Occupy DOE starts Dump Duncan Poetry Contest

Anyone who follows this site is aware of discontent brewing among educators, related to education policies in America. Besides talking about educational issues, they are talking action by calling for the resignation of U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan. They also stared a creative poetry contest to help get the word out. The organizations basic complaints, as taken from their website, are posted below. To learn more or sign the petition please do log onto their site.

Gregory

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"The future of public schools is in jeopardy. Private interests, aided by the Federal Government, are attempting to supplant local control and to transfer public funding to the hands of corporate interests. Public schools, locally controlled, are a cornerstone of our democracy. Relegating them to corporate-owned test prep factories places our nation at risk and steals our children’s future."

We have started a Dump Duncan poetry contest. It is at http://dumpduncan.org/discussions/#/discussion/15/dump-duncan-poetry-contest. Post them as separate comments and attach a name so the author will get credit. A$50 award has been posted for the best effort and will be awarde at the Occupy DOE in March.

Dr. Mark Naison on Education: Hypocrisy Not Democracy

I think the following short e-mail from Dr. Mark Naison says more in a paragraph than all the words written by Duncan, Klein and Walcott combined on education in America. I guess Frank Zappa was right (see previous post). I guess “their” children will concentrate on higher order thinking skills while everyone else’s kids are subject to environments that promote rote memorization.

Please do see the link to "Occupy the DOE" below.

Gregory

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Hypocrisy Not Democracy

How does it feel to live in a country where the people making education policy, the Barack Obamas, Arne Duncans, Bill Gates, and Michael Bloombergs, send their children to private schools where classes are capped at 15, where there are no standardized tests, where teachers's creativity is honored and there is plenty of art, music, science and sports, but want YOUR children to sit at a desk all day preparing for standardized tests, taught by teachers who work in terror of losing their jobs, in schools where art music and sports are cut to make room for testing? If you think this unfair, if you think it is wrong, if you think it is hypocritical, then join parents, teachers, students and concerned citizens at "Occupy the DOE" in Washington DC March 30-April 2! It's time to stand up for democratic education and fight off the bogus "education reform movement" which wants to create a two tier education system that reserves creative thinking for the children of the wealthy while condemning the vast majority of American children to a regime of rote learning.

unitedoptout.com/event/we-endorse-occupy-wall-street-with-action/