Modern American society is
frequently portrayed as being involved in an epic, life or death struggle. We use the imagery of violence and war to
describe the conflicts that arise on a regular basis. Our media thrives on this constant turmoil
and the fear that it generates, and many of our social, economic and political
leaders use the strong emotional responses to generate support for their
positions of power. We find ourselves
being lead from one crisis into another, with our beliefs, our well being and
our very fabric of existence constantly under siege. This sense of crisis is magnified for the
general population during elections, policy debates and other times of
discussion, but is always present in cable newscasts, on talk radio, and in
political discourse.
Yet with all of this
rhetoric and conflict that exists it is reasonable to wonder if it is real, or
a creation of a small number of people who seek to gain and maintain
power. In other words, are the people of
America Wisconsin
In order to navigate these
challenges that we face, we must find common ground and compromise. This has been a driving force in the
political evolution of humans and a major reason why America
These struggles go well
beyond "pie in the sky" philosophy.
When we talk about taxes, rights, regulations and other legal controls
placed on our lives, we get to some very fundamental issues. These debates are also clouded by the issues
around race, gender, social class and other divisions that exist in our
society. These divisions are rooted in a
number of historical, emotional and other contexts and are often sources of
intense conflict. Whenever we attempt to
reach consensus around any issue we find ourselves confronting a variety of
challenges and long standing conflicts that go back for generations.
Yet, if we are to really
thrive and survive as a unified nation, we must find ways to work through these
conflicts and arrive at socially just and sustainable compromises. There should be room in our debates for a
variety of viewpoints, but we must also be aware of the existing barriers that
exist for many citizens and the simple fact that we have a long history of
inequality in a nation built on the concept of "liberty and justice for
ALL."
This brings us back to the
question as to whether the issues that divide us are ones that we can overcome,
or if they are insurmountable? It is
obviously very difficult to try and address all the needs that exist in our
society at any given point in time. A
large, socially and economically diverse nation like America
Identifying these key
areas of conflict help us focus our attention, and channel our energy in ways
that will make positive change happen. This
is especially true because we know that, while compromise and collaboration are
the heart of our democracy, there are those involved in policy making who don't
keep the greater good in mind when making decisions. It is because of these simple facts of human
nature, that power corrupts and greed is a part of all of us, that we all have
a responsibility in creating policies, legislation and institutions that really
represent our ideals. Left to its own devices,
even the most noble of political systems will fall prey to corruption, greed
and become unjust. We are all stewards
of a very valuable social contract, one that is too frequently forgotten or
ignored.
Debates around public
education are providing us with an opportunity to defend some of these core
values that are shared across our entire society. Education is widely held to be one of the
most important tools that provides opportunity and equity in our society. Yet, it has long been a resource that has
been unequally distributed among our citizenry.
Surveys show us that most Americans value education, like public
education and want to support educators, students and schools in providing this
valuable resource. At the same time,
inequitable school funding policies, conflicts around pedagogy and other
barriers cause challenges that we must work to overcome.
With any challenge or
problem there are multiple potential solutions.
The same holds true in education.
However, it is important that we look carefully at the rationale,
motivation and potential impacts of any reforms or solutions that are
offered. When we look carefully at the
current ideas for improving public education it quickly becomes clear that
there are two main competing camps that emerge.
These two sides see very different purposes for education and have
different visions for what our schools should look like.
On one side there are
those who seek to privatize and standardize our current system of public
education. They have used the current
inequities, so clearly observable in our Achievement Gaps and inequities in
educational outcomes, to foment a sense of crisis around education. Their solutions focus on creating a system of
private schools, establishing artificial measures of accountability, and
centralizing control of educational policy making decisions. The potential impacts to public education
are devastating.
m.apnews.com
Republican lawmakers are assembling a wish list for
education in 2015.
wpr.org
As the governor and Legislature begin new terms, here are nine
subjects sure to cause fireworks — and one request for more transparent
decision-making.
jsonline.com
While they use the
language of freedom, choice and equity, the results of their policies do little
if anything to positively change our current system. If anything, the changes that are being
touted by "reformers" in Wisconsin
Why Accountability Bill (AB 1) Must Be Stopped AB 1,
otherwise known as the “accountability bill” is...
stopcommoncoreinwisconsin.com
Arne Duncan has met his worst nightmare -- an NEA president
armed with facts and guts. She tells Salon what's next
salon.com
Our public school system is set up to serve the public. All
the public. It is not set up to serve just parents or just students. We all
depend on a society in which people are reasonably well-educated. But a
"choice" system says, "No, ...
huffingtonpost.com
Another day, another story of a taxpayer-funded voucher
school closing its doors in the middle of a school year. A private Milwaukee high school run
by a voucher-school operator that's come under scrutiny...
bloggingblue.com
The information that the
Conservative "reformers" use is based on faulty logic, questionable
data and fear based rhetoric.
When is it fair to blame teachers for student performance?
If you do your homework, you’ll learn that teachers are not to blame for as
much as many — including U.S.
policymakers — may think.
washingtonpost.com
Did it get any easier to be a teacher in 2014? (No.)
blogs.edweek.org
Can we stop pretending it doesn't?
washingtonpost.com
Education
"reformers" have built a strong case in the mind of the public. They have worked hard to marginalize
educators, demonize educator unions and to undermine confidence in our public
schools. Yet, their solutions don't
produce measurably better results, and in fact often expand existing gaps in
equity and opportunity. This leads us to
question what the motivations and rationales are for these
"reformers." Once we decide to
do this it becomes clear that there are a small number of well connected
individuals who will see immense profits, economically and politically, from
the destruction of our current public education system. These individuals are using their political
influence, and the general apathy of the voting public to expand their control
of the debate and the outcomes around public education.
Just like "Right to
Work" legislation harms a majority of workers, so to do education
"reforms" harm a majority of students. Both of these initiatives find support among
the same circles and for many of the same reasons. However, there is a different narrative that
offers an alternative to the one currently being touted as the solution to our
educational problems. This version of
school reform seeks to return our public schools to the control of educators,
students, families and communities.
Instead of centralizing power in the hands of plutocrats, it
disseminates it to the hands of those who are qualified and invested in the
system. While lacking the widespread
political voice that privatization has, this reform movement has a grassroots
base and builds on the values that our national identity is rooted in.
It isn't simply a movement
that exists in opposition to privatization, but rather is one that has a vision
for a public education system that meets the needs of students as well as the
needs of our larger society. It is based
on sound educational practices and on the developmentally appropriate needs of
our students.
What Schools Could Use Instead Of Standardized Tests
A bill is being drafted that would end annual testing
requirements. What would schools do without them?
npr.org
While the word "crisis" and
the metaphors of war are often overused, in the case of public education we are
seeing them quickly becoming a reality.
If we are really going to create a viable system that meets the needs of
all citizens it is important that we recognize this and decide which side of
the struggle we are on. The future of
our society is truly at stake.
How Do I Fight Back Against the Wisconsin Public School
Takeover Bill?
Republicans have starved our public schools of critical
resources for years and now Wisconsin Republicans just introduced a bill to
label most of our poorest...
mteaunion.tumblr.com
The
Ugly. . .
The Good . . . Organized labor may be getting a bad rap in the press and in political
circles, but history shows us that nothing can keep workers down forever. As the challenges increase, so to do the
solutions and opportunities for a labor movement that is working to revitalize
itself and return to its activist roots.
Why a new kind of labor movement is the key to avoiding
national oblivion
salon.com
The Bad . . . While labor organizers at the grassroots level work to make positive
change happen, we see the establishment and political leadership failing to see
the power that labor brings to the table.
In fact, much of the political debate around organized labor misses the intent
and purpose of unionized workers. Unions
are organized to magnify the power of the individual through collective
actions. They are not simply financial
resources for political candidates who don't really represent the workers who
finance their campaigns. Until labor
finds a way to exert its influence beyond the "checkbook" we will
continue to see policies and legislation advanced that actually harms the
majority of working Americans.
Paying for all those pensions inevitably means less money
for parks and schools. It’s a conundrum Democrats can no longer ignore.
thedailybeast.com
This disconnect between what workers are asking for and what they get
for their investment is clearly demonstrated in our widening economic
gaps. In the end we are seeing the
"American Dream" dismantled and replaced by a relatively rigid class
system. A system based not on the merit
that is lauded by "Market Based Reformers" and
"Capitalists", but one that rewards existing wealth and perpetuates
existing class structures.
Many Americans like to believe we live in a meritocracy. But
it's not a view that holds up if you look at the data. Like the graph below, on
how students perform on the SAT , by family income:
dailykos.com
The Ugly . . . A large part of the problem arises from the fact that our democracy
has become one where few who are able to actually participate. This means that those who are elected are not
truly representative of the entire population and are not accountable to all
citizens. We are facing a crisis in our
society that threatens the foundation of our political structure. Those who currently hold power in states like
Wisconsin (in this case Conservative Republicans) are doing everything they can
to restrict voting rights, silence dissent and cement their stranglehold on the
power that they claim to loathe.
Raise your hand if you’ve heard this one: Scott Walker in
2011 balanced a $3.6 billion budget deficit. After the onslaught of political
ads in Wisconsin
over the last four years, I think you’d be hard-pressed to...
m.jsonline.com|By Jimmy Anderson
One Wisconsin Now deputy director Mike Browne weighed in on
the liberal group's expectations and priorities for the 2015-16 legislative
session.
In the end we are left with a
polarized system where anyone who disagrees with the majority is silenced and
branded as an enemy of the state. This
in a system where dissent should be the driving force of change and positive
policy creation.
Wisconsin Assembly to consider limiting debate, dispensing
with amendments all at once
MADISON, Wis
startribune.com
