This will probably go down as one of the most unpopular diaries ever written during election year. But the teacher still in me though I am retired is heartbroken over the assaults on public education the last three years.
I know the importance of voting to keep Democrats in power, but I am so conflicted when I am treated disrespectfully. I do not believe anyone in leadership in either party is listening to those of us who teach or taught or who work in education. I believe they have tuned us out completely because it would be too hard to stop the corporate steamroller now.
Today a volunteer for the Obama campaign called my home. They were excited and eager, and I give them credit for that. I was so much that way in 2004 for Howard Dean and in 2008 for Barack Obama. My husband and I donated much money and effort both times. We had great hopes and believed that with a majority in Congress and in the White House great change would happen. Instead public school teachers have been slammed with unexpected attacks on their abilities. The careers of many have been put in jeopardy.
The volunteer did not hear what I had to say. She simply hung up when I said I wanted to talk about what this administration was doing to public schools.
In Florida we have had our tax money going to bail out charter schools who owe huge debts to their own management companies.
Two Florida charter schools in financial crisis. Taxpayer money is paying their debt.
Two popular Imagine charter schools in Manatee County incurred debts of nearly $900,000 and have been declared in a state of “financial emergency” by the school district.
..."The debt is unlikely to lead to the closure of either school, but it does mean taxpayer money will be used by the schools to pay debts to their parent company that could include as much as $350,000 in interest.Charter schools are run by private boards but receive state tax money on a per-student basis.
And they just keep going, debt or no debt. Failure or success, seldom matters with charters. Only public schools are always held accountable. It's been going on as far back as 2005.
Despite Debt, School Firm Aims to Open More Charters
With its 12 Florida schools already combining for more than $8.3 million in debt, one of the largest charter school companies in the country is looking to open at least nine more in the state this year, including one each in Palm Beach and Martin counties.
But I guess my biggest gripe which I have written about for several years....is the contempt with which teachers have been treated recently. The Bush education policies have been carried
a big step further than they were under Bush as president.
Diane Ravitch answers a blogger
Hi, Fred,
I think that Bush wishes he could have imposed the agenda laid out in Race to the Top, but he would have had to fight against the Democrats in Congress. They would never have supported a plan that bribed states to lift the caps on charter schools–far too intrusive, and many would have seen this as privatization. Nor would they have supported a federal requirement that states remove any legal restriction on linking teacher evaluations to student test scores–not only because it is offensive to teachers, who know that they are not solely responsible for their students’ scores, but because the research does not support this idea.
So, do I think that Duncan is carrying forward Bush’s agenda? Yes, beyond the dreams of Margaret Spellings, and without the opposition of the Democrats in Congress.
When a campaign call is made to my home, I want them to listen to my frustrations. I believe in the minds of myself and my husband we know we will vote for Obama...the alternatives are terribly scary.
But I want to be heard, I want the administration to be aware that teachers are frustrated and angry.
To the volunteer who cut off our conversation abruptly, we were very upset that a questioning voice could not be heard. Your time is important, but so are our opinions.