DFER's Blog
DFER Requests Retraction & Apology to Candidates & Voters from LA Democratic Party Chair
May 16, 2012
Contact:
John Keaten | 212.784.5701 | jkeaten@groupgordon.com
Jeremy Robinson-Leon | 212.784.5702 | jrl@groupgordon.com
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Democrats for Education Reform Requests Retraction and Apology to Candidates and Voters from LA Democratic Party Chair
Los Angeles, CA, May 14, 2012 â Democrats for Education Reform (DFER) today requested that Los Angeles County Democratic Party Chair Eric Bauman immediately retract a “cease and desist” letter that seeks to stop DFER’s members from supporting Democratic candidate Brian Johnson in the primary for the 46th Assembly District seat. The organization also asked Mr. Bauman to issue an apology to the candidates and voters for attempting to deny political participation by Democrats who support education reform.
"Eric Bauman’s groundless attack on DFER for using ‘Democrats’ in our name implies that the millions of us in our party who support education reform have no place in itâand that’s both ludicrous and alarming,” said Joe Williams, executive director of Democrats for Education Reform, a Washington-based political action committee which supports Democratic candidates for office nationwide. “As Los Angeles County party chief, he should stand up for all Democrats, not attempt to silence ones he doesn’t agree with.”
“DFER shares many of the same beliefs about education reform as President Obama and Education Secretary Duncan, and we've long supported the administration’s bold efforts to improve public education across the country,” added Gloria Romero, California director of Democrats for Education Reform. “Eric Bauman may as well have sent a cease and desist letter to the President. This cheap tactic seems to be a political move at the behest of special interests designed to attack the thousands of Democratic supporters who believe in the importance of a strong public education system. On behalf of all of the candidates in the race, and every one of the district’s voters, I sincerely hope Mr. Bauman will apologize for putting the integrity of the election at risk.”
Democrats for Education Reform supports Democratic operations at the federal level and in 12 states. For more information, go to www.dfer.org.
About Democrats for Education Reform
Democrats for Education Reform (DFER) is a political action committee based in Washington, DC whose mission is to encourage a more productive dialogue within the Democratic Party on the need to fundamentally reform American public education. DFER operates at all levels of government to educate elected officials and support reform-minded candidates for public office.
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DFER Releases New Policy Brief: Why Ed Reformers Must Make Sure President Obama is Re-Elected
May 14, 2012
In Why Ed Reformers Must Make Sure President Obama is Re-Elected, DFER Executive Director Joe Williams and DFER Director of Federal Policy Charlie Barone communicate the need for reformers to take an all-hands-on-deck approach to re-elect "education reformer in chief" President Barack Obama.
During his past four years in office, President Obama has been a stalwart leader for the education reform movement. We must all do our part to ensure he remains in office for another four years to continue the historic momentum of reform he has worked so courageously to advance.
Read the full report here.
Also, don't forget to review our recent policy brief on Mitt Romney: What Kind of President Would Mitt Romney Be on Education? (Check it out.)
DFER News Roundup
May 11, 2012
By Devin Boyle, DFER Director of Communications
DFER Seen & Heard:
Op-ed Alert
- Joe Williams denounces the UFT's recently filed lawsuit to block Mayor Bloomberg and Chancellor Walcott from managing NYC's public school system (NY Daily News)
- The Chicago Teachers Union threatens to strike. DFER's Rebeca Nieves Huffman reproaches the CTU's plan to hold Chicago schoolchildren hostage (Chicago Sun Times)
- DFER's Charles Barone co-pens, The Role of Congress in Education Policy, with Elizabeth DeBray, associate professor of education at the University of Georgia (Education Week)
The Public Face vs. Private Talk of the Chicago Teachers Union
May 11, 2012
By Rebeca Nieves Huffman, DFER Illinois State Director
You’ve seen us weigh in on the looming threat of a teachers strike in Chicago and heard our pleas to both the district and the Chicago Teachers Union (CTU) to dial back the caustic rhetoric. Over the course of what seems like an endless fight, we’ve implored the CTU to put Chicago’s students at the top of their priority lists and stay at the negotiation table with Mayor Emanuel. (See here.) Sadly, the CTU appears to be unwilling to compromise.
Michigan's NCLB Waiver Request Fails the Test
May 8, 2012
By DFER Michigan State Director, Harrison Blackmond
As reported by the Detroit Free Press, a coalition of education reform groups including DFER Michigan, Education Trust - Midwest, and StudentsFirst - among others - recently came together to respond to the Michigan Department of Education’s request submitted to the US Department of Education to waive certain provisions of No Child Left Behind.
In the letter sent to Michigan State Superintendent Mike Flanagan, we expressed our concern that the current waiver request does not go far enough to improve Michigan’s school accountability, public reporting and teacher evaluation systems. Specifically, the request does not adequately address how the State will close achievement gaps between certain groups of students.
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