SAVE THE DATE – March 4, 2010

Please join us for our  annual meeting, an event to honor community leaders and elect officers.

Citizens for Public Schools: Promoting Excellence and Equity in Education

Thursday, March 4, 2010, 5 – 7 p.m.

Refreshments will be served.

Location: Unitarian-Universalist Headquarters, 25 Beacon St., Boston

Activists for Public Schools Awards to be presented.

Click the “Donate Now” button to register and buy tickets.   → Read More

[Posted with permission from Diane Ravitch.]

Although Diane Ravitch writes about school closings and charter conversions in NYC, her observations are relevant to Massachusetts and all  states that have “raced to the trough” and lifted charter caps to get a short-term federal grant.

The headline “Closing Schools Solves Nothing,” expresses a profound problem with this process. If you have any doubt that this is relevant to us here in Massachusetts, talk to someone who’s been at recent Board of Elementary and Secondary Education meetings, where the consequences of the charter school experiment are written on the faces of parents confronted with a huge disruption in their children’s lives. Personally, I’ve never understood why it’s presented as a positive that charters can be shut down if they’re failing. Then what?

Diane points out who wins and who loses in this brave new world

This essay is part of an excellent ongoing dialogue between Diane Ravitch and Deborah Meier called “Building Bridges” and published regularly on the Education Week web site.   → Read More

Go to our Charter Schools page to read two newly posted articles: “Charter lobby group details contributions” and “Charters: Students with Disabilities Need Not Apply?”   → Read More

Dear CPS members:

The Governor signed the new education bill into law on Monday, January 18. Below is a summary of the bill from AFTMA (and a link to statements from the MTA). These comments are followed by a notice from the Pioneer Institute. As you will note, Pioneer Institute is concerned about charter schools having to fill empty seats with students on waiting lists or advertise their availability when there is no waiting list. CPS has fought for that provision. It may discourage them from pushing out students and sending them back to district schools. Public schools have to take students during the school year, charter schools should also have to also.

Marilyn Segal, Executive Director

Summary of Ed Reform Legislation, Prepared by the AFT-MASS

AN ACT TO REDUCE THE ACHIEVEMENT GAP

THE EDUCATION LEGISLATION, KNOWN AS AN ACT TO REDUCE THE ACHIEVEMENT GAP, HAS PASSED BOTH THE HOUSE AND SENATE.   → Read More

CALL TODAY AND SEND A SIMPLE, URGENT MESSAGE TO YOUR LEGISLATORS.

TELL YOUR SENATOR AND REPRESENTATIVE TO VOTE NO ON S2247.

THE SENATE IS GOING INTO SESSION TO VOTE ON THE EDUCATION BILL, WHICH HAS JUST COME OUT OF THE CONFERENCE COMMITTEE.

IF S2247 IS PASSED BY THE SENATE, IT WILL THEN GO TO THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES!

A QUICK READING INDICATES THAT IT IS THE WORST OF BOTH BILLS – MORE CHARTER SCHOOL PRIVATIZATION AND MORE ANTI-TEACHER PROVISIONS.

ENCOURAGING PRIVATE MANAGEMENT OF OUR PUBLIC SCHOOLS AND TAKING BASIC RIGHTS FROM OUR TEACHERS DOES NOT HELP CHILDREN LEARN:

* IT DOES NOT ENSURE ADEQUATE RESOURCES BUT DIVERTS FUNDS FROM THE MOST NEEDY STUDENTS.

* IT MOVES US TOWARD A TWO-TIER SCHOOL SYSTEM.

* IT DOES NOTHING TO REVERSE THE NEGATIVE CONSEQUENCES OF TOO MUCH TESTING.

* IT IS LIKELY TO DRIVE THE BEST TEACHERS AWAY FROM WORKING IN SCHOOLS THAT NEED THEM MOST.   → Read More