Hillary Clinton came to town and got a good hug. Her only
bad moment (she did have one) … but let’s leave that for its proper place.
Peter Greene, our favorite curmudgeon of Curmudgucation
fame, often says that he’s read something so you don’t have too. To paraphrase
him, I watched the candidate’s speech and took detailed notes so you don’t have
to. I will add my commentary as I go.
HRC promised educators a seat at the table—always, as if
there was a question that at some point she would dismiss us from the room. “…
listen to educators when making decisions about education.”
So you will meet with
Diane Ravitch, right? I mean, my social media feed and email have been blowing
up all day with people signing the petition I started: https://www.change.org/p/hillary-clinton-a-meeting-between-hillary-clinton-and-diane-ravitch?recruiter=174540454&utm_source=share_for_starters&utm_medium=copyLink
HRC asks for our support because ‘it’s for the children.’
Hmm, that one’s been
around for two and a half decades. Got another reason, Ms. Clinton?
“Every child [should] receive a world-class education with
good schools and good teachers no matter what zip code they live in.”
Nice to know you can
sling the clichés as well as Bill. Could you be more specific?
“And you know what that means … supporting parents,
expanding access to high-quality health care and universal pre-K for every
child.”
Which neither I nor
anyone who considers themselves a human being can argue with. Not that I want
to. But the issue is not access to these things, it’s how and WHO should pay
for it. More specifics, please.
“… repairing crumbling schools, building modern schools,
investing in the training and support our educators deserve to have … because
when we invest in education, we invest in our country’s future and we invest in
an economy that works for all of us and not just for those at the top.”
Yet again, where are
the specifics? How and who will pay for it?
A personal note: spare
me the training. I’ve sat through too much whack-your-head-on-the-table-it-won’t-be-as-painful-as-this
trainings mandated by some federal, state, or district bureaucrat with a
checklist that they believe absolves them of responsibility—yeah, yeah, let’s
make teachers suffer through this and then it’s THEIR fault our dumb ideas don’t
work.
“[We should] focus on reaching new heights, not rehashing
old arguments.”
So forget what I said
a few moments ago about listening to educators when making decisions about
education.”
“It is time to stop focusing on only quote failing schools—let’s
focus on all our great schools, too. Let’s replicate their success everywhere
across America.”
And here it comes …
“And when schools get it right—whether it’s traditional
public schools or public charter schools, let’s figure out what’s working … and
share it with schools across America.”
In the walnut-paneled
offices of Wall Street hedge fund managers, cheers broke out. Brandy and cigars
all around, their investment is about to pay off in a huge way. Meanwhile,
teachers connected by social media are saying [censored]. But Congress heard
them. In unprecedented legislation, Paul Ryan introduced a bill to outlaw the
letters F, T, & W from the English language.
Whoops, there’s that
sarcasm thing people warn me about. But charter schools have had 30 years to
figure out what’s working and if they know, they haven’t shared it with schools
across America. Most of us realize the truth: charter schools have less of a
clue about true student learning than traditional public schools.
“We can do that. We have no time for all these education
wars where people on the outside try to foist for-profit schools on our kids …
I will never stand for that. That’s not acceptable.”
For someone so inept
with email and technology, you keep hitting all the right abbreviations:
Teachers, STFU. Maybe you should check out the Urban Dictionary.
You won’t stand for
what, exactly? Teachers speaking out about the deprivations on their
schools?Troy LaRiviere calling out the mayor of Chicago? Where are you going
with this? Again, could you make a few detailed policy proposals and let us
know what you plan to do?
Also, you were only
kidding about listening to educators? Oh, these silly, silly teachers …
“Let’s sit at one table …”
Ah, you’ve been
reading Peter Greene with his brilliantly comic references to the Thanksgiving
kids table …
“… let’s listen to one another and particularly, let’s
listen to you, the teachers and support professionals who have been with our
kids all day, every day.”
Dangerous moment. Are
you not aware that our union leadership, particularly Lily Eskelsen Garcia and
Randi Weingarten, have pushed you despite the massive protests from the rank
and file? Naw, you ended your speech with a big hug. But I am getting ahead of
myself.
But if you’re
listening to teachers and support professionals then you know that we are
withholding our endorsement for now no matter what our leadership does.
“Rather than starting from ideology, let’s start from what’s
best for our kids …” And now a stroll down Memory Lane, during which Ms.
Clinton takes credit for the IDEA legislation.
“My plan for strengthening public education comes down to
three things: TLC—teaching, learning, community.
“Let’s start with teaching … everyone looks to you to fill
in the gaps that we as a country have neglected.
“We ask so much of you and we don’t give you near enough in
return.
“As President, I’ll launch a national campaign to modernize
and elevate … at all stages of your careers so you can keep learning,
improving, and innovating—and that goes for administrators, too.”
You really don’t have
a clue, do you?
You promise to raise
our pay—as if the Federal Government pays us.
I’ll give you props,
though, for at least mentioning that our paraprofessionals and other support personnel
have it much worse than teachers and need to be included in all pay
discussions.
Thanks for the nod on
student loans … on Wall Street, though, the brandy and cigars have been dropped
on the carpet:
“[about teacher’s student debt] you will be able to
refinance student debt so you can afford to teach. Any remaining student debt,
after you refinance, will be forgiven after 10 years.”
I guess Bill handled
the family finances. Because refinancing a debt doesn’t mean you don’t have to
pay it back. As for that 10 year forgiveness? I bet you got some crazy phone
calls from your backers after your speech was done. Are you really telling me
all I have to do is delay for 10 years and I’m off the hook? And who do you
think will refinance a teacher’s loan knowing that he/she will get stiffed at
the end of 10 years?
“And will go even further in hard to teach subjects such as
computer science or special education …”
Ground Control to
Major Clinton. Every subject, every area has become hard to staff because of
the destructive policies of the last 20 years, including the ones of a certain
president you are eager to associate yourself with. Especially because of something
called Race to The Top.
“Tests should go back to their original purpose—giving useful
information to teachers and parents (pause) so you know and parents know how
our kids in our schools are doing to help them improve.”
May I recommend a half
dozen teacher blogs regarding this issue that are well written? If you really
believed that, you would call for an end to testing and say let the teachers
test students as they did 30 years ago. No standardized testing, no PARCC, no
SBAC, none of that is needed.
“But when you’re forced to teach to a test, our children
miss out on some of the most important experiences in the classroom … That
hurts our low-income kids and communities the most. Extra-curricular activities
stripped out, but not in better schools … [This is] fundamentally wrong … [a
mention of inequality]
You need to catch up,
Ms. Clinton. It’s not an issue of inequality but of inequity. If you don’t know
the difference, well, sit down at the table you pretend to be setting for us educators
and find out.
Also, here is where
you share the details of your major education policies. Otherwise, we dismiss
your platitudes as the pandering of a politician.
But don’t worry, be
happy, because …
“[in the face of] hostile state legislatures, union busting
government, I’m here to tell you that help is on the way.”
(That’s Mighty Mouse
singing, “Here I Come to Save the Day!”)
“… will fight for your right to collective bargaining.”
Forgive me, but by
this point, I live in Missouri: SHOW ME.
“[We] have to have a partnership. Work with me, advise me,
hold me accountable.”
So you will meet with
Diane Ravitch? As for accountability, you will rue the day you said that.
30,000 emails don’t lie.
I was pretty exhausted by this point, but let’s soldier on.
Her next point was Learning and she talked about technology. She will
prioritize the “integration of digital tools into the curriculum.”
Good thing Bill Gates,
Pearson, iReady, etc. etc. got to parse your speech before you gave it. Thumbs
up from that trio!
She’ll close the gaps, yada, yada, yada … affordable high
speed broadband yada, yada, yada for all kids to do homework …
Has it ever occurred
to this woman to talk to educators about whether computer homework works for
children? Has she even heard of Photomath, the app that not only gives a
correct answer, but all the steps for a child to copy down to hand in? All one
has to do is activate the app and let the phone camera have a peek?
Then she talked about community. Here’s an oldie but goodie
to divert you from yet more clichés and generalities that don’t mean diddly
squat:
Apple trees and
honeybees …
The only thing left was to spout about needing wrap-around
services in schools.
But no policy
proposal, no details. “It’s the real thing, Coke …” the commercial sang.
Does Hillary Rodham
Clinton realize that her election rides upon this question and that she
squandered an opportunity to convince teachers that she is the real thing?
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