More than 100 local school committees have voted to oppose Question 2 on the Massachusetts ballot, which would lift the state’s cap on the number of charter schools allowed. Local, elected school committees have good reason to oppose lifting the cap—not only are charters a drain on the budgets of public schools, but backers of Question 2 explicitly say that one of their goals is moving away from local control of schools.
Mercedes Schneider reports that, at a debate on the issue, the voice of charter expansion:
[Former state Rep. Marty] Walz maintains that “local control …got us into this situation,” and by “this situation,” Walz means, “thousands of students are being left behind by their school districts.”
Got us into what, exactly? Schneider cites Massachusetts results on the National Assessment of Educational Progress:
Massachusetts outperformed all of the other states in grade 4 and tied for grade 8. [...]
Overall Performance for Mathematics Massachusetts tied for first with three other states on both the grade 4 and grade 8 mathematics assessments.
Heavens, yes, local control got us into this terrible, terrible situation. We need to turn education over to unelected, nontransparent entities! Meanwhile, not a single school committee—again, we’re talking locally, democratically elected school committees—has voted to support Question 2.
● Very good news:
The Long Island University Faculty Federation, with the full support and backing of its national affiliate, the American Federation of Teachers, and its state affiliate, New York State United Teachers, has secured an end to an unprecedented 12-day faculty lockout imposed by the LIU administration. The battle, which extends the faculty’s expired contract to May 31, 2017, was a hard-fought win for the staff and students they serve. The agreement will immediately return students and faculty to their classrooms.
● The Labor Center at the University of Massachusetts is in danger.
● Yet another New Jersey city passes paid sick leave.
● California Gov. Jerry Brown has signed the law expanding overtime protections for farmworkers.
● A Walmart worker takes a look at the sitcom Superstore.
● Workers Independent News week in review: