Sunday, September 18, 2011

Senators - VOTE NO on H.R. 2218 - Empowering Parents through Quality Charter Schools Act

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Senators - VOTE NO on H.R. 2218 - Empowering Parents through Quality Charter Schools Act

By Susan DuFresne (Contact)

To be delivered to: The United States Senate

Dear Senators:

The recent passage of H.R. 2218, the Empowering Parents Through the Quality Charter Schools Act by the House of Representatives is equally troubling. The nation’s teachers are not alone in their condemnation of this potential federal mandate to implement Charter Schools in every state.

The Association of School Administrators has also raised concerns that H.R.2218 will harm the commitment to properly fund public schools by siphoning money through the voucher system to private charter schools falsely labeled as “Public Charters”.

While some effective charter schools exist, significant fraud and abuse of the public trust has occurred across the nation among charter schools and their operators. We are witnessing a re-segregating of our nation’s schools in the areas of:

1. Race
2. Class
3. Ability
4. Sexual Orientation
5. Language

We are equally concerned that the interest of corporations and wealthy individuals has corrupted education policy in a way which will irreparably change the focus of education from one of success, learning, and accomplishment for children; to one designed merely for profit by corporations.

We the undersigned feel that a unique opportunity exists for you to reaffirm your commitment to education for all of America's children by VOTING NO – against H.R. 2218.

Your NAY VOTE will be a clear signal that you are not taking the side of corporate money and Wall Street hedge funders. It will be a firm gesture that indicates your genuine concern for the nation's children, teachers and schools.

Sincerely,

As students, parents, teachers, administrators, and community members who are concerned about the re-segregation of public schools through the promotion of Charter Schools, we oppose H.R. 2218 - Empowering Parents through Quality Charter Schools Act .

We demand that you, as a Senator of the United States of America VOTE NO on H.R. 2218 - Empowering Parents through Quality Charter Schools Act to protect the civil rights of ALL public school children in America.

GOP, Tea Party Influence Permeates Local Charter School

GOP, Tea Party Influence Permeates Local Charter School:

GOP, Tea Party Influence Permeates Local Charter School

An original post for K12NN by LiberalMama (@liberalmama on Twitter).

Earlier this year, the city council in my community voted to close a heavily-used library branch. While the city was indeed dealing with a budget shortfall, the branch seemed a bargain with operational costs of around $200,000 per year. The city had $34 million in reserves and had recently sold an asset for $230,000. In addition, a group of private citizens raised half a year’s budget and would donate it to the library on the condition the branch be kept open a minimum of four years. However, the Republican-dominated council wasn’t interested in any of these solutions and insisted they had no other choice but to close the library in order to balance the budget (sound familiar?). Turns out they’d already been showing the city-owned property to a potential renter – a local charter school looking to expand.

As a regular patron of the library branch and a skeptic of the barely-regulated charter school system, I was alarmed when I learned of this. And as the parent of a preschooler who would be entering the educational system in the next few years, I’d been reading up on the so-called school “reform” movement. The more I learned, the

NYC Public School Parents: Join us on Wed. to protest the budget cuts and class sizes at your school!

NYC Public School Parents: Join us on Wed. to protest the budget cuts and class sizes at your school!:

Join us on Wed. to protest the budget cuts and class sizes at your school!

Join us at rally this Wednesday, to protest the severe budget cuts to our schools, the increases class sizes, and the loss of valuable programs.
Come and fight for your child's right to receive a quality education!
Class sizes in many schools are far worse than I have ever heard– despite the city’s legal obligation to reduce them – and are now above 30 in many schools, even in the early grades. It is really outrageous how the state and the city have failed our kids.
When: Wednesday, Sept. 21st @ 12:00 P.M
Where: DOE headquarters, Tweed Courthouse, 52 Chambers St.
(take the 4, 5, 6, N & R to City Hall- BK Bridge, or 1, A/C to Chambers St.)
Who: parents and outraged citizens. Co-sponsored by: Class Size Matters, Alliance for Quality Education, NYC Coalition for Educational Justice, NYC Parents Union, African American Clergy and Elected Officials, Charity B.C. of Christ, Cody Cares, Churches United to Save and Heal, Greater New York Labor-Religion Coalition, New York Divinity School, and Mirabal Sisters.
A flyer is to the right that you can post or distribute in your school.
Let me know if you have a story to tell at the rally about how the cuts have affected your child’s school by emailing me atleonie@att.net
Please also complete our survey if you haven’t already at www.bit.ly/class-size-survey
AQE also has a survey you can ask your principal to fill out atwww.surveymonkey.com/s/nycschools

Behind the Manor of Gate’s Farm: “Charter Schools Good, Public Schools Bad” « Living Behind the Gates

Behind the Manor of Gate’s Farm: “Charter Schools Good, Public Schools Bad” « Living Behind the Gates:

Behind the Manor of Gate’s Farm: “Charter Schools Good, Public Schools Bad”

If liberty means anything at all, it means the right to tell people what they do not want to hear.” ~ George Orwell

Today, like so many other authors are trying to do, I am exercising my liberty to tell America’s people what they don’t seem to want to hear.

I am telling all of you that YOU are being led by the nose, by none other than “Pig Brother” like sheep to

And Justice For All [Troy Davis Must Be Freed] | The Jose Vilson

And Justice For All [Troy Davis Must Be Freed] | The Jose Vilson:

And Justice For All [Troy Davis Must Be Freed]


Wayne Hicks of Electronic Village sent me this, and I have to agree: we must do everything we can to ensure they stop the execution of Troy Grant. Along with other prisoners wrongly convicted, Troy Davis is one of hundreds (if not thousands) of men and women who were thrown into jail under suspect circumstances. We must eliminate this prison industrial complex, and it starts with one. Thank you for helping us in this manner.

Dear kinfolk,

In 1991, Troy Davis was convicted of murdering a white police officer. Though there’s major evidence that Davis didn’t commit the crime, Georgia just scheduled his execution. There’s still a chance of stopping this — but only if we speak up now.

The fact is, no physical evidence connected Davis to the murder. Seven of the original nine witnesses have recanted, with many saying their testimony was a result of law enforcement pressure. Of the remaining

Big Education Ape: 9-18-11 PM Call Your Senators STOP !! HR 2218 Charter School Bailout Bill EDition

Big Education Ape: Ed News Now:

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