Thanks to the efforts of many led by the American Association of School Administrators (AASA), next week (March 12 – 16) will be National Public Schools Week. A bipartisan group of members of Congress whom you can find here are co-chairing this event.
WE NEED YOUR HELP TO MAKE SURE THAT THIS WEEK IS A SUCCESS
1. Please send this email to your members of Congress letting them know you support public schools and you would like them to express their support next week as well. You can click and send here to generate that email.
2. Below are 4 “click and send” tweets. Please send them out today and throughout the week copying friends and Congress. Join us Thursday, March 15 from 1-3 p.m. E.T., for our Tweet Storm on Twitter. You can find more sample tweets here. We will send a reminder email during the week.
3. Use this Facebook frame throughout the week to show your support for Public Schools Week. Just click on the image below to be taken to Facebook and apply the frame to your profile picture.
A New Report by the Network for Public Education Exposes the Problems Associated with Online Learning
The increased reliance on technology in schools is moving at a breakneck speed—one that far exceeds the accumulation of research on its effectiveness. Does online and blended learning enhance student learning? What do we know about virtual schools? How does profit influence policy decisions on the use technology?
Beyond questions of effectiveness, there are also student privacy concerns. Online learning, in all of its forms, captures a treasure trove of student data. Who owns the data and to what ends may it be used? Can private student information be sold for commercial purposes, with or without parental consent? What educational decisions are being made for students based on data that may or may not actually capture their achievement or abilities?
These are some of the big questions our new report Online Learning: What Every Parents Should Know answers. It is a must read for every parent and educator.
You can find that report here.
NPE Survey Finds That Parents, Teachers and Students Reject Arming Teachers and Favor Gun Control Instead
NPE received over 8,000 responses to our online survey available from February 25 through February 28. The survey was sent to NPE’s 330,000 supporters nationwide, and was also disseminated through social media. Only parents, teachers and students (between the ages of 14-25) were asked to respond.
Key results from the survey include:
- Only 8% of respondents want teachers to carry guns in school.
- More than 9 of 10 (94%) support a ban on assault weapons, defined as semi-automatic weapons.
- Nearly every respondent (99%) wants increased funding for violence prevention services, including counselors and threat reporting services.
- 98% support tougher gun ownership regulations.
- 93% support increased funding for security, with the caveat that security needs would be determined by the school community.
When asked to identify the top three ways to prevent gun violence in schools, respondents identified banning assault weapons, tougher gun control and increased funding for support services.
Go here to find our webpage on Stopping Gun Violence in Schools.
Dr. Lauren Willner, Assistant Professor of Social Work at the California State University, Northridge, is collecting survey data about arming teachers as a way to prevent school based gun violence. If you are presently a teacher or a former teacher and would like to participate you make take her survey here.
T-shirts Now Available for the National Day of Action, April 20
We’ve created a t-shirt you can wear on April 20th to show your support for safe schools for all. Just click the image below to purchase. If you’re planning an event at your school or workplace, you can let us know about it by filling out our form here.
Carol Burris
Executive Director
