Network for Public Education: It's #PublicSchoolsWeek

From NPE:

Please send this email to your members of Congress letting them know you support public schools and you would like them to express their support this week as well. You can click and send here to generate that email.  

A New Report by the Network for Public Education Exposes the Problems Associated with Online Learning

The increased reliance on technology in schools is moving at a breakneck speed—one that far exceeds the accumulation of research on its effectiveness. Does online and blended learning enhance student learning? What do we know about virtual schools? How does profit influence policy decisions on the use technology?


Beyond questions of effectiveness, there are also student privacy concerns. Online learning, in all of its forms, captures a treasure trove of student data. Who owns the data and to what ends may it be used? Can private student information be sold for commercial purposes, with or without parental consent? What educational decisions are being made for students based on data that may or may not actually capture their achievement or abilities?

You can find that report here.

NPE Survey Finds That Parents, Teachers and Students Reject Arming Teachers and Favor Gun Control Instead

NPE received over 8,000 responses to our online survey available from February 25 through February 28. The survey was sent to NPE’s 330,000 supporters nationwide, and was also disseminated through social media. Only parents, teachers and students (between the ages of 14-25) were asked to respond.
Key results from the survey include:

• Only 8% of respondents want teachers to carry guns in school.
• More than 9 of 10 (94%) support a ban on assault weapons, defined as semi-automatic weapons.
• Nearly every respondent (99%) wants increased funding for violence prevention services, including counselors and threat reporting services.
• 98% support tougher gun ownership regulations.
• 93% support increased funding for security, with the caveat that security needs would be determined by the school community.

When asked to identify the top three ways to prevent gun violence in schools, respondents identified banning assault weapons, tougher gun control and increased funding for support services.
Go here to find our webpage on Stopping Gun Violence in Schools.