Lamont unveils Education Proposal

[femmedem]

The full proposal is here: http://lamont.3cdn.net/949dabf7368707bef3_t2m6id04r.pdf

And here are some highlights from the Lamont campaign blog:

“Our upwardly mobile society is now being cleaved by deep and growing income inequality, which in turn is rooted in educational inequality. We must rethink the entire educational pipeline from birth through college. This education program does that by:

• Ensuring children enter kindergarten prepared to learn;

• Developing full service community schools;

• Making significant new investments in math and science education;

• Align curriculum to make sure students enter college ready to learn; and

• Making college affordable for more students.”

http://www.nedlamont.com/blog

Lieberman supports school vouchers and has been supportive of NCLB.

[CTyankee]

1. These are such common sense ideas, it is baffling why anyone

would support ole Joe's tired, unworkable, poorly thought out stands on education.

I'm beginning to wonder if Ned is just too good for politics and Washington. He thinks so clearly and he has so much integrity. It is such a pleasure to have him to support in this election.

I'm going to his campaign planning meeting at his HQ in New Haven tomorrow night. We're eager to get back to work as his volunteers.

Ned's wonderful TV ads have started appearing again. "Go for it Mr. Lamont" with some of the Bridgeport kids he taught is what is playing now. Joe's stuff is slick and tiresome.

[femmedem]

2. Please keep me posted on the campaign meeting!

I can't attend Saturday's volunteer meeting in New London, as I'm a vendor at a Saturday morning Farmers' Market.

Maybe you could e-mail your editorial board at your local paper and ask them to help voters understand the differences between the two candidates' education policies? I e-mailed someone from my local paper this morning.

Thanks for volunteering for Lamont. :yourock:

[CTyankee]

3. Great idea! I'll add it to my others when I see campaign staff tomorrow

Now that we are in the General I'm sure some things are changed. I'm pretty much of a foot soldier, but I'll do anything I can. Ned has a great arsenal of intellectual talent here in New Haven and now that Yale is back, there is sure to be lots of folks helping out. I'm just honored to among them!

[femmedem]

4. I got a positive reply from an editor at The Day.

I wrote:

"I'm writing to request that you write about the differences between Senator Lieberman's and Mr. Lamont's education policies. I'm sure you know that Mr. Lamont has just unveiled his education proposal, which calls for, among other things, universal pre-K and increasing Pell Grants, while Senator Lieberman supports school vouchers and NCLB. I hope you'll help inform voters where the two candidates stand on this issue. Many voters are aware of Lamont's views on the war, but otherwise don't know much about his platform.

Respectfully,"

And he replied that they would, and thanked me.

[LWolf]

5. This is pretty good.

Better than what I see on the table from most.

:thumbsup:

As a teacher, here is my plan for a vibrant, healthy public ed system for all:

*Universal preschool - college/trade/tech for all.

*National goals; not "standards," "benchmarks," or some other criteria that can be used to fail schools and students, but goals that all schools agree to work towards. Set them high, and all students will go farther, whether or not all students "meet" them.

*One national system for teacher certification that removes all the extra testing and hoops and re-education, allowing certification in one state to be equal to certification in another.

*Cap class sizes, no exceptions. Special ed and preschool classes at 10, all other classes, K-12, at 20 or less. K-3rd grade would benefit from 15 or less.

*Cap school enrollment at 500 for K-8, 750 for high schools. Smaller schools are a more cohesive community. When everyone knows each other, and all the students, it's easier to close those "cracks" that students slip through.

*Make sure that every school is fully staffed with PE teachers, music teachers, counselors, playground supervisors, librarians, tech support, special ed, and whatever other support needed to keep teachers focused on their students' academic progress and offer students any extra small group or one-on-one support they might need.

*Classrooms need to be large enough to fit all furniture, students, books, etc. with enough space left to walk around, breathe, and spread stuff out to work on.

*On-site cooking/preparation of fresh, healthy food for breakfast and lunch.

*On-site support for families who need help with medical care, day care, clothes, food, school supplies, etc..

*Contractual non-student days for abundant parent conferences, trainings, etc..

*A payscale that puts teachers in the middle class in the community they teach in.

*Abolish high-stakes testing and "punishments." Control over curriculum and instruction at the local level, with the stakeholders, teachers and families, making the decisions, and the administrations facilitating those decisions.