Time to call bullshit on the War on Public Education

Both Barack Obama and his secretary of education have praised a Rhode Island district for firing all their teachers to supposedly help the school's performance.

But in what other endeavor in life is wholesale firing of the frontline troops considered the solution to the problem?

When Abraham Lincoln had a general who wouldn't pursue the enemy, did he tell him to discharge all his troops and assemble a new army?

When American car companies lost market share to Japan for decades, could they have turned that around by firing all the workers?

When we lost the Vietnam War, the Soviet Union, Great Britain, and Alexander the Great lost Afghanistan, was it because each empire needed to fire their troops and recruit fresh ones to win?

In the first two cases, the problem was clearly incompetence at the top: a general who refused to do his job, and executives who didn't think their primary job was building the best cars on the market but instead, maximizing profits by cutting corners on quality.

In the case of Vietnam and Afghanistan where multiple generals and empires failed equally, it was clearly not a failure of the generals but of the enterprise itself: occupying people who didn't want to be occupied.

The problem with public education is at the top. Politicians, tax cut advocates, and privatizers who have no interest in seeing schools succeed are setting the agenda.

First taxes were cut or kept from growing with the need to fund our schools, then that was used as an excuse to cut the enrichment programs like art and music that might have kept some marginal students engaged and class sizes increased just as more and more students were coming to school with chaotic home lives that don't prepare them for the discipline of school.

Then we allowed politicians to micromanage curriculum down to what lesson teachers will do on which day and exactly which words and exercises they will use, robbing teachers of the ability create lessons that will engage their students. Most teachers create their own materials and lessons anyway, but at the risk of their job if they have a particularly authoritarian and bureaucratic principal.

Then we let testing companies sell our politicians on endless testing instead of once or twice a year, which enriches the test companies but helps our kids no more than a doctor would who took your temperature every ten minutes but did nothing with the information except tell you how quickly you're dying.

Finally, private education companies and real estate moguls pay politicians to privatize public education under the euphemism ''charter schools,'' which skim off the students with engaged parents and oddly don't have to follow all the same rules as regular public schools, accelerating the death spiral of public education. And we all know from the Blackwater, Halliburton, and KBR examples that there are NEVER costs overruns or failure, or such close connections to certain elected officials who get campaign donations and lobbyist or CEO jobs when they leave office, which gives them incentives to overlook any failings.

And to the extent that those charter schools do work, the rewards will go to the stockholders and executives, not the teachers who are usually not unionized.

and that union business is the only other time I can think of mass firings being used, like when Ronald Reagan fired all the air traffic controllers rather than negotiating with them even though it put the flying public at risk as military air traffic controllers tried to step in handle much busier and more complex civilian traffic.

Is there any chance that's what this is about? Giving unionized workers who have some measure of control of their work environment and some foothold in a middle class income a beat down, to send a message to other unionized public workers?

Would you take a job that required a college degree but people with no training in your field could dictate exactly how you do your job, measure your success, and fire you because the teachers in other classrooms might not be doing as good a job as you? Don't we usually require college degrees for jobs that require some creativity and initiative rather than just reciting a script like a tour guide?

This is rot and corruption at the top, strip mining our kids futures for profit.

Here in LA, in addition to turning some schools over to charter companies, some have been given to teachers to run with less top down and more cooperative management, with teachers even making decisions about hiring and firing on equal terms with other stakeholders like parents instead of being treated like day laborers.

I will be curious to see how that turns out, though I suspect it's a token bone thrown to teachers, that will eventually be taken away regardless of the outcome.

K&R

But this district has screwed themselves; what teacher will work for them?

He ended up turning into a Republican in the process and the person granting the right to get a teacher license denied him. But he did get a degree in History (which is silly since as a Republican he has a revisionist style.)

But even he won't try getting into teaching again. There's no money in it.

for money in the first place. It's about teaching.

Get enough pissed off teachers raising hell and we just might see some changes.

They'll motivate the students who will motivate their parents who will motivate the government.

As it is, most teachers are being crushed by the admins. They are afraid to speak up. Maybe once they are pushed far enough there will be a revolution?

where parents and kids are basically happy with their school, but a pol is itching to get those charter bucks in their pocket and tries this mass layoff tactic.

Is to berate the workers and hold them down, whilst privatizing profits and generally screwing up good government.

We need a revolution and the teachers and parents with the students, can do it.

Heh, when I was in HS we had ourselves a nice revolution. The admins were flabbergasted but the teachers smiled.

It was a time of great turmoil... draft cards, bra burnings, tin soldiers and nixon's coming...

My idea is that big things happen when bigger things happen. If the teachers get pushed hard, and the students get pushed hard then big things will happen.

Hopefully, it will be for the better, whatever that is. Methinks the admins figured us kids were hot so they put ACs in schools. Seems to have worked, eh? Students these days are cool wimps. <grin>

is now for teachers. And consider the shit they give us half the time to use. Consider Texas and their efforts to rewrite the books in class. Transient kids. Half assed parenting. Overcrowding and having to take every kid who comes through the door unlike charter and private schools, underfunding and ever burdening demands. Its a zero sum game for too many and who GETS KICKED?!? The lowest rung of government that the public can reach with ease: teachers.

That is the solution?

The poster was stating one of the realities of public education (and one of the great things about our public education system) - that no student is turned away. However wonderful that is for our society and individuals in our society, it does come with responsibilities and costs. My belief is that in the long run, we (the collective "we" as in our society) is repaid several times over by this approach in a number of ways:

- when individuals are given opportunities, they are more likely to be happier
- when individuals are given opportunities, they are more likely to be successful (at a hobby, a craft, a career, making friends, whatever)
- when individuals are exposed to others of different backgrounds, skills, beliefs, etc., they are more likely to create bonds and relationships outside of their group
- when all of this happens, in pure financial terms, they are more likely to succeed in their jobs, careers, commercial ventures and we benefit from increased innovation, commerce, more stable economy and stable tax base

Sadly, I suspect our current President is taking the short term view, which means killing the greatest public school system ever and handing it over to private interests. At least, he is acting like it with shit like this.

The point is that public schools take every kid who comes in the door while charter schools can cherry-pick the ones they know are highly motivated. Then the charter schools say, "Look how well we're doing compared to the public schools!"

It's not a level playing field.

it's seen as talking politics in the classroom. Kids are oblivious to what's going on.

That's seems to be what's going on. I'd be suspicious of the charter situation in LA, I'd need to know more about who is behind those to say what that may or may not be.

and needless to say, if a pol is in your pocket, no one is looking to closely at how much the school pays for their classroom space.

K&R

find me a public school district whose budget was ACTUALLY CUT?

You said:

"First taxes were cut or kept from growing with the need to fund our schools"

Can you find me a public school district with a trend of getting fewer dollars year after year? Because I have not been able to. In my own district they complain of budget cuts, but the budget has increased every year since the district was formed, usually by 3-7% per year. The problem is that a significant amount of the new money every year goes to raises for administrators, more curriculum coordinators, more travel, more workshops, and while those things are increasing the level of instruction, the depth of the curriculum, and the overall quality of education and academic achievement has fallen through the floor.

Cuts have happened across the country in music, art, language and phys ed. Check your district for info.

Here's a few links. Easy to google for yourself:

http://www.blackshirtbands.org/budget.asp

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/highschoolsports/2008743348_ringer14.html

http://waylandstudentpress.com/2009/12/18/budget-cuts-the-community-must-take-action/

http://www.millshigh.org/

http://www.amherstbulletin.com/story/id/163560/


At my children's school we hold fundraisers, not for band, not for sports, not for art, but to make up for deficits in education. We hold bake sales to funds our kids education and cut boxtops. I say we make the Pentagon go the same way. Let them hold bake sales for bullets while Education gets showered with big boosts in budgets.

Even schools that haven't had their budgets cut make no real strides in competitiveness on the world stage where kids as young as 9 are expected to be familiar with or speak 2 or more languages with longer school days and a much longer school year. You can't expect kids to compete with China or Korea or Europe when our kids only go to school 185 days, for maybe 6 hours a day. This is when children learn, keep them in school longer per day and almost year-round.

The new $ going to raises, travel etc. are necessary and funding for keeping in step with the educational needs of our kids on the world stage is lacking in financial support. Funding for smaller classes, more art, music, computers, math, language & science teachers should be boosted. After proper funding, if some schools still fail, then take a look at their particular problems.

I am not talking about the district cutting art or music. I am talking about the districts budget being cut. If the district got $50,000,000 last year and got $53,000,000 this year but cut art or music, they didn't suffer a budget cut, the school board elected to spend the money on something else. They STILL got more money form the taxpayers than they got prior.

My point is that I keep hearing about the "budget cuts" but I can't find a school district that has gotten LESS money than the year before, let alone a "trend" of less revenue.

My district was cut 2% coming into this year - less funding this year than last year. And next year we're getting at least 6.12% cut, up to 10% cut.

http://www.denverpost.com/education/ci_14378225

And no, we don't get to raise property taxes to make up the shortfall. That requires a vote.

Their website:

http://www.aps.k12.co.us/district-info/finances.htm

Shows revenues THIS YEAR of $327M up from $293M an increase of 11.6%

Last Year Revenues of $293M up from $281M an increase of 4.3%

07-08 revenues of $281M up from $275M an increase of 2.2%

06-07 revenues of $275M up from $251M an increase of 9.6%

and 05-06 revenues of $251M up from $229M an increase of 9.6%

6 year increase in funding was an increase of $76M or 30.3%

These numbers are from the school district mentioned in the article's website. So they may be cutting certain depts. or personnel but that is a spending decision by the school board, not because their funding has been cut.

takes to google "school disctrict budget decreases"

start here, then go away with your total BS 'libertarian' disingenuous propaganda

http://www.oregonlive.com/washingtoncounty/index.ssf/2009/05/beaverton_school_budget_increa.html

BEAVERTON -- Beaverton School District's budget committee approved a budget plan Thursday that would increase student fees and eliminate 22 teaching positions but maintain most programs and staffing.

The $297 million spending package includes nearly $35 million in reductions that would affect all schools and the district office. Beaverton's approved general fund this year was $315 million.

BTW, Illinois just cut funding for schools by FIFTEEN PERCENT across the board for next year

practical terms: my district is losing ALL Title I assistants, 55 out of 68 bilingual assistants, an as yet to be determined number of other assistants, and an also as yet to be determined number of teachers.

the budget hasn't been determined yet, because of these draconian state cuts, but it's going to be DRASTICALLY less than it was last year

so go tell your story walking

like "show me a single school district which has had budget cuts" with a straight face, it is what scares the shit out of these libertarian ultra right-wing types. They simply do not care about reality, it is like talking to people who are divorced from every day life... they are sometimes in their very own universe.

When I don't even know when was the last time that the salaries for public school teachers had been able to keep up with inflation. In fact it takes some kind of motherf*cking hero to be willing to make public education their carrer. Which is funny, since public education from cradle to grave should be the number one priority of a functioning democratic society, yet the professionals involved in it in our country are among the least paid, least respected, and most abused sector in our society.


This no longer makes any sense, it is like we are in bizarro world. And seeing a supposedly "liberal" president busting teacher unions, while literally giving to any demand by the financial sector, that just adds to the whole surreality of the turn we took somewhere sometime as a country.


Where is the justice in a system which pays so little to those working on such a fundamental task as educating our citizens, and rewards so handsomely to those who produce nothing but feel entitled to profit for those in the financial sector? I don't get it...

In our district the average teacher gets paid $54,000/yr. But in reality it is not per year as they work 185 days per year,as opposed to the national average for any non-educational job of 251 days per year.

I am not denigrating the work of teachers, merely pointing out that the $32.00+ per hour that their salaries translate to is pretty good money anywhere in the country.

In the Rhode Island district where the firings took place the average salary for those teachers was $73,000, in an area where the average prevailing wage is 40% less.

However you missed part of the question.

The Beaverton School District website

http://www.beaverton.k12.or.us/home/departments/business-services/district-annual-budget/

Shows that THIS YEAR their revenues are being cut from $315 Million to $297 Million a cut of 5%. This is the first time. Last year their revenues increased from $313M to $315M an increase of 1.5%. The year before they went from $295M to $313M, an increase of 6.1%. and the year before that they went from $278M to $293M an increase of 5.4%.

We are in a recession, and everyone has less money, therefore there is also less tax revenue, and that means governmental institutions have to cut as well. This years cut is not draconian.

But you were right, this year they are enjoying less revenue with which to complete their mission. How is any of what I have said "libertarian bullshit"?

btw, here are just a few of the MYRIAD districts to be drastically affected in Illinois by the BILLION dollar cutback in state education funding. doubtless, almost every single district in the state will be similarly, dramatically affected, with MASSIVE budget decreases

when you can start demonstrating some sort of apprehension of reality, perhaps your statements may be taken seriously

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/david-ormsby/move-over-illinois-human_b_468724.html

**February 16-- "Springfield School Superintendent Walter Milton is proposing $5.3 million in budget cuts, including possible teacher layoffs, for the fiscal year that starts July 1."

**February 16-- "The Kaneland School District could be looking at more than $2.6 million in budget cuts and an increased reduction in teachers next year, as public schools brace for possible general state aid cuts due to the state's budget crisis.

**February 12-- "With its 5-2 vote Thursday night, the school board hopes the approval of the $21.7 million in cuts will place Plainfield School District 202 on the road to becoming debt free by 2013. Parents fear the drastic belt tightening will impact the quality of education."

**February 12-- "After talking to state Rep. Roger Eddy, R-Republican, about the problematic financial situation of state government, Owen did not see any light at the end of the tunnel for school funding. Eddy told Owen he did not see the situation turning around for at least three more years. In order to accommodate the lack in state funding, the Effingham school board utilized reduction in force (RIF) that leaves some staff without jobs. RIF allows the school district to call back personnel if funds allow in the future."

**February 11-- "As Mokena School District 159 moves forward on deep cuts to its programming for next year, plenty of residents aren't letting those programs go without a fight. The district is eliminating all extracurricular activities, scaling back full-day kindergarten to a half-day program and trimming 14 1/2 full-time teaching positions from the payroll. Those cuts are intended to close a budget gap that stands at about $2 million and growing after a proposed property tax increase was defeated last week by voters."

**February 10-- "Normal Unit 5 could be forced to make $6 million to $10 million in budget cuts next year if state and local finances don't improve, but a major step to limit those cuts may be taken Feb. 24, the superintendent said Wednesday."

**February 11-- "Barrington Unit District 220 board members Wednesday began talking about specific staff reductions for next year as part of their aim to cut between $1 million and $1.5 million from the budget."

**February 11--Indian Prairie. "'We have not landed on what that number will look like,' said Superintendent Kathy Birkett. In a message to Indian Prairie District 204 community members, Birkett explained the effects of the state's financial woes on education. 'The state's $13 billion debt is so substantial that it may be forced to reduce financial support for school districts,' Birkett wrote. 'That means our district is facing possibly $14 million to $20 million in additional budget cuts, and some of those cuts will be very difficult. Until now, we have prioritized cuts that stay away from the classroom, but as deeper cuts are needed, that will be impossible.' Compounding the problem, she wrote, is the fact the state currently owes the school district more than $7.8 million for this year's funding.

**February 9-- "The Litchfield School Board presented a united front in nearly $700,000 of budget cuts at their regular monthly meeting on Tuesday night, Feb. 9, at Litchfield High School."

**February 8-- "The cash-strapped Jersey Community School District may have to issue bonds to help cover a state funding gap that is nearing $1 million. The board outlined plans for a working cash bond issue during a sparsely attended special board meeting last week. 'Currently the state is behind in payments to the district at a total of $925,437,' board President Greg Brown said. 'Early childhood, transportation and special ed are the three main categories in which payments are behind.'"

**February 9-- "Waiting for state payments puts the Belvidere School District in a pinch. It says this year it's on track to come up $4 million dollars short, largely due to unpaid money it was supposed to get from Illinois. Fiscal year 2011 is projected to have a deficit of $5.3 million."

**February 7-- "Caught up in the state's delay on payments and the decline of local property values, Oswego school officials are proposing a plan to make up for a projected $5.5 million deficit."

**February 4-- "Program and staff cuts are likely in the Pontiac Grade School District after voters defeated a ballot measure, and the high school district may ask voters again to pay for building improvements. District 429 Superintendent Steve Graham said the poor economy played into the referendum's defeat Tuesday. Graham said the board will announce in March whether it will make up to $1 million in cuts that could include 39 jobs, all extracurricular activities, all sports programs and some art and music classes. The state owes the district $350,000."

**February 5-- "A total of 94 positions in Quincy Public Schools could be cut if the state foundation level falls for the first time, from $6,119 to $5,500. Another 30 jobs may have to go if the state fails to make two of its four mandated categorical payments this year. So far it has made only one. As a precaution, the districts in the nine-county Two Rivers Region anticipate eliminating 329.5 positions overall for this next fiscal year."

**January 28-- "Danville District 118 School Board members Wednesday joined the drumbeat of school leaders across Illinois saying the state's financial crisis will likely lead to staff and program reductions if the Legislature fails to act soon."

**January 27-- "Rockford School District leaders are grappling with how they'll manage the next budget cycle with expected cuts of at least 20 percent. State legislators have said to plan for at least a 20 percent cut in general state aid, which is the district's primary funding source. And that cut might still not be enough, said Cedric Lewis, the Rockford School District's chief financial officer."

you'll note that all these references were made before the billion dollar cutbacks were announced, which is even more than the cuts anticipated by the districts mentioned above

oh, and welcome to DU

btw, isn't there a libertarian underground for you and your fellow political narcissists? and can't you stay off my socialist/communist highways while you're at it?

Yes, my district has had its budget cut every year for the last 10.

Nice try. :rofl:

and just to be clear it stands for Constitutional Libertarian

with the school districts own budget and revenue data.

people refer to a newspaper article about impending budget cuts, or cuts in music or art or sports, without looking to see if the school district is actually getting less funding than in previous years, that's all.

Are you suggesting that because a hypothetical budget went up an average of 2% annually for 5 years that a 10% cut on year 6 doesn't equate to a real reduction? My school district has approximately 7,000 students and about 600 staff. Those number has been constant for the last decade. This coming year our operating budget will be cut by 10%. That translates into the loss of 108 positions, the zeroing out or reduction of all discretionary spending and a 7% across the board salary cut. The school system is the largest employer in the country, which already has a 15%+ unemployment rate out of a total population of 50,000. All non-discretionary costs (insurance, utilities, fuel costs etc.) are going up an average of 15%. We are basically in an economic death spiral here. Our tiny school system is one of the best in the state, but will not remain so for long. Maybe you're right. Maybe this isn't a cut. It's more like a decapitation.

where is it?

The one where I have taught for the past 16 years. The one where I live and where my own children attend school. Stick a pin in a map of Virginia and you'll either hit my district or one suffering the same or worse financial woes.

Google is your friend. Here:

http://www.cde.ca.gov/nr/ne/yr09/yr09rel83.asp
http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2009/mar/11/schools-cut-budgets-where-it-hurts-children-most/
http://www2.highlandstoday.com/content/2009/jan/19/education-budget-cuts/
http://media.www.csusignal.com/media/storage/paper1217/news/2008/03/19/News/Budget.Cuts.Affecting.Public.Schools.Throughout.The.State-3275712.shtml
http://abcnews.go.com/US/story?id=8437018
http://www.weac.org/news_and_publications/At_the_Capitol/archives/2003-2004/arts.aspx

That should getcha started, bud.

http://www.wsws.org/articles/2009/jun2009/cali-j05.shtml

And in my state:



http://news.opb.org/article/3660-oregon-k-12-schools-face-budget-hit/

And



http://www.oregonlive.com/opinion/index.ssf/2009/04/what_a_new_round_of_school_bud.html

I'm sure you realize that budget cuts happen at the state level, and when they do, every district in the state deals with it. It took me a few seconds to google "school budget cuts" to find these examples for you; there were plenty more, from many other states.

of the class and cultural wars that seek to privatize and splinter the common people to our social harm.

Arne Duncan is a piss-poor excuse for Secretary of Education.

We need no more policy and funding that undermines public education and the teaching profession; rather we need commitment to the opposite.

that the war on public education IS a class and cultural war that bodes ill for common people, not just an attack on teachers.

BTW the recent victory of LA pilot programs at Esteban Torres was a real victory, not just a bone. I know the people involved in that effort. They fought for that like lions and they got it against all odds and with far more powerful vision despite what the LA times has to say. The Torres project may be our last hope here.

Thanks for posting.

They are very selective in who they accept, kicking out any habitual trouble makers.
They are very selective in how many students they accept, because they are not bound to accept everyone.


The illusion is that they are better. They can only be better when public school is around to take up the slack. They can't accommodate everyone. They are not a realistic alternative to public education.

Every year there's a specific date that the state counts enrollments to calculate school funding. Each year, AFTER THE COUNT, their public elementary school receives many students who suddenly can't make the grade in the charter schools. The charters are funded based on the higher count on the specified date and of course the public schools can't turn away the students even though the funds went elsewhere...

Who's kidding who here?

Emperor, where are thy clothes?

While screaming about how much better charter schools are.

They can't replace public schools. The more charters we have will only worsen the public schools, and create a second tier schooling system only available to the rich.

They provide an alternative.

is the charter schools aren't required to take any particular student so they can return problem children to the public school. Combine that with the funding issue - i.e. the money comes from the public system, and the counting issue stated above...and the result is a two-tiered system.

The one I teach in is an alternative high school, so we take the ones the local public schools kick out. There's another charter in our area that's known to take the more difficult students, too, though they're considered a "normal" school. I think it varies by state, and Michigan's rather strict with the charters. The governor's talking about closing around a hundred at the end of the school year for violating their charters.

to the public school". Charter schools can't charge tuition and they can't discriminate. In most states if a charter school has more students wanting to enroll than there are seats the seats are filled by lottery.

AVERAGE DAILY ATTENDANCE. Not attendance on a specific date during the year. Let's not make up issues. Oh, and by the way, charter schools ARE public schools. And many are operated by non-profits who serve at-risk student populations. I don't agree that you can paint ALL charter schools with the same broad brush stroke.

And the issue is not made up.

Your anecdote doesn't change that, but I didn't say you made it up, you're just incorrect.

I'm sure they don't know what they're talking about.

and claims a low mortality rate, huh?

We're run by a board and a principal, but the teachers are union through the district we're in, and it's the district that manages the school. We have a six page waiting list, but we're the one that takes all those kids. We can't accommodate everyone, but that's not out job: our job is to take the kids who can't make it in a regular school.

(I'm home with a sick kid today, or I'd be there right now.)

So prepare to be ignored. After all, there are NO GOOD charter schools. None.:sarcasm:

The local school district administrates our school, all the teachers (except for me--I'm still considered a parapro for now) are union, the custodians are union and work for the school district, and our principal is the best I have ever seen. So, no, we're not the usual.

I remember the last time I applied for a job at a charter school. What a nightmare. The supt. was totally incompetent, a math prof from upstate New York who'd never taught in an elementary or middle school and obviously not spent much time there. It ended up closing a few years later, and I wasn't surprised.

It just irritates me when all charter schools are painted with the same broad brush stroke. I am a loan officer for a non-profit bank (a CDFI) that makes loans to non-profit charter schools in low income areas (primarily for facilities) and during my underwriting I have literally seen children blossom in the nurturing environment of these outstanding charter schools. I have also found the charter school educators to be extremely dedicated and committed. Are all charter schools like this? Unfortunately, no, but the baby shouldn't be thrown out with the water. I'm so glad you've found a good charter school to work at.

I could not imagine being a parent of a child in a local public school right now, much less a teacher. I feel so bad for all of the people even more affected by this than I am, it's truly a disgrace.

This is about the future of our children and this administration only seems interested in a race to the bottom for the corporate bottom line.

Sad.

right now, they just attack us economically by making most instructors part timers with no job security and often no health insurance and we are paid far less than our full time peers and in many cases, less than K-12 teachers.

But at least we are still free to teach in the classroom as we see fit--for now.

When President Obama first took office, the first people I felt sad for were my GLBT brothers and sisters.

Then, I felt bad for our military and their families.

Then, it was the poor and the homeless who continued to be cast aside and disenfranchised.

Then it was the sick and the thousands that will continue to die as the politicians dine with the lobbyists.

Now I see Teachers, and through them our children being a target of these profit driven policies and it's just too much. I ran out of straws long ago, so I can not say it's the final one.

In Solidarity.

Not that it's called the Executive's Union, it seems to go by other names.

We need a new image:

Save the whales teachers

To say this administration has been a disappointment doesn't even begin to cover it.

"Outrage" is the word coming to mind most often these days.

Yes we can... sigh!

praising it to the skies as holding all the denied hopes and dreams of poor parents (instead of educating readers about its theoretical and practical downsides and pitfalls, or demanding more equalization from richer regions): in the LAT's world, it's a good thing and the parents are all behind it--and nary a word from the teachers (though they're painted as likely corrupt or eager to dumb classes down)

The wholesale privatization of public education is happening at astonishing speed, aided and abetted by a DEMOCRATIC administration. This without ANY EVIDENCE WHATSOEVER these "reforms" work.

Public education is NOT a business. Public schools cannot be run on business models. Public education is a service with the mission of educating the next generation of citizens. It is not a profit-making enterprise and should not be a piggybank for crooked "venture philanthropists" like the Waltons, Broad, and Gates to make still more money.

x(

to the information showing how the Walton Family Foundation, the Broad Foundation and the Gates Foundation make money off their philanthropic contributions to education? Thanks.

This Admin is right of center...

It took Nixon to go to China. No republican administration could get away with this.

cally...

Very, very true. The parents are paying for a safe school environment more than anything else.

Private schools charge tuition and charter schools do not. So your comment is irrelevant. Thanks.

The corporations that own Obama and all the other corporate dems and repugs do not want an intelligent populace. If too many people were intelligent they would wake up to the fact their politicians are being bought out by the corporations and the corps together with the politicians are giving the working people a giant a** raping.

does nader still go outside?

KICK and RECOMMEND

the Indianapolis Colts today fired every player on their roster, all the trainers, the equipment managers, the ticket takers and the beer vendors.

they'll bring in a combination of H1B visa and recent college grads seeking to pad their resumes for a two year stint. And ya know what? It's gonna be a turnaround great team! And ya know what else? We'll be able to pay them half as much and their won't be a players union so if someone isn't performing or pisses the owner off, they're gone. It's gonna be great!

from the lowest of the low, an art teacher...

is that you have a group of teachers from a single public school underperforming their peers who are let go en masse, something that goes on in "real life" all the time when companies go under, and it becomes a national story that is treated like the end of the world. It points out a sense of entitlement that many in the public sector have and right now, it's becoming a huge issue not only because it doesn't inspire excellence but from a fiscal standpoint, skyrocketing healthcare and pension costs with local municipalities drowning in debt suggest there has to be more pain for teachers who will have to surrender much of their post employment entitlements as most in the private sector have had to do. I can't think of any profession that would provoke this sort of reflexive, nationwide all for one, one for all reaction.

it depends on the dedication and quality of our teachers.

Poor pay and second-rate benefits will not attract the best of the best to the profession.
Isn't that exactly why the banks/investment corps insisted on continuing their "outrageous" bonuses??
They wanted the best, and knew they had to pay for it.

They are smart enough to get paid more in private industry..why settle for the peanuts that teaching offers nowadays?
How many teachers do you know that survive on their teaching salary alone..and do not have other jobs as well? I do not know any.


I am not sure which came first..
are there so few men teachers because the pay is so poor,
or are they paid so poorly because it is a profession that attracts more women?

In any case..there are very few families nowadays that could survive on only the salary of a teacher.

and even when it is done in the private sector, the real problem is rot at the top.

I think about all the chain stores that are closing around the country lately, and some provided good services and prices, and always seemed to be busy when I shopped there, so the problem was probably not at the worker level but execs who thought profits weren't growing fast enough or who skimmed and cooked the books too much.

In the case of public education, the rot is often taxpayers who don't want to pay the taxes for the services they get. In wealthier neighborhoods, they make up for the shortfall with parent funded foundations. Poor neighborhoods don't have that luxury, so we see the underfunding in all it's ugly reality, and the teachers have to struggle that much more.

And then after not giving them enough water, we blame them for not putting out the fire.

Talk about a sense of entitlement. These reckless gamblers who took trillions in bailout money might be seeking more.... Ya I think the bankers might of provoked a reflexive, nationwide all for one, one for all reaction.......

have been first rescued by the public, and now are receiving huge bonuses.
http://www.marketwatch.com/story/wall-st-bonuses-climbed-17-to-203-bln-in-2009-2010-02-23?reflink=MW_news_stmp


And the war profiteering "private" contractors are still receiving enormous public funded contracts regardless of criminal negligence and actions.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/david-isenberg/the-get-out-of-jail-and-s_b_482581.html

The teachers actually worked to improve conditions and they are having their unions busted and are being fired.


Fascinating that these entities are all publicly funded, but only the teachers are held to any accountability standards and these standards are being skewed and implemented to tear down teaching structures such as unions.


Pain, yes. And the communities will share in that pain with the teachers.

and I am afraid I do not see this administration doing anything to improve it. Continuing the Bush policies is sure to conitnue the downhill journey of the educational system in this country.

Former supporter now critic of NCLB
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x7825695

From DUer Juche....link:
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=389&topic_id=7829292&mesg_id=7829484


http://www.nces.ed.gov/programs/digest/d07/index.asp

Education Expenditures

Expenditures for public and private education, from prekindergarten through graduate school (excluding postsecondary schools not awarding associate's or higher degrees), are estimated at $972 billion for 2006–07 (table 25). Expenditures of elementary and secondary schools are expected to total $599 billion, while those of degree-granting postsecondary institutions are expected to total $373 billion. Total expenditures for education are expected to amount to 7.4 percent of the gross domestic product in 2006–07, about 0.5 percentage points higher than in 1996–97.

ETA:
Plus federal spending of $46.7 billion – Department of Education
Which adds up to over a trillion dollars a year. Wow.

And why throw in postsecondary and private school expenditures?

Lets start at the top down this time.
All CEO's have to take a pay cut too damn it.

What will history report on this President that pissed away such a momentous opportunity on selling us all out as per typical in America's decline?

why all Wall Street bankers and traders didn't get fired. Their "FAIL" was epic. Instead, many of them were rewarded for it, or at least paid more money to keep doing much the same.

As you say, this situation is an example of "rot and corruption" at the top. And yes, it is definitely an attack on unionized public workers.

Enough of this bullshit, all round.

they`d have what they need to succeed.

That would be karma.

because they send their kids to private schools and private prep schools--notice where the Obama children attend school. They are not interested in critical thinking for the masses--it really doesn't serve their interests. It means less competition for the new generation of elites.

These teachers have demonstrated they don't have necessary skills as evidenced by the dropout rate. The good teachers will probably be rehired. Bad ones need to go. Society doesn't pick the best to become teachers. So we can't expect that everyone who chooses to get training is equipped to do the job. Yet our kids depend on us to provide them with people that will inspire them to learn.

Bad teachers can't help it if they don't have what it takes. We need to do what is necessary to sift through the population and find the best ones.

These teachers have demonstrated they don't have necessary skills as evidenced by the dropout rate. The good teachers will probably be rehired. Bad ones need to go. Society doesn't pick the best to become teachers. So we can't expect that everyone who chooses to get training is equipped to do the job. Yet our kids depend on us to provide them with people that will inspire them to learn.

Bad teachers can't help it if they don't have what it takes. We need to do what is necessary to sift through the population and find the best ones.

involvement, ability of the child, community support, and administration of the school. To single out teachers is just finding a scapegoat at this pont. Teachers don't get paid enough for what they do. You could have Einsteins teaching classes but if the parents aren't making them do homework and stressing the point of education then what have you really accomplished?

years. And while my parents expected me to do well they didn't do much extra encouraging. I did get my entire education through the public system. I don't understand what has changed to bring it to this level.

had is no longer there. It's difficult, if not impossible, to promote education when rap artists are coming out of prison making millions for "spitting" rhymes, athletes are making millions for just signing bonuses, let alone seasonal contracts and drug dealers riding around in pimped out rides and Benz's. The kids NEVER hear about the down side unless they hear it from the teachers and even THEN, they don't believe it, b/c they see their idols on TV with gold teeth, Rolexes, furs, women, diamond necklaces that weigh a ton. Forget that most of this shit is RENTED and the producers, managers and promoters are the ones making out like bandits off of these poor suckers.

the kid will perform. the teacher doesnt do it. the kid has the opportunity. he/she takes it or doesnt. parents job

so damn easy to blame the teacher as it sits on a parents shoulder

The U.S. govt officials HATE teachers. Hell, they HATE all Americans.

Rhode Island school that is failing its students.

Sorry about the teachers. What about the students?

Obama and his crew seem to have a very Wall Street mentality. They think the wealthy make society work, and everyone else is just a peon who needs to learn his/her place.

Obama supports the firing of one group of teachers because after getting bad 56k-78k a year they still can't teach and you call it union busting and Wall Street mentality? If it's not the teachers fault for lack of education then whose is it? The system? Well it can't be the system right cause that's set up by teachers unions, and we all know the NO union has ever done ANYTHING wrong. So is it the students? Well obviously not, since how can you blame students for their schools failings.

R.I. fired the whole lot because they put their heels in the dirt and refused to try and do more to help. Honestly I support the decision. It isn't "union busting" to call out people for failing and then firing them. To support them and say "well here is some more money..maybe this will help"..would be even more ridiculous of an idea.

If Obama was a union buster, the entire teachers union would be dissolved of its pay and rights.. Did that happen? No, just because you are in a union does not automatically mean you that a) you are good at your job and b) you should keep your job even if you are bad at it

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=389&topic_id=7825876&mesg_id=7825876

They fired these teachers en masse and are looking for non-union replacements. If you believe that's the act of someone just trying to weed out incompetence, then I don't know what to tell you.

I sent an email with a link to both NEA and AFT telling them to harness the growing anger and demand change.

It's a bad move that will piss off our already overworked and underpaid educators. These folks are typically a Democratic constituency, along with the unions, GLBT folk, etc.

It's puzzling to me that the Democratic party is working overtime to lose as many supporters as possible.

I've posted it before and I'll post it again - Does the GOP have some dirt on Preisdent Obama and 3/4 of the congress or what?! I just don't get it.

Let's get some of our Democratic priorties passed in to law, and protect our base by passing meaningful legislation that is important to them. It's like we've entered crazy town with all of the codoling of the GOP when WE HAVE THE MAJORITY.

It can be deflating.

Back in the 60's and 70's my father was the high school art teacher in our district. Every year when it was time to order supplies for the following year, he had to request twice as much of everything as he actually needed, knowing that any money he tried to spend on art supplies would be pretty much cut in half by the board. He had been told repeatedly by the administration that if the State did not mandate the district have an art program that he would not have a job. He finally retired, completely discouraged, the first time age-55 retirement options were offered.

My partner retired a few years ago. We can't go anywhere in this large Metro area without running into students he taught. They're always eager to approach and say hello, tell us where they are now. It makes a difference.

- in the above protests is the reason for the teacher firings, which presumably is the unacceptably low grades of their students. If this is true, is the failing grade level common to all public schools in that state or has it occurred only in schools that serve low income ("inner city") districts?

The title of this thread implies that there is a war on public education. I'm wondering if this is true or if aggressive attention is being focused on schools in areas in which the teachers are being blamed for a problem which is beyond their control. More specifically, student bodies which are largely undisciplined and oriented to the values of a widely emerging street culture.

I am recalling the experience of a friend who became a teacher in a public high school in a Brooklyn "inner city" district back in the mid-1970s. After five weeks of what he described as an "impossible situation" he was brutally assaulted by two students and he resigned. He told me that teachers in that school were mainly concerned with getting through each day without being assaulted or harrassed by belligerent students. He told me of a female teacher who had been gang raped in a toilet and a gym teacher who was slashed with a box-cutter. He told me that teachers were too intimidated to issue anything lower than a passing grade to students who were practically illiterate and rarely showed up for classes.

I knew this fellow well enough to have no doubt about the things he told me and I heard similar stories from others, including a few police officers. So I'm wondering if teachers are being blamed for what really is a situation that the politicians would prefer to circumvent rather than confront.

they are trying to figure out how to profit from it financially rather than fix it.

In that inner city case, smaller class size, some sort of after school program to keep kids out of the street life, social workers to track the kids and back up teachers would be a good start.

Endless multiple choice tests, Enron Elementary, Goldman Sachs Middle School, and Halliburton High School wouldn't.

Thanks for the thread, yurbud.:thumbsup:

:kick:

Excellent post. I wish the mods would make an exception in this case and extend the time that threads can be rec'd.

Education usually isn't a "hot" topic at DU unless it involves criticizing teachers and schools. It's good to see a substantive post get some support.

That is all.

Time to kick some ass!