We Won't Get Great Teachers By Treating Them Badly

By Jeff Bryant. Educational Opportunity Network

An article by Alia Wong for The Atlantic this week caused quite a stir by pointing to a recent survey of teachers that found one of the main stresses they have during their busy days is getting a potty break.

Wong looked at results from a poll about the work conditions of teachers conducted by the American Federation of Teachers and the Badass Teachers Association, a grassroots teacher-led movement resisting current education policies.

She found lots of interesting findings on the “everyday stressors” teachers face in the workplace, including time pressure, student discipline problems, and mandated curricula. But “the biggest takeaway” Wong got from the data was that “of the various everyday workplace stressors educators could check off, one of the most popular was, ‘Lack of opportunity to use restroom.’” Wong noted bathroom breaks were “in third place” on the list of work-related stressors with about one in two teachers “having inadequate bathroom breaks.”

Another Corporate "Reformer" Runs for President- Kasich

With two-term Ohio Gov. John Kasich joining the crowd of candidates for the 2016 Republican presidential nomination, it’s a good time to look at the public education mess that has developed in his state under his leadership.

Kasich has pushed key tenets of corporate school reform:

*expanding charter schools — even though the state’s charter sector is the most troubled in the country

*increasing the number of school vouchers that use public money to pay for tuition at private schools, the vast majority of them religious — even though state officials say that fewer than one-third of those available were used by families this past school year

*performance pay for teachers — even though such schemes have been shown over many years not to be useful in education

*evaluating educators by student standardized test scores in math and reading — even though assessment experts have warned that using test scores in this way is not reliable or valid.

Meanwhile, the Ohio Education Department in Kasich’s administration is in turmoil.

Assault on Pensions ( including Teacher Pensions) continues

Bill Raden, Capital and Main

When Democratic former San Jose mayor Chuck Reed and Republican ex-San Diego councilmember Carl DeMaio finally unveiled the language for a promised attempt at getting a statewide public pension cutting measure to 2016 voters, the expectation was that Reed II would be a reined-in and more realistically-framed version of Reed I – last year’s failed attempt at undermining the public pension system.

Editors note:

 These pension critics in California have targeted public pensions as a place to claim a crisis and to demand pensions changes- which would make them billions.

In 2014 California pensions had 84 % of the funds they need to pay their obligations. Most pension critics- such as the Peterson Institute- say that 80%  of  potential obligations should be covered in assets.

This argument incorrectly assumes that there will not be more workers paying into the ongoing pensions.  That is the policy direction argued for by austerity advocates mostly in the Republican Party.

The truth is that working people such as teachers and police officers  paid into these pension funds.  At times- the state and local governments skipped their obligations to match the workers contributions. This created a problem that is being dealt with.

Another Attack on Teachers' Unions

Harold Meyerson.

About a month ago, the Supreme Court closed out its term in a blaze of nonpartisan glory. Or nonpartisan obloquy, depending on one’s reaction to the court’s legalization of same-sex marriage and its upholding of Obamacare — but nonpartisan either way. A court with a Republican-appointed majority upheld a Democratic president’s health insurance program and a marital policy that most Republican officeholders felt obliged to oppose (even if most Republican political consultants felt relieved to see gay marriage rendered a fait accompli).

But that was then. In the term that will begin this fall, the court has a splendid opportunity to deliver the most partisan decision it has rendered since Bush v. Gore. When the court rules in Friedrichs v. California Teachers Association , which will be argued in the coming months, the Republican-appointed justices will be able, if they so choose, to create a long-term advantage for their party over the Democrats.

Friedrichs is a case brought by a California teacher who objects to paying dues to the union that has bargained the contract that secures her pay and benefits. The union does not collect any money from her to support its political activities, but, by virtue of the court’s 1977 Abood decision, and hundreds of later decisions based on Abood, she is obliged to pay that portion of her dues that goes to bargaining and administering her contract. That obligation, the court ruled in Abood, is essential if public employees are to have an effective right to collective bargaining. If employees can benefit from union representation without funding the union, the court reasoned, the union could be weakened to the point that it couldn’t represent those employees adequately, if, indeed, at all.

Sanders on Racism- at the SCLC

antiracismdsa: Sanders on Racism- at the SCLC: Remarks by Senator Sanders at the Southern Christian Leadership Conference JULY 25, 2015 https://berniesanders.com/remarks-senator-sanders-...

The Next Wave of "Educational Reform"

by Jeff Bryant

Education activists are rejoicing that the latest versions of No Child Left Behind reauthorization coursing through Congress may give struggling schools a way to have more control over their own governance and destiny.

NCLB originally mandated such unreal expectations on schools the vast majority of them would be branded “failed.” New legislation, as currently written, would change that.

Prominent education groups representing teachers and administratorslike this turn of events and want bills from the House and the Senate to quickly proceed to conference.

Should the onerous provisions imposed on schools by NCLB indeed be lifted, lots of struggling schools will breathe easier without the “failed” brand looming over their buildings. But if this new flexibility comes to pass, it’s no time to take a victory lap if you’re someone who believes teachers, parents, and students should have a voice in how their local schools operate.

As anti-democratic pressures appear to be easing on the federal front, they are ratcheting up in states across the country. In fact, the next form of education “reform” may be as bad or worse than what NCLB imposed.

Forum : The Sanders Campaign

Forum.  July 24, 2015.    7 PM.
The Sol Collective. Sacramento 2574 21st. Street. Sacramento
Sponsored by Sacramento DSA, the Sacramento Progressive Alliance  and more.

Fix School Discipline

Your Child’s Right to Stay In School:  What You Need to Know About School Discipline Students who are suspended or expelled are as much as 5 times more likely to dropout and 3 times more likely to have contact with the juvenile justice system. What rights do you have to help your child stay in school and on a path to success? Join Statewide Education Rights Director Laura Faer and former teacher Elena Fresquez on Thursday, July 16 at 4:30 pm for an interactive webinar for parents, youth, and those who support them about students’ rights in school discipline.  Learn about the legal protections for students, including those with special needs, and how to advocate for yourself or your child.  Find out more about strong alternatives to class and school removal that hold students accountable while also helping improve school success. Join Public Counsel to learn how to protect a young person’s ability to stay in school and advocate for better solutions for youth who are struggling with behavior issues in class and on the playground.

July 16, 2015 Thursday 4:30 PM

Copyright © 2015 Fix School Discipline, All rights reserved. You have been added to the Fix School Discipline mailing list to receive the latest news, research and alerts about school discipline.

ESEA Reauthorization passes Senate

TODAY, the Senate passed the Every Child Achieves Act. I am so immensely proud of what we achieved together in this legislation.

The reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act has been over a decade coming. So I simply wanted to say, "thank you."

I recorded a video message in gratitude for the hard work you just put in for our students: 

Watch it now. Thanks again brothers and sisters for getting us one step closer to a final law. We will be in touch in the fall to get this on the President's desk, but until then, have a restful summer. See you on Twitter! 

- Lily

Lily Eskelsen García
President, National Education Association

Scott Walker's Real record in Wisconsin

Educate for Democracy: Walker’s Budget Undermines Public Education, with ...: Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker is expected to do two things in the next few days: Formally announce his candidacy for President and sign W...

When we abandon our public schools, we not only abandon democracy, we abandon our children's future.

Gov. Walker has the most far-reaching budget veto powers of any governor, and can literally change the budget line by line. How he uses that veto pen will foretell his national plans as he enters the Republican presidential primary.

In Wisconsin, where we have four years of experience with Walker, we expect him to continue his policies of abandoning public institutions and undermining the middle class. Hopefully, national observers will see through Walker's rhetoric and analyze the realities of his state budget.

[Bob Peterson is a founder of Rethinking Schools magazine and former president of the Milwaukee Teachers' Education Association.]

Krugman; This is a Coup. -- Greece

Paul Krugman

Suppose you consider Tsipras an incompetent twerp. Suppose you dearly want to see Syriza out of power. Suppose, even, that you welcome the prospect of pushing those annoying Greeks out of the euro.

Even if all of that is true, this Eurogroup list of demands is madness. The trending hashtag ThisIsACoup is exactly right. This goes beyond harsh into pure vindictiveness, complete destruction of national sovereignty, and no hope of relief. It is, presumably, meant to be an offer Greece can’t accept; but even so, it’s a grotesque betrayal of everything the European project was supposed to stand for. 

Economist Richard Wolff on Roots of Greek Crisis, Debt Relief & Rise of ...

A Socialist Surge in the U.S.? Bernie Sanders Draws Record Crowds, Praises Greek Anti-Austerity Vote - NationofChange

A Socialist Surge in the U.S.? Bernie Sanders Draws Record Crowds, Praises Greek Anti-Austerity Vote - NationofChange

Socialism and the Sanders Campaign

Forum.  July 24, 2015.    7 PM.
The Sol Collective. Sacramento
Sponsored by Sacramento DSA, the Sacramento Progressive Alliance  and more.

Educate for Democracy: Walker’s Budget Undermines Public Education, with ...

Educate for Democracy: Walker’s Budget Undermines Public Education, with ...: Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker is expected to do two things in the next few days: Formally announce his candidacy for President and sign W...

When we abandon our public schools, we not only abandon democracy, we abandon our children's future.

Gov. Walker has the most far-reaching budget veto powers of any governor, and can literally change the budget line by line. How he uses that veto pen will foretell his national plans as he enters the Republican presidential primary.

In Wisconsin, where we have four years of experience with Walker, we expect him to continue his policies of abandoning public institutions and undermining the middle class. Hopefully, national observers will see through Walker's rhetoric and analyze the realities of his state budget.

[Bob Peterson is a founder of Rethinking Schools magazine and former president of the Milwaukee Teachers' Education Association.]

Bankers Win. Greek People Starved Into Submission

Lacking food, medicines, jobs, Greek government gives in. For Now.

www.nytimes.com/2015/07/10/world/europe/greek-debt-talks.html?    

Why the GOP is Hesitant to Denounce Trump's Bigotr...

antiracismdsa: Why the GOP is Hesitant to Denounce Trump's Bigotr...: Why the GOP is Hesitant to Denounce Trump’s Bigotry Posted on July 5, 2015 by Jimmy Franco Sr. Trump has defended his racist atta...

Bankers lose. Greek people win.

Greeks Reject Bailout Terms in Rebuff to European Leaders

The Eurozone is Anti Democratic- Vote No

antiracismdsa: The Eurozone is Anti Democratic- Vote No: Why We Recommend a NO in the Referendum - In 6 Short Bullet Points By Yanis Varoufakis July 1, 2015 Yanis Varoufakis Negotiations have sta...

The Next Effort to Break Teachers' Unions

Friedrichs v. California Teachers Association 

Randi Weingarten

The anti-worker forces that are trying to break our union just got a big break from the United States Supreme Court. This morning, the court agreed to hear the case Friedrichs v. California Teachers Association during its next term.

Make no mistake: This case is not about individual liberty or the First Amendment. It is an outright attack against unions to prevent us from representing our members and using our voices to fight for our families, our schools, our colleges, our healthcare facilities and our communities.

We’re preparing a national campaign to mobilize our members and communities across the country to fight for an America where everyone’s voice matters. Sign up to join when we launch later this summer.

This case would undermine our unions and challenge nearly 40 years of precedent—and the court agreed to hear it barely a year after it dealt a blow to workers with its decision in Harris v. Quinn. In fact, the conservative justices on the court used the Harris v.Quinn ruling to invite cases like this one, showing just how political they really are.