I’m turning this post into a “Best” list
Los Angeles Schools Superintendent John Deasy spoke today at USC on the Vergara lawsuit (see The Best Resources On California Court Case Attacking Teacher’s Rights).
Los Angeles Times reporter Howard Blume is not going to write a story about his speech, but he did send out these tweets:
L.A. schools Supt. John Deasy, in USC address today, links Vergara court case to the chain of civil rights struggles in U.S. history.
— Howard Blume (@howardblume) April 1, 2014
Deasy recounted struggle against slavery & segregation, then Calif cases supporting rights 4 equal length of school year & equal funding
— Howard Blume (@howardblume) April 1, 2014
Deasy recounted struggle against slavery & segregation, then Calif cases supporting rights 4 equal length of school year & equal funding
— Howard Blume (@howardblume) April 1, 2014
Deasy said there’s a clear constitutional path that also protects students from laws that result in a lower quality teacher corps.
— Howard Blume (@howardblume) April 1, 2014
Calif constitutn has specific education guarantees, but Deasy said U.S. consttn’s 14th amndmnt a national basis to protect student rights.
— Howard Blume (@howardblume) April 1, 2014
Deasy testified for plaintiffs in Vergara case, who made similar arguments in court, although their case based only on Calif law.
— Howard Blume (@howardblume) April 1, 2014
This attempted appropriation of the Civil Rights Movement legacy as a “false dilemma fallacy” in support of a “reform” agenda is an insult to educators, students, families, and our communities. The choice is not one of either having “civil rights” for students or a “lower-quality teacher corps.” Teachers, and our unions, have been and will continue to be fierce fighters for the rights of our students.
More and more, this seems to be the real choice: One between educators who spend each day in schools and communities supporting their students and those with little connection to the classroom and who are backed by billionaires with even less interest in strengthening our system of public education.
Here are a few other articles on reformers and their misuse of the Civil Rights legacy:
Key flaw in market-based school reform: a misunderstanding of the civil rights struggle is from The Washington Post.
Beware of Education Reformers Who Co-Opt the Language of the Civil Rights Movement is by Denisha Jones.
Eva Moskowitz’s Shameful Misuse of Civil Rights is from The Huffington Post.
Does Tenure Violate the Civil Rights of Students? is by Diane Ravitch.
What do you think?
Here are a couple of new additions — comments on this post:
@Larryferlazzo I’ll second that! They promote segregated schools & exclusive schools that deny students w/disabilities & limited Eng prof
— Jere Hochman (@JHSTL) April 1, 2014
@Larryferlazzo @cjnkira and the reformers who are only morning glories always leave out special education on their civil rights e bus tour
— David Tokofsky (@davidtokofsky) April 1, 2014
Educational Movements, Not Market Moments is an important post by Mike Rose.
Beware of Education Reformers Who Co-Opt the Language of the Civil Rights Movement
Here’s an excerpt:
Civil Rights Issue of Our Time?
http://radicalscholarship.wordpress.com/2014/01/03/civil-rights-issue-of-our-time/
Relaxing zero tolerance in schools could be Obama’s boldest civil rights reform
https://theconversation.com/relaxing-zero-tolerance-in-schools-could-be-obamas-boldest-civil-rights-reform-24754