Obama's Sec. of Ed., Duncan, Teams-Up With Gingrich and Sharpton on MTP

[JCMach1]

They are discussing union busting plain and simple... :(

Oh yeah, and Duncan has chosen SUCH EXPERTS to help him sort out education! :grr:

Here's some background:

Newt Gingrich and Al Sharpton joined Secretary Arne Duncan this week in Philadelphia for the first stop of their education tour of several cities. They visited classes and talked with students and teachers at the Mastery Charter Schools Shoemaker Campus and McDaniel Delaplaine Elementary School (see photos below).

The former House Speaker and the civil rights leader are joining Duncan on this tour to highlight education issues and help rally support for:

* higher learning standards
* lifting restrictions on the growth of high-quality charter schools
* turning around low-performing schools
* improving principal and teacher quality
* greater transparency and accountability in all schools.

They issued a joint statement, saying:

“In the global economy of the new century, the jobs of the future will go to the best educated. Today, however, American education is at a crossroads. One path leads to reform and progress, a better-trained workforce and a well-informed citizenry. Another path leads to the status quo: only 70 percent of students graduating; about 40 percent of 25 to 34 year-olds with a two-year or four-year college degree; double-digit achievement gaps among whites, Hispanics and African-Americans; stagnating performance on international tests. Our hope is that these school visits and conversations will inspire the full array of stakeholders to set aside partisanship and ideology and join together in support of a common education reform agenda that addresses our core challenges and provides every child in every school the very best education possible.”... http://www.edgovblogs.org/duncan/2009/10/al-sharpton-newt-gingrich-and-secretary-duncan-begin-education-tour-to-expose-challenges-and-highlight-reforms-in-philadelphia/

[madfloridian]

1. Don't get me started.

.

[JCMach1]

2. I concur

I feel for you.

[Dinger]

7. Yeah, I Want You To Get Started madfloridian

Because you know this is bullshit, and you are a true advocate of education. Let 'er rip!

[Starry Messenger]

8. What Dinger said.

I don't even know where to start. And it's too early for cocktails.

[Fire1]

10. Yeah but it' five oclock somewhere in the world! lol!! n/t

[proud2BlibKansan]

12. Me neither

:mad:

[MichiganVote]

3. Of course they are. Meet the new Democrats, same as the old Democrats.

Raise the bar to more "education" to provide more "education" and then raise the bar higher still to work for less with more "education". And then....presto, have lousy teachers because smart people won't take this crap.

Before teachers had unions they had peanuts for salaries, no health insurance and no pension. Free painless day care for parents and politicians.

Educators know the score.

[JCMach1]

5. Gingrich's goal is no less than the final destruction of public schools- bring on the Charters

Do we really want Obama and Duncan to be the enablers of this?

[MichiganVote]

6. He's not alone. They all want that, including Barack Obama.

[Dinger]

9. Quote Form MTP: (newt's plan to destroy pub;ic schools):

GREGORY: Can you both concede that both political parties have, have stood in the way of reform through disagreement about education policy? I mean, in 1995, Speaker Gingrich, you were an advocate of dismantling the Department of Education. Here you are as a champion for a vision from the Department of Education about school reform.

[MichiganVote]

4. self delete

[bluestateguy]

11. Or we can do it the way the professional education bureaucrats want

"Pour more money in to schools"

"Shut up and let us handle things from there"

[proud2BlibKansan]

13. Laugh if you want. That's still a better plan than what is being proposed.

[JCMach1]

14. It's No Teacher Left Behind-

Quite literally there will be no teachers left behind anywhere... They'll leave the profession.

[Karmadillo]

15. Damn right! Only military bureaucrats get to make that argument. Education bureaucrats better come

up with their own argument.

[cornermouse]

16. Given how poorly schools are funded, more money would be

highly appropriate. It never fails to amaze me how shortsighted people are when it comes to education. If you want kids to have a quality education you need to fund the schools adequately (something that is not being and has not been done for decades now), adequate equipment, books, computers, etc. As much as is possible, while avoiding re-segregation, keep the schools in the neighborhoods making it easier for parents to know what the kids are up to (I grew up in a small town, busing was basically to other towns on a county-wide basis). Smaller class sizes to make it easier for teachers to control student behavior and get student attention and help those who need extra help.

You get what you pay for. If you refuse to pay for the education of the nation's kids, you can't expect to get bright kids hoping to build a future.

[C_Lawyer09]

22. How about empower teachers to run their own classrooms and

set their own curriculum? These standardized tests, if they are anything like the WASL (of WA state)are a crock of shit.

[LWolf]

17. Privatizers, union-busters, and corporate stooges. nt

[JCMach1]

18. When Sharpton ditched the jogging suits, you knew he was finished!

seriously...

[LWolf]

19. Until this point, I've always liked Sharpton,

even recognizing his many flaws.

He's gone too far this time. I guess everyone has their line in the sand.

[canoeist52]

20. In the global economy ...blahh blah blah

“In the global economy of the new century, the jobs of the future will go to the best educated"

Since when did Walmart and McDonald's start requiring college diplomas?

[optimator]

21. when Dems kill public education

will the cheerleaders still be telling the rest of us :
its better than nothing
be grateful
its the best bill that could pass
why do you all demand perfection
etc

[C_Lawyer09]

23. Let me pose this question

I'm not trying to be an ass, I really don't get it. Why are the standards for becoming a teacher getting harder and harder to meet, and/or circumnavigate? I really want to teach, seems like every time I turn around there is more criteria for me to meet. One example is passing three different tests before being allowed to begin the Special ed./resource teacher curriculum.

[slipslidingaway]

24. knr nt