How are schools going to look in the fall? Local school district educators and parents are meeting to draft plans. Weighing heavily on the minds of many is this question, will public schools survive? Will teachers still have a role to play in the education of students? First comes safety. Schools might require a longer period […]
Who Does the Biden/Sanders Education Unity Panel Unite?
Many want to say good riddance to Education Secretary Betsy DeVos and her boss. But educators and parents fighting for public education, and the ninety percent of students who attend public schools, deserve a more inclusive group of people to push back on harmful school reform. The Biden/Sanders Unity Education Task Force leaves much to […]
8 Ways to Save Public School Funding During and After Covid-19
Everyone’s worried about the budgetary fallout that will affect public schools after the corona virus pandemic is over. The situation appears grim. Meanwhile, Education Secretary Betsy DeVos and her friends are still seeking to privatize public education. The CARES Act has given her free rein. Governor Andrew Cuomo warns that without federal assistance, school funding […]
Public School “Reimagine” and “Revolution” Hypocrisy: Put Them Out to Pasture!
Teachers and parents on the frontlines of this pandemic should be given control of how their schools are reimagined in the future. When this crisis ends, they should be given the voice on how to bring back democratic public schools and make them their own. Any revolution surrounding schools is theirs. Those who foisted unproven and […]
Like Vultures, They’re Still Planning to End Public Schools and a Professional Teaching Workforce!
There’s a movement underfoot to end the way children learn. Look carefully at who says “we need to reimagine” or “this is the time to reassess” schools. These can be signals from those who’ve led the charge to dismantle public schools for years. Like vultures, they’re scheming how to use this pandemic to put the […]
Students with Disabilities: Between a Rock and a Hard Place
Parents with students who have disabilities are troubled by the problems their children face in public schools. They may turn to charter schools believing they will finally get the services they find lacking in public school. But charter schools are not an acceptable answer in most cases. We’ve known for years that students with disabilities […]
The Myth that Charter Schools are Innovation Paradigms
For years charter school advocates have claimed that charter schools have something new and innovative to share with public schooling. It’s a myth. Charter schools bring nothing new to the table. Any innovative charter schools are likely run by real teachers. Jeanne Allen, who founded the Center for Education Reform (CER,) called the nation’s leading […]
Gifted and IDEA: Charter Schools Won’t Solve the Gifted Debate
Even though gifted is listed as a special education category, Individuals with Disabilities Act (IDEA) never adequately addressed it. Intellectually advanced students are complex, not always easy to understand. They need and deserve school support. Much debate surrounds gifted education. But charter schools will not be a sufficient answer to concerns. Some gifted students are […]
Benton Harbor’s Schools are America’s Schools! Tell Gov. Whitmer, Ed. Sec. Betsy DeVos, and the MEA!
Everything in the dark comes to the light. ~Former BHHS student. Across the country, citizens, parents, and educators have watched their public schools close due to underfunding and high-stakes student testing. These schools are predominately black, Hispanic, and poor. Public education with elected school boards are democratic institutions. Closing a school or school district, or […]
End Charter Schools! Consider Creative Ways to Address Schooling
It’s time to end the charter school experiment. Put successful charters under the supervision of the nearby school district. Charters not working well should close. No charter school should get tax dollars without oversight. This should be for both for-profit and nonprofit charter schools. Charter School Scandals On twitter, educators and parents can follow the Network […]