Voice of Revolution

Kleinhans Event Draws 2500

Education Summit Opposes Common Core and Defends the Public Interest

An Education Summit organized recently at Kleinhans drew an audience of about 2500 parents, teachers, students and administrators to discuss the current direction of public education. The Summit specifically focused on the harm the Common Core now being imposed by the New York State Department of Education is causing, including the testing regime and teacher assessments that are part of it. The audience responded repeatedly to the comments by presenters on the need to reject the testing and the Common Core and defend the right to education.

A sizeable number of elected officials attended. They pledged to hold public forums so as to continue the debate about how to raise the quality of education and the system of public education. Participants were also urged by various speakers to continue to have their voices heard, in the schools and at public events.

As the meeting started, load cheers went up as the many places represented were called out. These included Buffalo, as well as Allegheny, Amherst, Batavia, Clarence, Churchville, Cheektowaga, East Aurora, Eden, Ellicottville, Fairport, Frontier, Grand Island, Hamburg, Iroquois, Kenmore-Tonawanda, Lackawanna and Lancaster. Teachers, parents, students and administrators stood united through out the evening, expressing their firm opposition to the testing regime which is harming both children and the teachers forced to impose it. Principals rejected the role they are being given to be policemen. Speakers opposed the loss of local, public authority, as the state increasingly takes over all aspects of governing public schools, what is taught in them and how it is taught.

Numerous examples were given of the mental and emotional impact of the 3-8 grade testing regime. The tests are not valid or reliable as a means to assess students or teachers. They are not developmentally appropriate, a feature brought out by several speakers. They are used to humiliate, punish and impose mass failure, on the students, teachers and public schools more generally. It was brought out that 10 years ago students had about 625 minutes of testing. Today they must endure 3200 minutes of testing as well as many hours in test preparation. Some estimated one third of classroom time is now devoted to the testing regime.

The crowd greatly appreciated the stand taken that it is the government that is failing the youth, not teachers and parents. Speakers also emphasized that it will be up to parents, students, teachers and principals together to block the Common Core and bring about changes that serve the public interest.

The audience gave its loudest and most enthusiastic applause to two speakers, parent Molly Dana, of West Seneca, whose sons, Gus, 9, and Oliver, 6, also participated, and Dr. Mark Garrison. Dana voiced the feelings of all in emphasizing the importance of expressing social love, for all our children, for our teachers and schools. Education is a social matter for all of society and it is clear government is not doing its duty. Parents and teachers must step up and fight for an education that recognizes “the limitless possibilities that exist in all kids,” and that they be valued and respected as human beings. The tests render them as a number, a product, and this cannot be accepted. She also demonstrated, with her children, that youth readily engage in thinking and imagining solutions to questions of concern to them and society. Education should address such concerns and provide means for the youth to be creative and engaged in investigating problems and contributing to solving them.

Dr Mark Garrison spoke to the teacher evaluations, known as the Annual Professional Performance Review, APPR. It has four “bands” that teachers are placed in, highly effective, effective, developing and ineffective. It is estimated that half of NY State teachers will be branded “ineffective.” He spoke to the fact that 60-80 percent of the factors influencing student learning exist outside of schools. For schools to improve, it is necessary to ensure communities improve — that the rights to jobs and housing be met, that lead poisoning be removed, and that poverty be eliminated. The APPR is being used to dismiss these central issues while punishing and eventually firing teachers as the state sees fit.

He also brought out that the testing regime rests on a false premise, that it is teachers that cause learning. It is not. It is the conscious activity of the student that causes learning and it is the role of teachers to provide conditions for that learning. It is a hard job that should be well compensated. Conditions of teachers to teach are conditions for students to learn. Instead of addressing these needs, the Common Core is designed to serve private monopoly interests. Students are to be treated as products and teachers are to “add value,” with students then categorized as having more or less value. Garrison underlined that this concept that teachers “add value” is used to deny the fact that every human being has value and must be treated with dignity. Human beings are not products, they are human beings with rights.

Garrison concluded with the central question of who decides? Who decides the aim of education, who controls the standards, whose interests are served? As Garrison brought out the K-12 public system is being directly bought and controlled by the private monopolies to serve their private interests. He gave a quote from the head of the Business Round Table, who said, “All the products of the K-12 system are either going to go to the university or they are going to the work force.” Garrison emphasized that the Common Core and its APPR are means of control by the private monopolies of public institutions. They are a means to block the public from any role in the public schools. It is a problem of political power and it is time to challenge for control of that political power — a call that was immediately met with an exuberant standing ovation.

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Commissioner King Cancels Public Forums

Public Meetings Serve the Public Interest — Demand One in Every District

New York State (NYS) Education Commissioner John King and the NYS PTA recently announced that they would hold five public “town halls” on the Common Core being implemented statewide. The meetings were billed as a chance to “gather information, ask questions and share concerns” with King about the Common Core and its testing regime. The first was held in Poughkeepsie.

An audience of parents and teachers listened quietly while King spoke for about an hour and a half. As soon as parents got up to speak, King interrupted them. The audience rejected this and demanded that he now listen — he had his turn and now it was up to audience members to speak. Exchanges with the audience ensued, as they attempted to oppose the Common Core and King attempted to control them.

King then decided that he would not hold the rest of the meetings, including one scheduled at Williamsville North High School October 24. The meeting was cancelled, with the public robbed of its public space and voice.

On such a vital matter of public education, the state cannot be allowed to eliminate public meetings. There is a great need for more public meetings, where information is provided and those impacted, like parents, students, teachers, and principals can speak to their experience and give their views. Such meetings are a space for the public to learn, debate and develop stands that serve their interests.

Buffalo Forum urges all concerned to demand of your local School Board and Common Council representatives, as well as state legislators, to hold public meetings on the Common Core and its testing and teacher evaluation regime in every district in Buffalo. Public meetings serve the public interest and it is clear that the public must take initiative to demand them. And if elected officials refuse, to organize public events themselves. Buffalo Forum also offers to speak at and provide information to any forum of this nature and provide additional speakers well-informed on these matters. And we will join all concerned in fighting for public meetings to take place.

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King and Buffalo News Try to Block Opposition to Common Core

Commissioner King, in canceling a public meeting on the Common Core planned for Williamsville North and three others statewide, was quoted as saying, “I was looking forward to engaging in a dialogue with parents across the state…Unfortunately, the forums sponsored by the New York State PTA have been co-opted by special interests whose stated goal is to “dominate” the questions and manipulate the forum.”

The Buffalo News ran an editorial that echoed King. The News said, “Some parents and teachers in Poughkeepsie [where the first meeting was held —BF Ed. note] apparently aren’t familiar with the concept of a town hall meeting, which allows a free exchange of often-controversial ideas.” They blamed parents and teachers — who were demanding their right to speak — saying they were the ones who disrupted the meeting and were “ugly” and not acting like adults.

Anyone viewing the video of the event, which presumably the News did, can see the audience patiently listening to King, then an audience member getting up to speak and King quickly interrupting. (Video is available on You Tube, both a short version called, “Commissioner King Gets Spanked” and the full version of the meeting.) It is clear that it is King, and the Common Core he is imposing, that cannot contend with a “free exchange of often controversial ideas.” The role of the News in promoting King’s disinformation was further shown by the News claiming, “Parents who had planned to attend the Williamsville meeting were upset about the cancellation, possibly because they were planning their own ambush.”

How is it that parents and teachers, coming to participate in a “town hall” meeting that is supposed to be for them, are “ambushing” King? Are people not permitted to organize their participation? Is the organized expression of their views at a public event not an important part of the public being informed? This effort by King and the News to discredit parents is designed to block any opposition to the Common Core. It is meant to prevent the public from having even a voice in a public space, let alone a say in whether or not the Common Core is implemented.

There is widespread, legitimate and well-argued opposition to the Common Core, its testing and teacher evaluation regime (see article above on Kleinhans Education Summit for example). The News, which as media is supposed to be an instrument for informing the public, providing facts, context, connections, interrelationships, etc. is instead an instrument for King and the government’s disinformation — not only about the Common Core but about the public itself.

Concerned and active teachers and parents defending the right to education and developing organization to do so are to be dismissed as “special interests.” This is another way of saying it is parents and teachers who are self-serving and narrow minded, when it is clearly King that is implementing the self-serving and narrow-minded interests of private monopolies — like Microsoft and Pearson. It is these monopolies that developed and paid for designing the Core, the testing, evaluations, instruction modules, etc. These private interests are organizing to force its implementation in New York and across the country. Bill Gates alone has pumped more than $1 billion into the effort. These are the real “special interests” to be targeted and denounced by the public.

One of the features of the present period is that public spaces for the public to gather, discuss, gather information, share experience, are being eliminated. The role of the public in governance is being restricted, as the private interests take over public institutions, like public schools, and/or eliminate their power, as is now occurring with School Boards. The Common Core is removing from local School Boards powers to keep schools open, to fire teachers, to include curriculum consistent with local needs, and more. There is broad concern and anger with the Common Core, based in part on experience parents, students and teachers are all having. These concerns, and suggestions for alternatives need to be heard publicly. The News should be facilitating such efforts, not discrediting parents.

The private monopolies and their servants like King do not want public meetings as they contribute to the forming of public opinion that serves the public interest. They are more and more restricting such forums, as seen by this example of King canceling meetings.

The public is rejecting this effort to block them from having a voice. They are rejecting the efforts by the rich to render town hall meetings as a scripted event, where the politician speaks, the audience is hand picked, all questions must be written on cards, and only a select few can speak. Such a farce will not be accepted!

This rejection was seen recently in a town hall meeting organized by Senator John McCain. He was repeatedly denounced for supporting calls for war against Syria and shouted down when he attempted to silence participants. It was seen again in Poughkeepsie.

The public is rightly demanding public meetings and refusing to be silenced. It favors the content and tradition of town hall meetings — which are public meetings not only for debate but for decision-making on matters of concern. In organizing now for public meetings on education, this content of decision-making by the public needs to again be brought to the fore.

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Education Groups Call for Commissioner John King to Resign

Two organizations, the New York State Allies for Public Education (NYSAPE) and Western New Yorkers for Public Education (WNYPE), both involving many parents, recently issued statements condemning Commissioner King’s cancellation of public town hall meetings and demanding that he resign. They also condemned the Common Core now being imposed by the state, with their testing regime and unjust teacher assessments. We reprint below the two statements.

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New York State Allies for Public Education Calls for the Resignation of NYS Commissioner of Education John King

Billed as an opportunity to “gather information, ask questions and share concerns with New York State (NYS) Commissioner of Education John King,” the NYS Parent Teachers Association (PTA) sponsored Town Hall Meeting on the Common Core and privacy issues was anything but. After speaking uninterrupted for 1 hour and 40 minutes, Commissioner King allowed parents 20 minutes to speak. During this time, parents expressed concerns and attempted to share stories regarding the impact that the Common Core has already had on their children. Commissioner King repeatedly interrupted parents and refused to answer parent questions or address their concerns. Commissioner King subsequently cancelled all future scheduled town hall meetings, called concerned parents “special interests groups” and stated that the forum was “co-opted by special interests whose stated goal is to ‘dominate’ the questions and manipulate the forum.” King went on to state that “Essentially, dialogue has been denied.”

When a public official such as Commissioner King refuses to participate in the democratic process and refuses to hear the concerns of parents while simultaneously carrying out educational policies that affect thousands of children, he is no longer fit to carry out the duties of the NYS Commissioner of Education. Commissioner King, we would argue that it is because of you that “dialogue has been denied.”

According to award-winning Principal Carol Burris of South Side High School in Long Island, last week’s Town Hall meeting in Poughkeepsie, New York highlighted the fact that “The New York State Education Department has lost its moral authority.” Burris states. “One might imagine that if John King had first been a principal of a New York City public school, or the superintendent of a district, he would have become skilled in dealing with emotional and boisterous groups… Leaders must listen deeply, learn and respond. They must be willing to consider alternative courses, and even in loud crowds, hear truth.”

Anthony Cody, nationally recognized educator, public speaker and writer for Education Week says, “Speaking truth to power, as these parents did, is an intoxicating thing. It delivers to both speaker and witnesses a shiver, an awakening to the fact that we do not need to suffer in silence, or allow our children to suffer without objection. Those in power may cancel future hearings, but these parents’ voices are ringing out, like a bell that cannot be un-rung.”

We would say to Commissioner King that in this age of apathy, you should be proud to represent a state where parents have taken the time to inform themselves about the current education reforms and have taken the time from their busy schedules to engage with public officials such as yourself. Aren’t these parents the kind of critically thinking, involved citizens that our public schools hope to create? We would argue that a competent leader does not run away from concerned parents, or call them a “special interest group.” Commissioner King, you are a disgrace to the field of education. It is not surprising that in NYS, your lack of teaching experience would not allow you to be granted tenure in a public school.

The NYS Commissioner of Education sends his own children to a private school, a school that is not legally bound to carry out the same testing and data sharing mandates that he is subjecting thousands of public school children to. He has stated, “I believe that every parent should have the right to choose the school that is right for their child.” Commissioner King subjects public school students to harmful practices while maintaining that parents do not have the right to refuse these mandates. This certainly does not afford all parents “the right to choose the school that is right for their child.” Commissioner King is guilty of promoting inequitable education policies that essentially create a different set of educational opportunities and experiences available to those with the means to afford private school and those who attend public school. This is an attack on the freedoms and rights that are afforded to every American citizen and on public education itself.

New York State Allies for Public Education calls for the immediate resignation of Commissioner of Education John King as he is unfit to carry out the duties of his position competently and he is no longer able to conduct himself in a manner that is consistent with the principles and ideals of American democracy. NYSAPE urges parents, educators and concerned citizens to:

• Spend 10 minutes to add email addresses and phone numbers for the Board of Regents, NYS Representatives and Governor Cuomo to your contacts (information available at: www.nysape.org).

• Call, email, and fax Governor Cuomo DAILY

• CC all emails to Senator John Flanagan, head of the Senate Education Committee; Senate Majority co-leaders Senator Dean Skelos and Senator Jeffrey Klein; Speaker of the House Sheldon Silver; Assemblywoman Nolan, head of the Assembly Education Committee the entire Board of Regents

• Call your local Regent

Let all of them know that:

• New Yorkers deserve a COMPETENT leader who listens to and engages his or her constituents

• New Yorkers deserve a COMPETENT leader who can handle the concerns and dissenting opinions of educated and involved New York parents.

•John King has let abusive testing and data sharing practices dominate the implementation of the Common Core Learning Standards

•John King runs away from the public.

• John King calls concerned parents “special interest groups.”

• John King is not competent to be the NYS Commissioner of Education

Western New Yorkers for Public Education Statement on Canceled Town Hall

Western New Yorkers for Public Education (WNY4PE) expresses its disappointment in the cancellation of a series of town hall forums on the Common Core sponsored by the New York State PTA. Locally a meeting was scheduled for October 24 at Williamsville North High School. Families, the ultimate stakeholder in public education, deserve to have to their voices heard by state education officials.

“New York State Education Department (NYSED) Commissioner Dr. John B. King, Jr. blamed ‘special interests’ for dominating a recent forum in Poughkeepsie, when it was the commissioner who controlled the first hour and a half of the meeting. When parents began to make critical statements about the impact of state education policy on their children, Dr. King tried to interrupt the limited time allotted to the speakers,” stated Chris Cerrone, Springville parent and Hamburg teacher.

Molly Dana, a West Seneca parent, reacted to Commissioner King’s comments: “The only special interests in the town hall meeting held in Poughkeepsie, were parents! So who is denying dialogue? Commissioner King has canceled the rest of his town hall appearances because he doesn’t like what he is hearing from parents. Commissioner King, every time you attempt to silence parents, our voices only grow louder.”

Eric Mihelbergel, a Kenmore-Tonawanda (KenTon) parent, replied, “If John King thinks parents everywhere in the state are a special interest group, then we are likely the largest special interest group in the history of the world.”

“It’s disturbing to see that an official with so much power over the day to day lives of our students and teachers will refuse to meet with concerned parents in a public setting. Commissioner King’s tone-deaf actions are having the effect of mobilizing thousands of parents to take a more vocal and active role in advocating for their kids, in spite of NYSED’s lack of leadership and fear of ‘special interests.’ My children are my special interest,” stated Kara Kane, Springville Griffith Institute Board of Education member and parent.

Cerrone added, “Commissioner King’s actions during the forum in Poughkeepsie showed a lack of leadership. The commissioner’s lack of composure is a poor reflection on the New York State Department of Education and our entire public school system.”

Western New Yorkers for Public Education calls for new leadership at NYSED that will listen to the families of New York State. WNY4PE will be joining New York State Allies for Public Education on Tuesday October 15 in a day of action where individuals across New York will be contacting their elected leaders and Board of Regents members about their lack of confidence in the New York State Education Department.

For more information visit http://www.wnyforpubliced.com

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Ban Fracking Now
Buffalo Joins Global Frackdown

On October 19 people worldwide are organizing actions to demand that fracking be banned, everywhere. Fracking is the dangerous drilling method used to fracture shale rock deep underground to release oil and natural gas. It pumps millions of gallons of water laced with toxic chemicals deep underground, producing massive amounts of poisoned wastewater. It causes great harm to the human and natural environment and is being opposed in New York, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Arkansas, Texas, North Dakota, California and elsewhere in the U.S. and worldwide. It is being pushed in the U.S. by the energy and military monopolies, like Halliburton and Exxon, who are demanding that even more resources be secured for U.S. wars for empire. Fracking is being extended across the country in part because it is seen as a more secure resource in the event of world war. The demand to ban fracking is one not only for the environment, but also as a stand against war.

Buffalo is joining the Global Frackdown with a rally and march at Elmwood and Bidwell. Efforts here are also going forward to secure a fracking ban in Erie Country, expanding on the ban already established in Buffalo. Organizers here also working with those statewide to secure a ban on fracking in New York. Buffalo Forum salutes these organizing efforts and joins in saying: Ban Fracking in New York and Everywhere!

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