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Warrior Goddess

Jia Lee Calls for “Teachers of Conscience” to Take a Stand

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“Remember that fear is natural, but there is greater fear in knowing what will happen if we don’t take a stand.”  

– Jia Lee 

Special Education teacher Jia Lee took some time out of her busy schedule last Saturday to talk to War Report about her experience testifying in front of the Senate Education Committee in DC on January 21, 2015. During her testimony, Lee called for her fellow teachers to be “teachers of conscience” and join her in refusing to administer detrimental high stakes tests to students. Lee’s bravery and dedication to her students is inspiring.

“As people start to awaken and see that we can no longer keep our heads down, I believe that people will force democratic decision making through a variety of means: opting out/refusal, legislatively and changing how we engage around issues of public education. Even if the federal government reauthorizes ESEA with the same or similar testing mandates, teachers, parents, students and concerned community members are learning that this can’t work. While we opt out and refuse compliance to the standardization of our communities, we will start to see people engaged in highlighting our vision for public education.”

What do you think of the stand taken by Jia Lee and other teachers of conscience?

Please read the full interview, share, and comment. Originally published on Living in Dialogue. 

http://www.livingindialogue.com/jia-lees-national-call-action-let-teachers-teachers-conscience/

Warrior Goddess

Honey Badger Blurbs

Hey Ya’ll-
Honey Badger blurbs are short, nasty, and to the point. Honey Badger reality consists of not giving a shit about much of anything except taking down the prey of choice- and when it comes to my students, my children, and my family- well- Corporate capitalist Rattlesnakes are my prey of choice. Be warned edu- Reformers- the Bad ole’ Honey Badger is coming for you!

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Warrior Goddess

Naison Rants

“I have little confidence in those who are using their power to reshape the teaching profession, whatever point in the political spectrum they come from. And I am not too confident that parents, students and teachers have the power to overturn the apple cart and create and support public schools that place student needs and aptitudes above data gathering, social engineering, and meeting the needs of future employers. But what I can do, as one person, and I am doing, is trying to teach better than ever. To wake up in the middle of the night thinking– what can I do to inspire my students and get them to identify with the material, make it their own, and speak and write about it in THEIR voice? It’s not much. But it is something. And it is better than giving up.”- Mark Naison 1/17/15

Warrior Goddess

Naison Rants

Fresh Takes on Who Should be the Voices for Public Education:

I wonder what percentage of the 19 Civil Rights groups who signed on to the National Testing Statement
A. Received grants from the Gates Foundation.
B. Are headed by lawyers.
I am willing to bet a large amount that none of them are led by a public school teacher.

Naison Rants

#2015TheYearoftheStudent
#2015TheYearoftheStudent