It's appalling the Democratic Party condones Arne Duncan and his policies

[Chiquitita]

Last edited Wed Jan 29, 2014, 09:54 AM - Edit history (1)

How about letting the WH know that?

Would you consider sending a short message about what you think of Secretary of Ed. Duncan?
It would make me feel so good knowing the WH staff heard what DUers who support public K12 Education think.

http://www.whitehouse.gov/contact


Arne Duncan "teachers in America often come from the bottom of the academic barrel"
http://www.democraticunderground.com/10024338994

So President Obama has always wanted to privatize K-12 education?
http://www.democraticunderground.com/10024393444

For Arne Duncan, the Buck Stops Over There. Outstanding Ed Week blog by Anthony Cody.
http://www.democraticunderground.com/10024397871

[djean111]

1. I wish it was surprising.

[ellenrr]

2. It's not really the democratic party that is privatizing public education

it is the triumpherate of Gates, Walton and the Broad Foundation.
Arne Duncan has been on the board of The Broad Foundation.
and Biden's chief of staff just became president of the Broad Foundation.

so there are connections but the power is the money of billionaires, which political party it is, is irrelevant.

for more about The Broad Foundation:
http://www.defendpubliceducation.net/

[Skidmore]

3. This. But the politicians are complicit because they have elected not to

put tax monies into the public education system. While shovelling money back to the special interests, they have allowed our children to be sold short.

[ellenrr]

4. true

[Chiquitita]

5. The Broad Foundation...

Your link is a great source. Thanks. I think we do have to pressure the dems and not leave any wiggle room for justification. They are not powerless against these forces.

They are the ones who ought to be honest with the public. Funny how Duncan projects lying onto teachers.

[liberal_at_heart]

14. oh, but it is the democratic party. Not only do they not fight hard enough for funding but

Last edited Wed Jan 29, 2014, 11:11 AM - Edit history (1)

Race to the Top, Obama's own education policy, ties funding to student performance on state standardized testing. This further decreases funding to schools who are struggling and need more funding not less. I told my son I was going to talk to his teachers about why he doesn't have educational assistants in any of his general education classes. You know what he told me? He said, "I'll have to learn how to do it on my own eventually. I'll have to learn how to do everything on my own eventually." This made me feel very proud, but at the same time very sad. He knows he's own his own as far as his education. He has known since sixth grade. He is a special education student. He is not suppose to be on his own. He is suppose to have help.

[QC]

6. When it comes to education, there really is little difference between the parties anymore.

Let's not forget that George W. and Ted Kennedy proudly worked together on NCLB. They both considered it a major achievement. Think about that--Ted Kennedy and George W. Bush in perfect agreement on something.

The mind reels.

[Chiquitita]

7. It does. And now we have walmart schools...

Waltonk12.org destroying public schools with their billions and "supporting" NPR.

[QC]

9. America has become a place where everything is a scam.

Financial aid programs designed to help working people get an education? Those are now a way for crooks like Sallie Mae to make a killing. Housing programs designed to help working people own a home of their own? Another way for bankers to make a pile. Programs designed to prevent shortages and keep small farmers from going broke? A scam. Vocational education? Another scam in the age of for-profit "colleges."

And now our public schools are the latest thing for the rich and well-connected to wring dry. It's disappointing that a Democratic president would oversee the looting of one of our greatest public goods, but we Democrats are used to disappointment.

[Bluenorthwest]

8. Two guys who never saw the inside of a public classroom as students....

but who both saw the inside of many an empty bottle.

[QC]

10. Education is the one field where an absolute and total lack

of practical knowledge makes one an expert.

Few people with no medical training would dream of lecturing doctors on, say, trauma protocols, but only those who have never taught really know anything about teaching, and only graduates of institutions like Milton Prep, Phillips Andover, and the University of Chicago Laboratory School can truly know how the little folk should get their schoolin'.

[ellenrr]

11. I remember that. I was (naively) so disappointed when Ted Kennedy did that. NCLB was the

beginning of the assault on public education

[Enthusiast]

13. Ted Kennedy was wrong. Democrats are sometimes wrong too, even Ted Kennedy.

But that is no excuse for continuing the wrong.

[Enthusiast]

12. Done. K&R.........nt