I Hate Dialysis Message Board
Off-Topic => Off-Topic: Talk about anything you want. => Topic started by: cariad on February 18, 2011, 07:15:33 PM
-
Hiya,
Have not been on in a while. Received devastating news two days ago at a meeting with the school board president that our idiot governor Scott Walker wants to cut education by one BILLION dollars in this state. My kids are going to lose all of their 'specials' (art, physical education, math program) at school, plus 6 additional teachers. The school only has 22 as it is. The meeting that our PTA hosted with the school board president made the front page of our paper. This was bloody shocking, people were screaming and crying and we had over 200 hundred in attendance. Anyone who has been to a PTA meeting for a school of roughly 400 knows that that is unheard of. Well done to our PTA president.
Gwyn and I are furious. The governor wants to crush the unions and he's willing to sacrifice my sons' education to achieve that goal. Gwyn booked off Thursday (at some risk to his new job) and we all jumped in the car and headed to Madison in a convoy with teachers and parents. The teachers bravely ignored the threats of disciplinary action from the superintendent, and he was forced to shut the schools down today for lack of teaching staff. I spent today in Madison as well, meeting up with the Milwaukee crowd. The atmosphere there is electrifying. I know there have been TOTALLY FABRICATED reports of violence. Could this be a less violent crowd? It's like Woodstock without the drugs. People are passing pizza around the rotunda, singing the national anthem, making room for little kids to get a better view, holding hands with strangers, and spreading liberal love everywhere. Yesterday we happened to follow the firefighters and police into the rotunda and the chant from the teachers quickly changed to 'thank you, thank you, thank you' echoing through the capitol as the parade of firefighters and cops passed under the dome. I can honestly say I felt PRIDE in this country, and this is not something I can say very often.
We stood in the rotunda for hours chanting. I had a spot close enough to hear the leaders, so once I could hear the chant I turned around to shout it to my section so we could all join in. Teachers from my son's school were there, and they kept thanking us. It feels weird to be thanked for something that I would not have missed for the world. Union forever!!!
This is what democracy looks like:
-
So how long is the next election of Govenor? Enough outcry can force him to resign if people do not like him that much.
I can see cutting P.E. class, but Math is something we need especially when the US is not even on the top ten list of educated students in a few of these type of fields. How about cutting these over inflated salaries of school board people who only work the job part time
-
Do School Board Members get paid? How about cutting the salaries of the Superintend and all the congressmen!
With ALL the money going towards education where does it all go. The kids in our state have to bring their own supplies and extra for the kids who don't bring any.
Maybe if parents would feed their kids at HOME that would save our tax payers money.
Anyway, good luck. Yes, it has been on the news. Stay safe in case the police start shooting rubber bullits!
-
Fight the good fight, cariad.
-
Cariad
I am in NJ.. but am "with" you in WI!!! It is so frustrating... I want to drive out there myself!!! I had my DH call his union to see what they are doing to support you guys ....
-
Watching the news right now and the democrats from Wisconsin are hiding out in Chicago so that a vote can not be done on the issue. However the news said the Repblican side has enough votes to pass it and the democrats do not want to return untill they discuss it before voting.
So who's money are they using to hide out in Chicago?
-
I think it is great what you are doing. :2thumbsup;
-
:boxing; :boxing; :boxing;
The LAST place any budget should be cut is education! Good grief, it affects the future!
:boxing; :boxing;
Keep up the fight!
-
Good for you! I'm "wiith" you! Glad you went and that your voices may be heard! Cutting education is crazy! You go! :yahoo;
-
So how long is the next election of Govenor? Enough outcry can force him to resign if people do not like him that much.
I can see cutting P.E. class, but Math is something we need especially when the US is not even on the top ten list of educated students in a few of these type of fields. How about cutting these over inflated salaries of school board people who only work the job part time
Chris, Walker has been on the job 2 whole months! It will take a recall to save this state. A friend of mine ran over to me at our PTA meeting with the president of the school board and whispered "We're trying to decide whether we should leave the state or the country." I replied "Country. Come with us to England!" I don't know about school board salaries, my guess is those are quite modest. However, the superintendent! He apparently just gave himself a substantial raise and his salary is now around $260,000. Dems are paying their own way in Illinois. You should thank them for boosting your economy! ;)
The math they are going to cut is a special maths program for the kids in school who are not being challenged enough in their regular class. My older son was born a math fanatic - you can tell how easy the math is for him by how much Rangoli he has time to draw all over his papers while he's waiting for the rest of the class to finish.
Rerun, I know it's bonkers the supplies that we are asked to bring in for school here! Apparently, some schools tell the parents to bring in toilet roll!! We have to bring in 4 boxes of tissues at the start of the year, and I thought that was idiocy. I am worried about the protests today with the Tea Party rolling in. I just hope for peace and non-violence despite the disagreement over policy.
Fight the good fight, cariad.
Always, galvo, always!
Carol, thanks so much for the support. We are honoured to each contribute in our own small way to fight for all working people across the country.
Thanks, Marc! And our school teachers thank you, too!
Oh, Aleta! Agreed, agreed, agreed! The governor sent his own boys to MPS (Milwaukee Public School system) when he was just making his working wage as a state legislator. Now that he makes a governor's salary, he has put the application in to send them private. Apparently that's not enough for him, though, now that his family does not need it anymore he has to burn MPS to the ground and wreck it for everyone else. Hypocrite!
Thank you, WishIKnew! I never thought we would see this flash point in ultra Dem Wisconsin, but it's been an insane couple of years. Our school board president said he has never seen anything like this and that this will set education back in Wisconsin 60 to 70 years. Excellent plan, Walker! :sarcasm;
Save the middle class!! Walk like an Egyptian, Wisconsin!!! Go to Madison!
-
I have a friend who lives in Wisconsin and her FB status updates - and the comments from her friends on said status updates - over the last few days have really irked me. They tend to think that the teachers are to blame ('why did they do it on a schoolday?' and 'I looked up my son's teacher's salary and she's earning 72k [how much?!], surely she can take a pay-cut?' and 'look at them all on the news having a fabulous day off work whilst my daughter loses a day of education') ... *sigh*
I replied "Country. Come with us to England!"
I'm not sure that things are that much better over here, cariad!
;D
-
I have a friend who lives in Wisconsin and her FB status updates - and the comments from her friends on said status updates - over the last few days have really irked me. They tend to think that the teachers are to blame ('why did they do it on a schoolday?' and 'I looked up my son's teacher's salary and she's earning 72k [how much?!], surely she can take a pay-cut?' and 'look at them all on the news having a fabulous day off work whilst my daughter loses a day of education') ... *sigh*
I replied "Country. Come with us to England!"
I'm not sure that things are that much better over here, cariad!
;D
Thanks for the insight, Poppy. If your friend and her friends think this is about salary cuts, they must be trapped at the back of a deep, dark cave. It's about union busting. The unions have already agreed to all concessions, but Walker wants to do in their collective bargaining rights and that is where every teacher I know draws the line. We are also losing SAGE which is a program that keeps class sizes down. Right now they are limited to 15 students per teacher, some schools are able to push that to 18 but no higher. Next year, should nothing change, my younger son will be in a class with around 30 bewildered and crying 5-year-olds.
If you don't mind my asking, as a school teacher, how do you think the new leadership in England will affect education in your country? Do you see positive changes on the horizon, or the kinds of cuts we're being threatened with here? I am familiar with the riots at the university level, but what of the comprehensives and the specialty schools? I had a specialty school in mind for Aidan way back when, but I would hate to move to England to find that all of those programs have lost their funding.
-
If the school districts cannot cut costs instead of teacher salaries and our health benefits then something is wrong. I effect childrens' lives on a daily basis and should be paid for it.
-
This is just a terrible thing going on in WI, fight the good fight Cariad, but if it gets violent, walk away. I cant imagine what is going thru the mind of your brand new governor.
-
The unions have offered financial concessions.... he won't be satisfied til he guts the union!!
Of course Unions must be smart given the environment in our country right now... but I know how much the union my DH is in protects them.. in terms of safety on the job!!
I saw Gov. Christie on TV today and he was talking about how he has cut public sector jobs and created private sector jobs.. but no one followed up with the obvious question... do the new private sector jobs pay a decent wage or will they just add to the working poor in NJ???
-
.
-
Kit, I stand behind you teachers 100%. I used to be afraid to be alone with my younger child he was just so defiant and angry and exhausting as a toddler. His current school and the amazing teachers there really turned him around. I've just opened my letter telling me that he's been placed at his brother's school. I fear he will regress in the public school system, but the headmistress has promised me that she will not let this school decay.
Jean, it is a mess, but on the plus side the Madison police force has sent an open letter to the protesters thanking them for not resorting to violence. It seems that when the tea party came to town and there were some 70,000 at the capitol, there was not one incident of violence.
Agreed, carol. This is all about killing the unions, in the birthplace of the American union no less. The Legislative Financial Bureau, which is non-partisan, has said there is NO budget crisis in Wisconsin and we will have a surplus by year's end, so Walker's 'budget repair bill' is unnecessary. Also, it will kill jobs. My sons' school will have to sack around 10 people, multiply that by the 200+ schools in our city and you have an employment disaster. Then there is the litigation that will challenge this bill and the fact that he's trying to set the unions on a course of having to negotiate wages each and every year. Expensive, pointless, bureaucratic.... and watch out for it to happen in your state if he succeeds.
Interesting perspective from the outside, Henry. It may look dire to you, but you have oversimplified the matter (perhaps purposefully) and I believe in Obama's ability to see us through this. Regardless, we are talking states issues in this conversation, not federal. However, to boggle the minds of the Americans even further, Walker is turning down hundreds of millions in Title I funds. If that is not playing politics with my sons' education, I do not know what is.
(I have to report though that my husband has spent half of his working life in US manufacturing, and he said the move to Asia was ages ago and that there has been a robust backlash against this policy. Companies have come round to the idea that it is not really boosting their profits to have everything take 4-6 weeks to obtain, and then much of the time you get the wrong item, the wrong material, and crap quality. Time and language barriers are still a real problem. Plus there is the publicity nightmare, at least in automotive, of getting parts from China and Taiwan.)
Oh, and currently, collective bargaining for teachers intact, Wisconsin ranks second in the nation in ACT and SAT scores. I've just received the rankings for the states that have outlawed collective bargaining for teachers. Are you ready for this? It's enlightening:
Virginia - 44
Texas - 47
Georgia - 48
North Carolina - 49
South Carolina -50
-
PolitiFact looked into the ACT/SAT score tweet and it is about par for the internet (http://politifact.com/truth-o-meter/statements/2011/feb/23/state-democratic-party-wisconsin/labor-union-supporters-say-wisconsin-test-scores-v/). To me the most damning thing is that he says he campaigned on ending collective bargaining but there isn't any evidence that he did. It wasn't in his campaign's material, in his platform, I haven't even seen YouTube video of him referring to it. This is a move against unions as pure political calculus.
Cutting funding is with in the norm of state politics, elections are fought on the issue. Funding was part of the campaign, the cuts sound short sided but I'm not sure it's unexpected. Elections matter. This attack on the union though is overreach and that usually doesn't workout for the reacher.
I heard a great story on NPR about Egyptians sending pizza to the protesters in Madison (http://www.npr.org/2011/02/21/133932741/global-donations-feed-protesters-in-wisconsin). You can send pizza to them from anywhere in the word through Ian's Pizza's website (http://www.ianspizza.com/). I just called and the lines were busy.
-
PolitiFact looked into the ACT/SAT score tweet and it is about par for the internet (http://politifact.com/truth-o-meter/statements/2011/feb/23/state-democratic-party-wisconsin/labor-union-supporters-say-wisconsin-test-scores-v/). To me the most damning thing is that he says he campaigned on ending collective bargaining but there isn't any evidence that he did. It wasn't in his campaign's material, in his platform, I haven't even seen YouTube video of him referring to it. This is a move against unions as pure political calculus.
Cutting funding is with in the norm of state politics, elections are fought on the issue. Funding was part of the campaign, the cuts sound short sided but I'm not sure it's unexpected. Elections matter. This attack on the union though is overreach and that usually doesn't workout for the reacher.
I heard a great story on NPR about Egyptians sending pizza to the protesters in Madison (http://www.npr.org/2011/02/21/133932741/global-donations-feed-protesters-in-wisconsin). You can send pizza to them from anywhere in the word through Ian's Pizza's website (http://www.ianspizza.com/). I just called and the lines were busy.
Well, look at you this morning, Mr. Killjoy with your fancy facts.... :rofl;
Thanks for the info, Bill, though this does require me to send an email out to a dozen or so people. Someone posted this on the Facebook page that I volunteered to moderate, and I have always believed that misinformation, even over something small like this, weakens your entire argument. Good job I never went into politics, I wouldn't last a moment in the current climate. I do have one minor gripe with PolitiFact's analysis, over the difference between the ACT and SAT rankings. They reckon that the SAT scores are better because that population is self-selecting. Unless things have changed since I graduated, these populations are all self-selecting. It was never a requirement to take either of these tests, and if you had intentions of going to a foreign university, or if you did not want to attend university, you were not required to pay the rather steep fees and sit one of the exams. I don't know if there was a hardship application if one could not pay, either, but it would seem that poorer populations are likely underrepresented in these stats.
I hope you're right about the end result of the overreach. I have read that legal challenges will come fast and strong. If anyone is interested, this is an easily readable article from our local alternative press that discusses how these cuts do nothing to help the economy - they are costly and will kill jobs. http://www.expressmilwaukee.com/article-13897-walkerrss-renewed-war-on-workers.html (http://www.expressmilwaukee.com/article-13897-walkerrss-renewed-war-on-workers.html) I don't think it mentions that Walker's budget cuts force schools to break the law. In 2000, a law suit was filed against the public school system and the Supreme Court of WI ruled that all students were entitled to a basic education that included art, music, foreign language and physical education. My son receives no music training at his school, and next year PE and art will be cut. They want to do away with the single and dual immersion schools (my son attends one) as well, though they then go and hire language teachers to give students a half hour of foreign language a day. Never mind that few students ever successfully learn a language that way - I guess they adhere to the adage If it's not worth doing, it's not worth doing well.
I paid little attention to Walker in the election, so I wouldn't be au fait with his platform. He ran against Mayor Barret, who I think is an interesting person and would have done a better job. (Anyone recall seeing an article from a few years ago when Barret, attending a Brewers game without security, ran to the aid of a woman being mugged in the car lot? He sustained a few injuries. Anyhow, that was Walker's opponent. He and Walker are old political rivals.) Doyle overstayed his welcome, and seemed to take a lot of criticism for the financial collapse under Bush. He did not even try for reelection. I voted, and let's just say my conscience is clear. I'm sure you've heard by now about Walker talking to a journalist for 20 minutes, thinking he was talking to one of the Koch brothers - according to Slate magazine, we are now obsessed with the Koch brothers in Madison. Um, are we supposed to ignore this? He refuses to talk to Dems, but he talks to some out-of-state billionaire and repeatedly kisses his.... ring. ;)
I love the pizzas being sent. Those do indeed get passed around the Rotunda, as well as hot dogs. I will probably be there Saturday, somewhere in the Milwaukee crowd, so if you intend to send a pizza over, please remember that many of us liberals are also vegetarians.... :rofl;
-
Returning to MadCap tomorrow. Someone send a veggie pizza around 4PM, 'kay?? :rofl;
Apparently they have organized the pizza distribution process. One can now visit a table for their pizza requirements rather than loitering in the rotunda and waiting for the box to float by. They also have a first aid table, and many of the most central protesters stay up late to voluntarily scrub the floor and bathrooms of the Capitol.
I'm sure you've heard that the assembly passed the bill. I don't care how Republican and anti-union you are, why would you want to destroy education? Taking one billion away from schools? I am making phone calls this afternoon to try to get people to join the fight. I even emailed Obama this morning. I never thought I would see the day in Wisconsin.
If you are able to get to Madison, please do yourself a favour and visit the protest. Our alderman, mayor and representatives from our senator and assemblyman were at a town hall meeting last night. They all agreed that no one has ever seen anything like this, and it is a testament to the character and reason of the people of Wisconsin. The senator and assemblyman spoke to the crowd via mobiles pressed against microphones. One was in his 56th hour of testimony, the other is in hiding. I heard a comment this morning, and I agree with it, that Walker has managed to make unions cool and accessible to young people. In drama, we call that peripety.
The alderman talked a lot about health care costs being the biggest budget item. Once the furor dies down - assuming it ever does - I would like to draft a letter mentioning the need to advocate for home dialysis for both better outcomes and financial savings. Perhaps I will ask the people on this site for feedback.
Back to the battle.... :boxing;
-
:boxing; Sending my support! :boxing;
-
Cariad...
Oh but according to walker the protesters are all bused in out of staters.. :banghead;
Keep strong out there... My hubbie and I will be at a support rally in NYC tomorrow!!
Has anyone started to try and recall walker??
-
Thanks WishIKnew and Carol!
Carol, have fun at the rally. Political rallies always make me feel connected to other people in a wonderful way. The union members of Wisconsin thank you for the solidarity.
I wish someone would start an official recall, but I have not heard of any. There are a few unofficial ones, which I guess are trying to get an idea about the numbers out there in favour? I think it would require 20,000 signatures. That does not seem like it would be that difficult - bring a petition to Madison and hang it up near the pizza table. Job done! :rofl;
Just finished up my calls. We should have good turn out. By and large, people are very interested in hearing about this and learning what they can do. Sometimes I do love this progressive little city....
-
I've heard that in Wisconsin, the governor has to serve one year before he can be recalled. So, he could be recalled this time next year at the earliest. However, I also heard that state senators can be recalled immediately provided they've served four years.
Cariad, why do you think that such a pro-union state as Wisconsin voted in Republicans last year? Do you think that this might be the beginning of a class war in your state? I know you don't know the answer to this, but how many of the protesters do you think voted for Walker? Any idea?
-
Cancel that pizza order! We are still on the third coast!
Aidan had his baseball tryout this morning. He was a bit tense, I was a nervous wreck. He is playing up, so he will be one of the youngest in the league, and baseball is not his game.... that would be soccer. He has very little baseball experience, and the kids who were there were extremely good. So, we walk in and half of his soccer team is there. I felt like Sarah Palin with all of the smiling and waving across the gymnasium. We are city dwellers playing in the suburbs, which means we're louder, pushier and more ill-mannnered than that lot. Gwyn loves to shout advice and encouragement in Welsh. Anyhow, we received two requests for Aidan's presence at a soccer tourney where the team is short a player. He is going to play for one of his best friend's teams. That game is in an hour, so even though Aidan was willing to go to the capital, that boy is so mad for soccer I couldn't justify the trip any longer.
I've heard that in Wisconsin, the governor has to serve one year before he can be recalled. So, he could be recalled this time next year at the earliest. However, I also heard that state senators can be recalled immediately provided they've served four years.
That makes sense, I suppose, though it's disappointing that we cannot ride this momentum straight to a recall. Our senator is new, too, so he cannot be recalled just yet. However, he's a Dem, so we want to keep him.
Cariad, why do you think that such a pro-union state as Wisconsin voted in Republicans last year? Do you think that this might be the beginning of a class war in your state? I know you don't know the answer to this, but how many of the protesters do you think voted for Walker? Any idea?
Oh, MM, I just do not know!! *blub* *blub* (*shakes fist* *rends garments*)
It must have something to do with the utterly mindless anger from the last election, where having any anti-status quo air about you helped. Now it's like they all woke up with a tremendous hangover. Part of me wants to shout "why couldn't you all have come together like this BEFORE the damn election?!"
A literal class war, no. I don't know that Wisconsin has all of that many rich people in it, it is not like California where the ostentatiousness is surprisingly well-tolerated by all of us little drones. No idea who voted for whom, though the cities are very progressive. As Stephen Colbert joked to a guest who went to U of Madison, "What's the matter? University of Michigan not liberal enough for you?"
Regardless, I think we can all agree that Walker has gone too far on education. One billion dollars taken out of the school system? These are schools that have been cutting back for years, there was already no where left to cut, and this is a direct attack on Milwaukee. That is not to mention the $188 Million in Title I that Walker will reject just to make some anti-Obama, anti-Fed, political point. As we discussed on our school's new political committee, even Walker supporters are going to be galled by this. We don't have to editorialize when we contact people, the facts are compelling on their own. This is a devastating, unprecedented attack on public education. Oh, and of course there is a clause in the budget proposal that allows no-bid sales of power plants to private citizens. He may as well have written "Private citizens named Koch."
The next milestone is March 1 where Walker will (probably) reveal his budget. Our alderman made it clear that the budget is not statutory. Apparently, 'budget repair bill' is a legal term, and as such is required only under certain conditions, and Wisconsin does not meet those conditions.
-
When I heard about the no-bid clause re the sale of power plants, I was really shocked. How blatant is that?
Slightly off topic, I'm sure you heard about the income tax hike here in Illinois. So, Governor Walker takes out this full spread add in the Chicago Tribune inviting companies to move from IL to Wisconsin. OK, fair enough. So now our Governor has been asked how he likes having IL as a sanctuary state for Wisconson state senators, and he replied, "We welcome the tourism." :rofl;
-
Illinois should be used to Wisconsinites using them. A few people in our social circle live in Illinois because they want to avoid our property taxes, which are among the highest in the nation.
Our state senator is carrying on a proud Wisconsin tradition.... :2thumbsup; :laugh:
-
Wanna know how I am spending my Saturday night? My stepson is over for the weekend, and his government class teacher told the class to watch the news about the protests in Wisconsin (my stepson is a senior in high school). So my husband, my stepson and I each have our laptops on and are reading the actual budget bill...all 144 pages of it. Are we having fun yet?? :rofl;
-
Thought you might like this link, Cariad:
http://blogs.forbes.com/rickungar/2011/02/25/the-wisconsin-lie-exposed-taxpayers-actually-contribute-nothing-to-public-employee-pensions/
Interesting indeed!
Aleta
-
CARIAD thank you thank you for bringing this topic up right now! I live in Ohio and Gov. Kaisch is trying to pass senate bill 5 that is busting unions for teachers, cops, fireman, etc... right now. It is so infuriating to me that my friend and went to Columbus and protested. Even though I am not teaching right now ( I am tutoring part time) I stand behind the men and women who work thank less job that affect the safety and future of this country!
I get sick of the Facebook comments people post too! Let me see...
1. "Well they are not trying to mess with your wages." UUmmm if unions don't have the right to negotiate then employers will continue to ask teachers to do more and more work without any extra compensation. I mean if I go to Taco Bell and they ask me to work overtime then I will get paid to make those extra tacos!!!
2. "Well the private sector has already taken a hit now the public sector should too!" So the idea is an eye for an eye then? So that way the whole entire world will be blind? This rationale of thinking makes no sense to me all workers no matter what sector should have the right to fair wages and access to health insurance...we all should stand up for one another not throw each other under the bus.
People who are not teachers do not under stand the complete stress teachers put on themselves to do a great job. Does every teacher care or do a great job? no, but most of us do! I spent hundreds and thousands of my own money to make sure that classroom had everything. I would spend many hours off the clock getting things ready and prepared. (not to mention all the grading, calling of parents, discipline issues, preparing lesson plans, gathering resources, etc..) At my first school I taught at it was not unheard of seeing me at the school at midnight trying to get things pulled together. Plus many teachers in hard districts don't have these sweet cherubs that are being raised properly by mom and pops to sit and listen to the teacher and get educated. YOu are dealing with kids who have MAJOR mental and emotional health issues! I did not get paid enough for all the things I had to deal with sexual abuse, kids not eating, physical abuse, drug abuse, parental abandoment...it must be nice to work at a job that when you leave at 5 oclock you leave the job behind...that is not the case with teaching.
too much corruption with the higher ups especially where I live. None of them take pay freezes like us teachers did...instead they raised their salaries. They asked us to pay more health care and to give up are tution reimbursement...to this day 4 years later those poor teachers cannot get back their pay, lower health care, and tution reimbursement back! It is a slippery slope you give the higher ups a little bit trying to be team players and they just screw you in the end anyway....
And the 5 states that have passed legislation to get rid of collective bargaining ALL have the lowest standardized test scores!!! (North Carolina being one of them that I can remember)
Countries like China that have been reported to be surpassing America, the way education runs over there is way different. In AMerica we believe ALL people have a right to public education, that is not true in places like China. They take the best and the brightest and do not waste time and resources on kids that have no chance in being super geniuses! Also a friend of mine student taught in China 2 years ago and she said all classroom have 12 students in them and the teachers have a full time PERSONAL aid!!! Plus they have longer days and school year but after school they study the arts for 2 hours then go to a tutor next! Most kids in America are latch key kids that run the streets after school, because American parents are overworked and underpaid and don't have time to instill the importance of education in their children. Plus American school districts are trying to shove 25+ kids in a classroom with major issues and then expect one teacher to control this chaos. They give us no materials or supplies then expect us to make engaging lesson that will get kids to achieve....HA! Administrators have lost touch with how tough it is to teach, but unfortunately everybody has been through a school and they think that qualifies them to make an opinion about how over paid teachers are and what a piece of cake job we have HA! I kicked ass as a teacher and did some pretty amazing things in my classroom. I didn't care that I had to be their all night, or that I barely got $800 dollars every 2 weeks to teach, or that I would have to give kids food because I LOVED my job and I was great at educating children. (and I was single with no family to take care of so I could be uber dedicated to my job) I do care that we won't have a union with full power protecting our interest though....
Ok that is enough for now...I love this topic!!! I could go on and on but won't....for now... :)
xo,
R
-
Aleta, that article was brilliant! I believe on the street they would refer to that as a classic take down.... Thank you. I shall post this on the Facebook page devoted to this fight in a moment.
Rachel, (Can I call you Rachel?) thank you so much for writing about this. At school until midnight? Yeow! And only $400/week - that's barely over minimum wage, and probably well below when you factor in that you're working all those extra hours. The governor wants to convert to a charter/voucher system. At the moment, charter schools do not have to take any student. What is going to happen to all of the special needs kids in this city? I've sent my one child to charter for two years, and the teachers were fine, but they have no union and no opportunity to get any seniority - who was going to stay in that position if they could get out? That school was partially funded by Nissan. What happens when the funding dries up? Do I want my kids to be marketed to at that age? We chose the school because it was dual immersion and had a commitment to organic farming and food. But there were serious signs of trouble when California's economy collapsed, and everywhere we turned the schools were pressuring us to attend fundraisers which we could not afford, nor could most of the families.
I love my home, it is beautiful. My neighbourhood was up and coming until the collapse, now I think it has deteriorated a bit but we keep hoping it will bounce back soon. However, we are looking to leave the country, and no one will buy a home in the heart of a crap school district. We are walking distance to the top-rated primary school in the city (that is based on test scores, though, and I could not possibly care less about test scores). It's a great school, but it is a public school, and if they gut the system, it will topple like any other. Going out of district with a voucher is just contributing to the problem, and that is why I was eager to leave LA, I was so sick of spending my days in a car.
Anyhow, I hope you do go on and on. I love hearing about your experiences from the front lines, and it helps people see that they may be wrong about teachers after all. Plus, in Wisconsin, the teachers have made every salary/benefit concession requested by Walker, except giving up collective bargaining.
I have a meeting tonight that I promised various people I would attend, to try to suss out a way to keep Title I. I have to bring my kids, which means packing snacks and drinks for them. Gwyn is flying out of town in an hour. Gah! I am not going to survive this week.....
-
OK, I have not been reporting much on Wisconsin's battle, but let me assure you all that it rages on. I have been out of it, and as a friend and fellow-advocate and I agreed, once you miss one email out of the hundreds that clog my inbox weekly, you just have no hope of ever catching up.
Still, the fledgling organization that the parents from my son's school started held a major meeting last night, and it was standing room only. There was press there, but the evening was heavy on information (which was so great) and light on pithy little moments that television cameras prefer. I was wrung out by the time I made it there, so was of no help whatsoever, but I learned a good bit. Scott Walker is lying and obfuscating, and now I know just exactly what he is doing as we had a representative of the budgetary office explain it all. Charter schools are paid for out of our property taxes, but they answer to no one, certainly not the school board, they do not require a teaching license, and when property taxes go up (we pay some of the highest most oppressive property taxes in the nation) the governor does not break down exactly how much of that money goes to charter schools ($58 million at present) he just has it down as public schooling, and the school board and MPS take the blame for higher taxes when they have absolutely no say in how much of that money goes to charters and vouchers, and no recourse if the schools do not meet standards or parents have concerns or complaints. My favorite quote from last night "Public funds require public accountability" and we do not get that with charter schools.
There is the Penny for Kids campaign that would raise the state sales tax 1% and would fix this problem tomorrow. We pay some of the lowest sales tax in the nation, and this would certainly take some of the enormous financial pressure off property owners and spread some of the responsibility to everyone in the state, for educating our kids is the responsibility of everyone in society, and if you don't believe that and don't like it, might I suggest you move to a country like Afghanistan? Certainly no one there is going to hassle you for funds to educate kids, especially not girls.
What I really want to show you, though, because I am sure few of your care about the budgetary details of Milwaukee, is a letter left on my husband's car. My husband has one of the stop sign placards in his back window (Stop the attack on Wisconsin Families). Now, my husband pays for this car, it is his personal property, and he parks it at his workplace, which is also privately owned property. He came out to his car at 5PM to find the note attached below on his windscreen. Everyone, please listen, this is important: If you disagree with a stranger, don't ever do this. All that is going to happen is that people like us are going to post it all over the internet, in addition to Gwyn reporting the incident to HR and showing it to all and sundry at work. This is no way to change anyone's mind, and it makes you look like a cowardly saddo.
-
Charter schools are paid for out of our property taxes, but they answer to no one, certainly not the school board, they do not require a teaching license, and when property taxes go up (we pay some of the highest most oppressive property taxes in the nation) the governor does not break down exactly how much of that money goes to charter schools ($58 million at present) he just has it down as public schooling, and the school board and MPS take the blame for higher taxes when they have absolutely no say in how much of that money goes to charters and vouchers, and no recourse if the schools do not meet standards or parents have concerns or complaints. My favorite quote from last night "Public funds require public accountability" and we do not get that with charter schools.
Actually, charter schools are public schools.
Usually it is the State Department of Education or State Universities which grant the charters for a period of five years.
If the schools fail in raising student achievement, the schools are closed.
8)
-
True, they are public schools in that parents do not pay tuition, but the school board - our elected officials that are charged with overseeing public education - have NO authority with them. Also, the state government is discussing dropping the income limits for the voucher program, allowing the wealthy to send their kids to private school on the public dollar. I sent my son to a charter school in Los Angeles. Charters are really a hybrid of public and private schooling. They often receive corporate sponsorship (the LA one was sponsored by Nissan, among others) which made me queasy even as I was sending my son there. What Walker is proposing was described last night as a privatized version of our public school system. Charter schools are not required to take special ed kids, and they won't take them, because that will ruin their test scores. I forget what percentage of kids in Milwaukee are considered special ed, but it is much higher than the 1% who are in charter schools. Charter schools can drop kids for low test scores, just like a private school can.
Also, as was pointed out last night, you need a license to groom a dog in this state, but not to teach at a charter school. The teachers in charter schools have no union protections and can be sacked on a whim, which is not going to provide the stability and experience we need for our kids. I support our public university - I spent tens of thousands on my masters there, and they run the best preschool in the state, which we get as a public school because of their affiliation with the public school down the road. Basically, my son is technically going to that public school, but he attends the excellent school that he has attended since his infancy. We do not elect the UW chancellor nor the board, there is little we can do if we disagree with the likes of Lovell. There is a committee appointed to find the chancellor, and unless you work at or attend that university and are chosen to be on that committee, you just stand back and hope for the best.
[Wanted to add an edit: I pay A LOT to send my younger son to his school. You can get school hours as part of the public school system, but it is not possible anymore to just send your child there during school hours, you pay for the 'afterschool' program there, even if you do not want to use it. I use it happily and love it, so this change really does not affect me. Is it public? Private? For sure confusing...]
The way they measure student achievement is asinine. I know my son is intelligent, but he scores as a mid-seventh grader (in 3rd grade) and either those standards are desperately low or we have a child prodigy on our hands. I know what my suspicions are, much as I love the boy. My son goes to a dual immersion school, yet no one ever tests his Spanish abilities, there are no tests in Spanish for ESL learners, and the state wants to eliminate all dual immersion programs. We have a thriving Hispanic community in Milwaukee, and our school is one of the few in the country (there are approximately 340 nationwide) that will teach your Spanish speaking child English, but also teach him to value and retain his own language.
Anyhow, I should review my notes from last night to make sure that I am not misrepresenting anything. Thanks for the reply!
-
Brief update on the letter: Gwyn went to HR. They were gobsmacked. They asked Gwyn what he wanted to do and he requested an email going out clarifying that putting notes on people's vehicles is just not on. They share parking with another company, so it could possibly be that this person does not actually work with Gwyn, but in case he was being honest with 'dear co-worker', HR will probably issue a statement. (most people know which car is Gwyn's, so the writer may know exactly whom he was addressing). HR asked if he wanted further investigation, and Gwyn said he was not so vindictive as to want someone's job to be in jeopardy over this, he just does not want to receive any future political discourse via his windscreen.
An unexpected consequence is that as colleagues are hearing about this, they are asking for their own copies of the very placard that Gwyn has. We also have a pro-union poster as we know a union organizer and head of the local Democratic Party. I will get on trying to collect these materials for Gwyn's coworkers over the weekend. I think the letter writer should have guessed that this strategy was going to backfire in some way.
-
Brief update on the letter: Gwyn went to HR. They were gobsmacked. They asked Gwyn what he wanted to do and he requested an email going out clarifying that putting notes on people's vehicles is just not on. They share parking with another company, so it could possibly be that this person does not actually work with Gwyn, but in case he was being honest with 'dear co-worker', HR will probably issue a statement. (most people know which car is Gwyn's, so the writer may know exactly whom he was addressing). HR asked if he wanted further investigation, and Gwyn said he was not so vindictive as to want someone's job to be in jeopardy over this, he just does not want to receive any future political discourse via his windscreen.
An unexpected consequence is that as colleagues are hearing about this, they are asking for their own copies of the very placard that Gwyn has. We also have a pro-union poster as we know a union organizer and head of the local Democratic Party. I will get on trying to collect these materials for Gwyn's coworkers over the weekend. I think the letter writer should have guessed that this strategy was going to backfire in some way.
Just read about the car note... what a coward!! and they obviously watch faux news... the thug comments give that away!! LOL
That is unreal.. glad his HR dept was supportive.. and as to the other co-workers who want copies ..YES!!!
-
Brief update on the letter: Gwyn went to HR. They were gobsmacked.
Bully for Gwyn! :2thumbsup;
And fantastic that he has HR behind him. :thumbup;
Aleta
-
Thanks for the support, Aleta and Carol!
Latest update: HR sent Gwyn an email stating that they are now rewriting their policy on harassment to include harassment based on political leanings. What happens in this case is that every last employee will receive an email noting the change to the policy, and they must click a radio button stating that they've read and understood the policy. I imagine that the person who did this will not be sharing his views with us again. (And yes, I am making an assumption that this is a male. Gwyn and I both have the same suspicion on this.)
It's an election day here in Dairyland. We are voting on supreme court justices and if the favoured liberal candidate wins, I think the balance will be tipped back to the left. Not sure as I could not name a current justice. (This is state, obviously, not federal where I could easily name all nine.) It's a great day for an election - the mood in the state is heavily anti-Walker.
On the more personal front, la directoria of the school where both of my boys will be next year sent out a notice stating that none of their teachers will lose their jobs (great news) but some have been reassigned to other schools/jobs. She is promising to see us through this rough time. We hope to use this next year to get serious about moving to the UK.
I'll post updates if anything interesting happens. Thanks to all who replied.
-
I'll be following the election!! I sure hope that it goes our way... ( I say our because I want collective bargaining defended across this country!!)
Glad no teachers will be fired !!
-
Thanks for the update...things are no better in Ohio...but people are rallying together against Senate Bill 5!
xo,
R
-
The Wisconsin Supreme Court race looks headed for a recount. The MoveOn.org update I received said Kloppenburg (the one we want) is ahead by 300 votes with 99% reporting. Wow, it's a nailbiter. I signed up to be some sort of recount monitor, no idea what it entails, but will find out if they call me in.
I'm hoping that people all through the rust belt and beyond band together to stop this disastrous course we're on. I live in an extremely liberal neighbourhood, and when I was in line to vote there was an older couple behind me, he in jeans and a flannel workshirt. As we were voting in our little cubicles, I heard him mutter something about "This IS still the state of Wisconsin". I am confident that he and I cast exactly the same ballot. :2thumbsup;
-
Interesting that a large number of mostly conservative votes were "discovered."
Makes you wonder....
-
Interesting that a large number of mostly conservative votes were "discovered."
Makes you wonder....
Oh, I had not heard this, but I guess I am not overly surprised.
I am participating in this email campaign where we are assigned legislators to write to and send them attachments of letters handwritten by community members. We have 150 letters, and we are only sending 3 at a time. So, each legislator will get 5 emails per day, each with 3 attachments, and in theory we will be done with this in 10 days. I have 11 legislators. By the end, I will have sent over 500 emails. And we are supposed to talk to them with each email, changing our message a bit each time. After ten days of this, they'll know everything about me. Gwyn has agreed to take some of them off my hands, but his typing is abysmal, so I'll be writing the cover note. Must think of 50 clever things to say over the course of 10 days....
-
I have a few updates from the Wisconsin public school scene. I have only been to a few meetings as everyone tends to scatter over summer.
My kids are both attending the same school next year, a Spanish language immersion program. I have been part of a team at the school trying to get alternative programs in place so that the kids at least get some access to the arts and physical education. I phoned our local symphony and that program is coming to the boys' school. It's a progressive program, so it will start in K5 and move with that first class through the years. Liot is entering K5 and is so musically inclined so I am relieved he will get that, plus his piano lessons from his after-school program. I also met with the community outreach coordinator at the Conservatory and he is eager to pilot a choral program at our school, but I've done all I can do and it is up to administration now.
We received excellent news at the eleventh hour. SAGE has been restored to a dozen schools in our district, and our school was one of them. These are funds, not sure what level of government they come from, but it is money for extra teachers to keep class sizes low. Every friend I have who knows anything about teaching (most of them) has said that you simply cannot teach effectively when you have 25 blubbering 5 year olds dropped on you. Class size should go down to 15-18 for Liot, no change for Aidan as he has aged out of SAGE's domain. I had been told by our principal that there was no way on earth that SAGE would be restored to the school - we only have about 78% free and reduced lunch (yeah, I know - only!) and I have come to realise that I will simply never ever never understand how public schools work.
Recall elections were a touch disappointing but could have been much worse. It is a huge deal to recall someone, they have that incumbent advantage piled on to the advantage of low turnouts at special elections. Two of the three worst republicans are gone, Alberta Darling continues to plague our city. Apparently she walked over to my recently widowed aunt and pretended like she and uncle Jeff were such spectacular friends. My uncle has always been a liberal and was very politically active. I just cannot imagine grieving such a huge loss and then enduring tacky, self-aggrandizing, dumb-as-a-box-of-rocks politicians attempting to suck up to you.
Both democrats survived their recalls and I sincerely hope that charges are brought against the organizations that attempted to fix the vote by sending out robo calls and fake absentee ballots. Why does it seem we have no laws in this state that are ever enforced? Three people in the city of Milwaukee have been sent to jail for 'voter fraud' (three!) and it was over confusion about the rules, not some conspiracy as those ridiculous, Republican-paid billboards would have us believe. (There are more people pictured on the billboard than have actually been nicked for improper voting.) But then special interest groups connected with the Koch brothers implement a deliberately fraudulent scheme and nothing happens. Do Republicans in this state care so little for the rule of law? (Don't answer - I already know.)
Anyhow, it's on to recall the big one. Walker should be nervous, but I reckon he's not smart enough to know it.