Write to Your Legislator NOW
From afar I have been following the machinations of the State Senator Republicans (and the 3 Roadkill Dems including Rodney Tom) and the state budget.
I can only say that, like Nick Hanauer, this is no way to show loyalty to your party. I think if Senator Tom wants to be a Republican, he should go back to being one (he acts like one anyway). I also think that these three men have done damage to their reputation within the Democratic delegation. I certainly would not trust what they say in the future.
I also had been wondering why LEV had been so silent on the subject of the charter legislation and now it's obvious. They knew this ploy was coming. I'm sure that they were pushing it all along and hope that they will come out with the charter bill (in some form) passed. I can only say I hope that if that happens, they take the $3M away from Pettigrew. It would all seem like a bit much.
Interestingly, one of the Roadkill Dems, Kastama, is against charter schools.
The budget that the Roadkill Dems support would cut $30M from K-12 and something like $20M from higher ed. It's the wrong direction for our state to be following.
So folks, please. Tell your legislators no to this Republican budget. Ask them to hold firm to what the Dems have put forward. Most of all, tell them that there should be no extra bills included within the budget. Tell them we can't cut K-12 funding and then fund charter schools.
I can only say that, like Nick Hanauer, this is no way to show loyalty to your party. I think if Senator Tom wants to be a Republican, he should go back to being one (he acts like one anyway). I also think that these three men have done damage to their reputation within the Democratic delegation. I certainly would not trust what they say in the future.
I also had been wondering why LEV had been so silent on the subject of the charter legislation and now it's obvious. They knew this ploy was coming. I'm sure that they were pushing it all along and hope that they will come out with the charter bill (in some form) passed. I can only say I hope that if that happens, they take the $3M away from Pettigrew. It would all seem like a bit much.
Interestingly, one of the Roadkill Dems, Kastama, is against charter schools.
The budget that the Roadkill Dems support would cut $30M from K-12 and something like $20M from higher ed. It's the wrong direction for our state to be following.
So folks, please. Tell your legislators no to this Republican budget. Ask them to hold firm to what the Dems have put forward. Most of all, tell them that there should be no extra bills included within the budget. Tell them we can't cut K-12 funding and then fund charter schools.
Comments
Most Democrats preferred to spend the money on children. The Republicans and a few Democrats (Tom included, I believe) chose the cash prizes for county fairs. The debate is truly amazing. I highly recommend that everyone check it out. You can find it here:
http://www.undeadolympia.com/2012/03/03/when-satire-died-last-night-its-ok-it-will-rise-again/
Make sure to watch the video clip. The article just doesn't do justice to the absurdity of the debate. If you want to know how low things have gotten in Olympia, then check it out.
DWE
Will the Dems fight to reframe the debate from terms favorable to the 1%? Nope. Excuses, Blame & Fear will be what we little nobody people will get - Rodney is the gift that keeps on giving.
FedUpYet?
Many bills were passed out of the Senate until 2am Saturday morning. Republican bills were consistently passed out with 25:24 vote. Many of these bills were not heard in committee meetings. There was also no opportunity for public comment.
Kudos to Senator Kohl-Welles. She argued against lack of transparency- and the unspeakable actions that undermine our democracy.
I agree with DWE. You must watch this. The press has not adequately written about lack of transparency and actions which have undermined our democratic principals. Dirty politics, for sure.
If you think individual voices don't matter right now, you are wrong. Want to stop the Republican plan for education spending? All roads to the final budget run through the 43rd legislative district.
Sen. Ed Murray aka "Rug Pulled Out From Under Him Friday" is the Senate Ways and Means head. Frank Chopp is Speaker of the House.
Contact them immediately. Tell them you reject reduced education spending. The Senate Republicans are claiming to preserve K-12 funding when they are actually cutting it.
Tell them you reject any attempt by 'Democratic' education funding turncoat Sen. Rodney Tom to horsetrade 'trial' Charter Schools for his budget vote. You better believe that Tom will try it, backed by Korsmo and Munn from LEV and the disingenous Stand for Children crowd.
It wouldn't hurt to see if some of the active 43rd LD education advocates could also push on Chopp and Murray. Like the other Seattle LDs, the 43rd Dems passed an anti-charter resolution, but Chopp and Murray may or may not be solidly against. I do not know.
A few names come to mind for organizing a push: longtime 43rd member Linda Clifton, who was a teacher. Kay Smith-Blum. Michelle Buetow, who lost to Harium Martin-Morris in November. All are on Facebook or perhaps Melissa has contact information for them? Unfortunately Brooke Brod, who works for Stand, is also well known in the 43rd and is probably working the backrooms hard.
His dad offered me a job out of high school and I respected that man. I emailed Murray about the health care issue and told him if he supported it, his dad would be disappointed in him. Murray is a good Democrat. And I"m no longer in his district. But, my senator, Frockt, also energetically spoke against the Republican usurping of the budget.
If you email, email Sheldon, Kastama, and Tom and give them hell. Good Roadkill Dems didn't betray because they are good conservative Dems. I hope Sheldon gets primaried next time around. I hope they all do.
The funny part of this is that Rutherford said he was for it because it was "reimbursement to fairs for last years events and they can't afford ... "
But the teachers who spent their money because the legislature agreed to reimburse them for their National Boards find their reimbursements eliminated. Hypocrisy anyone?
Of course, the best part is Swecker who home school his kid but thinks fairs did more for his success in life as a turkey farmer than did his parent's home schooling of him. Would someone explain that one, please.
"He's a fireman by day and raises sheep and turkeys by night." I guess without $3 million that wouldn't have happened. I wonder what 4H and fairs did before legislatures started giving them money for blue ribbons?
n...
http://www.tvw.org/capitolrecord/index.php/2012/03/watch-last-nights-budget-debate-here/
Dora
That can be used in any referendum about charters. I think when people realize they couldn't get what they wanted one way, they chose a sneaky way.
Dora
I don't want to see it go that way, go to a general vote, but if it has to, it will.
I'd rather we focus our money, energy and attention to what matters most, building on what we have and ensuring funding for all of our schools.
On that I know that we both agree.
Dora
My guess is that Tom got pissed off that his charter thing failed and that Pettigrew seemed to be giving up on the charters in favor of the $3 million for his schools. Did Pettigrew lose or keep the $3 million in the R budget? I think Tom was quietly talking to the Rs (his old friends) and then decided to go with them when he didn't get what he wanted from the Ds.
-from the 48th
I think both parties are getting off far too easy. Neither has shown any accountability for Education. ((WASL and the GLEs and EALRs "accountability?".... what a joke those were .... Thanks to Terry B and the Guv and legislature .... We spent enormous amounts more than on Iowa tests and received "diddy squat". This spending did not impact student learning positively ..... the fact that phony OSPI WASL results improved while College remediation rates increased .... says a lot about what occurred under Terry B and her drones.))
Whether we look at funding or direction when it comes to education these partys each merit a BIG "F" ... We can now award those justices in the WA Supreme Court with an "F" for their funding "F" as well.
The State Houses have adopted the Common Core State Standards and pushed for many "Race to the Top" reforms. The were huge bi-partisan mistakes. ..... {just follow the money ... this had zero to do with thinking about improving education}
The legislature either failed to notice or did not care that the CCSS requires local districts to spend at least $165 million on implementation and funding of the CCSS ..... This has ZERO to do with providing the education WA students need .... the education that has been inadequately funded .... now gets an additional counter-productive hit (- $165 million)
Since the Repubs don't do the job .... that hardly makes the Dems praise worthy.
The Big money decides where to draw the line and the Repubs line up a little to the right of it and the Dems a little to the left of the line and they are each far away from what is needed as they are too close to that big money line.
The WA Supremes apparently realized that the constitutional rights of many students were being violated ... but decided that was OK.... at least for another six-years. .... In NY State a similar lawsuit was the driver for tax reform because in NY State the violation of the constitution and education are taken seriously. ...... In WA we just squabble about which pathetic party is doing the best for our kids.
Its not just about money ... it is about direction. Neither party cares to do much thinking .. Thinking must interfere with listening to big money.
The WEA is not even worth mentioning.
Write your senators and legislators. I believe Tom is carrying water for the League of Education Voters and will reintroduce charters to pass the budget.
Kelly Munn from League of Education Voters wrote the following:
Kelly Ann Munn: I think there is political issues here that we do not fully understand. I don't think the budget will actually be cut...I think this is more of a policy fight. I could be wrong. But I know Rodney, he doesn't want to take money away from anyone...but he does want some policy change and that is very, very difficult to do right now if you are in the middle.
Yesterday at 12:34pm · LikeUnlike
Kelly Ann Munn: So...I'm saying that I think this is not a budget fight that is real, its a policy fight. I could be wrong. I hope not. And, I do admire that Rodney is doing what he believes in, as you well know, he will be much maligned for this....but what is the most important, is to watch how this plays out...what REALLY happens after this. It could actually be better for the states children...we don't know that right now.
Dora
http://blog.thenewstribune.com/politics/2012/03/02/roadkill-caucus-splits-over-senate-blowup/?fb_comment_id=fbc_10150703366640733_22642766_10150705559980733#fad94aa79103
Published online Monday March 5 came an article that has links to a number of studies on Charter schools and several of the studies are very recent.
Here is the link to:
Studies Find Charters Vary in Quality, Creativity
By Jackie Zubrzycki
Twenty-one years after Minnesota passed the nation's first charter school law, researchers still disagree on whether such independent public schools are any more effective than regular public schools.
There is one point on which critics and proponents can all agree: There are plenty of good charter schools out there, and plenty of bad ones.
Much less is known, however, about how innovative charter schools turned out to be.
Now serving more than 2 million students in 41 states and the District of Columbia, charter schools were conceived to be incubators of innovation. The idea was that this new breed of public school could foster fresh thinking on schooling by freeing educators from many of the regulations that govern—and, some would say, hamstring—regular schools. The quid pro quo was that charters would have to yield student-achievement results as good as or better than those of regular public schools.
etc. etc. etc.
Dear N, Respectfully, you are incorrect. Sheldon Tom and Kastama have had their moment, but Chopp and Murray will be the keys to ultimate budget approval.
The 46th is stronger on education issues than the 43rd. Note that Melissa couldn't get Chopp to talk to her about charters. The 43rd is stronger on social services with Murray and Chopp's interests. Pederson has made his name serving his gay constituents. That is why I suggested talking to active Democrats in addition to Melissa in the 43rd who know education issues. I don't want to see the 43rd trading on education and charters in order to get a budget deal done.
-In the 48th
http://www.theolympian.com/2012/03/05/2017188/protest-planned-today-over-senate.html?STORYLINK=twt
Mad as heck!
There are only so many gimmicks that Murray and Chopp can generate.
On another topic: Nick Hanauer. It occurred to me over the weekend that he doesn't give a hoot about charter schools. He's probably just looking for a reason to support McKenna over "cap and trade" Inslee. As a venture capitalist, I can't see him firmly in an Inslee camp. I think the charter school thing is a smoke screen.
n...
Today on Seattle Schools Community Forum, I pont to Hanauer as Not The Future.
Just wanted to keep things even.
EdVoter
It's pretty depressing as a voter and taxpayer and one who generally vote democratic. There's no place to turn to anymore. You get the icky feeling after talking to these folks. I used to go to community meetings and see Frank Chopp, Tim Burgess, DeBell, etc. to hear them talk and I used to think, wow, they talked like the care. Not anymore. Just more white dudes climbing up political ladders. Stupid me!
You think if SCPTSA was smart and really care, they do things like rallying all local PTAs to come out and March with community groups in Rainier Beach to help support the take back of their streets so kids and adults can walk safely in the neighborhood. That would be something and wouldn't even cost any fundraising money. Just a great opportinity to support Seattle schools as a WHOLE. If LEV really care, they would do the same or look at what alternatives they can offer RB kids when their local community center and pool are closed. Kids need safe places to go. Charters aren't going to do that. My kids are not allowed to walk to the local library after school because it's not safe. It affects their outlook. Our older parents who used to take buses to the ID and Harborview clinics now are nervous at bus stops and walking in the neighborhood. I know we have a bit of a siege mentality because of safety concern. But I guess this doesn't matter to politicians and all those who say they are here to help our kids. Gotta get the new sport franchise first and get those standardized testings done and maybe a charter here and there, and problems solved.
Adequate policing, after school teen programs, chess clubs, summer school programs, more counselors, more employment support, better health care and safe transit access.... all too much to ask and been there before. Yawn, lots of expensive, doesn't work social programs right?
-just one more powerless voice and vote
-feeling powerless
n...
the critical flaws in your ideas:
They don't work for the old guard - focus on getting something done leaves unemployed all the Big Kahunas who have Big Degrees and Big Credentials and Big Titles and Big Paychecks ... making dumb processes or making big tomes.
They don't work for the new kids on the block - how are the Kipp-Koop-Krime syndicates going to line their pockets?
Where's the win-win here? If you're not going to employ 2 or 4 or 600 Cap Hill, Queen Anne, Wallingford ... paper pushers, what good is it?
This isn't like the 30's, when the Democratic Party and the unions learned how to deliver the bacon!
BaconAin'tPowerPoint