D.C. officials move to shutter private special-education school

Officials in Washington, D.C., announced their intention Wednesday to revoke the license of the private Rock Creek Academy for students with special needs because of a series of violations, including the misuse of seclusion and restraint as disciplinary methods. A report by the agency listed numerous other charges against the school, including questions about attendance data and failures to provide prescribed therapies. The Washington Post

Save Our Schools March

Save the Date!

Are you an AFT, NEA member, NBCT, or a product of a public school?

The Save Our Schools March & National Call to Action will be July 30, 2011. Join the rally and march here in Washington, DC. Let's make this a family activity and teach everyone to stand up for what is right (improving educational opportunities for all children).

WEBSITE: Save Our Schools March; National Call to Action!
July 28-31, 2011 in Washington, D.C. and across the country

We, a collection of people from all walks of life and every corner of this nation, embody a mixture of ideas and opinions regarding how we can improve educational opportunities for all children. We stand united by one belief – it’s time for teachers and parents to organize and reclaim control of our schools.

As concerned citizens, we demand an end to the destructive policies and rhetoric that have eroded confidence in our public schools, demoralized teachers, and reduced the education of too many of our children to nothing more than test preparation.
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A well-educated society is essential to the future of the United States of America. Our students must have access to a fully funded, world-class public education system, and it is our responsibility to hold our government accountable for providing the means to achieve it. Please join us!
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Visit the Events section to learn more about what is being planned, and explore the rest of the site to learn more and get involved!

St. Joan of Arc

The people of France gave the golden bronze statue of Joan of Arc to the City of New Orleans in 1972. (Note: This statue is an exact copy of the famous 1880 Emmanuel Fremiet equestrian statue of Joan located at Place des Pyramides, Paris.) This statue was originally located in front of the International Trade Mart building but it was moved in 1999 to its present location of the 'Place De France" on Decatur Street in the French Quarter next to the French Market on Decatur Street.

The inscription on the pedestal of St. Joan's statue reads as follows:

JOAN OF ARC
MAID OF ORLEANS
1412 - 1431

Gift of the People of France

Good warriors can be found on the battlefield and in daily life.

Have a blessed week and Easter, everyone!

FB album: Family Visita Iglesia (St Louis Cathedral, Jackson Square, St Joan of Arc)

"The Union Must and Shall Be Preserved"

"The Union Must and Shall Be Preserved"

Weingarten: Layoff notices in Detroit are "shocking"

The American Federation of Teachers is criticizing the decision to send layoff notices to all Detroit public-school teachers. In a statement released Monday, AFT President Randi Weingarten describes the decision as "shocking," and says schools' emergency manager Robert Bobb has abandoned a pledge he made 16 months ago to collaborate with teachers on school improvement. Bobb has said he plans to modify union contracts and it's unclear how many teachers will be called back to work when the school year starts. Detroit Free Press (via Accomplished Teacher)

Are schools liable for not recognizing students' disabilities?

The U.S. Supreme Court is considering whether schools can be held liable for failing to recognize that students have learning disabilities. On Monday, the court asked the Obama administration to weigh in on the matter, as justices consider whether a California mother can file a negligence claim against her daughter's school district. The mother claims the district did not identify, locate and evaluate her daughter for learning disabilities -- as is required under law. Education Week/School Law blog  (via Accomplished Teacher)

R.I. district to consider National Board Certification in hiring decisions

Rhode Island's Scituate school district no longer will use seniority as the sole factor in deciding teacher hiring. Instead, teachers will earn up to 15 points for factors such as National Board Certification, graduate work, advanced degrees and length of service. Teachers can earn up to five points for longevity, and seniority still will be the deciding factor in recalling teachers from layoffs. The Providence Journal (R.I.) (via Accomplished Teacher)

NBCT: How standardized testing harms instruction

The focus on standardized testing is taking a toll on classroom instruction and the teaching of critical-thinking skills, says National Board Certified Teacher Roxanna Elden. She shares her own disappointment at having to abandon a favorite lesson on logical fallacies to allow more time for test preparation. She uses that lesson to illustrate the oversimplification of arguments on teacher effectiveness. The Washington Post/The Answer Sheet blog (via Accomplished Teacher)

On the issues of Filipino teacher migrants in PGCPS

Going through The Washington Post’s 4.4.11 article, “US Dep’t of Labor orders MD. School system to pay millions to mostly Filipino teachers” is like reading a familiar history story. On August 12, 1901, a group of 500 American teachers, the Thomasites, came to the Philippines to help establish the country’s public school system, to teach basic education, and to introduce innovative and effective way of teaching kids. My research tells me that the U.S. government spent about $105,000 for the expedition in 1901. More American teachers followed the Thomasites in 1902, making a total of about 1,074 stationed in the Philippines. I have seen the reverse of this happening right now; actually, I am experiencing it. According to the AFT report “Importing Educators”, “On the international level, UNESCO estimates that 18 million new teachers are needed by 2015 to meet ‘Education for All’ goals and ensure universal access to primary education for students in all countries in the world”. In the past few years, I have seen hundreds of teachers from the Philippines coming to different parts of the US, including PG County Public Schools with this mission: to teach the American school children.

It was not easy for the Filipino teachers to make this righteous decision and accept this noble challenge for they had to give up their homes, sell their properties, and make a sacrifice to be away from their loved ones. They did not have to, but unfortunately, they paid a very high price for this, approximately $15,000 out of their pockets. The Philippine government did not deploy and pay them to come here; it was their personal decision to make a difference to the American students. These Filipino teacher migrants stayed true to their mission, they reached out to everyone in the community and were able to pull in some 21st Century resources and help the students maximize their potential. Even PGCPS attested to the fact that “without these Filipino teachers, Maryland’s most precious resource – our children - would have been denied access to quality public education”.

I am pleased to hear that my fellow Filipino teachers are making a positive impact in their school district. What is alarming is that according to The Washington Post’s article, “DOL investigation found out that the teacher migrants, who were hired between 2005 and 2010, paid fees ranging from $190 to $320 to file their visas; spent about $1,000 in immigration attorney fees; and shelled out another $3,500 in placement fees. Hundreds also paid a $500 anti-fraud filing fee.” Where did the rest of the approximately $15,000 that each teacher pay for go? Shouldn’t PGCPS have policies in place for hiring international teachers to avoid these kinds of violations and exploitations? It is an irresponsible act of negligence if they do not have one.

I hope that the proper county authorities would go to the bottom of this to help find out what went wrong and who did wrong. I still believe in the fairness and sense of propriety of PGCPS in reaching an equitable end to this sorry affair.

- Maria Angala, NBCT -

Filipino teacher migrant, Washington DC

Statement of Solidarity (TDC's 5th Anniversary)

The Pinoy Teachers Network (PTN) in the USA would like to congratulate the Teachers Dignity Coalition (TDC) and all of its local sites in all parts of the Philippines on this important occasion of its 5th anniversary. Since its inception in 2006 the TDC has been the torch that lights the way of our teachers in the Philippine public schools during this time of struggles in our profession.

There will be no justice unless the dignity of all people in every profession is respected. In the past five years, the TDC has been challenged to protect the rights of every public school teacher from unfair labor practices, arbitrary and capricious terminations and to uphold the dignity and respect in the teaching profession.

From the words and example of the TDC and PTN teacher leaders, we come to a new appreciation of the Filipino teaching profession that brings with it the spirit of solidarity and collaboration, commitment to share our wealth of knowledge and experiences with each other, the building-up of the common good, and concern of the rights of all Filipino teachers everywhere around the world.

Let us strive to honor our God Almighty and our Filipino national heroes by serving as a voice for those who are voiceless in the four corners of our classrooms and the hallways of our schools. We must continue to organize and mobilize ourselves, fuel the flames, and empower each other. We need to make everyone in our country aware, most especially those who are making decisions that directly affect our teaching profession, that we are not mere instruments but the key players in the education arena.

Please know that each of us Filipino teacher has a voice that must speak out loudly and cry out for justice. Our students are counting on us, for they have been let down too often, we must stand up and speak up our concerns.

To the TDC Teacher Leaders, do not be intimidated by this responsibility; it is a blessing to be in a position to help another. The only way we can fail is to stop using our voices on behalf of the voiceless.

Let’s keep the fire burning…kayang kaya basta sama sama!

In solidarity,

Marisol Cribe-Angala, NBCT

PTN, Washington DC

Re: Statement by AFT President Weingarten On International Recruitment of Teachers in Prince George's County, Md.

Dear President Randi Weingarten,

I would like to thank you for supporting the struggles of our Filipino teachers in PG County.

Our union leaders constantly remind me to be tough, to stand tall and to persevere amid the challenges that we are currently facing in our profession, they instilled in me the spirit of solidarity and strength. Rest assured that this same spirit is being translated harmoniously and resonated to our Filipino teachers across the US, back home in the Philippines and around the world.

Once again, with all my heart, I thank the AFT for upholding the rights of the Filipino teachers.

Sincerely,

Maria Angala, NBCT

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For Immediate Release

April 4, 2011

Contact:
John See
202/879-4458
jsee@aft.org


Statement by Randi Weingarten,
President, American Federation of Teachers,
On International Recruitment of Teachers in Prince George’s County, Md.

United States Department of Labor investigators today announced they have found that Maryland’s Prince George’s County Public Schools willfully violated federal labor laws. More than a thousand teachers paid thousands of dollars in illegal fees before coming to the United States, according to the Labor Department.

WASHINGTON—It is appalling that a school district illegally and unfairly exploited workers who came from other countries to teach in American schools, and it is especially troubling that this exploitation occurred just a short drive from the nation’s capital.

This isn’t the first example of this type of abuse. A 2009 AFT report called attention to abuses in international teacher recruitment, and the AFT filed state and federal complaints last year on behalf of Filipino teachers working in Louisiana. The AFT has been actively pushing for legislation to regulate the recruitment industry, and is participating in a MacArthur Foundation-funded effort to develop a code of ethics for the international recruitment of teachers. Our goal is to create a systemic fix to keep such abuses from happening again. If proactive regulations had been in place to stop the bad actors, Prince George’s County Public Schools would not be spending millions in back pay now.

We are grateful that the United States Department of Labor has investigated, and is enforcing these laws. We will continue to work with federal, state and local officials to end exploitative recruitment and to support all teachers in our public schools.

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The AFT represents 1.5 million pre-K through 12th-grade teachers; paraprofessionals and other school-related personnel; higher education faculty and professional staff; federal, state and local government employees; nurses and healthcare workers; and early childhood educators.

RELATED ARTICLE: The Examiner: P.G. schools fined millions for charging foreign teachers fees