Let President Obama know...

From the Diane Ravitch blog,

A reader told me that she received an email from the Obama campaign asking her how the administration’s education policies have affected her.

I received the same email, as have, I assume, thousands or millions of others.

So, yes, please tell the campaign how Race to the Top has affected you.

Let them know how their policies have pushed state legislatures to pass teacher-evaluation systems that are unproven, inaccurate, unstable, and punitive.

Let them know how teachers will be evaluated based on the test scores of students who are chronically absent.

Let them know how teachers will be evaluated based on the test scores of students they never taught.

Let them know that the rankings produced by these systems are arbitrary and capricious.

Let them know that the merit pay programs they have spent $1 billion to promote have universally failed to affect student achievement.

Let them know that test scores are not synonymous with good education.

Let them know that charters have evolved into a means of undermining public education, which is the bedrock of our democratic society.

Let them know that teachers want to collaborate with their colleagues, not compete with them for dollars.

Let them know that you expected Secretary Duncan to complain when your state cut the budget for the arts, for libraries, for class size reduction, for higher education, and you were disappointed that he was silent.

Let them know that you have been disappointed that Secretary Duncan has not spoken out forcefully and often against state laws that strip teachers of any job protections because such laws remove academic freedom from teachers.

Let them know that the high-stakes testing that the Obama administration has insisted upon is hurting your children and changing their education into a daily drill for the next state test.

Let them know that you might want for your children what the Obama girls receive at the Sidwell Friends school–a rich curriculum and teacher-made tests, small classes, and good facilities for learning and teaching.

Let them know how the Obama education policies have affected you.

They need to know.

http://dianeravitch.net/2012/06/06/the-obama-campaign-wants-to-know/