The CORE Waiver--the End of Local Control
Coalition member Lori Jabloski gives us some of the details of the CORE waiver that Sacramento City Unified is a part of with a consortium of districts who applied to the US Dept. of Ed for relief from the requirements of NoChildLeftBehind. This is an unprecented set of policies that would end the local control of our school district. The waiver would take SCUSD out of the state of California accountability system and put it in control of an unelected board that would meet only twice a year. This has happened virtually without public discussion. Please read the entire article, then take action. Contact the SCUSD board and the state Supterintendent of Public Instruction. Tell them you didn't vote for the waiver, in fact no one did. Who is accountable for this?
Few would argue that we need relief from the test-driven reform failure that is No Child Left Behind; unfortunately, the remedy that President Obama and Secretary of Education Arne Duncan have provided states and school districts through the Race to the Top waiver would prove even more harmful to the future of public schools, the teaching profession, and the education of our children. That’s why the state of California has refused to adopt specific policies that federal education officials consider necessary to win a waiver from No Child Left Behind sanctions. Among these is the mandated adoption of test-based teacher accountability measures.
In August, the Sacramento City Unified School District (SCUSD), as part of a consortium[1] of seven other large California school districts working under the umbrella of a private consulting firm known as CORE (California Office to Reform Education)[2], was granted a one-year NCLB waiver by U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan by deliberately circumventing the state of California and embracing top-down, undemocratic policies that the Governor and state officials rejected. Even worse, the CORE Waiver would result in the creation of a parallel
Coalition member Lori Jabloski gives us some of the details of the CORE waiver that Sacramento City Unified is a part of with a consortium of districts who applied to the US Dept. of Ed for relief from the requirements of NoChildLeftBehind. This is an unprecented set of policies that would end the local control of our school district. The waiver would take SCUSD out of the state of California accountability system and put it in control of an unelected board that would meet only twice a year. This has happened virtually without public discussion. Please read the entire article, then take action. Contact the SCUSD board and the state Supterintendent of Public Instruction. Tell them you didn't vote for the waiver, in fact no one did. Who is accountable for this?
Few would argue that we need relief from the test-driven reform failure that is No Child Left Behind; unfortunately, the remedy that President Obama and Secretary of Education Arne Duncan have provided states and school districts through the Race to the Top waiver would prove even more harmful to the future of public schools, the teaching profession, and the education of our children. That’s why the state of California has refused to adopt specific policies that federal education officials consider necessary to win a waiver from No Child Left Behind sanctions. Among these is the mandated adoption of test-based teacher accountability measures.
In August, the Sacramento City Unified School District (SCUSD), as part of a consortium[1] of seven other large California school districts working under the umbrella of a private consulting firm known as CORE (California Office to Reform Education)[2], was granted a one-year NCLB waiver by U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan by deliberately circumventing the state of California and embracing top-down, undemocratic policies that the Governor and state officials rejected. Even worse, the CORE Waiver would result in the creation of a parallel
Few would argue that we need relief from the test-driven reform failure that is No Child Left Behind; unfortunately, the remedy that President Obama and Secretary of Education Arne Duncan have provided states and school districts through the Race to the Top waiver would prove even more harmful to the future of public schools, the teaching profession, and the education of our children. That’s why the state of California has refused to adopt specific policies that federal education officials consider necessary to win a waiver from No Child Left Behind sanctions. Among these is the mandated adoption of test-based teacher accountability measures.
In August, the Sacramento City Unified School District (SCUSD), as part of a consortium[1] of seven other large California school districts working under the umbrella of a private consulting firm known as CORE (California Office to Reform Education)[2], was granted a one-year NCLB waiver by U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan by deliberately circumventing the state of California and embracing top-down, undemocratic policies that the Governor and state officials rejected. Even worse, the CORE Waiver would result in the creation of a parallel
Who's Who in the California Ed Reform Business
From Washington D.C. to Sacramento school districts, California politicians are influencing education policy. California is such a blue state, that many a person espousing views once formerly held only by Republicans, claims membership in the Democratic party. Some of these so-called Democrats are pushing the corporate "ed reform" agenda. From billionaire benefactor to local politician, they are working to end public education as we know it.
Billionaire Eli Broad (KB Homes) has created the Broad Foundation which trains business people with no education experience to run school districts. Broad was recently revealed as a secret contributor to the No on 30 and Yes on 32 initiatives here in California. While pretending to be a supporter of schools he donated money against the tax measure to fund schools and for the anti union measure. David Fischer (The Gap) and Reed Hastings(NetFlicks) are major supporters for charters schools and other "ed reform" goals.
These wealthy individuals are also big supporters of politicians. These billionaires and lobbying groups like StudentsFirst are funding campaigns. They are a major new source of campaign funding that doesn't depend on the support of unions. Arnold Schwarzenegger pushed California to compete for RTTT and got the willing cooperation of Supt of Public Instruction Jack O'Connell. Former Democratic State Senator Gloria Romero, who headed the senate Education Committee, helped push the application through the legislature. Now the state is spending billions to implement the Common Core. She also authored the "Parent Trigger" that allows parent to petition to take over a school or give it to a charter operator. State Sen. Ron Calderon, now under investigation for corruption, introduced legislation supported by StudentsFirst. This followed a last minute infusion of over $350,000
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Billionaire Eli Broad (KB Homes) has created the Broad Foundation which trains business people with no education experience to run school districts. Broad was recently revealed as a secret contributor to the No on 30 and Yes on 32 initiatives here in California. While pretending to be a supporter of schools he donated money against the tax measure to fund schools and for the anti union measure. David Fischer (The Gap) and Reed Hastings(NetFlicks) are major supporters for charters schools and other "ed reform" goals.
These wealthy individuals are also big supporters of politicians. These billionaires and lobbying groups like StudentsFirst are funding campaigns. They are a major new source of campaign funding that doesn't depend on the support of unions. Arnold Schwarzenegger pushed California to compete for RTTT and got the willing cooperation of Supt of Public Instruction Jack O'Connell. Former Democratic State Senator Gloria Romero, who headed the senate Education Committee, helped push the application through the legislature. Now the state is spending billions to implement the Common Core. She also authored the "Parent Trigger" that allows parent to petition to take over a school or give it to a charter operator. State Sen. Ron Calderon, now under investigation for corruption, introduced legislation supported by StudentsFirst. This followed a last minute infusion of over $350,000
