CAUS Chalkboard 11/22/13 In This Issue: • Science Explains Why Tea Partiers Hate Science • Keep Up with DPIs New, Paperless Licensing System • Test Your Knowledge: How Low Can Fox News Go • New Candidate Training Added for Madison Who is Making Money in Americas Schools? (Hint: Its Not You) A new report from Madisons Center for Media and Democracy shows that Ron Packard, the CEO of K12 Inc., a for-profit virtual school company, has been paid more than $19 million just since 2009. Almost all of K12s-and Packards-money comes from taxpayers. But it doesnt go into public schools. It goes into computers and modems and teachers who communicate with their students via e-mail-and it goes into the pockets of profiteers like Packard and his Wall Street benefactors. Recent investigations by the New York Times and the Washington Post have found that K12 schools are ineffective. They earn their big profits by overloading their teachers schedules and limiting their students opportunities. The Center for Media and Democracy has launched a new 12-part series called Outsourcing America Exposed, and chose K12 as the first for-profit company to feature. Time and again were told that librarians, nurses and teachers are to blame for state and local budget problems, said Lisa Graves, Executive Director of the Center for Media and Democracy. In reality, taxpayers are being duped by corporate CEOs and Wall Street banks that are siphoning money out of our communities for huge salary and bonus packages. What does this mean for us? It means we do more with less and take more blame for the failures of politicians. It is also a glimpse into the future. Governor Scott Walker and his allies in the Wisconsin Legislature want to acceleration the privatization of public education in our state through virtual education, vouchers and an ever-expanding package of schemes. We have tracked these moves carefully in this newsletter, and WEACs website has a resource page for finding out more about these politicians plans and how we can fight back. We dont have to sit back and accept the future Walker and his big-money backers have in mind for us. And we are lucky to have people like the staff at the Center for Media and Democracy to show us the future before it is too late. Education employee unions like ours made the difference earlier this spring when the Republicans were forced to alter some of their voucher expansion plans. Now is the time to intensify our efforts. Tell your legislators not to send your tax dollars to Ron Packard. In Solidarity, Cynthia Bliss CAUS-North President Science Explains Why Tea Partiers Hate Science An article on Bill Moyers website features an interview with the author of the book The Republican Brain: The Science of Why They Deny Science-and Reality. The authors conclusion, based on several brain studies, is that some Republican voters brains are wired in such a way that they have an easier time explaining away certain types of logical contradictions and the possible consequences of their beliefs. It is easy, for example, to claim that the privatization of public education is a good idea even if there is every reason to believe that privatizing public education will mean most students education and life opportunities will suffer. That explains a lot. Read the book and draw your own conclusions. Information About DPIs Online-Only Licensing Now Available Starting December 1, 2013, the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction will no longer accept paper applications for educator licenses and license renewals. The entire process will now take place online. For CAUS members, this means: • You will create an account and initiate the license application online • You will enter your biographical data and upload supporting documentation online • You will pay for the applications online using a credit card • You can print your license certificate in the online system For more information, go to the DPI website (of course), or call the CAUS-North office at 800-397-2287 and ask for your UniServ Director. Did Fox News Really Say That? The Nation magazine has created a new game to test our knowledge of Fox Newss utter ridiculousness. The quiz juxtaposes two outrageous headlines, one made up and one that actually appeared on Fox News. It is difficult to tell the difference. Heres one example: Are Birth Control Advocates Hiding Risky Side Effects? or Obamas Hip-Hop BBQ Didnt Create Jobs The correct answer is Obamas Hip-Hop BBQ Didnt Create Jobs is an actual headline that appeared during an actual Fox News report. Make Plans Now for WEAC Winter Leadership Academy Winter will be here before we know it, so start planning now to attend the 2014 WEAC Winter Leadership Academy February 28-March 2, 2014. Every year, WEACs leadership academies present opportunities to learn more about issues and opportunities related to professional development, union organizing, leadership development, work-life balance and more. The academy will be held at the Wilderness Resort in Wisconsin Dells. Check the 2014 WEAC Winter Leadership Academy resource page on WEAC.org for updates and registration information. The page includes a link to a flyer you can download and post for your colleagues benefit. New Candidate Training Session Scheduled for Madison Resources are available for anyone who is supportive of public education and considering running for local elected office. There is a lot to know, and you do not have to navigate this terrain on your own. This link directs you to candidate training sessions scheduled throughout the state. Contact CAUS-North Director Dustin Beilke, at [email protected] or 1-800-397-2287 if you are interested in attending a session but the dates and times listed here do not work for you. Writing Contest Offers Cash Prizes for High School Students The Wisconsin Labor History Society is sponsoring an essay contest for Wisconsin high school students, grades 9-12, willing to write 750 words on the topic, Unions have been important to my family and my community because. Students are urged to interview family members, neighbors and others for first-hand accounts of their experiences with unions and work. The contest has a top prize of $500, and will award up to seven additional prizes. Educators are encouraged to urge their students to enter the contest and to help them in their efforts. More information about the contest, including last years winning essay, is available on the Wisconsin Labor History Society website. Pass It On CAUS Chalkboard is emailed to every CAUS-North member for whom we have a home e-mail address. If you know colleagues who do not receive Chalkboard, consider forwarding this issue and future issues to their home e-mail addresses or printing out the newsletter and handing it to them. You can also encourage your colleagues to get in touch with CAUS-North and give us their current home e-mail addresses so they can receive Chalkboard and other important union communications. Tell them they can call CAUS-North at 1-800-397-2287, or e-mail Sherry Lewis at [email protected], to let the union know their e-mail addresses. Like Us on Facebook Did you know that CAUS-North has a Facebook page? You can find us on Facebook by entering CAUS North in Facebooks search engine. Then just click Like. Once youre on the page you will find helpful links and updates on important CAUS events and issues. This is an 11.29 communication with WEAC & staff.
Posted on: Fri, 22 Nov 2013 20:18:15 +0000
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