Rita Solnet of PAA: Stop wasting our tax dollars on failed reforms!

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Jul 31, 2011 20 Comments ›› leoniehaimson

There were so many great speeches at the SOS rally; but this is one of my favorites, from the fabulous Rita Solnet of Parents Across America and one of the organizers of the entire three day extravaganza. I hope it is captured in video somewhere; but meanwhile, you can read it below.

UPDATE: here’s the video!

There’s a quote in my office from Eleanor Roosevelt which says: “Do One Thing Every Day that Scares You!” Well, Eleanor, this is my one thing today.

Why am I here? Seriously, why am I here?

I am a businesswoman. I’m not a teacher.
I am a Chamber of Commerce member, I’m not a Union member.
I am a volunteer obnoxiously raising funds from family and friends. I’m certainly not in anyone’s back pocket.

When the Save Our Schools Executive Committee asked me to speak today, I mulled it over with my mentor— my son! At some point we changed roles. He said, “Mom, if you think you can change one person’s mind or one vote in Congress, then, you must do this.” He was right. He’s here today-a graduate of Florida’s public schools.

You see, I know that what’s happening in our public schools is hurting our nation’s children.

I know this because I’m one of hundreds of thousands of public school parents who volunteer in public schools, and who led PTAs for 15 years.

You see, I was that weekly Room Mom who experienced first hand the difference between 36 kids in an elementary classroom and 15 kids. You can’t fool me because I’ve been there.

I had a front row seat when Florida launched a one size fits all, micromanaged, whizbang Race to the Top curriculum. I saw how it robbed teachers of the flexibility to do what’s best for every child. And, I saw how it robbed children of their ability to discover their inner talents and tap their creativity. Oh No. You can’t fool me!

I’ve witnessed how this obsessive focus on standardized tests converted schools to test prep factories. Schools no longer have time for Music, Arts, Literature, PE, Social Studies, Languages, Civics. So don’t talk to me about Innovation. No, you can’t fool me.

I don’t want to burst your bubble test, but this is not good education!

I’ve watched how we now teach our children how to guess at bubble tests- as if the answer to all life’s problems will be placed in front of them to choose.

I see how everything rides on these scores-teachers salaries, their jobs, whether the school remains open-it all falls on the shoulders of that one child taking that one test on that one day. Is that what you mean by Game Changer? You can’t fool me.

We are abandoning entire segments of our nation for the sake of collecting useless data — that’s right -useless. The children nor the teacher never see the results. Right answers, wrong answers, where they need to improve-who knows? They never see it. Does that make sense to any of you here?

I’m here today to add my voice to yours to appeal to common sense in education.

I’m here today to say stop wasting my tax dollars on failed reforms. NCLB never worked-it put us in this mess.

I’m asking this Administration and Capitol Hill to listen with a Capital L. Listen to those in the trenches — Listen to informed parents — Listen to your constituents.

I’m not alone. There are many parents here today. We’re here today to give the Dept of Education a Robo Call of our own! Right?

I’m the co founder of Parents Across America and we are here today in full force.

Our members scrimped and saved for months to be here. We lobbied all day Thursday in appointments on Capitol Hill. Parents Across America are here today — not just from DC-not just from Maryland or Virginia-we are here today from:

Seattle, Spokane, from San Francisco and Los Angeles—from Phoenix, Denver, Madison, Wisconsin and from Chicago, Portland, Oregon and New Orleans- from North Carolina, from Pennsylvania, from New Jersey, from New York and from Florida.

Today is not the final destination. This march is the beginning.

The beginning of a nationwide community of advocates — bringing common sense back into America’s classrooms. Parents helping other parents and parents helping teachers.

We are the ones we’ve been waiting for — right here — all of us.

And, we are the only ones we can depend upon to put the public back in public education. Are you with me? Right here — right now.

Parents Across America’s motto is: Our schools. Our children. Our voices.

Now, I hear they are a little tone deaf in the beltway so I need your help.

WHOSE SCHOOLS? Our Schools.
WHOSE CHILDREN? Our Children.
WHOSE VOICES? Our Voices.

Thank you very much.


Comments

  1. Anon says:
    July 31, 2011 at 11:15 pm

    Schools no longer have time for Music, Arts, Literature, PE, Social Studies, Languages, Civics.

    That’s silly. It shouldn’t take a decent school more than 3 hours a day to teach kids how to read (which isn’t rocket science) and how to do basic math (which isn’t rocket science either). If schools can’t even accomplish that much without taking up the whole school day, then the teachers are incompetent and stupid.

    Reply
    • parent says:
      July 31, 2011 at 11:47 pm

      Anon, I hope you want your child to learn much more than simply how to read or do basic math as they matriculate through school. I am assuming based on your statement that you have spent time in schools and taught a class of 36 children to read. I am also assuming that you have taught children who speak no English at home how to understand English how to speak English, how to write it, how to read it in 3 hours a day.. I am also assuming that you have had experience teaching 36 children at a time, basic mathematics as well. I assume as well that you are comfortable having your salary determined by the number of those students who can demonstrate their ability to read, write and do this math based on a test given on a single day. If not, then I suggest you spend a little time in the shoes of the people doing this daily rather than judging those who do.

      Reply
      • Anon says:
        August 1, 2011 at 1:11 am

        Where’s this 36 number coming from? Not many actual classrooms, that’s for sure.

        Anyway, no teacher’s salary is being determined by success on test scores. Zero. Even in the very few districts that employ merit pay, the only way that pay is affected is that some or even all teachers get bonuses on top of their agreed-on salaries. (If you’re a teacher, you’re not doing your profession any favors by being so misinformed.)

        Reply
        • amyg says:
          August 2, 2011 at 3:08 am

          36, not in my room, but it is 31 now, from 20, in just 1 year. Now I have all he behavior problems because we have no aid. Where are you from anon? Or are you a troll? Thank you Rita, I will be posting pics as soon as I return home. I have some great shots from the rally.

          Reply
    • Lisa says:
      August 1, 2011 at 12:14 am

      ANON…have you led a team of 36+ people at your workplace and get them on the same page as you as a leader, accomplishing the same goals and meeting the deadlines set forth by your boss? I know it’s a bit off topic to compare 36+ children in a classroom, led by a teacher who is to teach nothing but rote basic reading and basic math, to a workplace of the same number of people, led by a leader who is to guide them to meet deadlines, but they have the same thing in common: they are 36+ different brains working at their own creative pace and personality. How is it not “rocket science” to get these kids on the same page when it comes to teaching nothing but rote basic reading and basic math? Let me know if you can accomplish so as a teacher, I would love to meet you to learn from you.

      Reply
  2. Anon says:
    July 31, 2011 at 11:17 pm

    By the way, her name is spelled “Solnet.” Might want to get your own board member’s name correct.

    Reply
  3. Lori Jackson says:
    August 1, 2011 at 12:45 am

    I want more for my students than a basic education in mathematics and reading, and they all deserve more. Heavy handed dictates regarding curriculum and duration, I have little freedom left to do what I do best: inspire a sense of curiosity and passion for learning that carries us through the basics and beyond, allowing children to feel the power of their own minds as they learn to reason, evaluate and think critically about the world around them. When you devalue me, you also devalue them.

    Reply
  4. Betsy Marshall says:
    August 1, 2011 at 2:43 pm

    Anon is merely spitting back talking points that he/she has heard somewhere. He/she is probably not here for an honest discussion, which would involve a give and take of ideas and the willingness to listen to people who have more knowledge of the subject than he/she has.

    Reply
  5. Anon says:
    August 1, 2011 at 3:07 pm

    OK, Betsy, tell me:

    1. Where in the country you’d find a class size of 36.

    2. Why it would take a full 8 hours a day to teach kids basic reading and math skills, leaving no time for any other subjects? Is it that you think kids are that dumb, or what?

    Reply
  6. Claudia Swisher says:
    August 1, 2011 at 5:01 pm

    Anon — I recently taught a class of 36 seniors in English 4…and typically have 32-34 students in my elective class. A colleague in my school, an affluent suburban high school saw 164 ninth graders a day in English 1. And classes will be getting larger, not smaller, if reformers have their way.

    As Dave Eggers said, this is the only profession where you meet with 30+ clients at the same time, some of whom are working counter to your objectives.

    Reply
    • Anon says:
      August 1, 2011 at 7:05 pm

      None of those are tested classes under NCLB. So if the claim is that NCLB is forcing teachers to cut everything but reading and math, show me the 3rd to 8th grade classes that have 36 kids. If any such classes, they are a rare exception, given that the national average class size is 23 students.

      If 23 students is still too many, make that argument, but don’t expect people to fall for all this dishonest self-pity over elementary teachers with 36 kids per class.

      Reply
      • Claudia Swisher says:
        August 1, 2011 at 10:34 pm

        Anon, go back to your question that I answered: “Where in the country you’d find a class size of 36.” I understand the context of the conversation was beginning readers, but I answered the question…My experience for the past 25 years has been secondary, in and out of classes that are tested for our state’s accountability system. With classes over 30 and under 30. It happens. That’s what I was saying. Not sure what in my statements to you was dishonest or self-pitying. Loaded words do not a cogent argument make.

        Reply
        • Anon says:
          August 2, 2011 at 2:58 am

          OK, well, Rita S. was claiming to have seen a class of 36 in elementary school. I suspect she was just making that up. But if not, what she saw was totally unusual, given that the national average for class size is 23.

          Reply
          • Ric Stephenson says:
            August 3, 2011 at 4:52 pm

            Good day Anon. Since you’re so committed to finding that classroom of 36, let me share my experience with you. In Capistrano Unified School District (California) I had a junior high school honors social science class of 40. No behavior problems, but a lot of papers to grade. Later, as a junior high school counselor, we routinely created master schedules with class sizes pushing the mid-30s and above. We actually didn’t get worried until they hit that magic 36 number. This is not the forum to educate you about the profession of teaching. I truly don’t think you want to examine your views. That would mean actually thinking for yourself. However, should you ever reach that point when you desire to become enlightened, please shadow a teacher for a day. Just because you walked through a school house door as a student, doesn’t make you an educator.

          • Anon says:
            August 5, 2011 at 5:16 pm

            Social science. Not a tested subject under NCLB. Therefore irrelevant to all of the complaining about standardized tests. (And you just disproved Rita’s nonsense about how schools have abandoned everything but reading and math.)

      • amyg says:
        August 2, 2011 at 3:10 am

        Troll, I have a couple of billy goat brothers, better go mind your own buisness, you clearly don’ care about kids or our work.

        Reply
  7. BM says:
    August 1, 2011 at 5:12 pm

    Anon, I hate to enlighten you, as you are so combative, but yes there are still classes with 36 kids in them. And if you had listened or read properly Rita’s speech, you would have understood that she was saying she has seen the difference between 36 kids and 15 kids.

    In a typical school day, there are not 8 hours to teach by the way. Example, in elementary the average school day is 6 hours. There are recess times, PE times etc as well as lunch. With each break, those young kids must be calmed. So actual teaching time is much less. Middle school has 50 minute increment classes, with a few minutes between. So actual teaching time is 50 minutes per subject, and certain subjects are mandated, science, math, reading, history and language arts.

    Budget cuts and high stakes testing have caused middle and elementary schools to lose music, art etc. My childs middle school has neither music nor art.

    For you to make idiotic comments that teachers are stupid or incompetent just shows how ignorant you really are in terms of education, policy and the standardized testing crisis as well as the merit pay crisis.

    Please Anon, go get educated then make comments that are constructive, not destructive. Negativity will never get you anywhere.

    Reply
  8. Stu says:
    August 1, 2011 at 5:28 pm

    @ANON
    1. I recently retired after 35 years of teaching. During my last year as a teacher (2009-2010) our school had several classes with more than 30 students. Not all, of course, but there was at least one with 32 and one with 31. During my years as a teacher I have had classes of 38 and 33…along with some in the high 20s.

    This year, because of budget cuts, our school system has closed 4 of our 11 elementary schools. The classes are being combined. I don’t have the numbers yet — we won’t until school starts and the students show up, but my guess is that we’ll continue to have large, over 30, classes.

    Why is this such a surprise to you? Perhaps you live in an area where there’s enough money to hire more teachers? If so, then that’s great. Your community’s students are getting the benefit of smaller class sizes.

    2. During the last 16 years of my career I was a reading specialist. It was my job to work with students having difficulties in their regular classrooms. I was able to help a lot of students, but the fact is, that it takes some students longer than others to learn. This is not necessarily the fault of the parents…or the students…or the teachers. Human beings are different. There is no one way to reach every child. My job was to try something different to help increase achievement. if it didn’t work…we tried something else…if that didn’t work…we tried something else…etc.

    I’m sorry, but you’re wrong. For some students reading and/or math IS as hard as rocket science.

    Finally, instructional time in a school is not 8 hours. Schools are not…and shouldn’t be…sweatshops. Children need more than “reading and math instruction.” Children need time to grow emotionally, physically and academically. You can’t spend the whole day — a student days is generally about 6 hours — working on reading. Children are not machines.

    It’s understandable that you might not have known these things if you’ve never spent time teaching, if you live in an affluent area, or if you didn’t have trouble with academics when you were a child.

    If you are concerned perhaps you would volunteer at a local school. There are always students who need extra help.

    Reply
  9. Dora Goes to Washington: The Save Our Schools Rally and March | Seattle Education says:
    August 2, 2011 at 3:45 am

    [...] You can read her speech in its’ entirety at the Parents Across America website, Stop wasting our tax dollars on failed reforms. [...]

    Reply
  10. Beam says:
    August 3, 2011 at 6:17 am

    Well, Anon if you aren’t just a bright ray of sunshine. I love the way opinions have become facts. And thank you for sharing your pedagogical expertise.

    Yes, it takes at least three hours a day to teach someone to read, to write, to use correct grammar, to improve fluency, vocabulary, punctuation, comprehension, to understand the subordination of ideas in a sentence, to make inferences, to distinguish FACT from OPINION in writing, write persuasively, draw conclusions, identify character development, identify how setting affects character’s actions, identify mood, purpose, tone, and theme, tell simile from metaphor, do research, write well-organized research papers with bibliographies, read and write editorials, letters, narratives, expository writing, compare and contrast, use varied sentence structure, identify main ideas and supporting details, descriptive writing, listening and oral communication skills, identify genres, analyze use of rhetorical devices, understand figurative language, understand the structure of poetry …

    These are elementary school requirements for language arts where I teach. Anyone want to tackle math? (Don’t forget valid and invalid samples and whisker/box and stem/leaf plots when you discuss statistics.)

    Reply

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