Now that Trump's choice for education has a name, Betsy DeVos, the elite educationnados have finally decided to pay some attention to the policy that is poised to undermine public schools and change the face of education as we know it. Naming just a few:
Ravitch.
Randi
Eskelsen Garcia
Burris
Schneider
these are just a few of the names I quickly grabbed. The list of recent voices who have objected goes on and on. And that's a good thing! Its a very good thing!!
Now that they have a name to the policy, maybe they'll act? Maybe they'll have meetings? Maybe they'll protest? Maybe they'll rally?
They'll surely jump all over each other to get in front of a microphone and a newspaper reporter to decry the destruction to schools in poor communities that the policy will bring. That will be good.
But will they embrace a message that reaches out to people who may be inclined to support the "fresh" face policy that is coming? Will they try to convince new people to come into the fight to defend the local public school as we know it? Will they try to pull more people into the tent? Or will they pull up a bunch of chairs in some corner of it and tell everyone else they should to come over.
For me, it will be simple to tell: If they shout about "privatization" or "charters" or "vouchers" and nothing else, then it will be clear that the urban elites have no intention of taking the time to convince people from outside urban America that what may come in two months is a real threat. If they demonize "Devos" instead of talking about policy, then it will be clear that they'll be just preaching to the same old choir of followers.
But if they start writing and talking to people about what will happen to their local school if Title I funding becomes portable, if they try explain how federal funding equates to their football team, or buses for their children, or teachers in their classrooms, then maybe the polls will change in places where it counts (Minnesota Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, Florida to say the least) and maybe Trump will be smart enough to ease the administration away.
I myself have absolutely, positively no faith in the "voices against education reform" figuring out that they need to find a way to convince the people who voted for Trump that this is a wrong idea.
There's a reason people went out to vote for him: Elitists.
My guess is these folks will speak to the same old supporters and keep blowing hot air into their echo chamber of northern liberal cities. These folks haven't even figured out what the hell happened to them on 11/8. How are they supposed to figure out how to speak through the anger to people who voted for a different candidate?
Or how to speak to the concerns of people who voted for him?
20% of the AFT's own members voted for this guy!! As many as 33% of NEA members did the same -in direct conflict to their own professional and financial interest. Let's see if certain folks (I'm looking at you rich Manhattan. I'm looking at you fancy school district leader) can pull themselves together.
Instead of loudly whining about every little (and big) thing Trump has said and done since his election, we should have held out fire until this appointment. Now we have no credibility. Lesson learned
ReplyDeleteUnfortunately, there is no "we" here. There is only a whole bunch of names 'who have been involved in ed' or in "activism" for years and there are the reformers. That's it. The "we" you refer to is just us kind of caught in the middle of people who want to destroy public ed on one side (the right) and people who want to convince us to fight THEIR battles on the other (the left). I have just seen one indicate to me, in a friendly way, that teachers' concerns were (essentially) nothing much to worry about and that activists' (which these days is nothing more out of touch leftists) comprise a real existential problem (and that's after reading about how an edformer will slowly pick apart public schools). Look, neither can be trusted given the current positions and EITHER will just destroy the idea of the local public school teacher and they'll think absolutely nothing of it.
DeleteSorry to ramble. It's just that, at this point in time, there is no "we". ("-SAD!")
It's about time someone drew this distinction. The pink and red on the right who you spend your time with are just as bad as the ed reformers. No more, donuts. Enough is enough.
ReplyDeleteHope everyone enjoyed Thanksgiving! It may our last as teachers
ReplyDeleteIt can't be worse than Barakat and Bloomberg and Emmanuel and Cuomo...all Democrats who've done more to weaken public ed than any Republican ever.
ReplyDeleteThat's why this teacher voted Trump.
I cannot disagree with any of your reasoning. Democrats have greatly hurt teachers.
DeleteI cannot disagree with any of your reasoning. Democrats have greatly hurt teachers.
Delete