Democrats For Public Education: Reauthorize The ESEA

Right now, Congress is working to reauthorize the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA). This is important. At its core, ESEA is all about equality and ensuring a level playing field for all children. Originally part of President Lyndon Johnson’s war on poverty, ESEA provides critical support to programs which level the playing field for our most at-risk students by allowing them equal access to educational opportunities.

All children, regardless of race, background, or income deserve resources and opportunities which will help them to learn and to grow. It’s our responsibility to help them cultivate a lifelong love of learning. And we must also provide the tools they need to get ahead, even if their communities can’t afford them. Teachers should be given more time to teach, and children should be given more time to learn. Unfortunately, under “No Child Left Behind”, we’ve seen far too much focus on high-stakes testing and not enough on student learning.

So it’s crucial that states receive the funding needed to create that level playing field. A few weeks ago, DPE Co-Chair US Senator Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) introduced legislation with Congresswoman Suzanne Bonamici (D-OR) allowing states to use federal funds to identify and eliminate redundant tests. It’s one of many proactive steps Democrats all across America are taking to make sure we don’t lose the forest for the trees by focusing on high-stakes standardized testing. These exams and the time spent preparing for them cannot come at the expense of meaningful education opportunities for our kids.

For the United States to remain the world’s most creative, dynamic nation, we need to make sure we’re leaving room for all subjects – not just the ones on these narrow tests. And maybe Kindergarten students don’t really need to take “college and career readiness” tests after all.

As DPE Co-Chair Representative Marcia Fudge (D-OH) recently said, “Giving our children a head start is only the beginning. We must also provide sufficient funding for our educators' professional development, learning aids, education technology, and useful assessment tools. With consistent funding and policies that adapt to our students' changing needs, more students will actually graduate high school.”

DPE Co-Chair Rep. Mark Pocan (D-WI) has strongly advocated for robust funding for our public schools within ESEA and has criticized Republican proposals to slash funding for critical programs within ESEA.

As Democrats for Public Education, we believe we should dial back the obsession on testing that is stressing kids out and stopping teachers from doing their jobs. Instead, we must turn up the focus on learning. That means focusing on engaging kids, providing instructional funding and leveling the economic playing field. ESEA is largest source of federal spending on elementary and secondary education. Its reauthorization is a chance to set a new vision for public education - one that that promotes opportunity, equality and excellence for all kids in all communities.

Thanks,

Steve Rosenthal
Democrats For Public Education, President

New Years Resolutions from Democrats for Public Education

For Immediate Release:
Wednesday, January, 7th, 2015

As we ring in 2015, Democrats for Public Education offers the following New Years Resolutions - for those who believe in strong neighborhood public schools. We’re committed to spending 2015 fighting to make sure every child has access to a high-quality public education, with well-prepared and supported teachers. And we hope you will join us!

We resolve to fight for fair and full funding for our public schools.
Public education - for all children – is both an economic necessity and a fundamental civil right. Schools should be about learning, not profit. All across the country, Republican governors and legislators are trying to gut education funding. And privatization schemes seek to siphon precious tax dollars into the hands of private, profit-seeking entities. Public education should not be a real estate bonanza for hedge fund managers. And the education of America’s children should not be cynically perceived as a tantalizing financial opportunity. We will continue fighting so taxpayer dollars go towards funding education, rather than corporate profits, CEO’s or advertising budgets.

We resolve to defend children against the destructive over-emphasis on high-stakes testing.
Because science, social studies, art and music should not take a back seat to test prep. Because an increasingly narrow curriculum wrapped around standardized tests will produce citizens with narrow, standardized knowledge - not the creative, innovative thinkers America needs to compete in the global 21st century economy. And because using noisy, unreliable test data to evaluate teachers and schools is a disservice to the heard-working men and women people who have dedicated their lives to teaching and caring for our children.

We resolve to dispel misinformation about school reform.
In growing numbers, parents throughout the United States are saying “enough is enough” to reforms that demoralize educators, weaken neighborhood schools and soften the ground for those who are more interested in developing new revenue streams than fostering education. For far too long, a coordinated effort has been successful in framing a radical, false narrative that the Democratic Party is evenly spilt among those who stand strongly for public schools and those who believe public schools are detrimental to student success. This is simply untrue. With a few extremist, well-funded, vocal exceptions, Democrats remain united around a basic set of beliefs when it comes to educating our children. And we will continue showing that this is the case.

We resolve to bring people together to ensure America’s public school system endures – and thrives – for generations to come.
This is about standing up for our principles, standing up for teachers, standing up for kids and standing up for public education. We will hold to account all those who seek to pull support from our neighborhood schools and leave our communities in the lurch. We’ve already received strong early backing from thousands of leaders and activists at all levels of government, from communities coast-to-coast and in every single one of the fifty states. We look forward to continue lifting up public education in America and fulfilling our collective obligation to helping all children succeed.

We invite you to join us in affirming these resolutions throughout 2015!

For more information – and to sign up as a supporter – please visit www.DemocratsForPublicEducation.com. You can also follow Democrats for Public Education on Twitter (@Dems4PublicEd) and on Facebook (Facebook.com/DemsforPublicEd).

DEMOCRATS FOR PUBLIC EDUCATION RELEASES LIST OF BOLD-FACE NAME SUPPORTERS FROM ACROSS USA

DPE Momentum Continues To Grow

(WASHINGTON, D.C.) – Today, Democrats For Public Education (DPE) released a list of bold-face names who signed on as supporters for the newly-launched organization. DPE is a 527 formed to show that Democrats remain united around a core set of principles to ensure public education thrives for generations to come. Since officially launching on August 19th, 2014, scores of elected officials, party leaders and activists at all levels of government - and from communities in all 50 states - have already added their names as supporters.

"In less than two months since officially launching, its no surprise that Democrats for Public Education has already enjoyed such a flood of support," said DPE Co-Chair Denise Juneau, Montana State Superintendent of Instruction. "These folks understand that a high-quality public education is an economic necessity, a moral imperative and a pillar of democracy. We believe we should be lifting up and championing public education, teachers and our neighborhood schools - by investing time, energy and resources."

Below is just a small sampling of Democrats from all across America who have signed on to support DPE:

• Parris Glendening - Former Maryland Governor
• Mark Schauer - Candidate for Governor of Michigan, Former U.S. Representative
• Lon Johnson - Michigan Democratic Party Chair, DNC Member
• Ray Buckley - New Hampshire Democratic Party Chair, DNC Vice-Chair, ASDC President
• Wallace Collins - Oklahoma Democratic Party Chair, DNC Member
• Karen Carter Peterson - Louisiana Democratic Party Chair, Louisiana State Senator, DNC Executive Committee
• Diane Ravitch - NYU Research Professor of Education, Former U.S. Assistant Secretary of Education
• Rita Solnet - Co-Founder of Parents Across America, Former PTA President and Former School Advisory Board Member for Palm Beach County Schools
• Alice Huffman - California NAACP President, National Board of Directors of the NAACP, DNC Member
• Doris Crouse-Mays - Virginia AFL-CIO President, DNC Executive Committee
• Minyon Moore - Former Assistant to the President, Director of White House Political Affairs and Director of White House Public Liasion under President Clinton, DNC Executive Committee, Democratic Strategist
• Maria Cardona - Former Senior Advisor and spokesperson for the Hillary Clinton for President Campaign, former Senior Vice President for the New Democrat Network (NDN), served as Deputy Press Secretary and Press Secretary at the Department of Commerce, former Communications Director the Democratic National Committee, Democratic Strategist
• Loretta Weinberg - New Jersey State Senate Majority Leader
• Martha Fuller Clark - New Hampshire State Senator, First Vice-Chair of New Hampshire Democratic Party, DNC Member
• Rich Madaleno - Maryland State Senator
• Bonnie Watson Coleman - New Jersey Assemblywoman, candidate for Congress
• Edie McClafferty - Member, Montana State House of Representatives
• Margie MacDonald - Member, Montana State House of Representatives
• Ellen Cogen Lipton - Member, Michigan State House of Representatives
• Mimi Stewart - Member, New Mexico State House of Representatives
• Joel Briscoe - Minority Caucus Manager and Member, Utah State House of Representatives
• Anita Bonds - District of Columbia Council Member At-Large, DNC Executive Committee
• Barbra Casbar Siperstein - New Jersey Democratic State Committee Vice-Chair and DNC Executive Committee
• Andres Ramirez - Vice-Chair, DNC Hispanic Caucus
• Karren Pope-Onwukwe - Attorney and DNC Member, Maryland
• Lottie Shackelford - Chair of DNC Women’s Caucus, Former Mayor of Little Rock, Arkansas
• Maggie Allen - Principal at Windsor Elementary School (Maine), DNC Member

Last month, Democrats For Public Education (DPE) released the results of a national voter survey showing voters back public education in large numbers. You can view the poll memo on its findings here.

For more information – and to sign-up as a supporter – please visit www.DemocratsForPublicEducation.com.

Democrats For Public Education Op-Ed: It's All About the Children

Time and again, we hear this refrain from everyone who ever talks about education, from every angle. It's been the purported basis of speeches, documentaries and now lawsuits. But how can it be all about the children when you have some - under the guise of "education reform" - undermining America's public schools?

As kids across the country go back to school, it's time to get back to the basic values that bind us together. As one of the chairs of a new organization called Democrats for Public Education, I'm part of a group focused on just that - supporting public education. We believe in instilling critical thinking skills needed for 21st-century jobs and the new economy. We support superior standards and finding ways to make classrooms challenging and rewarding for both teachers and students. And we're committed to a level playing field for all with well-resourced schools responsive to the needs of our communities.

As a proud graduate of Louisiana's public schools, I know the importance of a good public education. I know just how tough it is to make something of yourself when you start off with little or nothing. Right now, a galling 22 percent of children in America - the richest country in history - live in poverty, and nearly half come from low-income families struggling to meet basic needs. The only way we can break cycles of poverty, while revitalizing and growing our middle-class, is to support our public schools. Frankly, it's the way we can provide a springboard for the working poor and preserve our American values.

Education is not a business. Students aren't robots, and they shouldn't be treated like assembly line workers at the test prep factory. Attempts to move our classrooms toward an unregulated, survival-of-the-fittest, business-first mentality ignores the purpose of education. Indeed, the very premise of "market-driven education reform" rests on a lie. It's an outright fallacy that our public school system is in crisis and that the only solution is to let the market pick winners and losers. Our kids are not losers! We must measure success not by how children score on a narrow standardized test, but by how they deal with the varied tests of life.

Tests don't inspire learning. Teachers and parents do. We should be championing educators as heroes. They're the ones dedicating their lives to shaping young minds. They're the ones in the classroom day in and day out. So when education professionals with decades of first-hand experience give constructive criticism, we should listen with open ears and an open mind. Simply put, they're the ones who know best.

Here's what dedicated parents and seasoned educators all across the country see: stalled reform efforts, poor implementation of programs and nervous students spending 30 percent of their school year on test preparation. By speaking out about this troubling pattern, teachers are exemplifying what it truly means to be answerable to and responsible for the well-being of children.

Teachers aren't afraid of real accountability. But the accountability of a teacher - or the achievement of a student - cannot and should never be boiled down to a few test scores per year. Further, it's doubly unfair to judge teachers on student performance, when the performance itself is being judged by an imperfect, dubious standard. According to a PDK/Gallup poll, three in four Americans believe the previous decade's obsession with standardized testing either had no effect or even hurt our schools. It's no surprise that nearly 60 percent say they don't support using test scores to evaluate teachers.

No one benefits when "education experts" - many with only a couple years in the classroom and some with none at all - tell teachers that their expertise doesn't matter and they don't have the best interests of children at heart. When you peel back the onion, it's clear these well-orchestrated attacks are coming from nothing more than a few well-funded, vocal groups intent on cherry-picking statistics and warping facts.

Public schools aren't just a cornerstone of our society, they're also critical democratic institutions. And every child deserves a chance. The assault on public education is an attack on the principles of democracy and the foundation of our country. The "I-Me-Mine" philosophy that drives Wall Street, the corporatists and would-be oligarchs and their political minions doesn't belong in the classroom.

Enough is enough. It's time we collectively push back against efforts to undermine America's education system, our teachers and the kids themselves. That's why, as classrooms start filling up again here at the end of summer, I'm proud to be part of an effort to help Democrats for Public Education get off the ground. It's time to lift up public education and remind everyone that this truly is about our children. The way to do that is by working together in every community to ensure our public schools endure - and thrive - for generations to come.

Democrats for Public Education officially launches

Democrats Remain United Around Core Set of Principles To Ensure Public Education Thrives For Generations To Come

(WASHINGTON, D.C.)– Today, national Democratic Party leaders announced the official launch of Democrats For Public Education (DPE) – a new 527 organization rooted in the belief that each and every child deserves access to strong, safe neighborhood schools with well-prepared and supported teachers. DPE represents a diverse coalition of Democrats from throughout the country who support public education. You can learn more at the new website: www.DemocratsForPublicEducation.com.

Democrats for Public Education will lift up public education in America. For far too long, a coordinated effort has been successful in framing a radical, false narrative that the Democratic Party is evenly spilt among those who stand strongly for public schools and those who believe public schools are detrimental to student success. This is simply untrue. With a few extremist, well-funded, vocal exceptions, Democrats remain united around a basic set of beliefs when it comes to educating our children.

“A high-quality public education is an economic necessity, an anchor of democracy and a moral imperative, “ said former Michigan Governor Jennifer Granholm. “Democrats For Public Education is a diverse coalition of Democrats from all across America. We’ve already received strong early backing from hundreds of leaders and activists at all levels of government, from communities coast-to-coast and states in between. That's because we share the belief that every child deserves engaging curriculum, as well as social services to meet their mental, social and physical needs.”

“Democrats For Public Education is committed to bringing people together to ensure our public school system endures – and thrives – for generations to come,” said former Ohio Governor Ted Strickland. “This is about standing up for our principles, standing up for teachers, standing up for kids and standing up for public education.”

The goal of Democrats For Public Education is to show broad-based support around a core set of principles, which includes:

• Fulfilling our collective obligation to help all children succeed;
• Fighting for neighborhood public schools that are safe, welcoming places for teaching and learning;
• Ensuring that teachers and school staff are well-prepared, are supported, have small class sizes, and have time to collaborate to meet the individual needs of every child;
• Guaranteeing that all children have an engaging curriculum that includes art, music and physical education;
• Providing children access to wrap-around services to meet their emotional, social and health needs;
• Working to provide school districts – particularly those serving the highest concentration of students in need of extra services and support – with the resources required to provide all students with a world-class education; and
• Making it clear that public education - for all children – is both an economic necessity and a fundamental civil right.

“As a proud graduate of Louisiana’s public schools, I know the importance of a good public education,” said Donna Brazile, Democratic Strategist and DNC Vice-Chair. “Frankly, it’s the only way we can strengthen, revitalize and grow our middle-class. And it's the best way we can provide a springboard for the working poor and preserve our American values.”

“As Democrats for Public Education, we’re focused on just that – supporting public education,” said Rep. Mark Pocan, representing Wisconsin’s 2nd Congressional District. “We support superior standards and finding ways to make classrooms challenging and rewarding for both teachers and students. We believe in instilling critical thinking skills needed for 21st century jobs and the new economy. And we’re committed to a level playing field for all, with well-resourced schools responsive to the needs of the community.”

The list of Democrats For Public Education co-chairs includes the following – with more chairs to be announced in the coming weeks:

• Governor Jennifer Granholm (MI)
• Governor Ted Strickland (OH)
• Rep. Marcia Fudge (D-OH)
• Rep. Mark Pocan (D-WI)
• Rep. Mark Takano (D-CA)
• State Superintendent Denise Juneau (MT)
• Donna Brazile – Democratic Strategist & DNC Vice-Chair

At DemocratsForPublicEducation.com, visitors can continue adding their name to those all across America who have already signed up to show their solidarity. The DPE website will be a resource and information hub for supporters, activists and the press to keep up-to-date with the latest news on Democrats For Public Education, as well as education issues of interest in general.

You can also follow Democrats for Public Education on Twitter (@Dems4PublicEd) and on Facebook (Facebook.com/DemsforPublicEd).