NPE President Diane Ravitch is proud to announce that writer, policy analyst, and activist for the whole child, Susan Ochshorn, has joined the NPE Board of Directors. Susan is a tireless advocate for healthy early childhood education. A former journalist, with a Master’s degree in early childhood education and public policy from Bank Street College of Education, she has written for CNN Opinion, the Los Angeles Times, Education Week, and other publications. Susan blogs at ECE Policy Matters and at the Huffington Post, and is the author of Squandering America’s Future – Why ECE Policy Matters for Equality, Our Economy and Our Children. Susan is now working on a book about play as the foundation for democracy and civil society.
8 Powerful Voices in Defense of Public Education Video Series
On Saturday, December 9th, we released our second video featuring John Kuhn, the superintendent of the Mineral Wells Independent School District in Texas. His message, about the inequitable funding that deprives so many students of essential services, has gone viral on Facebook.
Please click the image below to watch him on our new YouTube channel. While you’re there, be sure to subscribe, and please consider sharing the video.
“Standardized tests are a poor substitute for justice. And accountability based on tests, is a poor substitute for equitable treatment.”
In 2018 we’ll bring you six more videos featuring passionate education advocates from around the country. Watch our Facebook, Twitter and YouTube for new releases.
After you watch, take action.
The tax bill that is before Congress includes several provisions that could significantly decrease public school funding. The expansion of 529 accounts to include K-12 students is a disguised voucher. At the same time, the bill reduces the deduction for local properties taxes that fund public schools and eliminates the deduction for state taxes that fund them as well.
NPE’s 5th Annual National Conference will be in Indianapolis, Indiana
Next year we’re taking the fight for public education to Indiana, the home of Vice President Mike Pence, for an up-close look at a state that has been a testing ground for the privatization movement. Stay tuned in the coming months for a call for panel proposals and registration information. We hope to see you there!
End of Year Support
In 2017, NPE created content that inspires and informs. We brought you our Privatization Toolkit, which supplies you with the arguments you need to educate your community and your legislators on the dangers of the privatization movement. We released Charters and Consequences, a 48 page report that is the result of investigations, visits and interviews over the course of a year. To accompany that report, we’ve compiled a webpage called Another Day Another Charter Scandal, where we’ve archived a year’s worth of charter scandals and corruption cases. We send you alerts and newsletters that keep you informed.
NPE is committed to continuing this vital work, but we can’t do it without your financial support. Please consider making an end-of-year donation to NPE. Your contribution is tax deductible.
You can send NPE a check (PO Box 150266, Kew Gardens, NY 11415) or give online here. Until December 31, the name of every donor who gives $100 or more will be entered into a drawing. The winner of the drawing will receive a free registration to our 2018 conference, and a seat next to Diane at the conference brunch. Donations of $200 will get two entries and so on.
As an additional incentive, if you donate before December 15th, your donation will be matched by a generous anonymous donor who has provided $10,000 in matching funds. So please don’t delay, and make the most of your contribution to NPE by giving before the 15th.
Thank you for all that you do. Diane, the NPE Board of Directors, Darcie and I wish you a wonderful holiday season full of joy, family and friendship. May we all see brighter days in 2018!
Carol Burris
Executive Director
