American Federation of Teachers President praises Florida's Race to the Top award

[Radical Activist]

AFT President Randi Weingarten pointed out the significance of Obama rewarding points to Race to the Top grant proposals that have support from teacher's unions. She singled out Florida as an example of how RTTT pushed states to give unions a seat at the table, even where the Governor isn't a union supporter.

We are particularly pleased that Florida, Maryland, New York, Ohio and Rhode Island prevailed—their proposals were first-rate and the products of true collaboration among stakeholders—all focused on student achievement.

“Take Florida for example: After being shut out of the discussion in the first round of the Race to the Top competition, teachers fought for and won a seat at the table, where they played a key role in keeping the focus on what students need and what works in their classrooms. Similarly, the New York and Rhode Island proposals have built upon the teacher evaluation work started under the auspices of the AFT Innovation Fund—work so promising it was awarded an i3 grant by the U.S. Department of Education.

http://www.aft.org/newspubs/press/2010/082410a.cfm

[ClarkUSA]

1. Funny how the DUers who spend most of their time attacking Obama's education policy aren't talking.

K&R

[RandomThoughts]

3. heh, I don't have much trust in billionairs being able to set education

policy, they usually do not have the skills necessary based on how people get billions, to set such policy.

However they have to either get it right, or wrong, before action is taken, or that would not be just.


Side note, they are guilty of taking the 'race to the top' mantra without proper attribution of where it came from, or what it is for, and that can be collected on.

[JuniperLea]

6. How many billionaires do you know personally?

I would think a statement like that would require some personal knowledge.

I would think that any billionaire who is self-made is fully capable of setting a lot of polcies in a lot of areas.

[RandomThoughts]

11. It only requiers knowledge of the system that moves money to people.

By observation of who and how people make money, it is possible to make a generalization about people with much money.

However like all generalizations, it is not completly accurate, hence why I say I don't trust them much, and why I also say they have to show what they do, right or wrong.

You assume that making money is a good attribute.

What if a person made billions by killing, lying, and hurting people. Would you want them to set policy?

What if they made money by... Some better method, maybe providing some item many needed, and that helped many people not a few people.

Making money does not have an attribute that can match a better attribute for deciding something like education.



And Billionaires, that have far more then they need, have not corrected my issue, although that could be a blocker issue, or a filter issue. So there is always that, so by personal observation, I can also make those statements.

If reality exist, then they know they should, if it is not reality, then why would my posts matter anyways.

[JuniperLea]

14. You assume much...

What about a billionaire who started out with nothing, built his billions by helping people, and gives 75% of it to charity? I'd call that a brilliant and good person.

[RandomThoughts]

17. 75% ??

That is far less then those that give a smile when they have nothing.

If you want to make comparisons based on some percentage, that still leaves him with 250 million, heh, how is that giving?

But like I said, I am not saying it is true for all billionaires, but from personal observations, few end up with billions by helping people, except if they help people in a smaller empathy circle to hurt many people.

Some exceptions is the Wozniak apple guy, I think he is an exception, that is just my view though, Bill Gates may be also, since both added something, and did not do for money but for some pleasure in learning and creating things, although Bill has monopoly failure in ideas, and I also have some knowledge of how his system inside Microsoft works with things like temps, for profit.

And many in entertainment are also exceptions where they made money by offering knowledge or fun. And even in some private sector where real capitalism works, not monopoly capitalism, or broken capitalism for profit not for finding a need people have. Ben and Jerrys would be an example of that.

Sure there are many others that are probably even better, hence why I don't judge.

And everything I have done, or not done, heh, is in the same form of self made also, as was my Grandpa a self made millionaire. Although I have no money.

So you may not be reading the entire concept of my post.

Because of how some can make money, and errors in the system, having money is not a determiner of being able to set policy. It is also not a determiner of who can not set policy.

And in my belief, it seems 'race to the top' was misused for a different purpose without attribution, although correlation is not causation, so there is possible reality perceptions that have to be though on that. Although in reality concepts, their is a debt owed for that, but only if not used for a better result, hence again why waiting to see what results occur.



The thing I like about this clip, is it does not say who is the wrong, or who should be brunt of avenging, it has a lack of judgment, and a caring in it.

ummm... or something like that LOL
http://www.southparkstudios.com/clips/154186/?searchterm=Grey+Dawn

LOL :rofl:

Although I doubt I agree with much of that show.
http://www.southparkstudios.com/episodes/103856

I have a hunch their is humor in it.

[JuniperLea]

21. Wow...

someone gives away billions and all you can do is snark em off... fucking brilliant.

:eyes:

[RandomThoughts]

31. First off, if they got billions, it is very difficult for them to be able to

defend that they earned it, instead some system gave it to them.

And yea I don't respect them as much as a kind poor person, and can defend that concept. But more importantly, they have shown they don't think my opinion matters by not correcting my issues.

So why would me saying something someone disagrees with, mean anything to them?

So.... They can fuck off :)

And that should not bother them, since they did not listen to what else I said did they :)

[Radical Activist]

12. They're too shy to talk

but they're certainly reading enough to unrec.

[Scurrilous]

35. ...

Indeed.

[WinkyDink]

29. Your point is?

[LWolf]

34. Since I'm back to work, I'm not at DU for more than a few minutes.

I don't catch every thread.

Since you are "concerned" about my response, though:

I'm glad Randi Weingarten isn't my union president. If she were, I'd be working to vote her out.

I'm delighted that my state chose not to compete for the second round of RTTT funds; it means we haven't capitulated to Obama/Duncan deformations.

[Nikki Stone1]

2. Not a surprise. Union's been brought in. You should read Howard Zinn on unions after WWII

Or maybe Zinn is too left for ya.

[ClarkUSA]

4. Yes, it's all a conspiracy.

:eyes:

[Nikki Stone1]

10. No, it's the buying off of top leadership. Happens all the time.

If you actually knew something, you would see how easily it's done.

[ClarkUSA]

13. Where's your proof? Or is this another unproven smear of those who dare approve of Obama?

I see "how easily it's done" at DU.

[Hekate]

26. Pretty amazing. For those of us who don't know, links to how this was accomplished?

Who was bought off and by whom?

Thank you.

[Radical Activist]

8. heh

I think Zinn has one book I still haven't read yet.
I don't understand you suggesting that he would be too left for me in this context though. Obama set up RTTT in a way that gives unions a seat at the table and it was a smart move.

[Scurrilous]

5. Thanks.

K & R :thumbsup:

[JuniperLea]

7. "work so promising"

Good stuff!

Thanks!

K&R!

[Cha]

9. Good for the Florida teachers getting

on board and those in all the other states too who recieved this money in their race to the top. It is about the students.

My sister is certainly happy that New York prevailed! :fistbump:

[MadHound]

15. And your point is?

Just because a teacher's union approves of RTTT doesn't mean that it is a good thing. In fact what this shows more than anything is that the union leadership is out of touch with teachers, and education in general.

Meanwhile, Florida has opened itself up to more charter schools, more testing and merit pay based on those tests. And along the merry path they go, onwards to destroying their public education system.

[DevonRex]

16. Good news that the teachers' unions have a seat at the table. And great

about the RTTT money.

[lamp_shade]

18. Great news for my state.

[progressoid]

22. Not so great news for the other 41 states.

[LWolf]

33. It is for mine.

I'm thrilled that my state declined to compete. It means we aren't adopting Duncan/Obama deformations.

[NJmaverick]

19. K&R

[progressoid]

20. ROFLOPOTOMUS !!1! Not exactly an endorsement.

From the end of the press release is this little bit:

AFT members, who work every day on the frontlines of education reform and innovation, while happy for the winners, continue to be concerned that the Race to the Top competition by design excludes millions of public school students across the country. Rather than creating a contest that picks winners and losers, our education policies and programs should offer all students the quality education they need to succeed in college, career and life.



No shit.

[Hekate]

23. Wow. I didn't know that RTTT pushed states to give unions a seat at the table!

It was nice of AFT President Randi Weingarten to point that out. From reading about the issue heretofore at DU, I never would have known that.

Hekate

[Radical Activist]

24. States get points for including teacher unions and getting their approval.

I know it's a strange thing to do for a plan that's supposed to be part of a grand conspiracy to bust unions and destroy public education.

[progressoid]

25. Or the RTTT program could have just invited them to the table to begin with.

Kind of makes Arne's statement: “It’s about collaboration among all stakeholders—including administrators, educators, unions, parents and elected officials” seem just a tad disingenuous.

[SunsetDreams]

27. K&R

[WinkyDink]

28. Don't care; I'm NEA all the way.

[Radical Activist]

30. IL-EA keeps endorsing Republcans.

It's odd. They endorsed the last two IL Governors who both went to jail. They even endorsed that Republican crook George Ryan over Poshard, who had been a teacher and strong supporter. It's hard for me to take their IL affiliate seriously after the many puzzling endorsements they've made.

But getting back to the post, state NEA leaders have been empowered with a seat at the table to write winning RTTT applications as well. The point is true for either union.

[WinkyDink]

32. Well, FEH. A pox on........