From Teacher Ralph Ratto: Response to DeVos as
Education Secretary
Ralph Ratto blogs on his post entitled “Opine I
Will.”
Following are selections from Mr. Ratto's most recent blog – a dark
vision of what could come quickly -
after the announcement of Trump’s new Secretary of Education. And, Mr.
Ratto reminds us as we are reminded by Bernie Sanders and others, now is the
time to resist, to fight back.
“Public education is our nation’s most important asset that is
responsible for protecting and nurturing our nation’s most precious asset, our
children. Public Education is about to be dismantled and sold off to the
highest bidder in every state of our nation. Trump’s legacy will someday
describe this real estate scoundrel as the demolition expert that has destroyed
an American institution that began in 1690. Unfortunately, a large
portion of our populace do not realize that the end is near.
“No matter which party you support or who you voted for, you
will soon feel the real pain of a Trump administration. Some have said, we may
survive four years of Trump, but will we survive many years of an ultra-Right
Wing Supreme Court? Will we survive a Tea party controlled Congress? Will our
schools survive?
“The “end” for public education is one step closer with Trump’s
pick for Education Secretary billionaire Betsy DeVos. DeVos
is a conservative activist that has pushed for school vouchers across the
nation. She supports raiding taxpayer revenues and funneling them to private
and parochial schools. She has no experience in education and will be the chief
architect in Trump’s demolition plan.
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| …and privatize those national parks next. |
“Trump’s demolition plan includes the destruction of unions. The
very same unions that advocate for highly effective schools, strong standards
that are appropriate, school safety, and protect the needs of our most
challenged students. Trump has signaled that he would establish
Right to Work laws nationwide. Trump’s plan would impede all unions’ abilities
to provide the much-needed advocacy that has protected our schools and in turn
our middle class.
“The end will arrive for many of our union sisters and brothers
when a Trump Supreme Court dismantles public unions’ bargaining rights and his
wrecking ball destroys tenure protections. Public schools will be immediately
impacted when teachers that advocate for their students are fired without due
process. Public schools will be systematically taken over by private for profit
corporations that will not be subjected to collective bargaining. Profits and
the bottom line will be the only measure that is important.
“The end is near for public pensions. Trump’s demolition crew is
about to blow up a system that has allowed hard working public sector employees
to contribute to a system that would protect them in their end years. Trump’s
crew will raid our pensions and turn them over to his private sector buddies.
Public sector employees will now face the same questionable future as the
private sector workers who have lost their future.
“The end is near for our curricula. Our Science programs will be
distorted with creationists warped views, Social Studies will be used as a tool
to indoctrinate and not liberate the mind. The Arts will be lost forever. The
focus will be on a false accountability system, based on a failed business
model invented in some boardroom.
“If we put aside Trumps racism, bigoted, misogynist statements.
We are still left with the unpleasant truth that the end is near.
Unfortunately, it will be pain that will eventually open the eyes of many of
our union sisters and brothers. The pain will be swift and devastating. It will
be too late for I told you so’s. It will be our demise. Unless we stop him!
“Resist! Resist! Resist! Put your niceties aside. Inform, argue,
debate and be relentless. Boycott when told to, protest when you can. Throw up
roadblocks, stand your ground. Don’t accept “maybe things will get better” or
give him a chance. All the signs are there. Point everyone out. Point every
threat to our way of life. Point out every conflict, every attack, every enemy.
“Do what we do best.
Teach! Teach others how the end is near and how it will be a reality if we do
not wake up. Our national nightmare is here.”
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| Opine I Will |
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