This is an urgent message to every single public school teacher in America. You need to fight for your jobs. That’s right. You need to STOP this ESEA bill coming to a vote on Wednesday. If you don’t, it will weigh on your conscience when all the bad stuff in the bill is implemented and you have even less control than you do now. This legislation actually changes the future of teaching. You will no longer be a teacher, giving instruction to your students. You will become a data coach. A facilitator. Is this what you want? If it is, then you can certainly stay the course. If you want to stand around while children are plugged into computers all day and you base your very brief interaction with students on what will amount to a corporate written script, then stay the course. But I urge you to read this legislation when it is made public tomorrow. You need to act fast once you do. Call your Congress representatives immediately if you do not think this is a good thing.
You have been under-minded by numerous companies and “leaders” in America. Between No Child Left Behind, Common Core, Race To The Top, VAM, Standardized Testing, and so forth. Are you really going to sit back and let this happen again? You have a voice. A very powerful voice. Use it. And not through the lips of your leaders. Use your own voices. But do it now before it is too late.
Just because your union presidents are endorsing this sham of an education bill does not mean you have to. This bill is designed solely for the corporate education reformers. The very same ones who pushed VAM and hardcore evaluations on you. If you want to see the escalation of more money going out to companies instead of your classrooms, than doing nothing or endorsing this bill is your best course of action. But if you believe that this is not education, but a nightmare being inflicted on kids and teachers, than you need to get on the phone, email, social media and any way or method you have to put a stop to this bill.
I am sure many of you are thinking “It’s no use. There is nothing I can do.” If you have that attitude, you are absolutely right. But there are many of you fighting this fight and using their voice. They will not quit. They will not let public education be destroyed by greed and corruption. If you truly believe in public education, then you need to fight. And even if you like some parts of this bill, you need to nuke the whole package with your voice. All of you.
For those reading this who have no clue who I am, I will tell you. I’m just a dad. A very angry and upset father who has watched the fall of education happen before my very eyes. I watched it affect my own son with disabilities in the worst ways possible. I acted. I researched. I dove in to the data and the very diabolical events happening at my state’s Department of Education. I saw how they pushed stuff through that was damaging to teachers and students and schools with no one the wiser. I got wise. I made it my mission to upset their plans as much as humanly possible. I speak because so many of you can’t. But it has reached a point where those of us who are fighting the good fight need you to rise. If you have to march on your state capital or actually drive to D.C., do it. Use social media as your weapon pointed right at those who would disrespect you and destroy what you enjoy. But for the love of public education, do something!
You don’t have time to do nothing. It is 11:59 on the public education doomsday clock!
The above picture was originally on Amazing Stories Mag
The Season Of Myths 