Upcoming Events
Tue., Sep. 16, 2008DFER Happy Hour with Chris Gabrieli
Join us for a special evening with Chris Gabrieli, co-chair of the National Center on Time and Learning.
Location: Galway Hooker, 7 E. 36th St., Manhattan, NYC
When: 6:30 PM
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Tue., Sep. 23, 2008
Education BBQ With Stig and DeShawn
Reforming public education, one hamburger at a time. Join us for an evening with Stig Leschly and DeShawn Wright, of the Newark Charter School Fund.
Location: Home of Ken Hirsh, 114 W. 13th St., NYC
When: 7:00 PM
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Thu., Sep. 25, 2008
Kevin Johnson Night
Join us for this special event for former Phoenix Sun's star Kevin Johnson, candidate for Mayor of Sacramento, Calif.
Location: The home of Brian Zied, 188 E. 64th St., Apt. 3501, NYC
When: 7:00 PM
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Thu., Oct. 16, 2008
Ed BBQ With Zeke Vanderhoek
Reforming public education, one hamburger at a time. Join us for an evening with Zeke Vanderhoek, founder of the Equity Project Charter School.
Location: Home of Ken Hirsh, 114 W. 13th St., NYC
When: 7:00 PM
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September 24, 2007
Who Speaks For The United Farm Workers?
Nearly two weeks ago, I posted on one of the strange coalitional line-ups surrounding the reauthorization of NCLB, namely how odd it was to see a union like the United Farm Workers lining up on the opposite side of the National Education Association. (I noted that this was all relatively speaking, since there seems to be so much nuance behind everyone's various positions on NCLB that it isn't a clean coin-flip.)
I thought it was pretty interesting, and others like NEA's Joel Packer and EIA's Mike Antonucci have also found some of the splits here to be noteworthy.
But not Old Man Casey or the artist formerly known as PREA Prez, both of whom seemed to think it was total bullshit that an organization that was started by Cesar Chavez might actually have concerns about how the children of farm workers are being educated by their local public school systems. (You can read the letter after the jump and decide for yourself - but be warned, it's a doozie.)
What is interesting here is that neither of these guys is just an armchair blogger who spouts off on stuff here and there in their free time. Both are elected teachers union officials, aka "Teacher Voice" as they never get tired of telling you. In Leo's case, he's a vice president with the nation's largest local. With little more than a Google search, Leo seemed to conclude that the United Farm Workers couldn't possibly be supportive of NCLB. That's teacher territory only, I suppose.
(This seems to be one of those anecdotes which gives credence to the complaints many of us hear from organized laboristas that teachers unions tend to take them for granted.)
So, who speaks for the United Farm Workers, teacher union bloggers or... Arturo Rodriguez, president of the United Farm Workers???
*** Note: I didn't link to this letter because I don't think it is online. I simply did what Leo could have done: I asked for a copy after it came up in Sonia Hernandez' testimony at the House Education and Labor Committee hearing.
*** Note II: I took the liberty of bold facing some of the really yummy parts.
*** Note III: Leo accuses ME of besmirching the good name of Cesar Chavez? Good grief.
UPDATE: PREAPrez corrects that he should be known as the "artist formerly known as sourpuss" and complains that I didn't make reference to the Jack Coons paper which quoted Cesar Chavez saying he couldn't support vouchers or he'd lose a bunch of cash that Al Shanker was sending the UFW's way. There. Let it not be said that I don't cave to elected "teacher voice" like everyone else!
August 13, 2007
Hon. George Miller
2205 Rayburn House Office Building
Washington DC 20515
3220 Blume Drive, Ste. 281
Richmond, CA 94806
Dear Congressman Miller:
As you work diligently toward the reauthorization of No Child Left Behind, we respectfully request your support for the basic tenets of the original law that called for measurable results, authentic accountability, and substantive choices for families.
The UFW and the Farm Worker Movement have always fought on behalf of families who struggle tirelessly to make ends meet on a day to day basis. Farm workers are willing to endure long hours in the fields under a blazing sun to ensure that their children have a chance for a brighter future. They stake their lives on the belief that the key to the future for their children is a good education. Our families put their faith behind an education system that is not always responsive to the needs of their children. But, Congressman Miller, they have no other choice. They must find a way to make the system work for their children. This is why we ask your help to strengthen those aspects of NCLB that clearly make a difference in the lives of hard working families across America.
We support the prescribed testing as an important way of demonstrating measurable results for all students. However there are still many loopholes in implementation of the law that allow districts to report for only some students, not all. In California, we have personally seen students who have not been taught, not been tested, and certainly not been reported because they do not have adequate English language skills even though they were born in this country. Because they are not included in the reports, districts suffer no consequences for their failure.
The one tool that survives many of these transgressions is the parental choice option in NCLB. Implementation of school choice and supplemental educational services is less than perfect, but they are meaningful opportunities for parents to weigh in on behalf of their children. But very often, these opportunities are available on a very uneven basis in our communities. Availability is often a matter of district support for SES services – as if these services are optional rather than mandated. Where there is excellent support for SES, there are excellent results. We have the data to support this fact.
We need your help to make SES tutoring widely available and supported. These basic changes will go a long way in assuring equal access for all students in need of supplemental educational services:
(1) Prohibit rollover of unexpended SES funds from one year to the next unless the funds are carried over only for additional SES funding for summer sessions or for the following year
(2) Provide additional funding for English Language Learners and students with Special Needs; provide transportation funds for students in rural communities where distances are problematic
(3) Hold districts accountable when they fail to provide the majority of their students with tutorial services
(4) Hold SES providers accountable for measurable results with students completing their programs.
These changes will make the difference in leveling the play field for many families who depend on additional services to help their children succeed in school.
Sincerely,
Arturo S. Rodriguez
President, UFW
