More information here: National Teacher Sickout, NTS Facebook Page, NTS on Twitter, a pdf of the below letter
To: Parents of U.S. school children
From: Anonymous
Re: National Teacher Sickout 9-21-2011
Greetings, we are Anonymous.
We are calling on all teachers to participate in a nation-wide sickout on September 21st, 2011 to protest the centralization of educational policy making power in the United States. We demand a return to local control for public education.
We are strongly pro-parent. Parents should be the primary drivers of educational policy in their own communities. Accountability should be maintained at the local level. School boards and administrators should answer to parents and community members, not to politicians and bureaucrats.
This is increasingly not the case. For more than twenty-five years, powerful corporate and political interests have created ever more nation-wide rules and requirements for schools to follow, silencing the voice of parents. Every year, the wishes of parents count for less, and the wishes of powerful corporations and foundations, and ambitious politicians and bureaucrats count for more. This must end.
For years academics and concerned citizens have made arguments, engaged in debates, and submitted pleas to stop the destruction of public education and dis-empowerment of parents. All have failed. The time for talking is over, the time for action is now. A nationwide sickout will be highly disruptive and send a clear message to the corporations and politicians who think they are in control.
We call on the support of all parents who wish to be the primary drivers of their own children's education. We ask that you spread the word by tweeting, facebooking, and talking with your children's teachers to encourage them to participate. Post links and encouragement on blogs and news sites. We ask that you to go out into the real world to post fliers, to hold community meetings, to protest at board meetings and political gatherings.
We ask that you join us in our demand. We ask that you make yourselves heard.
We are Anonymous.
You are the leaders.
Logging you in...
Kimberly · 723 weeks ago
jillsmo 103p · 723 weeks ago
Kimberly · 723 weeks ago
jillsmo 103p · 723 weeks ago
wait
Rachel · 723 weeks ago
My two kids go to public school. I try to support their teachers as much as I can. I don't even expect that all my kids' teachers are super men and women. In fact, some of the crappy ones have taught my kids valuable lessons about real life. Sadly, I think public schools for the most part suck, and if I had the money, I would send my kids someplace else. It shouldn't be this way, and it's not the fault of teachers as individuals.
I think you're right. Teachers won't participate as a group in any large protest. Too bad, too, because something needs to happen. Frankly, I don't think it would be any big deal to my kids if they missed a day or two of contact from even their best teachers. My kids wouldn't be hurt by a sickout, and maybe something would finally change if teachers stood up.
Oh, well -- seven more years and I'm done.
Kimberly · 723 weeks ago
IMHO, if teachers participate in this type of a 'walk-out' on the job, the people who are already squawking about teachers asking for too much will have even more to squawk about. They (the teachers) can say it's for the students all they want, but until parents start holding rallies, I think this is just going to fall on deaf ears, or just add fuel to the fire that is "Public Education SUCKS and teachers are lazy and asking for more". And please don't read this to be, "it's the parents' fault" because that's not what I'm saying. I'm just saying that until EVERYONE gets organized behind this, nothing is going to happen.
Tina · 723 weeks ago
I really don't think that this is going to take off, especially now, when people are being fired or "let go" due to budget cuts. People have families to feed, and mortgages to pay. With this governor, who has a vindictive streak, teachers can't afford to take chances.
And I'm pretty sure that the costs of the subs would end up hurting kids, because the money has to come from somewhere, and it would probably be from a fund that normally pays for field trips or text books. At least that is how it would be here.
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jillsmo 103p · 723 weeks ago
nuttydingo 56p · 723 weeks ago
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jillsmo 103p · 723 weeks ago
-Sent from my Blackberry. Sorry about the typos.
Rachel · 723 weeks ago
I actually don't think the letter advocates for parents *making* policy but for driving it (as opposed to politicians and textbook publishers driving it.) I wish my school board gave me and the parents at my two schools as much credit as it does politicians in our state legislature. We're chopped liver!
nuttydingo 56p · 723 weeks ago
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Jen · 723 weeks ago
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Rachel · 723 weeks ago
jillsmo 103p · 723 weeks ago
Melissa · 723 weeks ago
First, at my daughter's school, if something like this took off.... there just wouldn't be enough subs to cover the absence of teachers and possibly aides. This could actually present a pretty dangerous situation when it comes to ratios for many children who need the support.
Aside from that, within district I know a certain percentage of children need to be in school on any given day for the school to get paid by the state. At a special needs school it gets even more complicated than that. With budget cuts being what they are, I'd not want to chance it - without talking directly to somebody I trusted in her school.
@cwriting · 723 weeks ago