street
Call them cynical, but the widespread involvement of financial firms in the charter school movement raises suspicion among many public school advocates.
The map below illustrates just a few entanglements of big league investors in national school-choice organizations.
[readon2 url="http://news.muckety.com/2013/05/05/wall-street-charter-schools/42601"]Continue reading...[/readon2]
People’s Road Trip to Kick Off from Cincinnati, Events to Encourage Ohioans to Vote NO on Issue 2 to Stop Senate Bill 5
Tomorrow, We Are Ohio will launch the People’s Road Trip in Cincinnati, with trip stops planned all across Ohio. Workers who will vote NO on Issue 2 to stop SB 5 will speak at each stop to encourage Ohioans to vote early. Doug Stern, the Ohio firefighter featured in the first television ad for We Are Ohio will join the People’s Road Trip and will speak at all the stops.
“Issue 2 will affect the safety of not just fire fighters, but our communities as well,” said Doug Stern, Cincinnati firefighter. “The heart of this bill takes away firefighters' professional voices. Issue 2 supporters keep putting forth pension and health care provisions. But the reality is those are nothing more than the magician’s pretty assistant, designed to distract voters from the real issue. The truth is Issue 2 will strip public employees like me from having any real input on safe working conditions and proper staffing levels."
People’s Road Trip Schedule:
Tuesday, October 4
10:50 AM: Hamilton County Board of Elections, 824 Broadway, Cincinnati
1:00 PM: Dayton Cultural Center, 40 S Edwin C Moses Blvd, Dayton
3:00 PM- (TENTATIVE) Regional Proud Ohio Worker press conference
5:00 PM: Lima We Are Ohio Office, 43 Town Square (near Main and Market)
Wednesday, October 5
10:00 AM: (Near) Lucas County Board of Elections, 12th Street (near the corner of 12th and Washington), Toledo
NOON- (TENTATIVE) Regional Proud Ohio Worker Press Conference
3:15 PM: AFL-CIO, 3250 Euclid Ave., Cleveland
6PM-8PM: Community Forum- Bethany Christian Church, 3940 Martin Luther King Drive, Cleveland
Thursday, October 6
10:15 AM: Mahoning County Board of Elections, Oakhill Renaissance Place, 345 Oak Hill Ave Youngstown
2:20 PM: Steubenville Fire Department, 115 South Third Street, Steubenville
2:45 PM: March to the Jefferson County Board of Elections, 117 North Third Street, Steubenville
4:30 PM: (TENTATIVE) Regional Proud Ohio Worker Press Conference
Friday, October 7
10:00 AM: Washington County Board of Elections, 205 Putnam Street, Marietta
12:30 PM: (TENTATIVE) Regional Proud Ohio Worker Press Conference
4:00 PM: Franklin County Board of Elections, 280 East Broad St., Columbus
In my nearly four decades as a historian of education, I have analyzed the rise and fall of reform movements. Typically, reforms begin with loud declarations that our education system is in crisis. Throughout the twentieth century, we had a crisis almost every decade. After persuading the public that we are in crisis, the reformers bring forth their favored proposals for radical change. The radical changes are implemented in a few sites, and the results are impressive. As their reforms become widespread, they usually collapse and fail. In time, those who have made a career of educating children are left with the task of cleaning up the mess left by the last bunch of reformers.
We are in the midst of the latest wave of reforms, and Steven Brill has positioned himself as the voice of the new reformers. These reforms are not just flawed, but actually dangerous to the future of American education. They would, if implemented, lead to the privatization of a large number of public schools and to the de-professionalization of education.
As Brill’s book shows, the current group of reformers consists of an odd combination of Wall Street financiers, conservative Republican governors, major foundations, and the Obama administration. The reformers believe that the way to “fix” our schools is to fire more teachers, based on the test scores of their students; to open more privately-managed charter schools; to reduce the qualifications for becoming a teacher; and to remove job protections for senior teachers.
[readon2 url="http://blogs.reuters.com/great-debate/2011/08/23/the-reform-movement-is-already-failing/"]Continue reading...[/readon2]
We Are Ohio has so many SB5 petition books coming in, it's proving difficult to keep up. They are asking for help to log signatures so they can keep track.
The campaign can use help anytime between 9:00 a.m. and 8:00 p.m., seven days a week until June 30th. The process occurs at SEIU 1199 at 1395 Dublin Rd in Columbus.
Please contact Brendan Kelley at bkelley@weareohio.com to let him know if you can help.