Re: [LiteracyForAll] No child left unfed/no unnecessary testing: bumper stickers

[MONICALUCIDO@comcast.net]

Ok, I'll contact Glenn on the room and send out the minutes.

Thanks
 -------------- Original message ----------------------
From: Susan Harman <susanharman@igc.org>
> Yes, please go try this. If it works, its an idea we can push other 
> places.
> Yes, send out the minutes.
> I dont know why not re the Feb 2 meeting. Glenn got us a lovely room at 
> the Smittcamp Alumni  house. Check with him.
> Susan
> 
> On Thursday, December 20, 2007, at 08:22 PM, MONICALUCIDO@comcast.net 
> wrote:
> 
> > I would definitely be able to do it, but the problem is giving fliers 
> > out to all sites so that everyone knows about it. It will probably 
> > have to be when most return. I could send this idea out to EPATA to 
> > see who else might want to join. Perhaps I could also send it to CFJ 
> > to see if they have some students who would like to talk about their 
> > stories. I happen to know a guy who has connections with the Fulton 
> > Mall activities stuff. I'll see if I can contact him. What do you 
> > think?
> >
> > By the way, I've gone through your notes from the Dec. meeting. It all 
> > looks very promising. Should I send it out to the general group? Can I 
> > make the February date also our next EPATA meeting? If so, what room 
> > was it in at FSU?
> >
> > Thanks,
> > Joe
> >  -------------- Original message ----------------------
> > From: Susan Harman <susanharman@igc.org>
> >> I love this idea! During vacation would be an ideal time. Can you do
> >> it? Can anybody else?
> >> Susan
> >>
> >> On Thursday, December 20, 2007, at 01:06 PM, MONICALUCIDO@comcast.net
> >> wrote:
> >>
> >>> This is what I have stated to many in our group and on this list
> >>> serve. This is truly a war on the MEDIA front. We need visibility and
> >>> a simple message, as Dr. Krashen suggests. Elaine is right in the
> >>> sense that we are dealing with an issue that has many facets of
> >>> complexity and revealing that picture to regular folks in a 
> >>> meaningful
> >>> and EMOTIONAL way, is going to be tough. But now we have the time.
> >>> Although the damage to schools will continue while NCLB waits in
> >>> limbo, now lies an opportunity to connect with parents. They are the
> >>> key. The more we discuss--SIMPLY!----the nature of what is happening
> >>> and what WILL happen, the more people will respond. There needs to be
> >>> face to face interaction, along with the current publishing of
> >>> editorials and radio show programs. In Fresno, what I wanted to do,
> >>> was set up a microphone stand downtown in the mall and send out 
> >>> fliers
> >>> inviting teachers (even parents) to come and speak about the damage
> >>> and pain they face every day so people can S
> >>>  EE it.
> >>>  It would probably get coverage and thrust what is in the darkness
> >>> into the light. We must recognize that our fellow, fearful 
> >>> instructors
> >>> are people with feelings that need to be shared. If a few of us
> >>> stepped up to the mic first, I think others would follow. We need to
> >>> step on the snake's throat while it is off balance. Slogan: "No 
> >>> Excuse
> >>> for Test Abuse"
> >>>
> >>> Joe Lucido
> >>> Educators and Parents Against Test Abuse
> >>> Educator Roundtable
> >>>  -------------- Original message ----------------------
> >>> From: Susan Harman <susanharman@igc.org>
> >>>>>> one that addresses the complexities of the reading and learning
> >>>>>> process.
> >>>> I think the issue is public or private schools, way bigger than
> >>>> reading
> >>>> and learning. So...
> >>>> No Corporation Left Behind
> >>>> Phonics helps you read nonsense; reading helps you read books.
> >>>> NCLB is failing our schools.
> >>>> Don't privatize?organize!
> >>>> Save public schools?repeal NCLB.
> >>>> Susan
> >>>>
> >>>> On Wednesday, December 19, 2007, at 03:14 PM, Georgia HEDRICK wrote:
> >>>>
> >>>>> Don't forget to look at:
> >>>>> http://www.cafepress.com/boycott_nclb--It's not for profit but for
> >>>>> knowledge. Wear a tshirt to school, people.  Spread the word. It's
> >>>>> all
> >>>>> I can offer right now and change anything on site instantly at a
> >>>>> need.
> >>>>> The phrase "TESTING ISN'T TEACHING" is worth being a button or
> >>>>> sticker
> >>>>> too.
> >>>>> And I can make buttons, all sorts of designs thanks to Ken Goodman.
> >>>>> Only costs the postage.
> >>>>> Whatever art you want, I can do.  gh
> >>>>>
> >>>>>
> >>>>>
> >>>>>
> >>>>> Susan Ohanian <susano@gmavt.net> wrote:
> >>>>> 'No Child left unfed' will resonate now as stories about empty Food
> >>>>> Pantries spread across the country.
> >>>>>  NO CHILD LEFT OUT IN THE COLD: GIVE THEM HEAT,  HOUSING AND HEALTH
> >>>>> INSURANCE
> >>>>>  KEEP THE HEAT ON:  NO CHILD LEFT COLD AND HUNGRY
> >>>>>
> >>>>>  Stephen Krashen wrote:
> >>>>>>
> >>>>>> Yes, but ... It might be useful to have some bumper sticker 
> >>>>>> slogans.
> >>>>>> I can think of two, so far:
> >>>>>> NO CHILD LEFT UNFED. This is Susan Ohanian's idea. Brilliant 
> >>>>>> because
> >>>>>> it shifts thinking to the underlying issues.
> >>>>>> NO UNNECESSARY TESTING. This one says we understand the value of
> >>>>>> assessment, and sends the message that ONE of the problems is
> >>>>>> excessive testing.
> >>>>>> I would like to find ways of expressing some other core truths in
> >>>>>> just a few words. I suspect that a short list might cover all our
> >>>>>> points.
> >>>>>> YES, it is true that they might ignore anything we do. But they 
> >>>>>> will
> >>>>>> surely ignore us if we don't do
> >>>>>> anything.
> >>>>>>
> >>>>>> --- Elaine garan <elainegaran@hotmail.com
> >>>>>>> With all due respect to Jim Crawford whom I admire enormously-- I
> >>>>>>> don't think it's a question of our side not offering or
> >>>>>>> articulating
> >>>>>>> an alternative to NCLB. I really don't. I believe that we have 
> >>>>>>> but
> >>>>>>> what "they" want is a bumper sticker alternative rather than one
> >>>>>>> that addresses the complexities of the reading and learning
> >>>>>>> process.
> >>>>>>> Even if we did offer an aliternative, in 25 words or less, do any
> >>>>>>> of
> >>>>>>> us really believe that it would be acknowledged much less 
> >>>>>>> accepted
> >>>>>>> by the other side? They have all the cards including 
> >>>>>>> simple-minded,
> >>>>>>> simple solutions to complex problems. They do not want to face or
> >>>>>>> deal with the underlying causes of the problems facing schools.
> >>>>>>> They
> >>>>>>> are trying for a simplistic, corporate-based, academic solution 
> >>>>>>> to
> >>>>>>> a
> >>>>>>> problem that is human, social, economic and complicated .
> >>>>>>> Of course, they would not accept the brilliant alternatives 
> >>>>>>> offered
> >>>>>>> by whole language and contructivist approaches. Those approaches
> >>>>>>> cannot be reduced to a slogan or a bumper sticker or a few sound
> >>>>>>> bytes that Spellngs can spout off in a press release. It's not 
> >>>>>>> that
> >>>>>>> we have not
> >>>>>>> articulated an alternative! Geez-- we've been shouting into the
> >>>>>>> abyss for years.
> >>>>>>> Case in point-- a few months ago a journalist interviewed me 
> >>>>>>> about
> >>>>>>> the usual and the usual suspects. I said that what this all comes
> >>>>>>> down to is the misuse and manipulation of the research. I then
> >>>>>>> explained how and why. His response is that all of that is true 
> >>>>>>> but
> >>>>>>> it's too complicated to ever have an impact on Congress or the
> >>>>>>> public. In other words, if someone throws out a big lie, the 
> >>>>>>> public
> >>>>>>> and the media are too lazy and too simple-minded to delve into 
> >>>>>>> the
> >>>>>>> complexities that lead to the truth. Sad, sad, sad but true, 
> >>>>>>> true,
> >>>>>>> true.
> >>>>>>> We do not suffer from sound alternatives to NCLB. Not at all! The
> >>>>>>> problem is 1) we lack a forum, 2) we are not simple-minded or
> >>>>>>> simple-sounding enough, 3) you cannot sell what we advocate, 4) 
> >>>>>>> you
> >>>>>>> cannot buy us
> >>>>>>> That is a quadruple wallop (there are probably more points I 
> >>>>>>> could
> >>>>>>> make if I gave it some more time, but we're complex enough as it 
> >>>>>>> is
> >>>>>>> so what's the point?
> >>>>>>>
> >>>>>>> From: KGoodman@u.arizona.edu <mailto:KGoodman%40u.arizona.edu>
> >>>>>>> Date: Wed, 19 Dec 2007 10:30:23 -0700
> >>>>>>> Subject: Re: [LiteracyForAll] Ken Goodman on politics and NCLB
> >>>>>>>
> >>>>>>> In Saving Our Schools I outlined how movement conservatism is
> >>>>>>> organized with the methods and morality of a long range political
> >>>>>>> campaign. In their campaign to privatize education they have been
> >>>>>>> able to control the policies of both the republicans and the
> >>>>>>> democrats. The Reading
> >>>>>>> Excellence Act was passed under the Clinton administration. Andy
> >>>>>>> Rotherham who presents himself as a neo-liberal was the author of
> >>>>>>> the Kerry education platform which strongly supported
> >>>>>>> NCLB. The money and political clout of the campaign comes from 
> >>>>>>> the
> >>>>>>> National Business
> >>>>>>> Roundtable and various conservative foundations. That makes it
> >>>>>>> possible to use NICHD, and various scientific groups as covers 
> >>>>>>> for
> >>>>>>> the National Reading panel and the Snow group reports and to
> >>>>>>> control
> >>>>>>> the press treatment of NCLB and related aspects of the campaign.
> >>>>>>> There is no
> >>>>>>> difference between neo-liberals and neo-cons in their attitudes
> >>>>>>> about public education .
> >>>>>>>
> >>>>>>> The key thing to understand is that in movement consevatism a 
> >>>>>>> small
> >>>>>>> very smart, well-connected, highly funded, totally amoral and 
> >>>>>>> very
> >>>>>>> intelligent group orchestrate and control a campaign
> >>>>>>> which uses many disparate groups who don't even know they are 
> >>>>>>> being
> >>>>>>> used by the campaign- in fact they are led to believe that they 
> >>>>>>> are
> >>>>>>> using the campaign. The campaign has been able to manipulate the
> >>>>>>> legislative process at both the state and national levels. They 
> >>>>>>> use
> >>>>>>> the institutions
> >>>>>>> of democracy to effecitvely destroy democracy. What they have 
> >>>>>>> done
> >>>>>>> in education has used the same methods as the attack on civil
> >>>>>>> liberties and the perversion of the Constitution under Bush
> >>>>>>>
> >>>>>>> That's why I believe that our attempt to counter the campaign to
> >>>>>>> use
> >>>>>>> NCLB to privatize education has been remarkably successful. WIth
> >>>>>>> all
> >>>>>>> their power and money we brought about a stalemate
> >>>>>>> on renewing or worsening NCLB. But we can't out lobby them. We 
> >>>>>>> can
> >>>>>>> win arguments But our appeal to sense and reason can't overcome
> >>>>>>> their political clout and their amoral ability to lie and distort
> >>>>>>> the reality of NCLB and other aspects of the attack.
> >>>>
> >>>>>>> To actually defeat the campaign we need to organize massive
> >>>>>>> resistence on the part of parents, professionals and students. We
> >>>>>>> have to convince Congress and the presidential candidates that
> >>>>>>> continuing in the direction NCLB has taken the schools is 
> >>>>>>> dangerous
> >>>>>>> politically for them.
> >>>>
> >>>>>>> It is possible that we have already had some success in forcing
> >>>>>>> Presidential candidates to take a stand on NCLB- there certainly 
> >>>>>>> is
> >>>>>>> a strong contrast between the rhetoric on education of the
> >>>>>>> Republications and the Democrats. That probably doesn't reflect
> >>>>>>> real
> >>>>>>> differences in how they would treat education if elected as much 
> >>>>>>> as
> >>>>>>> it reflects a growing belief that NCLB us increasingly unpopular
> >>>>>>> and
> >>>>>>> that taking a stand against it is good politics. Resistance can
> >>>>>>> convince Congress what reason can't.
> >>>>
> >>>>>>> Ken Goodman
> >>>>>>>
> >>>>
> >>>> ----------------------------------------------------------
> >>>> Direct questions about the list to listmom@interversity.net
> >>>
> >>> -----------------------------------------------
> >>> Report list problems to listmom@interversity.net
> >>>
> >>>
> >> Vote in the National Cheney Impeachment Poll
> >> http://www.usalone.com/blogvoices.php?Cheney%20Impeachment%3F
> >> Add this text to your own email and blog signatures!
> >>
> >> ---------------------------------------------------------
> >> If you want to help support the operation of Ca-Resisters,
> >> visit http://interversity.org/donations.html and pitch in!
> >> -----------------
> >> Thanks in advance!
> >> -Eric Crump
> >
> > -----------------------------------------------
> > Report list problems to listmom@interversity.net
> >
> >
> Vote in the National Cheney Impeachment Poll
> http://www.usalone.com/blogvoices.php?Cheney%20Impeachment%3F
> Add this text to your own email and blog signatures!
> 
> ---------------------------------------------------------
> If you want to help support the operation of Ca-Resisters,
> visit http://interversity.org/donations.html and pitch in!
> -----------------
> Thanks in advance!
> -Eric Crump