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It
is Time to Stand Up
(Past Time, Actually)
By Marc Capitelli, SDEA Vice President
We
have waited for someone else in our unions or in
politics to put an end to the atrocity called No
Child Left Behind. As we have watched our schools
move more and more into becoming test preparation
factories with children going in and test takers
coming out, politicians and union leaders have tried
to play the "fix it and fund it" game.
NCLB cannot be fixed and it will never be funded
properly!
How long have we waited for the feds and the state
to properly fund programs like they promised?
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![[ Marc Capitelli ]](../images/people/M_Capitelli_0706.jpg)
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The
time has come for a national discussion about what public education
should be. We believe that public education is the cornerstone
of our democracy. We believe that NCLB is an ongoing attack
on the foundation of a free and democratic people. We believe
it is time to lead the movement to restore a sane, stable, well
funded, ACCOUNTABLE by all stakeholders, public education system.
Accordingly, the Board of Directors passed the following resolution
and recommendation to present to the February Representative
Council of the San Diego Education Association.
Whereas
Great Public Schools are the foundation of a strong, vital democracy;
and
Whereas
Great Public Schools are the foundation of a just and moral
society; and
Whereas
every child deserves to attend a Great Public School; and
Whereas
ESEA (NCLB), in its current authorization, is destroying public
education by:
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Devastating Public Education as an institution and
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Promoting privatization of Public Education and
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Discrediting
Public Education and
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Creating
impossible requirements for schools to meet and
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Creating
meaningless workloads for teachers that are driving teachers
from the profession and
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Diverting scarce funding from the primary goal of educating
our children to be productive participants in our democracy
and
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Dividing parents, schools and communities from working together
to educate our children and
Whereas
it is the belief of the San Diego Education Association that:
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ESEA, in its current NCLB authorization, can not be overhauled,
fixed or properly funded and
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ESEA, in its current NCLB authorization, should be re-written
by a commission comprised of stakeholders in Public Education
and
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Such commission be comprised of representatives from
1. NEA
2. AFT
3. Universities and Colleges engaged in the training and preparation
of teachers
4. Bipartisan members of Congress
5. Parental groups
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Such reauthorization should embrace proven programs, like
1. Smaller classes, and
2. Advocate for additional targeted resources to help low-income
and minority students achieve their basic right to a quality
education, and
3. Emphasize factors crucial to ensuring a great public school
for every child such as;
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Parental, family, and community involvement and engagement,
and
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Adequate,
equitable, and sustainable school funding, and
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A
qualified, caring, diverse, and stable workforce, and
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Such
reauthorization be completed by July, 2009
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Therefore
it shall be the policy of the San Diego Education
Association
to endeavor to scrap the current ESEA (NCLB) by:
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Instructing
its members to the State Council of the California Teachers
Association to introduce a motion (NBI), at the earliest time,
at the State Council consisting of the above points and
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Instructing its representatives to the Representative Assembly
of the National Education Association in Philadelphia in the
summer of 2007 to introduce a similar motion (NBI) at the
Representative Assembly, should CTA not bring forth an NBI
that supports the policy of SDEA.
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