 | | Report from Chicago | | Fighting School Closures |
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Greetings!
Welcome to the third edition of the NPE News! In this issue, we share the new map of our allies all over the nation. Please share this newsletter with friends, so we can build our network of those working to support our schools. If you would like to make a donation, or become a member, you can do so here. And don't forget to "like us" on Facebook, and follow us on Twitter! |
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Note from Diane
Whose Schools? Our Schools!
 Dear Friends and Allies,
The major issue of the day is the rapid increase in school closings in cities across the nation. The latest and most outrageous example is the decision of the Chicago Public Schools to close 54 public schools and displace some 30,000 students. This is unprecedented in American history. This is the bitter fruit of No Child Left Behind and Race to the Top. As alarming as the Chicago action is, what is even more shocking is that the American public is being persuaded by a constant barrage of corporate reform chatter to believe that public schools should close if they have low scores. But public schools are not shoe stores. They are community assets. We must build their capacity, support them, strengthen them. No school was ever improved by closing it.
The article in the New York Times describing this startling decision to shutter 50+ schools described it as the largest single closing of public schools "in recent memory." The more accurate description would have been "ever." In nearly two centuries of American public education, no district ever engaged in school closings as a "reform" tactic. This is madness.
The Network for Public Education is on the move. We can't endorse candidates yet because we have not obtained our 501c4 status, and contributions are not yet tax deductible because we don't yet have our 501c3 status. We are working on the legal front to get both sides of our work legally sanctioned. In the meanwhile, we are building our membership and reaching out to grassroots organizations.
Our priorities are clear: In the previous newsletter, I described our positive agenda. It all boils down to this fundamental idea: We will support our public schools and oppose efforts to privatize them. We will advocate for better education for all students. We will support those who dedicate their lives to teaching children.
If there are grassroots groups in your community, please urge them to become our allies. We are trying to build a national force to counter the elites who are pouring unprecedented amounts of money into local and state elections. We need your help. Together we will turn the tide and support our public education system in every district and state in the nation. An informed public will not let the hobbyists, ideologues, corporations, and hedge fund managers undermine our public schools.
Diane |
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Grassroots Report: Chicago!
We offer our respect and appreciation to the Chicago teachers, parents and students who took a stand there. |
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NPE Friends & Allies Across the Nation
Our network launched just a few weeks ago, and already we have more than a hundred friends and allies who have connected with us from across the nation. You will find a fantastic new map on our home page with clickable pins for every group! If you belong to a grassroots group that would like to be included among our allies, please send us your information here. And use our map to network with other groups in your area. |
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NPE Webinar #1: How to Organize a Grassroots Group
Organizers share ideas
Many of those who have joined our network want to get involved in grassroots work to change the direction of education in our communities. We are now planning a series of web forums to share concrete ways to do just that. The first will focus on how to organize grassroots groups.
Phyllis Bush and members of the North East Indiana Friends of Public Education will share their experiences in getting organized. Formed just two years ago, this group helped elect teacher Glenda Ritz as state superintendent of education.
The webinar will take place on Saturday, April 13, at 2:30 pm Eastern time, 11:30 am Pacific time. You can register here. You will be emailed a link to the webinar a day or two before the event. |
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Activists Gather to Occupy the Dept of Ed
From April 4 to 7, there will be an ongoing occupation of the Department of Education in Washington, DC. From the press release from United Opt Out:
"The event is a four-day gathering of progressive education activists endeavoring to resist the destructive influences of corporate and for-profit education reforms, which began in previous administrations and persist with the current one. We cannot and will not stand silent as the threats to dismantle our system of public education continue. These threats
include the erosion of the teaching profession, excessive use of standardized testing, mandated scripted curriculum, the absolute disregard of child poverty, and reforms which disproportionately impact minority communities."
Many excellent speakers will be there, including Diane Ravitch, Deborah Meier, and Leonie Haimson. Details are here.
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Latest Toolkit: How a Teacher Speaks Out
and does not lose her job in the process
"Mr. Mell" is a teacher on the East Coast who had a thing or two on her mind. She figured out how to speak out without losing her job, and in our latest toolkit, she tells the tale. |
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Please forward this newsletter far and wide!
In solidarity,
The Network For Public Education |
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