Thank you, Raul Grijalva: Obama’s Market-Based Policies Endanger Public Education.

[madfloridian]

It is so refreshing to see a Democrat having the courage to speak out about this harmful policy.

A Free Market in Schooling?

Representative Raul Grijalva (D-AZ) is co-chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus. He sees right through the Obama education policy and recognizes that it is a continuation of George W. Bush’s failed No Child Left Behind.

In this astonishingly candid interview with Josh Eidelson in Salon, Rep. Grijalva lacerates Race to the Top, high-stakes testing, privatization, and the other features of the Obama education policy.

Rep. Grijalva recognizes that the Obama program is now driven by financial interests:

Obama’s education secretary is “a market-based person,” his education policy manifests a “market-based philosophy,” and “we continue to starve public schools,” the co-chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus charged in an interview Wednesday afternoon.

Here is more from Josh Eidelson's interview with Grijalva at Salon.

“A self-fulfilling conflict of interest”: Charter schools, testing mania, and Arne Duncan

The privatization of education “began as driven by ideology, but now it’s getting momentum because of the financial aspects,” Rep. Raul Grijalva argued to Salon.
The Arizona Democrat called charter schools “a step towards” privatization, called the Chicago teachers’ strike a “necessary pushback” and warned of a “self-fulfilling conflict of interest.” A condensed version of our conversation follows.

Interviewer: You were the first congressman to echo a call from the Network for Public Education for hearings on standardized testing, saying it’s critical to hold hearings on what you called “mandatory testing and privatization efforts” and “the dismantling of public education.” What do you want those hearings to accomplish?

Grijalva: I understand accountability. I don’t have a problem with testing as a teaching tool, to help to guide the improvement in children. But what’s happened is the standardized testing has become the end-all-be-all in terms of curriculum, in terms of how you prepare students for the future.

He calls for a hearing.

A whole hearing on testing, the culture of testing, and what it is producing for public education.

What you see … is a real move toward the privatization of schools, based on what test results are. A school doesn’t do well, a school doesn’t do well again, then suddenly there is a movement to either let that school be run by private management or let the students then go somewhere else — usually to a private charter school.

Thank you for paying attention to the outcries of teachers, Raul Grijalva.

There is no doubt at all now that Arne Duncan with the apparent approval of President Obama is fulfilling the dreams of Newt Gingrich for Free Market schools.

From 2009:

Newt Gingrich teaming up with Arne Duncan for an education road trip.

For the last twenty years, we have tried to improve education while accepting the fundamental principles of a failed system, guarded by the education bureaucrats and teachers unions. We must now transform math and science education or fall behind. It really is that simple.
Source: Gingrich Communications website, www.newt.org, “Issues” Sep 1, 2007

Introduce competition among schools and teachers

We should apply the free enterprise system to our education system by introducing competition among schools, administrators, and teachers. Our educators should be paid based on their performance and held accountable based on clear standards with real consequences. These ideas are designed to stimulate thinking beyond the timid “let’s do more of the same” that has greeted every call for rethinking math and science education.
Source: Gingrich Communications website, www.newt.org Dec 1, 2006

Arne Duncan started off his time in office by threatening California if it did not comply with his wishes.

U.S. education secretary is expected to withhold millions of dollars in education stimulus money if the state doesn't comply with his demand.
By Jason Felch and Jason Song
July 24, 2009
California could lose out on millions of federal education dollars unless legislators change a law that prevents it from using student test scores to measure teachers' performance, Secretary of Education Arne Duncan is expected to announce in a speech today.

Now that kind of high-stakes testing that overrides teacher judgement, daily grades, classroom tests, and student portfolios is taking over the country.

It is refreshing to finally see a Democrat speak out in a common sense way for public education. I hope Raul Grijalva does not get on our bad list now....because what he is doing takes courage.

[99Forever]

1. Careful...

... can't go speaking truthy negatives about The Obama Administration's policies.

The swarm will be on you, like stupid on a Teabagger.

[madfloridian]

2. I am used to it. But this is a serious truth that can't be allowed to go away.

I am already under the bus, on the bad list, etc, et al.

Used to it. It's still truth, and it still matters.

Thanks for the warning, though.

[99Forever]

3. All of the very best people...

... are here under the bus with us.

Keep on fighting the good fight. We need people such as you, more than ever.

[mountain grammy]

21. No you're not, at least in my book. I am a serious Obama supporter, but disagree with his education

policies and tell my representatives often. Good for Congressman Grijalva. I will be sending his interview to my own Congressman and will continue to work for representatives who call out Arne Duncan and American millionaires and billionaires who claim to know more than actual teachers who work in the system, but what they really see is $$$$$.

[madfloridian]

36. I did the same when the Dem gov asso. called for donations.

I told them I would probably vote D as I had all my life, but I would no longer donate until they changed their education policy.

He asked what I meant. I asked how he would feel if his child's teacher no longer had a say..that gradebook grades didn't count, portfolios didn't count, classroom tests didn't matter. Only the standardized testing mattered. He was rather stunned. I told him about the Salon interview with Grijalva.

I figure they don't need my money if they are getting enough corporate money to sell out education to the highest bidder.

[mountain grammy]

57. It's depressing to me that many Democrats are on board with this junk

when, for the most part , it's an abysmal failure. My daughter entered first grade in 1995 and was a little sponge, like most kids her age, soaking up learning just as fast as her little brain could work. We live in a small town and I knew every teacher in our elementary school (now closed, lack of kids.) They did so many innovative things with the kids; field trips galore, (with Rocky Mountain National Park as our back yard, the kids learned first hand about the environment) using other languages, even sign language, and generally creating a place of openness and learning. In 2000, her class moved on to the middle school, a happy and enthusiastic bunch of kids. When NCLB hit a couple of years later, everything changed. By high school, the love of learning was pretty much tested out of most of them. That's what this testing bull has done to our kids and this new policy is same shit, different day.

[840high]

38. Keep posting. Hugs.

[pangaia]

56. I agree 100% with your post.

I'll drag you out from under..just call my cell

[dionysus]

42. does it even occur to you, that Obama supporters don't agree with everything he does?

can the stupid "swarm" shit, wouldja?

[secondwind]

54. I agree... It's not productive at all... n/t

[madfloridian]

55. ....

It works both ways. There are many staunch supporters who know that the education policy is flawed, and they need to not let the attacks from others happen. They need to speak out when we use our voices. I try to be fair, present sources, and never attack the president personally. I respect him, we worked for his campaign and donated frequently in 2008...we voted in 2012 for him.

But to be honest, it really does work both ways. His education policy is devastating, and there should be freedom to speak about it without having reputations as posters harmed.

[Enthusiast]

61. The swarm is an actual phenomenon.

It doesn't include every Obama supporter, of course. The Swarm® only includes those that would fight to the death over any and all criticism of the President's policies, appointments and proposals.

[Enthusiast]

58. Fuck the swarm.

What a bunch of misguided loons.

"like stupid on a Teabagger"

[octoberlib]

4. Howard Dean supports this crap too.

All I can say is ,the Democratic Party must've gotten some HUGE campaign donations from corporations who deal in education to be so on board with these horrible policies .

[madfloridian]

5. I believe Grijalva is the first Dem to speak out against the demonization of public schools.

Yes, Howard Dean is on board completely.

[DirkGently]

15. Jesus. If we're not for public education, we're nothing.

In all seriousness, there is nothing more anti-democratic and regressive than changing the paradigm for nationwide education into a way to funnel tax money to testing corporations and corporate "education" outfits.

And there is nothing more despicable than demonizing teachers or blaming them for the very inequalities ithat public education can address.

[questionseverything]

24. feeding the poor kids and public ed are my red lines

we have had testing since the mid 60s, the difference is now the test scores are being used to DEFUND public ed

my bright ,capable kindergarten student must be able to read a short story and write 3 sentences about that story,complete with caps and punctuation

not gonna happen

they are set up to fail

[mountain grammy]

22. wow, that's depressing.

[Enthusiast]

62. Howard Dean is dead to me.

Hear that, Howard? Your credibility has flown out the fucking window. When I hear you speak from now on I might as well be listening to Shawn Hannity.

[Catherina]

6. DU rec. Infinity Rec n/t

[madfloridian]

31. ......

Hi Catherina... and thanks.

[ancianita]

7. YES. Yes, it is good. I hope Grijalva keeps up the moral courage. Perhaps it will be catching.

[madfloridian]

34. Wouldn't it be great if it were contagious?

Fingers crossed.

[ancianita]

35. Absolutely!

[FloriTexan]

8. K&R

[merrily]

9. While not a politician, Jon Stewart has spoken out against this,

including when he interviewed Arne Duncan. Of course, Duncan pretty much ignored what Stewart was saying.

I hate the whole idea of charter schools. It's theft from the 99% and it's politically dangerous to the left.

[DirkGently]

18. This should be a much bigger issue for Dems.

I can only assume it's yet another source of gigantic money that Cannot Be Angered.

Where is Hillary Clinton on this stuff? I'd be impressed if she stood up to it.

[awoke_in_2003]

28. She will stand up to it as candidate

but once in office will toe the line like a good corporatist.

[DirkGently]

29. That's my take on her, when she's elected to things.

Appointed, I think she kicks ass. But she and Bill always seemed to think there was a happy marriage between oligarchy and American public office that would work for everyone.

They were wrong about that. Still are.

[awoke_in_2003]

33. It isn't just the Clinton's

it is 95% of the party. And as you know, Hillary didn't appoint Arne Duncan

[Enthusiast]

63. I doubt if she even stands up to it as a candidate.

They have trying to mainstream the Jeb Bush education policy for some time.

[merrily]

71. It's huge issue for Dems. They pushed for charter schools before Republicans did.

Al Shanker was one of the first. Democratic politicians hopped on the band wagon. Shanker later disavowed it, but the pols ignored the disavowal. Meanwhile, the Republicans took notice. Yadda, yadda, yadda, charter schools caught on and a Democratic President nominated Arne Duncan.

There's bipartisanship for ya. Both parties publicly agreeing on a crap policy, in this case, yet another one that that privatizes public assets. Charter schools, privatization of the US Post Office, demise of the Fairness Doctrine, repeal of Glass Steagall--all bipartisan efforts.

[WhiteTara]

10. Perhaps if we could get a democratic

congress, we could move on to real issues like this one. I'm so tired of fighting just to stay at ground zero and losing ground becaue we have to continue to fight old fights that have been settled.

[madfloridian]

12. This IS the Democratic policy. We are fulfilling Bush's agenda, Gingrich's agenda.

We do ourselves no favor when we refer to it as the Republican policy only.

[mountain grammy]

23. Agree, but with a Democratic majority, we could have an honest debate about it

With Republicans controlling the House, there is nothing but idiot noise coming from that chamber.

[Doctor_J]

45. I don't think you red mad's post carefully. THIS IS THE DEM POLICY.

why would have more of them help matters? School profitization is one of the president's goals, just like Bush and Gingrinch.

[mountain grammy]

51. I know it's a Democratic policy, but I'm a Democrat and it's not my policy

and it's not Congressman Grijalva's policy and he's a Democrat. What I meant to say, is I think we can get an honest discussion about this if there are more Democrats in Congress. I've been bugging mine, but will work for a candidate in another district who is also a Democrat but is against this policy. So I guess what I meant to say is we need to elect more Democrats who see through this bullshit and, dammit, we're out here.

Sorry, I just did a candidate forum for a contentious fire district board election and I'm fried and I know I did shitty.

[Enthusiast]

64. Exactly.

Duncan wouldn't be in his position if the President disagreed with his objectives, which are identical with those of Jeb Bush.

[Doctor_J]

44. we had that very recently, though the way things went you're probably confused

[Dragonfli]

11. Not being an educator, I am curious where Duncan recieved his education degree

I would like to know which university teaches that the market is best suited to decide methods of teaching, also, how long did it take him to earn his doctorate? Based on his performance I would guess Liberty University, and a very long time respectively.

[totodeinhere]

14. He does not have an education degree.

He graduated from Harvard University with a degree in sociology.

[octoberlib]

16. Duncan also attended a Laboratory

School at the University of Chicago which is basically neo-liberal , free market U.

[Dragonfli]

19. That explains much, thank you. Forgive my ignorance

but I just assumed they would appoint educators to head education as to do otherwise seems counter intuitive to me.

[madfloridian]

30. Excellent idea.

"appoint educators to head education"

But now they are not even allowed in the discussion about "reform".

[YvonneCa]

47. They are beginning to be...slowly...

...thanks to fearless educators like you!

[Dragonfli]

49. That educators should be LEADING that conversation seams like an Axiom to me.

Putting Entrepreneurs in charge of an Education plan makes as much sense as putting an accountant in charge of my medical treatment plan rather than having my extremely well educated board certified doctor decide how I am to be made well.

On second thought, my Dr. is being overridden by an insurance rep against his medical advice and protestations, so I guess the proper goals are not for teachers to teach nor doctors to heal but rather to increase the profits of already extremely wealthy men.

I must be an idiot, wealth of a very few is obviously much more important than the education and health of many millions of Americans.
I feel so stoobid now

Perhaps if I had been educated by a for-profit charter school I would have never had such uninformed thoughts and would have been supportive of the proper goals of cash above all else.

[madfloridian]

50. So right about the wealth of a very few...

meaning more than the needs of many.

[YvonneCa]

46. Educators leading on Education? My...What a concept!

[madfloridian]

48. Agreed.

[DirkGently]

13. More private fingers frantically thrust into the public pie.

Charter schools and mandatory testing. The whole point is, and has always been, to pry loose all the money spent on education and send it to where it rightfully belongs:

into the pockets of wealthy campaign donors.

Because nothing can happen in America if it doesn't fatten the bottom line of the same people. Over and over again.

[octoberlib]

17. +1

[Doctor_J]

41. Yep. Our HC and Education dollars will have all been directed toward billionaires by the time Obama

leaves office. And the USPS will be gone. If things go well for the .1%, the president might also have the wheels greased for privatized Social Security by then.

[Phlem]

20. Endanger public education!?!?

public education is getting from all sides and has been for 15+ years.

Understatement of the century.

-p

[mckara]

25. Privatization is Another Name for Fraud

[xchrom]

26. du rec.

[liberal_at_heart]

27. K&R

[Teamster Jeff]

32. This admins backing of this RW scam is going cost Dems votes

[Doctor_J]

43. Most of their moves since 2008 have cost us votes.

we had the Repukes on the ropes in 2008 and now we're on death's doorstep. Mucho thanks to Obama, Reid, and Pelosi for killing the party.

[madfloridian]

37. Grijalva also leading right against ALEC.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/govbeat/wp/2014/04/14/one-democratic-congressman-escalates-the-fight-over-alec/

In a letter to Interior Inspector General Mary Kendall, Rep. Raúl M. Grijalva (D) on Wednesday called for an investigation into the American Legislative Exchange Council’s “aggressive effort” to change state laws regarding public land use. The group’s work constitutes unregistered lobbying, he argues.

“Despite actively pressing state lawmakers on a range of issues, ALEC has failed for decades to register as a lobbying organization in states where it has promoted changes to state laws,” Grijalva writes.

In the letter, Grijalva also requests an investigation into how ALEC’s efforts have affected department employees. ALEC’s position, he argues, is consistent with those of Nevada rancher Cliven Bundy, whose decades-long fight resulted in a weekend showdown between government officials and anti-government militia groups.

“This seems like high political theater on the part of Rep. Grijalva,” said ALEC spokesman Bill Meierling. State lawmakers have a clear interest in managing public land within their borders, he said. And Grijalva, as the ranking member of the House Natural Resources subcommittee on public lands and environmental regulation, clearly has an interest in maintaining federal control of such lands, he added.

[Nanjing to Seoul]

39. That's my Congressman

[Doctor_J]

40. Not that surprising. The president favors for-profit health rationing, TPP, XL,

and chained CPI. He came out in favor of the RI teacher purge. The disastrous rollout of healthcare.gov was perpetrated by hand-picked profiteers.

He's now embraced Ginrinch health care and Gingrinch/Bush education scams. But he's worried about the "meh" attitude of Dem voters for this fall.

[nikto]

52. Grijalva speaks the truth!

And God bless him for it.

[blkmusclmachine]

53. ,

,

[Enthusiast]

59. Kicked and recommended a whole bunch!

And Howard Dean, who is now dead to me. I cannot believe these people betraying our interests as they have.

[marmar]

60. Spin control must not be quite sure how to attack this OP.

[AgingAmerican]

65. I noticed that

They must be in an emergency meeting or something...

[judesedit]

66. Have you gotten a petition together or gone to Capitol Hill to be heard? Anybody can rant here.

What good is that doing? I wouldn't listen to anything Newt has to say anyway. He's full of hot air, a liar and a cheat. I do believe tenure should not mean teachers can rest on their laurels until they choose to retire. They must adhere to the same protocol as everyone else all the way through. We've ALWAYS had testing. Unfortunately, the teachers are promoting students that should not be promoted. I've met high school grads that can barely spell basic 2nd grade words. And like Obama said, "It's not about me...It's about YOU!" Get a movement together to change things if you so strongly believe our educational system is broken. Sorry, but Darwin's theory stays.

By the way...if you're voting Republican, you're helping to put money grubbers in office. What do you expect? We've been trying to tell you....YOU'RE VOTING AGAINST YOUR OWN BEST INTERESTS!

[AgingAmerican]

67. How many versions of this one have we heard?

nt

[madfloridian]

69. I am going to reply to you point by point.

You said I was ranting here.

"What good is that doing? I wouldn't listen to anything Newt has to say anyway. He's full of hot air, a liar and a cheat. I do believe tenure should not mean teachers can rest on their laurels until they choose to retire. They must adhere to the same protocol as everyone else all the way through. We've ALWAYS had testing. Unfortunately, the teachers are promoting students that should not be promoted."

Agreed about Newt. Perhaps you should tell it to Arne Duncan and President Obama who are putting his policies into play.

Tenure does not mean teachers rest on their laurels. They can be fired for cause. I am not sure what you mean about teachers "must adhere to the same protocol", so I can't address that.

Yes, there has always been standardized testing. BUT..it was always used to evaluate where the student was academically. It was used to make instruction better. Now it is used to hire and fire teachers and take the place of teachers' gradebook, student portfolios, and classroom work.

It is used to fail schools which are then turned into charter schools which usually are owned by private companies.

You said:

"I've met high school grads that can barely spell basic 2nd grade words"

So have I. But if you are only blaming teachers, you are way off base.

You said:

"And like Obama said, "It's not about me...It's about YOU!"

Unfortunately it IS about him now. These are his policies, his goals, his stated plans for public schools. He supports Arne Duncan 100% and seems to have no understanding of the harm being done by these policies.

You said:

By the way...if you're voting Republican, you're helping to put money grubbers in office. What do you expect? We've been trying to tell you....YOU'RE VOTING AGAINST YOUR OWN BEST INTERESTS!

If you ever read any of my posts before, and somehow I don't think you have.....you will know that my late hubby and I were Obama supporters and campaigned for him. Your quote is insulting to me and others who are criticizing his policies and not the man.

You would know I plan to vote Democratic, but that I will not donate as long as such devastating policies are in place.

Any public school teacher who votes Democratic in the fall WILL be voting against their own best interests. That is a fact. Insulting me does not change a thing. The Democrats are promoting the policies of Bush and Newt Gingrich. Arne took him on the road trip, not me.
Arne gave him respect he did not deserve, not me.

So go ahead, continue your insults. I have truth on my side.

[Doctor_J]

70. Ding!

The whole post was dead on, and this is the grand finale

Any public school teacher who votes Democratic in the fall WILL be voting against their own best interests.

the BOG just doesn't seem to get the fact that teachers, humanitarians, environmentalists, unions, immigrants, and pacifists are not being served by the party's positions on public education, health care, fracking & XL, TPP, immigration, and drone murder & torture respectively. They're ready to blame all of those groups for the impending onslaught though.

[sabrina 1]

68. And it's always about money in the end. That's a huge fund they have had their greedy eyes on

for a long time. The Publishing Corps, the top four especially, have increased their profits by hundreds of millions since Bush's NCLB was passed by Congress.

The Testing Industry's Big Four

Airc at the time this all began, it was revealed that there were close ties between the Bush family and some of those Corporations.

None of this is about education, far from it. But so long as there is this much money involved, things are only likely to get worse.