Overwhelming coverage of Education Nation. MSNBC, NBC, CNBC, MTP, Today Show

[madfloridian]

All the time, Education Nation.

I won't be watching it, I think it would break my heart. Thirty three years of pride in my teaching and caring and daily communication with parents and students....it's like it never mattered at all.

I see the name-calling is beginning here toward those of us who were educators and defend public education as one of the pillars on which our country was built.

It's as though we must accept this move to public funding of privately run schools, the move to take the power away from local school boards and give it to mayors. Easier that way to force the changes.

I keep looking back at all the hope and excitement we felt in 2003. We worked our butts off. We had a growing community of folks here who were supporting the Dean campaign. We enlivened the party establishment and some of them got excited too.

I felt like we really had the ability to change things, to matter in the political scheme of things. We worked just as hard for Obama, because we wanted the best for our country.

Our group that was filled with excitement was mostly middle-age to older folks. That group no longer exists. The same people are back in control of the party here, and they do the same things they always did. I mentioned to one when they called here one day about where we had been. I expressed concerns about education, Social Security, and women's rights. I was at once silenced and told that we could only do so much until we got a larger majority. I said we won't get a larger majority acting fearful. I was told not to be a trouble maker.

There is less hope now than there was then. I trusted our party more then than now.

We are all supposed to be okay with the attacks on teachers and public schools because a Democratic administration is doing it. I am having way too much trouble with that concept. They have no right to be arrogant toward teachers...no right at all.

And of course the release of Waiting for Superman is the same time, double the coverage, double the power and money.

Here are just a few paragraphs from the coverage:


Cross Network Coverage of Education Nation Begins Sunday>

NBC News, MSNBC, CNBC and Telemundo will provide cross network on-air coverage of NBC's "Education Nation” with a series of special reports, programming and live events starting Sunday, September 26. The conversation will continue online with special features and reports at MSNBC.com, EducationNation.com and iVillage.

Throughout the week, "Today's" team of anchors and correspondents will provide daily reports on a variety of different schools from across the country. Each anchor will explore a different age group and the challenges they face. "Today" also will host a Teacher Roundtable and a Parents' Workshop, and report on topics such as the value of learning a second language and the opportunities of vocational schools.

On Sunday’s edition of "Meet the Press," David Gregory will moderate a special panel with Secretary of Education Arne Duncan live from Rockefeller Plaza.

NBC News, MSNBC, CNBC and Telemundo will provide cross network on-air coverage of NBC's "Education Nation” with a series of special reports, programming and live events starting Sunday, September 26. The conversation will continue online with special features and reports at MSNBC.com, EducationNation.com and iVillage.

Throughout the week, "Today's" team of anchors and correspondents will provide daily reports on a variety of different schools from across the country. Each anchor will explore a different age group and the challenges they face. "Today" also will host a Teacher Roundtable and a Parents' Workshop, and report on topics such as the value of learning a second language and the opportunities of vocational schools.

On Sunday’s edition of "Meet the Press," David Gregory will moderate a special panel with Secretary of Education Arne Duncan live from Rockefeller Plaza.

They included a teacher town hall, but some say it is mostly a one-way conversation. The actual speakers are the powerful reformers.

On September 13, NBC issued a press release in which it announced the confirmed speakers to date. Here is that list as presented:

• Maria Bartiromo: Anchor of CNBC's "Closing Bell with Maria Bartiromo" and Anchor and Managing Editor of "Wall Street Journal Report with Maria Bartiromo"
• Michael Bloomberg: Mayor, City of New York
• Cory Booker: Mayor, City of Newark, New Jersey
• Phil Bredesen: Governor, State of Tennessee
• Steven Brill: co-founder of Journalism Online, CourtTV and American Lawyer magazine and author of "The Rubber Room" In The New Yorker
• Tom Brokaw: NBC News Special Correspondent
• Geoffrey Canada: CEO & President of Harlem Children's Zone Project
• David Coleman: Founder & CEO, Student Achievement Partners; Contributing Author of the Common Core Standards
• Ann Curry: News Anchor, "Today" and Anchor, "Dateline NBC"
• Arne Duncan: US Secretary of Education
• Byron Garrett: CEO of the National Parent Teacher Association (PTA)
• Allan Golston, President, US Program, The Gates Foundation
• Jennifer M. Granholm: Governor, State of Michigan
• David Gregory: Moderator, "Meet the Press"
• Reed Hastings: Founder & CEO of Netflix
• Lester Holt: Anchor, "NBC Nightly News," Weekend Edition and Co-Host, "Today" Weekend Edition
• Walter Isaacson: President & CEO of the Aspen Institute
• Joel Klein: Chancellor of New York City Schools
• Wendy Kopp: CEO and Founder of Teach for America
• John Legend: Musician; Founder of the Show Me Campaign
• Jack Markell: Governor, State of Delaware
• Gregory McGinity: Managing Director of Policy, The Broad Education Foundation
• Andrea Mitchell: NBC News Chief Foreign Affairs Correspondent and Host, "Andrea Mitchell Reports"
• Janet Murguia: President & CEO of the National Council of La Raza (NCLR)
• Michael Nutter: Mayor, City of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
• Bill Pepicello, Ph.D.: President of University of Phoenix
• Sally Ride: First Female Astronaut; Vice-chair of Change the Equation
• Michelle Rhee: Chancellor, District of Columbia Public School System of Washington,D.C.
• Edward Rust: Chairman & CEO of State Farm Insurance Companies
• Gwen Samuel, CT delegate to Mom Congress
• Barry Schuler: Former CEO of AOL
• Sterling Speirn: CEO, Kellogg Foundation
• Margaret Spellings: Former US Secretary of Education
• Antonio Villaraigosa: Mayor, City of Los Angeles, California
• Randi Weingarten: President of American Federation of Teachers (AFT-CLO)
• Brian Williams: Anchor and Managing Editor "NBC Nightly News"

Education Nation

Even though I post about education a lot, I am realistic. When there is that much power and money up against teachers who are lacking in both.....the result is inevitable.

They can have all their cross-coverage and Arne interviews. I can't handle watching it. It reminds me when we were so hopeful.

I have fought off insults here for days now, just because I post about my strong feelings on public education. It is becoming an unpopular thing to defend teachers now, and I find myself wondering how it happened so easily.

I am retired, I don't have to live through the changes. But my fellow teachers through the country are on my mind and in my heart. Because most teachers love every day with their kids, they cherish them, and they work after hours to help and communicate.

[Dawson Leery]

1. Charter Schools do not perform as well as expected

Here: http://ies.ed.gov/ncee/pubs/20104029/pdf/20104029.pdf

http://artsbeat.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/09/13/randi-weingarten-responds-to-education-reform-documentary/

http://www.tnr.com/blog/jonathan-cohn/77716/davis-guggenheim-director-waiting-superman-michelle-rhees-fate

http://culture.wnyc.org/articles/features/2010/sep/23/waiting-superman-if-only/

http://www.thedailybeast.com/blogs-and-stories/2010-09-17/waiting-for-superman-randi-weingarten-education-films-villain/

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ynews/20100630/ts_ynews/ynews_ts2976_2

I am glad I graduated when I did.

[madfloridian]

2. But they still have that as their goal. Facts don't matter.

Not to the reformers.

Eli Broad, billionaire, said the stars were aligned when Obama appointed Duncan.

He was right. They are pushing reforms that have not been tested or have been found to be no better than what we do in public schools.

Thanks for the links.

[chervilant]

28. Please

I know I've asked you this before, madfloridian, but I am BEGGING you to remain stalwart in pointing out what the corporatists are doing to public education. Please, remember what Margaret Mead said about social change.

We humans are manifesting a level of mental dis-ease that is both frightening and corrosive. Far too many of us are in react mode, driven by inchoate fears and resentments. Far too many of us are willing to pollute our spirits with negativity, eagerly engaging in name-calling and other forms of vilification.

We seldom acknowledge the import of overpopulation, but Calhoun's research with rats has proven that when a critical level of overpopulation occurs, the outcome isn't pretty. With the rats, hyperaggression, eating their young, abnormal sexual behavior and increased mortality are just a few of the problems that occurred. With humans, well...perhaps, it's past time we acknowledge that our species has passed the critical tipping point.

We have met the enemy, and he is us.
Walt Kelly

Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it's the only thing that ever has.

Margaret Mead

[madfloridian]

7. I especially like the WYNC article.

http://culture.wnyc.org/articles/features/2010/sep/23/waiting-superman-if-only/

"The filmmakers have told audiences they are not anti-union and that they, in fact, belong to unions. But “Superman” does not do much to bolster the image of American Federation of Teachers president Randi Weingarten (which is why she and her members have become vocal critics of the film). Teachers are portrayed as villains out to serve their own interests above those of the children they serve when the film cuts to the infamous rubber rooms in New York City, where teachers awaiting disciplinary action sat for years doing nothing while collecting their paychecks. An administrator in Milwaukee refers to the “dance of the lemons” when principals who can’t fire bad teachers swap them with each other each fall. The film strongly suggests—no, states—that unions and their contracts are an obstacle to innovations when it shows the DC union objecting to Chancellor Rhee’s proposal to give up tenure in exchange for a higher salary."

.."One NYC administrator told me schools are messy places because “they’re like soup.” You never know exactly what caused test scores to rise and fall because children’s lives are so complicated. Some get sick and stay home for days; others have undiagnosed learning disabilities; some have parents pushing them from birth to read; other kids seem to excel no matter what obstacles you put in their way. And every teacher has a slightly different approach, no matter how hard a district tries to unify its curriculum. One may never know exactly what went into the soup.

This is not to say we should throw up our hands and declare the subject’s too difficult to tackle for the public at large. It’s just a reminder that a film telling us there is no Superman can easily leave some viewers thinking that??s exactly what we need. Yes, the problem is complicated. But the steps are complicated, too."

[JDPriestly]

31. Why do union members support Randi Weingarten?

How did she manage to be president of their organization?

[madfloridian]

33. Several union leaders are from the reform movement....and we didn't know it.

Until it was too late and they had already infiltrated.

[Matt Shapiro]

53. She's not "from" this so-called "reform" movement . . .

She's just capitulated to it after being threatened by the Democratic power structure. The choice was make the best deal you can or get nothing. She chose to deal on behalf of the AFT. The NEA is no different.

Unfortunately, she gets nothing in the "deal" other than the continued existence of the union. In doing so, she betrays everything she previously stood for, as her philosophy was always diametrically opposed to everything in this corporate "reform" movement. At best, she may have slowed down the demise of the union for a year or two.

She should have stood her ground and fought with every resource she could muster.

Thank you, MadFlo, for being such a great voice.

Another retired teacher after 33 years of service.

[madfloridian]

56. Actually Randi was a staff member at the Broad Superintendents' Academy.

I wrote about it, but will have to search later. So she has deep roots in the reform, so-called movement. Thanks for the kind words.

Yes, the WH is pressuring teachers and unions to cave to the reforms, I fear. They don't seem to care they are angering teachers.

[Matt Shapiro]

68. That's really surprising.

Randi went from being the full time legal eagle for the UFT to UFT President to AFT President. Do you know when was she staff at the Broad Superintendents' Academy? Over the years, she has always made cogent arguments against merit pay, against judging teachers and schools based on standardized scores of student populations, against teaching to the test. She was articulate about the proper role of charter schools as incubators of ideas to be brought back to the mainstream schools if successful.

Unfortunately, she has now so severely compromised all of these positions as to be unrecognizable.

If she was pretending all those years and working with the corporate education invaders to undermine public education, then she certainly fooled me.

The White House not only doesn't care about angering teachers, it (he) doesn't care about public education. This corporate business model that they are promoting will doom not only the teachers' unions, but public education itself. The grand equalizer in our society will be gone if they are successful.

[Hannah Bell]

73. ...

Securing a job as an urban superintendent Participants in the Academy retained their current jobs while attending six intensive four-day training sessions over the course of a year. The final session is being held in Miami this weekend. Fellowships, including tuition, travel and all program-related expenses, were fully covered by The Broad Foundation.

The Fellows received guidance from leaders in business, education and the non-profit sectors. Faculty at the Academy included:

Rod Paige, U.S. Secretary of Education
Henry Cisneros, CEO, American CityVista
William Cox, Managing Director, School Evaluation Services
Chris Cross, Senior Fellow, Center on Education Policy
Chester E. Finn, Jr., President, Thomas B. Fordham Foundation
Frances Hesselbein, Chairman, The Drucker Foundation
Don McAdams, Founder, Center for Reform of School Systems
Donald Nielsen, President, Hazelton Corporation; Chairman, 2WAY Corporation Hugh B. Price, President and CEO, National Urban League
Paul Ruiz, Principal Partner, Education Trust
Adam Urbanski, Director, Teacher Union Reform Network
Randi Weingarten, President, United Federation of Teachers

http://www.broadacademy.org/news/press/2002-1121.html


randi weingarten started as a union lawyer. she has less teaching experience than the average sub. she stayed in just long enough to qualify her to lead the union.

[madfloridian]

75. Here's the info...2002 on staff at BSA

Teacher's union head was on the faculty of Broad superintendent's academy.

Broad Report Class of 2002

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION FROM 2002 PRESS RELEASES, ETC.:

Participants in the academy will not need to leave their current jobs immediately. They will attend trainings for a number of weekends over a ten-month period in locations across the country. Fellowships, including tuition, travel and all program-related expenses, will be fully covered by The Broad Center. At the end of the training, The Broad Center will help place participants in urban school districts as administrators and superintendents.

The Fellows received guidance from leaders in business, education and the non-profit sectors. Faculty at the Academy included:

* Rod Paige, U.S. Secretary of Education
* Henry Cisneros, CEO, American CityVista
* William Cox, Managing Director, School Evaluation Services
* Chris Cross, Senior Fellow, Center on Education Policy
* Chester E. Finn, Jr., President, Thomas B. Fordham Foundation
* Frances Hesselbein, Chairman, The Drucker Foundation
* Don McAdams, Founder, Center for Reform of School Systems
* Donald Nielsen, President, Hazelton Corporation; Chairman, 2WAY Corporation Hugh B. Price, President and CEO, National Urban League
* Paul Ruiz, Principal Partner, Education Trust
* Adam Urbanski, Director, Teacher Union Reform Network
* Randi Weingarten, President, United Federation of Teachers

Check out the other names as well.

Here is a direct link for more years and more reformers and pictures of some of them already out in the field.

http://broadacademy.org/fellows/index.html

[Hannah Bell]

66. she's an eli broad graduate who started as a union staffer, not a teacher.

she taught just long enough to be eligible to be union pres.

[Starry Messenger]

3. It's war.

They've amassed the troops, the funds, the propaganda. I have faith in "us" though. Parents aren't going to stand for this arrogant crap, IMO. They also know this kind of arrogant do-gooding reform stuff from their own jobs. It's 100% corporate double-speak. No one but the most hard-core kiss-asses like it. You see what I'm saying?

[madfloridian]

4. Yes, it's war.. And parents don't seem to have the ear of TPTB

[madrchsod]

6. it`s a war on all unionized public servants ...

they are being beaten not by the pinkerton`s but by the democrats in the white house and the well funded oligarch.

[Pholus]

13. What's really funny about that...

public servants used to be less-well paid. Remember when the joke was they were the people who couldn't get "real" jobs? All of a sudden, they're the only ones with decent retirement plans and functional unions.

And everyone hates them for that. It's funny people don't stop to ask how it got that way!

[madrchsod]

22. around here it was those who worked steel made the big bucks...

now the biggest unions here are in the public service sector.

[ibegurpard]

5. keep pushing

what they're trying to do is slowly sinking in and people don't like it

[PufPuf23]

8. Cumulative thank you, madfloridian .

The tact of current policy is regressive and disrespectful bullshit. The result is likely to bleed dollars away from education to administration / finance and to brain wash students to POV more than teach them to think. Another side effect is to increase the wealth/income divide.

The course of events blows me away.

[madfloridian]

9. Your first sentence says it all.

"regressive and disrespectful bullshit."

[Pholus]

10. A new way to PROFIT!!!

It's just like HMO's. Pick a couple failings of the existing system, claim the problems are incurable, start a system that will "fix" everything, throw a couple bones to the suckers at a loss (e.g. "scholarships" for charters for the very poorest), crow about your successes, hide your failures and get people to expand the system and dismantle what was working in favor of this new, superior privatized system.

Once you sweep the old system out, then you got em! Happily screw the American people every single chance you get for every dime you can squeeze! The American dream made manifest! Education as a new profit center!

Of course, you have to show an increased profit every quarter, just like every business right? That way the CEO's can say they earned their huge salaries. After all, MBA's can manage ANY enterprise -- it's just a business and it doesn't matter what it makes as long as it makes money.

Pretty quick you claim that it isn't your fault that our children are actually getting less of an education than they even used to. It's labor problems -- after all how can you be a profitable school if you have to pay the teachers that much money? Teachers don't need a retirement plan! They should be investing a fraction of their $20k/year as they go like responsible people do. Older teachers cost too much to employ full time anyway, so make sure you keep the talent pool young and working long hours for nothing. If you have to, maybe you can hire from the wal-mart greeter crowd and have adjuncts do teaching part time in retirement. Maybe you can push to import Indian teachers on H1-B's! Obviously they'll do the same job for less and they come from an education system that isn't so broken!

Start allowing for mortgages for the common sap to pay for grade school? Yes, obviously. After all you plan for a house, retirement, medical insurance -- why shouldn't you have to do financial planning to afford to put your children through school as well. It's not like education comes for free after all! Nor is it a right -- it's a consumer product!

Sickening, regrettable and completely predictable.

I weep for the shortsighted fools who will destroy public education for greed.

And for all you privatization advocates out there -- thanks so much! I just love your exercises in social darwinism. Fortunately the health care system is so screwed up due to your efforts I probably won't live long enough to see what a f'ed up mess you make out of education.

[ibegurpard]

11. well said!

[madfloridian]

12. Nice post and very true.

Thanks.

[leftstreet]

15. +1

Nicely said

[Starry Messenger]

16. +1000

[Fire1]

17. Absolutely! n/t

[WinkyDink]

20. That's ALL it EVER has been, from the Edison Project to NCLB! LOOTING THE PUBLIC COFFERS.

ANYBODY who seriously believes that Corporate America wants MORE-educated citizens---citizens who will READ BETTER and THINK MORE---is seriously DELUDED.

WHY are the ARTS always denigrated and first on the chopping block? Because they make people THINK. There is no one "correct answer" in art, literature, poetry, history, philosophy, music, dance.

CREATIVE PEOPLE ARE DANGEROUS to TPTB. DRONES ARE NOT.

Much Madness is divinest Sense-
To a discerning Eye-
Much Sense-the starkest Madness-
‘Tis the Majority
In this, as All, prevail-
Assent- and you are sane-
Demur- you’re straightway dangerous-
And handled with a Chain-

[Dappleganger]

26. Well said!

[chervilant]

29. All hail!

From one of the "older teachers" who "cost too much": I am right with you on the screwed up health care system being the likely reason I won't see the outcome of this disgusting assault on public education...

Right now, I cannot even get schools to INTERVIEW me for a position! I have a perfect score on my PPR, one of the highest scores in my cohort on my Generalist 4-8, veteran teachers and other educators exclaiming over my ability to teach, and--trumping ALL of that--vociferous praise from my students about how I 'make learning math fun' and 'explain math so clearly!' Yet, I remain unemployed and a breath away from homelessness because I would cost a school more than a younger, newly-minted teacher.

I have had a series of bad days, wherein I am so despondent that I sit in front of my laptop with tears rolling down my face. Such a sad, sad world we live in these days...

[Pholus]

80. I'm so sorry....

Keep up the good fight! It's all we CAN do these days! And my thoughts and prayers are with you!

[flyarm]

14. I WANT TO THANK AND EMBRACE ALL THE PUBLIC SCHOOL TEACHERS

who taught my son!

He graduated Public schools on the honor role

He graduated University 4 years on the dean's list, every semester, as an scholarship athlete.
And is now in the third hardest MBA program in the nation, and close to graduating, with a full time job and a new baby.

I thank those who cared so much to instill a great education and shared their devotion in educating with my son!

I will boycott this show! And the advertisers!

[Fire1]

18. On behalf of all public school teachers, you are quite

welcome and thank you for your support.

[WinkyDink]

19. I know this seems like a huge digression, but given the loathing on DU for "American Idol"------>

Adam Lambert, from the 2009 Season 8, is a huge supporter of DonorsChoose, devoted to helping PUBLIC SCHOOLS:
http://www.donorschoose.org/donors/viewChallenge.html?id=28923&category=186?utm_source=dc&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=glamtour&j=11196348&e=[e-mail]&l=2274399_HTML&u=99551559&mid=74080&jb=0

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h9w-RHwUyHs

http://www.donorschoose.org/

[MadHound]

21. What I truly find amazing is what we loathed about Bush's education policies,

We now embrace now that they have been rebranded with Obama's name.

Madfloridian, thank you for all of your wonderful work that you do around here. Thank you for your support, and thank you for helping out the rest of us, your fellow teachers.

If it becomes too much for you, and we all know how tiring this fight can be, take a break for awhile and then come back refreshed. We don't need to to crash and burn on this. Take care of yourself, your psyche, your soul.

Peace and :hug:

[madfloridian]

23. Oops here's the link to the Cross Network coverage article.

http://www.newsonnews.net/nbc/4703-cross-network-coverage-of-education-nation-begins-sunday.html

I usually check all links before I post. Looks like one too many brackets...

[mstinamotorcity]

24. While they are waiting for Superman

some of us out here are doing the actual work in places they won't believe right here in America.Teacher's are our gifts to America's children. They are the foundation of great leaders,in science ,technology,arts,politics,and homemaking.They should be treasured on all levels. They deserve competitive salaries,educational updates in advancements,and more control over curriculum,but most of all parent participation at home.

The teachers who do not produce quality educational standards for our children need more education themselves or need to choose another profession.

[Bullet1987]

25. Part of the propaganda against teachers is meant to make them look incapable

Forcing the population to turn towards more corporate "reform."

[madfloridian]

51. Using tactics of humiliation to corporatize education.

Yes, indeed.

[Dappleganger]

27. Thank you, mad...

and to all the other DU educators who are fighting the good fight on behalf of our children despite what others may say. I am in awe of your tenacity and courage to keep speaking out.

[JDPriestly]

30. Last time we were under full-on assault by the national media like

this was the run-up to the Iraq War. Oh!!!! God save us. When they have to sell something this hard, you know it's bad! (And they - the media doing the selling - know it too.)

[madfloridian]

32. Exactly like the lead up to the war...heartbreaking.

[Iris]

34. I notice there's not a single teacher on this list but they do have the CEO of Netflix

wtf?

[court jester]

35. I couldn't imagine being surrounded by this much brilliance at once

• Maria Bartiromo: Anchor of CNBC's "Closing Bell with Maria Bartiromo"
• Michael Bloomberg: Mayor, City of New York
• Ann Curry: News Anchor, "Today" and Anchor, "Dateline NBC"
• Arne Duncan: US Secretary of Education
>>><<<
• Margaret Spellings: Former US Secretary of Education
• Antonio Villaraigosa: Mayor, City of Los Angeles, California
• Randi Weingarten: President of American Federation of Teachers (AFT-CLO)
• Brian Williams: Anchor and Managing Editor "NBC Nightly News"

I didn't know there was anywhere in the country that many huge egos could fit in at the same time.

If D.C. is Hollywood for Ugly People, this is a friggin Carnivale complete with bearded women and chain smoking 2 yr olds. Ring toss, anyone?

[Jefferson23]

36. What I fear most is our country not being able to pull away from this

train wreck. How will it be possible if a Democrat is championing the cause?

The way the scam is being framed is clever when you think about it, as it has the appearance to be protective
of the education of children.

Talk about a wolf in sheep's clothing..the whole thing stinks like hell.

[WinkyDink]

37. It's over. Parodies of the past (of the "Exxon Cafeteria" and "Pepsi Gym" type) will be reality.

Schools will be named after companies, as well, instead of great citizens or places.

Halliburton High, Rah, Rah, Rah!

[Nikki Stone1]

38. This is propaganda to create a climate for a hedge fund takeover

And teachers can't afford time for rebuttal.

[Gin]

39. as I'm listening to Oprah and learning more about charter shcools

it seems to me that the education system will be privatized
and dept. of education will be abolished...another mission accomplished..

[Nikki Stone1]

40. Oprah is part of that group steering the change

She'll probably make a mint off of it.

She and Bill Gates are names you see together in "philanthropic" planning sessions, like those about population control.

[spedtr90]

41. Thank you, thank you, thank you

I am also a retired teacher and my heart breaks when I see the horrible comments about teachers in the media. I greatly appreciate the information you provide. Much is not good news, but it is important to know. I have shared info from your journal with friends still teaching to give them some facts they would not have found in the news. What you are doing is important, brave, and helpful to the rest of us trying to hold our heads high despite the crap being thrown our way. God bless you!

[madfloridian]

55. Yes, it must be hard for teachers to hold their heads up in pride

in their work when so many ugly words are said about them in the media.

It is heartbreaking.

[Jakes Progress]

42. Thank you MadF.

They come for teachers now. Soon it will be someone else and they will fuss that no one cares. When they attack unions, DU will demure. When they attack Gays, DU will demure. When they attack pro-choice, the fan-club Democrats will demure.

I cannot watch or read about any of this. I can read your threads because you tell the truth and because the deranged and deluded on DU have learned to stay away for your postings. They know they will read the truth and it will only make them uneasy, so they stay away.

The absolute stupidity and the lack of thought that goes into this program or supporting this program is amazing. No one would ever think of trying to attack a problem with these methods in any other field. Add to that that DU is lining up behind and cheering ronald reagan's education program, one designed by grover norquist, presented by bill bennet, and championed by newt gingrich. But members of DU can't wait to get behind it. We are truly no better, no smarter, no more principled than republicans. Too many democrats support programs based on party not principle. Being a Democrat used to mean something. Obama and his handlers have done away with that.

[Irishonly]

43. K&R

I haven't been in a classroom for many years now. I was very sad when Duncan was appointed and I just keep getting sadder every time I read about the most current nonsense going on. Teachers don't teach for the money, In 1975 I started teaching. I loved it. I taught special education for many years and I would like to think I made a difference. Making a difference is being taken away from our educators and most of the time I can't get "Another Brick in the Wall" out of my head these days.

The last one LA meeting I went to I felt so badly for the teachers. Not only do they put in full days work they also dedicate themselves to making our community better. Their dedication is inspiring. No matter how much they are being slapped down by Duncan and his minions they keep fighting for their kids and the communities where they live.

[madfloridian]

44. Good post. You are right.

No matter how much they get insulted by the reformers, good teachers keep on fighting.

I have never seen anything like the onslaught against teachers. Never.

[senseandsensibility]

45. Thanks for your continued support.

I can't watch it either. I can barely stand to read your reports on what is happening. Please continue to keep us informed.

[Irishonly]

46. I appreciate all of the work you do

I don't get to post as much as I would like but I always read your journals. I have been taken off the email list from the WH. I asked them what they were trying to do to teachers and unions. I made some one very mad. All I know is I am proud to have been a teacher and proud to know many of them.

I ran into one of my former students a couple of weeks ago. I used to always tell them I would believe enough in them until they could believe in themselves. I was told by my former student he believed in himself now and thanked me for giving him courage to change. I also met a namesake. I came home and cried like a baby.

[madfloridian]

47. I look back to special words and moments like that before I retired.

They meant so much, but what this administration has done is enable a horrible climate for teachers.

It's a shame.

[Usrename]

48. I'll watch as much of it as I can stomach.

Thanks for this post.

[Lifelong Protester]

49. First off, I thank you MF for all of your posts and research

that goes into your thoughtful writings. I am not yet retired, but close. I fear for my younger colleagues, many of which are smart enough to see what is happening and are fighting mad.

Here's what I put up with today. I was at a meeting at the state cooperative service agency (in our state there are several of these that are coops for pooling resources and specialty services and trainings that most schools could not do on their own, etc.).

Anyway, it was about the "Common Core State Standards" which are now in the 'exploratory' phase of being rolled out. Have you heard of these? Well, 23 states are now signed on, including my state. This is of course what we must now do in order to possibly, and I mean possibly, be eligible for whatever bucks our state might get for kowtowing to the party line on 'rigor' and '21st. Century skills' or whatever the flavor of the month is.

I was there at the meeting with my boss. I asked him if he really wanted to sit next to me because I usually make snarky comments (not loud enough to be disruptive, but out loud) about whatever is being presented, if of course, I find it troubling or vexing.

Well get this. Now a bunch of folks have decided there will be NATIONAL standards, because of course, we have to guarantee that all states are teaching the SAME material. And we are going to be making lists of 'best practices' so we can all teach the SAME (the latter is my synthesis of what happens when we make lists of 'best practices' for everyone to adhere to). Evidently, teachers now have to be Stepford Teachers.

We will be moving to an "achievement based", not "time based" education model. That means if you have a student who does not meet the set goal in the 180 day school year, your school, with no extra funds will be required to keep working with that student until he or she meets the goal. Now I ask you, do you think that sounds like something we will get the unions on board with? Heck no, me neither. But of course, this is just another nail in the union coffin. No one is saying just yet what the punitive measures will be if we don't comply, but you can bet they are being thought of as we speak.

So my Dear Husband, when asked how my meeting went (and he is not a teacher) said, "You mean that underfunded for decades schools in Mississippi and Louisiana will have to have their kids up to Wisconsin standards?" "Yep" I said. Now no offense to my fellow educators in those two states, I know you have been up against it for decades, maybe even centuries of underfunding and no support. How in the hell, in FOUR YEARS (oh yeah, the 2014 deadline for implementation has not shifted from the NCLB 'magic year')will schools in these states be able to reach these standards?

We of course know the answer, they can't. Not without a massive influx of dollars, and that ain't happening. So now there will be an even bigger club over the schools and teachers in struggling states, and more 'evidence' that public schools 'don't work'.

The deck continues to be stacked folks.

[madfloridian]

50. Great post. I remember meetings like that.

I always had trouble keeping my mouth shut over idiocies.

You know why so many states are going for the national standards which will dictate everything we teach? Because they want Arne's money. That's why.

My last principal was so sorry they kicked her ass out of the county office and demoted her to principal. Tried to fire her from that job, and she threatened to sue. She kept her job and almost single-handedly destroyed a school that had a chance to become better.

[Lifelong Protester]

76. Oh, absolutely! It is all about the contortions now that states

must go through to get the money. Meaningless contortions, I might add. And ones that take our attention away from teaching.

This year I will lose an entire week of teaching (classroom time, time when we are really working on learning) to the state tests. Missing FIVE days of 84 minute blocks, or 7 hours of teaching, so my Spanish II students can take the test.

I think it is criminal. Some of these things have happened so incrementally that NOW even the folks who did not see a problem with NCLB nor the mandated "one size fits all" testing, now even those people are finally waking up and seeing how much this is taking out of learning in this country.

But it's all about the money. Wisconsin cannot change its test to one more aligned with our standards and curriculum because of our contract with CTB-McGraw Hill (our off the shelf, but supposed to be specific to our state, test provider).

It is ALL about the MONEY, and not the money we should be getting for our kids. PERIOD.

[Odin2005]

52. It's a disgusting propaganda blitz.

:grr:

[madfloridian]

78. Yes, and very blatantly anti-teacher.

It is infuriating.

[DeltaLitProf]

54. No Jonathan Kozol? No Diane Ravitch?

Just all reformers all the time. This is a major rollout of a campaign to bust teachers' unions and send federal dollars to the religious schools. It's also a major push to allow corporations to take over public schools, rid them of humanities education and replace the curriculum with narrow job skills that will become obsolete as soon as the student graduates.

It's an agenda that cannot succeed. It's predicated on big cuts in teacher pay. There are already enormous problems keeping teachers beyond five years even at present salary structures. Imagine what will happen to teacher recruitment when you tell them they'll need to spend 5 years in college, then take Walmart wages and no benefits.

The whole thing is stupid. But billions of dollars are behind it. Do you want your public schools to be run by the Walton family or by the facebook douchebag?

I vote no.

[sulphurdunn]

57. Anyone from the NEA?

[msanthrope]

58. From the Kos diary this was taken from, the NEA President is a panelist....

http://www.educationnation.com/index.cfm?objectid=261DC910-A41C-11DF-A44E000C296BA163

don't know which panel

[sulphurdunn]

62. Good

I hope Van Roekel realizes that the panel is a format for a fight and not a reasoned discussion over differing points of view.

[sulphurdunn]

59. Why should teacher's care what

these pampered, narcissistic sociopaths think? They are wolves in sheep's clothing come to feed on the weak and the poor. It's what they do. We should rejoice in the enmity of such people. We cannot be their friends or live at peace with them anymore than shepherds live with marauding wolves. Their power is in convincing us that we can't beat them. When that happens despair makes us weak and vulnerable. Failure should not be an option for us. Educators have no right to give up. Too many depend upon us to do such a dishonorable thing.

[woo me with science]

63. I hope you don't teach English.

Do not use an apostrophe to form a plural noun.

[sulphurdunn]

64. I do. Ouch!

But I'm getting long in the tooths. I made more such mistake as time goes buy. Just like last week. I found myself arguing for the incorrect use of "effect" over a beer. I don't know what I did that for. Having forgotten such things, senile dementia is coming around the corner. But then I teach literature, a mere appendage of grammar and usage :dunce:

[woo me with science]

65. The beer may have had something to do with it.

:toast:

[sulphurdunn]

69. More likely a lifetime of beer.

:beer:

[JCMach1]

60. An old HS Friend (now a teacher) is going to be on the Brian Williams coverage of this

[madfloridian]

61. The townhall part?

[JCMach1]

67. Yes, I think so... her last FB post was up in the air whether she was going to do the live demo

Should be okay to post her name since it is public anyway... just look for Mrs. Kelly Burnette, and I believe she is a science teacher.

She was also a finalist for Florida's teach of the year... http://www.fldoe.org/news/2010/2010_05_04-2.asp

LOL, she was always an overachiever...

[ecstatic]

70. Teachers - it's not about you or your feelings, it's about the kids

I'm not sure why you would take "attacks" personally if you know you did your job the best that you could.

[madfloridian]

71. Because they are not just attacks....they are meant to degrade

and tear down public opinion of teachers so the "reformers" can get their way.

It is also a way to destroy teachers' unions, and DU has become quite a safe haven for such as that.

[ecstatic]

74. I'm trying to explain to you my perspective

which obviously differs from yours. I don't have a problem with teachers. I've had some great teachers. My problem is with the system in general--the system has to be changed. Where we differ is--I think the system needs to be changed by any means necessary. I don't care who is inconvenienced or put into an insecure position as a result. I've watched my cousins in Brownsville Brooklyn coming out of school without being able to read or write. They were not the exceptions--they were the rule. Luckily I was sent to a private school during that time and I was able to reach my full potential.

Again, my beef is not with teachers per se, but with the overall system. Of course, reform will affect teachers, that's unavoidable. Reform of health care puts my job in jeopardy but that is no reason to stop health care reform.

[madfloridian]

77. My perspective is that I support public education.

I do not support the giving of public taxpayer money to private or charter schools. That takes money from public schools.

If that is the reform you want, then we will have no common ground. But you will feel right at home in the present Democratic party which fully supports privatizing education.

I don't.

[WinkyDink]

72. Because we value THE INSTITUTION of public education maybe?

[proud2BlibKansan]

79. Ah jeez