You're Invited !
Obama4UnityBeatsMcCain presents A Forum on Education Reform. Please join the Obama4UnityBeatsMcCain slate of candidates for the DC Democratic State Committee for an Issue Forum discussing Education Reform in Washington, DC. Hear from experts and local officials, and share your thoughts on how to improve the school system to bolster the chances of success for DC youth.
Wednesday, September 3, 2008
6:00 to 8:30 PM
Location:
Thurgood Marshall Public Charter School
2427 Martin Luther King Ave. SE (across from Anacostia metro station)
Panelists: Nathan A. Saunders, Tanya Kinlow, William Lockridge, Jeffry Richardson, Carl Thomas, Kathy Pearson-West, and a representative from the Office of Chancellor Michelle A. Rhee.
Nathan Saunders is the General Vice President of the Washington Teacher's Union. Tanya Kinlow a former school board member is now an ombudsman for the District of Columbia Public Schools ,William Lockride, a school board member and Kathy Pearson-West, a long time educational advocate and parent.
Endorsed by DC Vote - Posted by Candi
4 comments:
Rhee was invited to speak at a meeting in Ward 4 tonight about Union busting tonight and trying to get the residents involved. I didn't get to go, but I hope it went well...
BTW, did you hear Obama's speech when he said that he wants to pay teachers more and support them...but we must be held accountable, etc....
I think he's speaking Rheeinese huh??? LMBO!!!
I guess you will turn on him for that huh??? *SMH*
(I hope you and your readers can understand my computer literate abbreviations) LOL!!!
Mommilan et. al,
You are so uninformed. It concerns me that you teach children. You need to read all of Obama's platform on education, the no child left behind legislation as well as his stance on school choice and vouchers, then talk about what Obama stands for as it relates to public education.
FYI, Chancellor Rhee has said on numerous occasions that she agrees with McCain's Educational Platform more than Obama's. As a matter of fact, she said that at last night's meeting in Ward 4. Considering the fact that the meeting was set up by the Ward 4 Democrats, that portion of her speech did not go over so well.
You say you hope Rhee's union busting tatics went well????.....does your union president and your union colleagues at school know you feel this way about union matters?
What will they say when they find out? Only time will tell
Shame, Shame, Shame......another misinformed and miseducated (_ _ _ _ _ ),I mean.....individual.
Anonymous... What does me being a teacher have to do with listening to Obama's speech over and over on youtube... "holding teachers accountable" is what I heard. I am too busy to read everything!!! That's why I listen while I work! I mean I do need to do things for myself, family, students, and much more...better yet, let me give you a link to the acceptance speech for reference...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tQGsP8mnHsg
start at 24 mins and about 23 seconds...
He says...
" I will invest in Early Childhood Education. I will recruit an army of new teachers and pay them higher salaries and give them more support. And in exchange I'll ask for higher standards and more accountability!"
Anon... I do accept apologies!
If you read correctly...you would have also noticed that I wrote I DIDN'T GO TO THE WARD 4 MEETING... please check the 4 line down!!!
All Rhee has expressed to me is making teachers more accountable in various ways and then paying us well for it!!! You don't get something for nothing!!! Only a poor teacher is scared of that... Anon???
Lastly, I have listened to McCain enough to not care to listen to him much anymore... if he (God forbid) becomes President, I guess his "experience" will enlighten and CHANGE (yeah right) us all like the vets who choose to not support Ms. Rhee's proposal...
Their "experience" is so GRAND that they put our students in such a great position that previous DCPS students are graduating from Ivy League schools and becoming doctors, and lawyers, etc... you do know I am exaggerating right? I AM A DCPS GRADUATE! And according to you, I may not be so smart...according to you I am a -----, and may I add that was very unnecessary....
Here's the FACTS buddy...
MY HISTORY:
I went to private school from 1st -9th grade, and after that I went to Duke Ellington and graduated from Wilson, and their were some teachers who taught academics that bored me at both schools because I had done most of the same work in the 6, 7, 8 and 9th grades while at St. Patrick's and Edmund Burke private schools...good thing my mother (a DCPS vet teacher of 35+ years) knew DCPS sucked enough to not put me in there until she had to start saving up my undergrad money!!!
I actually lost my 3.2 average I had at private schools when I came across teachers in DCPS who did not care if I was bored or not coming to school... and I ended up graduating with a 2.7!!!
HOW REAL IS THAT???!!!!
Now the facts on DCPS:
My mother used to bring students home who couldn't stay awake in her class or had serious emotional issues due to their families at home... she didn't blame their parents... she did what she had to do to "bridge the gap!!"
She didn't allow children to run the halls... she would call the office the minute they set foot out her door, and they would always come back..she had much respect from students. We see people on the street who used to be her students. Thanking her for what she did. I know teachers who ignore students if they want to walk out and fussing about how they don't care or listen to them!!! My mother taught to their needs and interest... you have to to keep them going!
She didn't blame parents and demographics and/or say its not me as a teacher... she had me helping her at home with things she needed ready for the next day and had students working working working every minute!
And that is the type of drive I have now... and I got it from my mother!!!
Now all vets aren't bad... but!!! If the vets are the ones who "know it all" why don't our students know it all as well?!
Who's fault is it...? And don't you dare say the parents... because Bush is a vet and McCain are vets but they both have yet to prove to us what they have done or can do to take us out of this slump we are in...reminds me of Mr. Sanders and Ms. Peterson...
I can go on and on... but I will end with this...
Vets, yes you had to struggle to get to the high paying salaries you already have now...yes you worked back in the 60's making $8,000 a year...but, I bet your student loans are pardoned... I bet you didn't have to file bankruptcy at age 25, I bet you can pay ALL your many bills... when we are trying to figure out which one or at the most 2 out of 20 bills we an pay this month and which ones we can let drag out until they are calling and ringing our phones repeatedly.
THEN WE BOTH WANT TO BUY THINGS FOR OUR CLASSROOMS!!! No wonder yours looks better than mine! I am begging and on "Means for Dreams" asking for donations... because yes, children first, but when it comes to children... MY OWN CHILDREN come first, and I have 3!!!
Take heed... I am CHANGE!!! And unlike vets... I am not going no where for the next 20 or more years! I am trying to SURVIVE the next 20 or more years!!!! The reality is some/many of vets will be DEAD in the next 20 or more years... are you all trying to set us up or what???
I come in peace but when I get offended... I lay it on ya! ;)
Have a great school year!
Obama should have asked Rhee to be his running mate! LOL
Here is some information about both presidential candidates’ education policies. I got this information (much of it is verbatim) from their websites.
They both strongly support:
teacher accountability
school accountability (we cannot control what parents and their communities do so there is no parent accountability mentioned)
school choice
improving NCLB
programs like DC Teaching Fellows (woo-hoo!)
performance pay
johnmccain.com
barackobama.com
OBAMA
Recruit Teachers: Obama will create teacher education scholarships that cover undergraduate or graduate education, including high-quality alternative programs for mid-career recruits in exchange for teaching for at least four years in a high-need field or location.
Support English Language Learners: Obama supports transitional bilingual education and will hold schools accountable for making sure these students complete school.
Reform No Child Left Behind: Obama will reform, not repeal, NCLB, which starts by funding the law.
Reward Teachers: Obama will promote new and innovative ways to increase teacher pay that are developed with teachers, not imposed on them. And if teachers consistently excel in the classroom, that work can be valued and rewarded as well.
MCCAIN
John McCain believes our schools can and should compete to be the most innovative, flexible and student-centered - NOT SAFE HAVENS FOR THE UNINSPIRED AND UNACCOUNTABLE. As president, John McCain will pursue reforms that address the underlying cultural problems in our education system - a system that still seeks to avoid genuine accountability and responsibility for producing well-educated children. If a school will not change, the students should be able to change schools.
Encourage Alternative Certification Methods: recruit teachers who graduate in the top 25 percent of their class or who participate in an alternative teacher recruitment program such as Teach for America, the [DC] Teaching Fellowship Program, the New Teacher Project, or excellent university initiatives.
Provide Bonuses For Teachers Who Demonstrate Strong Leadership As Measured By Student Improvement. Funds should be devoted to provide performance bonuses to teachers who raise student achievement and enhance the school-wide learning environment. Principals may also consider other issues in addition to test scores such as peer evaluations, student subgroup improvements, or being removed from the state's "in need of improvement" list.
John McCain Believes We Must Empower School Principals With Greater Control Over Spending. The money must be controlled by the leader we hold accountable: the school principal with a single criterion to raise student achievement.
John McCain Will Make Real The Promise Of NCLB By Giving Parents Greater Choice. Choice is the best way to protect children against a failing bureaucracy. But parents must have more control over the money.
McCain Will Work To Ensure That Our Children Have Quality Teachers. THE SINGLE BIGGEST CHALLENGE in turning around a failing school IS GETTING QUALITY TEACHERS into that school.
Post a Comment