April
2nd Elections Looming…
We are only about a week
away from the April 2nd elections. There
are a number of important races that will be decided and everyone's
participation is needed. We know that
spring elections are usually low turnout, so every vote will be even more
important. The ironic thing is that,
while more people cast ballots in presidential elections, it is these local
races that tend to have a greater impact on the individuals in specific
communities. So get informed, get
involved and get to the polls (either on April 2nd, or vote early).
There are two major state
wide races. Both have significance in
the continuing fight over the future of public education in Wisconsin.
In the race for State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Evers
faces Don Pridemore. Evers is the best
choice in this contest. He has
experience, and is an advocate for public schools. Pridemore is inexperienced and appears to be
a mouthpiece for the "reform" and voucher movement. He might be a good selection to lobby for
privatization, but not to lead Wisconsin's
Department of PUBLIC Instruction.
The second state race is
for a seat on the Supreme Court of Wisconsin.
This race features Ed Fallone against Pat Roggensack. Once again there is a clear difference
between the two candidates with Roggensack firmly in the conservative
camp. She is getting significant support
from conservative organizations and represents the movement in Wisconsin to consolidate
power in the hands of the GOP majority.
On the local level, there
are three seats up for election on the Madison School Board.
Seat #3- Dean Loumas vs.
Wayne Strong
Seat #4 James Howard vs.
Greg Packnett
Seat #5 TJ Mertz vs. the
now out of the race Sarah Manski
While there are many
issues facing the MMSD and the school board will be at the center of all the
decisions made, the most important issue of all is the commitment of any
elected board member to defending public education. We can debate curriculum, we can disagree
about testing and data driven reforms, and we can have conflicting visions of
how best to address the many challenges that face our schools, however we can't
afford to elect anyone who isn't fully committed to public education. Someone who supports vouchers or any type of
privatization should not be a school board member, making decisions about our
public schools. Voters must pay close
attention to the comments, backgrounds and connections that candidates have and
choose wisely in these races.
Madison school board candidates Dean Loumos and Wayne Strong
discuss charter schools, teacher evalua
The race for Dane County
Circuit Court features Rhonda Lanford versus Rebecca St. John. Lanford is a strong candidate who doesn't
have the unsettling baggage that St.
John brings with her.
St. John has connections with
conservatives who are tied to the Walker
administration. It is important that we
have qualified and impartial judges to provide fair, legally supported and
ethical judgments. Rhonda Lanford
provides the best choice for Circuit Court Judge in Dane County.
Organize
for the Future…
It is safe to say that
there has never been a time in human history when people have had more access
to information so quickly and in such volume.
Most of us are never more than a second or two away from resources that
provide us with up to the minute news about virtually any topic
imaginable. This access to information
allows us to inform ourselves and others about important issues and to share
opinions quickly, reaching more people than anyone could imagine just a few
years ago.
However, information is a
double-edged sword in many ways. As an
educator I find it difficult to argue against anyone becoming more informed and
accessing as much information as possible.
Yet, at the same time this vast amount of information threatens to
overwhelm us and often creates a sense of hopelessness and frustration. We are inundated with images and stories
that, too often, demonstrate the negative aspects of human nature. Leaving us with the idea that the world is a
hostile place and one that we can have little effect on.
You can feel this
hopelessness in many ways as people withdraw into "safer" corners of
the world and seek to shut others out.
Instead of building community, we see some arming themselves and
increasing the barriers between people.
Instead of supporting public institutions we see a movement to privatize
services and to exclude others so that a small number can feel secure. We see organizations and institutions pulling
back and becoming conservative in order to preserve resources and to keep
functioning, even when these cuts are counterproductive and even harmful to
those who rely on them.
With all of the access to
information and the ability to get a sense of public opinion quickly there is
still a sense of disenfranchisement felt by a large portion of the people. We also see an effort being made to
manipulate public opinion and to generate fear through the way specific
demographic groups and certain organizations are portrayed. The protests in Wisconsin
were called "mobs", the Chicago Teachers Union earned the label of
"thugs" (one proudly carried by Wisconsin
educators as well). Extensive damage was
done to the state capital in Madison and the
normal operations of a city were disrupted by hordes of educators in Chicago. The list of negative imagery used to describe
those fighting for progressive values is virtually limitless.
We also see the challenge
of sorting through the vast amount of information to find accurate information. Public opinion is manipulated through words,
but also through the use of data and "facts". These "facts" vary based on the
source and the way that they are used.
We have watched the job numbers in Wisconsin fluctuate more than anyone could
ever have thought possible, with multiple sources quoted and the data altered
beyond recognition. The numbers and
"facts" become a part of the argument and are used even when later proven
incorrect. Apparently, despite claims to
the contrary, Wisconsin
isn't really "Open for Business".
WI Bait-and-Switch Budget is Shortchanging Students | National
Opportunity to Learn Campaign | Educa
As the struggle continues
it becomes more and more difficult for individuals to speak out against the
wrongs that are being done in the name of "balancing the budget" and
"preserving American values".
Now, more than ever, we need the support of others to work to move our
society in a more socially just direction.
It is vitally important that those of us with the connections, the
knowledge and the ability to act do just that, act in the defense of those who
are silenced and act in the name of a society that is truly "Of the
People, by the People and for the People."
Defending
Public Education…
We have reached a critical period in the evolution
of public education in Wisconsin. It is difficult to find a time when public
schools faced more significant challenges to their existence. Wisconsin
appears poised to follow the patterns established in other states around the
nation in opening our educational system to privatization initiatives. The proposed expansion of the voucher system
into new districts across the state threatens public education to the very
core. We don't have to look too far away
to see what happens when the education "reform" movement gets a chance
to operate.
It is important that we do everything possible to
resist the ability of private schools to access public money. The simple reality is that the privatization
of schools has very little to do with improving educational outcomes for
students. It is all about accessing the
financial opportunities that educational enterprises offer for entrepreneurs,
and reestablishing the dominance of the elite over the rest of the
population. An elite that sees their
power threatened by the increasing diversity in America's population and the wave
of anti-establishment activism generated by the Wisconsin Uprising, the Occupy
Movement and other similar efforts.
It is clear that there is a concerted effort being
made to undermine the public's trust in our educational system and to play on
the fears of the white, male citizens who face a future where they will be in
the minority. The established
"normal" is threatened by the changing demographics and the
continuing efforts of those previously disenfranchised to exercise their rights
to equal opportunity. Controlling
education not only provides financial opportunity, but also is a tried and true
way to keep "others" in their place in society.
Wis. education officials want students to wear ‘white
privilege’ wristbands - EAGnews.org :: Educati
One way to achieve their goals of undermining trust
in public education is to make it appear that our schools are failing and need
to be "reformed" or even totally replaced. The current wave of testing and standards
serves the multiple purposes of supposedly improving education, drawing
attention to the "failures" of our public schools, while highlighting
the struggles of specific groups.
Drawing attention to Achievement Gaps isn't done to improve the
opportunities for the groups affected, but rather to divide and conquer groups
that otherwise might find common cause in protecting public education. Why else do we find the supposedly superior
"reforms" mostly enacted in schools serving the urban poor and not in
suburban schools? Why else have private,
voucher schools tried to avoid sharing information on their demographics and
academic results (that don't compare favorably to the public schools).
Are the
common core math standards developmentally appropriate for 1st graders? | Gary
Rubinstein's.
When it comes to defending public education there
are many possible alliances that could be forged. Unfortunately, we have lost control of a
significant amount of the debate in the media and other public forums. This can be seen in the fact that while most
people involved in public education on a professional level (educators, school
boards, administrators) are against the expansion of vouchers, the general
public's opinion is mixed and many feel like they need more information. We need to reclaim the debate and take the
offensive in the battle over vouchers specifically and public education in
general.
uppitywis.org
Private School
Vouchers in the Madison Metropolitan School District | Madison Metropolitan
School Di
I am realizing more and more, just what it means to
be an educator and to belong to a union that represents public educators. This is more than just an issue of protecting
wages, benefits and working conditions.
It is about defending an institution that, while not perfect, provides
the best opportunity for the most people to receive a quality education that
they can use to improve themselves, their immediate personal circle and society
as a whole. We have an obligation to
speak out for ourselves, but more importantly for the families we serve.
Chicago Teachers Speak Out Against School Closings - CTU
President Karen Lewis Statement on CPS Scho
In
some ways it may be too late to stop the expansion of vouchers. School "reformers" have the ear of
many legislators and certainly have the support of Governor Walker who sees
this as an excellent opportunity to not only cement his alliances with powerful
allies, but also to strike another blow to public sector unions in Wisconsin. However, we must continue to share the facts
about voucher schools and let the public know the reality of what is
happening. We must also work to make
sure that we connect with those who currently send their children to public
schools. We may not be able to halt the
legislation, but we can certainly do everything possible to make public schools
a more attractive alternative to vouchers.
What if, when given a choice, most people chose public schools and
voucher schools were left empty?
Now is the time to form
alliances, establish communication and develop relationships that will allow us
to defend our public schools from privatization efforts. We have excellent schools here in Wisconsin, and we have
dedicated educators who work hard every day to try and educate the young people
in our state. It is up to all of us to
reach out, educate and organize for our schools.
Buy
Local…
Spring Break has arrived
for many schools. This means some
"free" time for educators, students and families and an opportunity
to look for ways to spend money wisely and effectively exercise the power of
the wallet. If you are traveling, try
and seek out local establishments that have ties to the community and that value
labor. For those of us staying around
town, this is an excellent opportunity to take the time to find businesses that
support worker's rights and develop shopping routines that support progressive
values.
