is Patricia Polacco. I am posting this as a response to the numerous threads about the Science Teachers' Assn refusing free copies of Inconvenient Truth.
Polacco is a very popular children's author. Every elementary teacher and many parents know who she is. Here is her website:
http://www.patriciapolacco.com/And here is how she stood up to the RW agenda:
Thursday 11 May 2006
To All Educators, Librarians, and Media Specialists
Regarding the cancellation of my appearance at the IRA in Chicago for May 2 and 3, 2006:
A few months ago, I was approached by The Buchanan Associates in Dublin, Ohio, to appear at the International Reading Association Conference in Chicago on May 2 and 3, 2006. I was to be part of 5 events: speeches, "meet and greet," and book signings.
I was happy to accept the invitation which, I assumed, was coming from the IRA and my publisher. It is always such an honor for me to speak and interact with teachers and librarians from around the country.
But, then, a very disturbing turn of events transpired. My staff started receiving phone calls and emails from this firm in Ohio requesting that I furnish them with a detailed written outline of what I intended to include in my speeches. I assumed, of course, that this was asked so that a synopsis of my content could be included in a printed brochure furnished to the conferees.
You can imagine my astonishment when I finally called the firm and learned that this was not the reason. They requested my written outline because their "client" wanted to make sure that I would not discuss my deep concern about the "No Child Left Behind" mandate ... as well as my concern that there is a link between this mandate and the SRA/McGraw Hill Company, which manufactures, prints, and profits from the sale of these tests to school systems all over our country.
more . . .http://www.truthout.org/docs_2006/051106N.shtmlThis is very significant because the IRA is just as influential in education as the NSTA. Yet, when their agenda is opposed, no one talks about it. I posted a thread about this when it happened last spring and it got very few hits. Now we are up in arms over the NSTA crap.
Not everyone in education is evil, hates children or is not willing to stand up for what is in the best interest of our kids. Please remember Patricia Polacco and what she did.