Today I received this e-mail from a wise women. It originally comes from Stephen Krashen, the guru of "Free Voluntary Reading" and author of The Power of Reading. Although I am not familiar with this person, I do agree with his sentiments. Over the last couple of days names have been associated with the Secretary of Education role. I've even hear Colin Powell which is appalling!! Secretary of Education is a job that "should not be taken lightly."
I did go to the following website and signed the petition.
http://teacheractivistgroups.org
Click endorse this statement!
Dear supporters of public education,
Many of you have by now heard the rumors of Obama's potential
appointees to the position of Secretary of Education. This list
includes several people whose records show a history of dismantling
democratic public education in the name of private interests. As
people committed to public education, this strikes a hard and fast
blow in the euphoria that we have felt since Tuesday, November 4th.
But it's not too late to make our voices heard once again. Let's build
on the sense of representation and democracy we have just experienced
to send a clear message to the Obama Administration.
Please click on ENDORSE THIS STATEMENT in order to sign the following
statement that voices our concerns about the kind of Education
Secretary that we want. Additionally, please FORWARD this message to
your friends and colleagues who are also concerned about the future of
public education.
Thank you!
The National Network of Teacher Activist Groups
STATEMENT ON THE SELECTION OF THE US SECRETARY OF EDUCATION
Today, we celebrate Barack Obama’s momentous election as President
of the United States. We recognize it as a historic culmination of the
centuries-long effort for dignity and justice, human and civil rights,
and enfranchisement of the U.S. people, and we pay particular tribute
to the African American freedom struggle, which played a decisive role
in bringing the first Black man to the presidency.
We look forward, as educators, parents and students, to participating
in the opportunities for change afforded by this moment. We are
excited about the possibilities for improving educational
opportunities for all students. Our vision of educational justice,
access, opportunity, and equity includes having a Department of
Education whose officials embrace the idea of a quality education as
part of the common good. We wish to turn away from a corporate model
of education that claims that teaching and learning can only improve
by imposing market perspectives and processes onto our public
education system. Education should be a fundamental human right, not
subject to privatization by firms whose primary concern is a profit
motive and the bottom line. We have all witnessed the failures of this
free market system in recent months and do not support this model for
our public schools.
Toward these ends, we urge President-elect Obama and his transition
team to choose a Secretary of Education who is committed to the full
development of human beings who are prepared to actively participate
in civil society. We strongly encourage the selection of someone
dedicated to equity and the education of all children with a proven
track record in these areas, such as Linda Darling-Hammond, a key
member of Mr. Obama’s education team. We want a person who is a
professional, experienced, and knowledgeable educator, not a corporate
executive such as New York City’s Education Chancellor Joel Klein or
Chicago CEO Arne Duncan, who have demonstrated their vision of
privatized, corporatized, and anti-democratic schools.
Over the last 20 years in the U.S., education is becoming the
business of education, and we emphatically reject that model. We call
upon the President-elect to choose someone who will embrace the ideas
of civic involvement and public participation. We look forward to
collaborating with that person, as well as with students, parents, and
the broader public, in developing a truly meaningful and just
education for all students in the U.S.
I did go to the following website and signed the petition.
http://teacheractivistgroups.org
Click endorse this statement!
Dear supporters of public education,
Many of you have by now heard the rumors of Obama's potential
appointees to the position of Secretary of Education. This list
includes several people whose records show a history of dismantling
democratic public education in the name of private interests. As
people committed to public education, this strikes a hard and fast
blow in the euphoria that we have felt since Tuesday, November 4th.
But it's not too late to make our voices heard once again. Let's build
on the sense of representation and democracy we have just experienced
to send a clear message to the Obama Administration.
Please click on ENDORSE THIS STATEMENT in order to sign the following
statement that voices our concerns about the kind of Education
Secretary that we want. Additionally, please FORWARD this message to
your friends and colleagues who are also concerned about the future of
public education.
Thank you!
The National Network of Teacher Activist Groups
STATEMENT ON THE SELECTION OF THE US SECRETARY OF EDUCATION
Today, we celebrate Barack Obama’s momentous election as President
of the United States. We recognize it as a historic culmination of the
centuries-long effort for dignity and justice, human and civil rights,
and enfranchisement of the U.S. people, and we pay particular tribute
to the African American freedom struggle, which played a decisive role
in bringing the first Black man to the presidency.
We look forward, as educators, parents and students, to participating
in the opportunities for change afforded by this moment. We are
excited about the possibilities for improving educational
opportunities for all students. Our vision of educational justice,
access, opportunity, and equity includes having a Department of
Education whose officials embrace the idea of a quality education as
part of the common good. We wish to turn away from a corporate model
of education that claims that teaching and learning can only improve
by imposing market perspectives and processes onto our public
education system. Education should be a fundamental human right, not
subject to privatization by firms whose primary concern is a profit
motive and the bottom line. We have all witnessed the failures of this
free market system in recent months and do not support this model for
our public schools.
Toward these ends, we urge President-elect Obama and his transition
team to choose a Secretary of Education who is committed to the full
development of human beings who are prepared to actively participate
in civil society. We strongly encourage the selection of someone
dedicated to equity and the education of all children with a proven
track record in these areas, such as Linda Darling-Hammond, a key
member of Mr. Obama’s education team. We want a person who is a
professional, experienced, and knowledgeable educator, not a corporate
executive such as New York City’s Education Chancellor Joel Klein or
Chicago CEO Arne Duncan, who have demonstrated their vision of
privatized, corporatized, and anti-democratic schools.
Over the last 20 years in the U.S., education is becoming the
business of education, and we emphatically reject that model. We call
upon the President-elect to choose someone who will embrace the ideas
of civic involvement and public participation. We look forward to
collaborating with that person, as well as with students, parents, and
the broader public, in developing a truly meaningful and just
education for all students in the U.S.
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