It's been difficult to write what is happening to public education in this country now.
I don't mean just difficult because of how it makes me as a retired teacher feel. I mean difficult to explain. Posts about how public schools are being dismantled for the profit of corporations are not exciting, often just plain boring. It's hard to find the right terminology to clarify issues.
The only people speaking out on this issue have been on the internet, mostly bloggers with an educational background.
Today someone I know told me that a neighbor of theirs was furious about all the testing prep going on. Her kids were nervous wrecks.
She remembered what I had talked about....how there were so many groups now telling parents how to opt out of the testing madness.
She told them to look up Opt Out and Opt Out FL and remembered a few other sites I had mentioned. Her neighbor told someone else and so on.
Turns out 4 very frustrated parents signed up to learn how to legally out their child out of the testing.
Now when I write about the harm being done I know it is only being read by a very few. There are ed bloggers at Twitter who are read by others. Maybe in the long run there will continue to be a takeover of schools by private companies who can then reap profits and determine the curriculum.
But there are many parents who are wiser and feeling better now that they plan to relieve the pressure on their children.
That is in itself a form of success.
= new reply since forum marked as read
I know how much your lifetime work must have meant to you.
The "reformers" appear to own both parties. Money does talk.
