Energy on the Internet is high for the first annual conference held by the Network for Public Education, according to this report by Jeff Bryant on the Education Opportunity Network.
By way of full disclosure, I have sent NPE a bit of money to support their mission, but I would be reporting on their event even if I didn’t send them a dime. And my contribution doesn’t hold a candle to the contributions made by Bill Gates and other billionaires who are trying to thwart NPE’s mission in any way they can.
NPE is the brainchild, most likely, of education historian Diane Ravitch and Education Week blogger Anthony Cody. Their mission is summed up as being against these four big-money ed reforms:
- high-stakes testing
- privatization of public education
- mass school closures
- for-profit management of schools
So, what are they for, then? Good question.
“Our movement demands a positive agenda for change based on love of learning, respect for
educators, and dedication to the healthy development of children as good people,” Ms Ravitch said in a press release. “We hope you will be there and join us as we review the status and condition of our movement to reclaim public education and decide what we should do to grow stronger in the future.”
Press Release for the March 1–2 conference in Austin, Texas.
Some events to be streamed live (all times CST)
- 9:15 am, March 1, Educators Organizing Resistance [Deb Meier, Jesse Hagopian, (Chicago Teachers’ Union President) Karen Lewis, Katie Osgood and Bob Peterson]
- 10:45 am, March 1, Student Organizing [Moderator: Jose Vilson, Panelists: Hannah Nguyen, Israel Munoz, Stephanie Rivera, Bryan Varela, Mayra Mostafa]
- 1 pm, March 1, Keynotes [John Kuhn, Karen Lewis]
- 2:30 pm, March 1, Research and Activism [Moderator: Julian Vasquez Heilig, Panelists: Kevin Welner, Tina Trujillo, Kevin Foster, Sonya Horford]
- 4:00 pm, March 1, Opting Out [Panelists: Peggy Robertson, Jesse Hagopian, Dora Taylor]
- 9:00 am, March 2, Common Core Panel [Paul Horton, Geralyn McLaughlin, Mercedes Schneider, Jose Luis Vilson, Randi Weingarten]
- 10:30 am, March 2, Keynote [Diane Ravitch]
- 1:00 pm, March 2, Teach for America [Moderator: Julian Vasquez Heilig, Panelists: Sarah Ishmael, Kerry Kretchmar, Camika Royal, Beth Sondel, Chad Sommer]