — often they had no Spanish-speaking teachers and as a result Latino students wound up, essentially, warehoused in classrooms with little if any progress toward assimilation — or transition to English.

I remember meeting a gifted, 12-year-old in Pennsylvania, who was classified as "learning disabled" and kept isolated, doing little but memorizing things like the names of kitchen utensils because she didn't know English. She turned out to be a math whiz.

In 2000, George W. Bush came along with his slogan, "the soft bigotry of low expectations," denouncing the education system's penchant for expecting little of these children. He sought to reverse the poor quality of instruction for black and Latino immigrant kids like those his own state — Texas — had long neglected.

Fourteen years of No Child Left Behind followed. While there was some progress on achievement and improving graduation rates, NCLB hardly put a dent on what many would see as the biggest problem: the enormous gaps in resources between affluent schools and those in impoverished neighborhoods.

To this day, little or no meaningful preparation for college or work takes place in many of these "majority-minority" schools. "Persistent disparities" — that's how researchers at the U.S. Education Department today describe the yawning gaps in educational quality and opportunity for Latino and non-English-speaking kids.

Those children are less likely to have access to college-prep classes in math and science. They're less likely to be enrolled in talented and gifted programs and more likely to go to a school where school cops outnumber guidance counselors.

No Child Left Behind? I don't think so, but you have to admit it was a catchy slogan.

The Obama EraTougher Times For Latino Students? History Says They've Never Had It Easy : NPR Ed : NPR:

Big Education Ape: East L.A. Blowouts: Walking Out for Justice in the Classrooms | KCET - http://bigeducationape.blogspot.com/2015/03/east-la-blowouts-walking-out-for.html