2016 Postmortem
Related: About this forumHillary Clinton Sounds Off On Education Issues: 'We've Gotten Off Track In What We Test'
In her recent meetings with the nation's top two teachers unions, Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton positioned herself as a standardized-testing skeptic who believes deeply in the value of teachers.
On Monday, Clinton met with Lily Eskelsen García, president of the National Education Association, the largest teachers union in the country. García interviewed Clinton as part of the NEA's candidate endorsement process for the 2016 election. In the interview, Clinton expressed skepticism about contemporary standardized tests. Are tests important? Yes. Do we need accountability? Yes. But weve gotten off track in what we test and what we test for that we sacrifice so much else in the curriculum, in the school day and school year," said Clinton in an interview excerpt released by the NEA.
So many of our poorer schools have cut off all the extracurricular activities. Weve taken away band, in so many places weve taken away a lot of the sports. Weve taken away arts classes. Weve taken away school productions," Clinton said in another excerpt. I would like to see us get back to looking at individual children, looking at age appropriate learning experiences, looking at enriching the classroom experience.
In March, the NEA formally began considering who it would endorse in the 2016 presidential election. To jump-start this process, it sent all viable candidates from both major parties questionnaires about prominent education issues and hired organizers for states with early voting. The interview comes a week after Clinton, along with fellow Democratic presidential candidates Gov. Martin O' Malley of Maryland and Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), attended the executive council meeting of the American Federation of Teachers, the nation's other major teachers union.
During that meeting, Clinton emphasized her appreciation for teachers, saying, "It is just dead wrong to make teachers the scapegoats for all of societys problems." "I want to work with you to make sure we do what needs to be done based on evidence, not ideology. And from what Ive seen, all of the evidence, and my own personal experience, says that the most important and impactful thing we can do for our public schools is to recruit, support and retain the highest-quality educators," Clinton said, according to an excerpt of the meeting. She continued: "Where I come from, teachers are the solution. And I strongly believe that unions are part of the solution, too."
Source.
JaneyVee
(19,877 posts)Agschmid
(28,749 posts)Just lots of false information here tonight, and it ticked me off so I posted some other information so it wasn't so one sided.
JaneyVee
(19,877 posts)But it's good to see someone willing to keep this place honest. Kudos to you!
ibegurpard
(16,685 posts)One of a number of issues where Obama has been a great disappointment.
Historic NY
(37,457 posts)Charters should be held to the same standards, and to the same level of accountability and
transparency to which traditional public schools are held. This includes the requirements of civil
rights laws. They can innovate and help improve educational practices. But I also believe that
we must go back to the original purpose of charter schools. Where charters are succeeding, we
should be doing more to ensure that their innovations can be widely disseminated throughout
our traditional public school system. Where they are failing, they should be closed.
http://www.aft.org/election2016/candidate-questionnaire-hillary-rodham-clinton
ibegurpard
(16,685 posts)Of supporting education privatization and corporate education "reform" good to know
madfloridian
(88,117 posts)Last edited Sun Jul 12, 2015, 10:50 AM - Edit history (1)
Someone just shared a link with me, but haven't had time to figure the implications of unions' close ties to the Clinton foundation.
http://press.clintonglobalinitiative.org/press_releases/nyc-teacher-pension-fund-pledges-1-billion-to-investments-in-post-sandy-reconstruction-and-other-critical-infrastructure/
The unions have gone along pretty much with the Arne Duncan strategy. So I doubt any will endorse Bernie, but I surely do think the membership will overwhelmingly.
BrotherIvan
(9,126 posts)Right?
BooScout
(10,406 posts)I'm pretty sure the NRA will not be endorsing Hillary.
nikto
(3,284 posts)I'm just sad that we do not live in an age where a prominent politician can condemn the principle of school privatization
(via Charters) for everyone to hear. Even some of the Union leadership seems to support Arne Duncan these days (which implies corruption in the Union, to me).
My God, what has happened to this country?
Sheepshank
(12,504 posts)I admit that charters are popping up with more frequency and do need to have more clear and equal playing field rules established, but I had not considered their viability until one of my own children needed out of the regimented system and a more alternative schooling. My goal,is to get her graduated from high school....college will be its own new and likely more compatible environment. There is a place for them.
nikto
(3,284 posts)Here in CA, the charter schools don't charge either, they just siphon-off the taxpayers' money and do as they wish behind an opaque wall. Only the least-problematic students fit the business model. All others are excluded or expelled.
As soon as the "for-profit" situation is allowed in Public Education, the scum-bag investor-bankster-types line up at the trough, all the while spewing garbage about how horrible teachers and their unions are.
It's just about all bad.
It is a disgusting process and a Legal rip-off.
Sheepshank
(12,504 posts)ibegurpard
(16,685 posts)nikto
(3,284 posts)Regarding Public Ed policy and for-profit interest$, you are lucky to live where you live.
Always Make sure it stays that way, if you can.
AS far as I know, the troubles with Charter Schools are mostly (all?) in the
For-Profit states.
In California, it has become a cruel joke (and a crime, IMO) as the business-friendly courts
and the Chamber Of Commerce keep enabling this BS, whle the local corporate newspapers constantly
hammer and smear the teacher unions, and teachers.
If anyone in your state tries to make your Public Ed for-profit,
at all costs, stop them!
nikto
(3,284 posts)Privatization is spreading to rural areas as well as urban districts.
Beware, and be prepared.
http://www.counterpunch.org/2015/07/10/the-corporatizing-of-rural-schools/
BrotherIvan
(9,126 posts)riversedge
(70,383 posts)Tweet:
Hillary Clinton: ".. teachers are the solution... I strongly believe that unions are part of the solution" http://huff.to/1KTHLSL #voteblue
riversedge
(70,383 posts)Tweet:
Correct The Record retweeted
Randi Weingarten ?@rweingarten 14h14 hours ago
We asked members: Who shares our values? Who can win? Who do you support? Answer to all 3 was clear: @HillaryClinton http://aft.to/hillary
http://www.aft.org/press-release/american-federation-teachers-endorses-hillary-clinton-president
The AFT's endorsement comes a month after Clinton attended an executive council meeting in Washington, D.C. At that meeting, she said, "It is just dead wrong to make teachers the scapegoats for all of society's problems. Where I come from, teachers are the solution. And I strongly believe that unions are part of the solution, too."
Bernie Sanders and Martin O'Malley also spoke with the executive council at that meeting. All potential and announced candidates were invited to complete a questionnaire, and those who returned the questionnaire were invited to meet with the council. No Republican candidates responded to the invitation.
The AFT has conducted a long, deliberative process to assess which candidate would best champion the issues of importance to our members, their families and communities. Members have been engaged online, through the "You Decide" website, through several telephone town halls, and through multiple surveysreaching more than 1 million members.
Additionally, over the past few weeks, the AFT has conducted a scientific poll of our membership on the candidates and key issues. The top issues members raised were jobs and the economy and public education. Seventy-nine percent of our members who vote in Democratic primaries said we should endorse a candidate. And by more than a 3-to-1 margin, these members said the AFT should endorse Clinton.............
- See more at: http://www.aft.org/press-release/american-federation-teachers-endorses-hillary-clinton-president#sthash.hPvJtex7.dpuf
Gothmog
(145,754 posts)druidity33
(6,450 posts)that NCLB was a failure, Charter schools need to play by the same rules as Public schools, that mandatory testing needs to be done away with... not reconfigured, that Race to the Top should eliminate teacher grading, etc.
William769
(55,148 posts)Thinkingabout
(30,058 posts)Great endorsements, education is a vital part of a strong working society. Hillary has been strong on education for a very long time even with her own path to her education.
sheshe2
(83,987 posts)Thank you Agschmid.