Another promise thread?

[teacher gal]

I gladly endorse without reservation Kentuck's promise not to support any Democrat who would undermine social security. And I hope Kentuck and others will forgive me if I'm taking a liberty here that I shouldn't.

I am not naive. I do not expect this thread will get anywhere near the support Kentuck's thread on social security is getting. Indeed, I fully expect numerous "unrecs". That's ok and I welcome discussion, both pro and con.

Nevertheless, I promise that I will not support any Democrat who continues to support policies which undermine, weaken, and privatize public education, wastefully diverting billions into private hands, via NCLB and its stepsister, Race to the Top.

I ask you to consider how the destructive obsession with standards and testing, the tremendous hype about teacher quality, tenure, and those evil teachers' unions (which admittedly need some reform) all serve to divert national attention away from the primary cause of so-called school failure, which is poverty. Poverty and societal ills must be confronted directly.

The corruption and waste, the demoralization and miseducation being brought about by pro-market reforms and data-worship are staggering. Because the stakes are so high, education has been narrowly reduced to test taking and the sorting and ranking of children.

Social security and public education exist for the common good. Well-educated children who have learned to think and question for themselves are far less likely to grow up and be unable to discern propaganda, like the fear-mongering that threatens both social security and public education.

Again, hoping I haven't offended anyone here. Have written in a hurry.

And btw, regardless of the popularity (or lack of) for my promise on education, I'll still stick by my promise not to support candidates who would privatize or undermine social security. Social security is one of the best things that ever happened to this country, in my opinion.

[golddigger]

1. K&R...with you on this 100%.

[defendandprotect]

17. kick for public education --

[leftstreet]

2. K&R

[Starry Messenger]

3. k&r

[bobbolink]

4. Absolutely. Destroying Public Education is NOT a Democratic value!

:yourock:

[CaliforniaPeggy]

5. I stand with you as well...K&R

[bvar22]

6. I recommended the other thread,

and I recommend yours.

I will continue to voice my contempt for those Democrats who endorsed the "Payroll Tax Holiday".
This is nothing more than a backdoor weasel way to ultimately destroy a successful "DEMOCRATIC" program.


I can hear the excuses now:
"Gee. Who could have foreseen this?" :cry:

[Angry Dragon]

7. K&R

[dkf]

8. Well I think the people in power have given up on reforming the unions

So they have done an end run by going with Charter schools. Like Mubarak, it is too late.

[pscot]

9. +1

[TheKentuckian]

10. I'll stand with ya.

[teacher gal]

11. Didn't know what to expect

Thank you for the support folks!

[teacher gal]

12. Falling, here's a kick. nt

[teacher gal]

13. Falling, here's a kick. nt

[bobbolink]

15. I join you in kicking..... because kicking right now seems the right thing to do.

My line, of course, is any Dems who won't fund low-income housing, but that means MOST must go.

:cry:

[golddigger]

14. Keeping it kicked.

[defendandprotect]

16. K/R -- agree ... strongly oppose Obama/Duncan insane attacks on public education/teachers --!!

And we need a new pro-public education candidate in 2012 --

Obama can step down or step aside -- whatever --

We need to DRAFT someone like Bernie Sanders who can run on a Dem ticket --

and also pick up a hige amount of liberal support from other parties!!

[Poboy]

18. recommend