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It's summer, the perfect time to reflect on your school year experiences. Send your story to us at networkforpubliceducation
@gmail.com and you could appear in our next newsletter!
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Greetings!
Welcome to the nineteenth edition of our newsletter. This
week we bring you news from around the country, including Sue Peters'
outstanding victory in Seattle and today's ALECexposed protest in
Chicago. We're also excited to announce our newest endorsement, Ronda
Scholting for the Douglas School Board! Read it all here! And like us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter, and JOIN US at our website.
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Our New Endorsed Candidate, Ronda Scholting
Help Support Ronda Scholting for Douglas County School Board
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| This week we announced our strong endorsement of Ronda Scholting. |
This
week we announced on our website our endorsement of Ronda Scholting, a
candidate in the race for Douglas County School Board. As a parent of
two public school graduates, Ronda has always been committed to
supporting public education and believes that "quality education is the
base of a strong community."
Ronda has a solid record of working to protect our children. In
her capacity as an investigative journalist, Ronda brought to light a
scandal regarding international adoption that instigated a U.S. Senate
hearing on the matter. She also works with the Children's Miracle
Network Hospitals, an organization dedicated to helping children and
their families afford the medical care they need.
It
is for these reasons and many others that we excitedly endorse Ronda
Scholting for Douglas County School Board. We invite you to read more
about our endorsement on our website. You can also help support Ronda by visiting her website and following her Twitter and Facebook page.
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New York City's Test Scores Dropped 30%
NYC test scores dropped 30% in 2012, other cities may follow
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| NYC
Schools Chancellor Dennis Walcott says to parents of the low test
scores: "it doesn't mean that your child is doing any worse; it just
means your child is now being measured to a higher standard." (Picture
from the NYC Department of Education). |
Earlier
this week, the Department of Education in NYC announced that
standardized test scores decreased by a whopping 30% in 2012. According
to the data collected from the tests, only 26% of students in NYC are
proficient in English, while 30% are proficient in math. These test
scores are used to determine a number of things, including teachers'
annual evaluations and whether students are held back.
Many
see this as a sign that Mayor Bloomberg has failed his goal to be the
self-proclaimed "education mayor," and democratic mayoral candidates are
seizing the opportunity to emphasize how their educational policies
would differ from Bloomberg's. On the other hand, Mayor
Bloomberg defended his work by claiming that there is good news in
these numbers--namely, that the rest of New York State is doing even
more poorly on standardized tests.
There
have been efforts to calm parents and students on the grounds that
these scores do not necessarily reflect a huge change in students'
abilities over the past year, but rather, reflect tougher standards. New
York is one of few states that is beginning to implement testing
influenced by the Common Core curriculum. Kentucky, the first state to
tie its testing to the Common Core curriculum, experienced a similar 30%
decrease in test scores.
Other
states that plan to adopt the Common Core and implement similar testing
within the next few years have been warned that their scores may drop
just as drastically. This leaves much room for anxiety, particularly for
teachers whose job security may rely on their students' ability to pass
tougher exams.
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Sue Peters Will Go On to General Election
NPE-endorsed Sue Peters overcomes the odds, wins 41% of vote
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| Sue Peters shares NPE's vision for protecting and enriching public schools. |
Last
week, we announced our endorsement of Sue Peters for School Board in
Seattle and asked that you help us support Sue and get out the word
about her campaign. This week, we are pleased to announce that all of
your help paid off! Despite being targeted by negative advertising and
outspent 6-1 by her opponent Suzanne Dale Estey, Sue won 41% of the vote
in the primary election, and therefore will continue on to the general
election in November.
In response to the primary results, Sue told NPE:
"[I] extend my deepest thanks to NPE for the timely and meaningful
endorsement of my candidacy [...] I am confident that my positive and
constructive message, and the value of my nearly decade of knowledge of
the Seattle Public School District, will resonate with voters throughout
the city as we go forth into the general election."
Sue
is an outstanding candidate who shares NPE's commitment to protecting
public education and providing schools with a rich, engaging curriculum
that does not shortchange the arts, humanities, music or physical
education. So, let's help her win the general election! Please continue
to support Sue by visiting her on her website, Twitter, and Facebook page. |
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ALEC Protest Taking Place in Chicago Today
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| ALEC Exposed is a growing movement focused on uncovering the truth about corruption and corporate greed in ALEC. |
Last
week we published a piece about Expose ALEC, a growing movement of
people who seek to uncover the truth about corporate corruption and
mismanagement that is harming the lives of everyday people, as well as
posing a threat to public education. Today, August 8th, is the
long-awaited protest outside the ALEC Convention at the Palmer House in
Chicago.
Yesterday, The Nation published a piece on the protesting, ' ALEC Convention Met with Protests in Chicago.'
This is just one more example of how everyone can help in the effort to
publicly expose the dangers that corporations and corporately-backed
reformers pose to our society.
You can support Expose ALEC by visiting their website and continuing to tweet pictures and news from the protest with the tag #ALECexposed. |
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Tell NPE
Your Story
NPE wants to hear from you! We would like to publish real
stories about the effects of misguided school reforms on our Friends
& Allies. Please share this and send responses to networkforpubliceducation@gmail.com. |
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Please forward this newsletter far and wide!
In solidarity,
The Network For Public Education
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