(
NOTE: at the request of one commentor, let me explain that NCLB stands for No Child Left Behind, which is the title of the massive change in education put into place by Bush and requiring excessive amounts of testing)
Today's educational diary contains below the fold an email I recently received, which is there with permission of the author. It represents an effort by educational progressives to organize a "coordinated, well thought out response to NCLB" in the attempt to go "beyond NCLB in terms of a vision for our public schools."
It discusses the development of an organization, The Forum for Education and Democracy and encourages those involved in education to visit the site and join up.
This has high credibility -- it has received a grant from Soros' OSI, is intended to counter efforts and organizations by conservatives, and includes names of major educational progressives. (more below the fold)
Here is the email:
Dear xxxxxx
I read your posting with regards to the state legislatures response to NCLB.
You are correct, it is time for a coordinated, well thought out response to NCLB and, further, something that takes us beyond NCLB in terms of a vision for our public schools. Several of us have taken this on through The Forum for Education and Democracy (www.forumforeducation.org) and I would invite
you to visit the web site and sign on the mailing list. Last year we received a small grant from OSI (Soro's group) to get out the book Many Children Left Behind (Beacon Press, 2004) which, I am please to note, is in
its third printing already.
Our strategy is to create an alternative, progressive public policy think tank that will be on reporter's rolodex when they look for commentary (similar to Katy Haycock of Ed. Trust whom you might have heard on NPR's Weekend Edition today responding to the state legs. report). We have been placing op eds around the country, getting out policy papers, promoting the
reports of others.
I should be clear, we believe the more groups like this the better (remember the conservatives have Manhattan, Ed. Trust, Fordham, Hoover and more). We
should not compete with one another, rather support one another. Our goal is not to be the only voice from this point of view, but to add another one to join the fray.
The Conveners of the Forum (Deb Meier, Ted and Nancy Sizer, John Goodlad, Pedro Noguera, Linda Darling-Hammond, Judith Browne, Larry Mayat, Angela
Valenzula, Carl Glickman, and myself) are meeting in March to work on next steps based on our two initiatives: "Strong Schools for A Strong Democracy"
and "Beyond NCLB". Perhaps members of the eddra list would have some thoughts on how we can pursue our agenda of promoting a progressive, democratic vision of public education that supports the good work many schools are doing while pushing the public policy agenda in a direction counter to the current prevailing wisdom. It is a massive and daunting task, but one we have to take on.
Again, I hope all of you sign up on the web site and contribute anything you think we might post on our web site. Also, any ideas on how we can expand our work, connect with others, etc. would be appreciated.
All the best,
George Wood
Principal, Federal Hocking High School
Director, The Forum
the EDDRA to which this was sent, Educational Disinformation Detection and Reporting Agency is an orgnaization run by Gerry Bracey, who says it
is dedicated to analyzing reports, dispelling rumors, rebutting lies about public education in the United States. It represents an on-line version of the work I have been doing since 1991.
. This is an indispensible source for understanding many of the educational issues of our day. I am, quite obviously, a member of the mailing list to which the letter above was sent.
I urge anyone seriously interesting in going beyond the limited vision of public education represented by NCLB take the time to visit both sites, especially the latter. Your involvement could make a difference.