Posted on 09/23/2004 3:31:05 PM PDT by hsmomx3
Tens of thousands of teachers, parents, students, and others who are close to the classroom or care about education participated yesterday in nearly 4,000 "house parties" nationwide in a non-partisan, grassroots effort to elevate the issue of public education in the current policy debate.
Evidence of this unprecedented mobilization effort could be found in every state. From a chapel in Maui, Hawaii to a brewery in Cape Cod, Mass. to bilingual homes in Miami, Florida, and San Antonio, Texas, concerned citizens met to discuss the successes, challenges, and opportunities facing public education and how they can work together to create great public schools for every child.
"It is time to come together for our children's future," said NEA President Reg Weaver. "Parents, teachers, students and concerned citizens from Alaska to Florida, from Maine to Hawaii are mobilizing to meet the challenges of ensuring that every child in America has access to a great public school. Tonight is only the beginning."
Party participants pledged to recruit five friends, family and colleagues to sign a petition calling for increases in federal education funding, call their members of Congress on Sept. 29 asking them to fully fund education, and register to vote.
"Republican or Democrat, people in our community are concerned about our children's education and our future," said William Innes, a Republican teacher in Vallejo, CA. "The folks who met at my house believe the White House and Congress haven't done enough for public education and that a good public education is a priority that transcends party lines."
Discussion centered around key issues relating to public education. Among these are lack of access to early childhood programs, overcrowded classrooms, teachers being laid off or forced out of the profession, skyrocketing college costs and a federal education law that labels many public schools as failing without providing the resources needed to succeed.
The gatherings were part of the National Mobilization for Great Public Schools organized by the National Education Association, Campaign for America's Future, ACORN, MoveOn.org, NAACP National Voter Fund and U.S. Hispanic Leadership Institute, along with 50 other groups.
"We are failing to provide too many children with the basics," said Robert Borosage, co-director of the Campaign for America's Future. "Most Americans want greater investment in education so we can provide those basics even though Iraq and the economy have dominated the news."
ACORN National President Maude Hurd hosted a house party in Boston, MA. After the party, ACORN members attended a local school board hearing. "Parents in Boston and all over the country are fighting to improve education and make every school a quality school," said Hurd. "Parents shouldn't have to fight over scraps because education dollars are shrinking. We must continue to work together and hold politicians accountable to ensure that every child gets a quality education."
"Our schools continue to be shortchanged – billions of dollars promised to our kids were cut while local districts continue to be burdened with new costs," added Joan Blades, co-founder of MoveOn.org. "The only way great public schools will become a real priority in Washington is when teachers, parents, students and concerned citizens join together to demand that empty rhetoric be replaced with results. We're excited to be part of a movement to change America's schools."
I was told yesterday by some public schooled kids that if you get three tardies, you must attend "Saturday School" for the remainder of the year.
My tax dollars at work NOT!!! Not to mention the fact that I just received an election publication about three proposed tax increase propositions that will be on our ballot in November.
Phase out government schools.
Public schools are a mess BECAUSE of groups like the ones mentioned in the article, not because they don't recieve enough government funds.
Buck the fublic skools.
In the middle of the twentieth century, American students ranked highest in the world in math and engineering. We had excellent schools for decades, until the fifties, when the government funding started. With funding came all the mis-direction that wrecked the curriculum in our schools.
They were cheaper, safer, quieter, and better maintained without gubmint 'help'. We need to recover local control of them, or abolish them and the tax system that supports them.
It's people's attitudes that have failed on both sides at times. If everyone were willing to work together, a lot would get done, and we wouldn't need any tax dollars at all.
I am a teacher and sure would like to see a gazillion dollars someday. My school district is one of the lowest spending in the nation and does a pretty good job of educating its students. But still the education liberals want to shove regulation after regulation on us in support of their political agenda.
Good luck to the schools in trying to enforce that LOL.
This guy is hosting a house party too:
http://www.educationnews.org/bob-williams-hosts-nea-house-par.htm
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