Contact for George Miller

[Peter Farruggio <pfarr@cal.berkeley.edu>]

> From: DuaneCampbell <campd227@PACBELL.NET>
>
>
> I have my students writing George Miller from district addresses.
> here is the letter which I wrote.
> Duane Campbell
>
> You certainly make it difficult to contact the 
> Congressman.  Is he responsive to the electorate?
> I have read your statements on NCLB.   You are 
> not getting to the heart of the issues.
> I write from the Democratic wing of the 
> Democratic Party.   and, I do not accept your 
> present commitment to NCLB.  It is a Republican 
> bill, drafted by Republicans, and you are negotiating the margins.
>
> The domination of school reform dialogue by 
> conservative political forces and corporate 
> financed institutes (1983- 2008) produced a 
> shift in discussion of school issues away from 
> equal opportunity and toward analysis of the 
> ?achievement gap?  the gap in scores between 
> ethnic and economic groups. . The accountability 
> movement stressed  increased testing  rather 
> than relying  upon teacher curriculum  decision 
> making.  It is noticeable  in this debate that 
> the conservative policy advocates did not have 
> their children or grandchildren in low income 
> schools  where the curriculum and teaching has 
> too often been reduced to drill and test.  Their 
> children are in middle class schools ? higher 
> achieving schools- where the curriculum and 
> teaching strategies remain more open, more child 
> friendly, more divergent and where schools 
> pursue multiple goals, not only improved test scores
>
>  In political  terms this shifted 
> responsibility for children?s educational 
> achievement from the  unequal 
> government  funding and placed it at the feet 
> of teachers and education professionals while 
> also  demonizing teachers? unions and other 
> education professionals.   The accountability 
> and testing movement 
> changed  the  educational  debates away from 
> discussion of democracy and multicultural 
> education toward  measuring  achievement in 
> math and reading.  These shifts were not 
> accidental nor are they politically neutral.
>             We are in a difficult situation; 
> our students? futures and the health of our 
> democracy depend upon engaging in the struggle 
> for democratic education. If we want democracy, 
> we must educate for democracy. Democracy 
> depends upon the participation of its members 
> in the political, social, cultural and economic 
> institutions.  We do this through public 
> schools. The current federal law,  No child 
> left behind  (NCLB) and most state school 
> reform plans  remove teachers, students and 
> parents from active involvement in decision 
> making about standards, testing, and 
> curriculum, and restricts the decision making of elected school boards.
> The fundamental issue is you need to start 
> listening to teachers, not to "educational 
> experts" who make their living by commenting on teachers lives.
>
> I will be publishing your response, or your lack of response, on my blog;
> www.choosingdemocracy.blogspot.com
>
> Dr. Duane E. Campbell
> author,
> Choosing Democracy; a practical guide to 
> multicultural education.  ( 2004) Merrill/Prentice Hall.
> new edition written for 2009.  It will comment 
> on how the Democrats did, or did not , improve NCLB.
>
>
> 272 E. 12th. street.
> Vacaville, Calif.  95687