Save Our Schools: A National Call to Action

! FOR!IMMEDIATE!RELEASE:! August!15,!2012! Contacts:! Bonnie!Northrop!Nesbitt,!Steering!Committee! Save!Our!Schools! 703I536I2497! Lee!P.!Barrios,!Steering!Committee! Save!Our!Schools! 985I789I8304! ! PRESS!RELEASE! ! Save!Our!Schools!challenges!beneficiary!choice! !of!Teachers!Rock!2012!Concert! ! ! The!national!public!education!advocacy!group!Save!Our!Schools!is!challenging!the!sponsors!and! entertainers!involved!in!the!heavily!promoted!musical!event!Teachers!Rock!2012!to!engage!in!a!public! dialogue!regarding!their!motivation!for!participation!in!the!fundraiser!and!their!choice!of!Teach!for! America!as!a!beneficiary.!!! ! ! The!concert!is!a!promotional!scheme!for!the!upcoming!antiIteacher!movie!Wont&Back&Down.&& Leonie!Haimson,!a!coIfounder!of!the!parent!activist!group!Parents!Across!America,!said,!The!movie!is! supposedly!based!on!a!process!called!the!parent!trigger!which!purports!to!empower!parents.!!But! actually,!the!parent!trigger!has!a!track!record!of!100%!failure!and!has!pitted!parents!against!parents! and!torn!apart!school!communities!at!the!two!schools!where!it!has!been!tried.!!! ! ! Wont&Back&Down&was!produced!by!Walden!Media,!owned!by!conservative!mogul!Philip! Anschutz,!a!major!donor!to!antiIgay,!creationist!and!other!rightIwing!causes.!!Walden!Media!was!the!coI producer!of!the!2010!antiIpublic!education!pseudoIdocumentary!Waiting!for!Superman.!!! ! ! The!live!concert,!held!in!Los!Angeles!August!14,!is!to!be!broadcast!on!CBS!Friday,!August!17.!!It!is! billed!as!a!charity!event!celebrating!teachers!and!educators.!!However,!the!education!organization! selected!to!receive!the!proceeds!was!Teach!for!America!(TFA).!! ! !At!its!inception,!TFAs!mission!was!to!place!college!graduates!with!five!weeks!of!intensive! training!into!high!poverty,!inner!city!schools!where!shortages!of!certified,!experienced!teachers! occurred.!! ! !Since!then,!TFA!has!grown!into!a!fast!track!employment!agency!to!provide!charter!schools!with! lowIcost!instructional!personnel,!avoid!union!membership!with!collective!bargaining,!eliminate!costs!of! retirement!and!health!benefits!and!provide!submissive!employees!who!may!be!unaware!of!federal!and!

www.saveourschoolsmarch.org

state!laws!designed!to!protect!the!welfare!of!our!children!in!public!schools.!TFA!instructors!are!no!longer! limited!to!filling!vacancies!but!have!displaced!thousands!of!highly!qualified!certified!teachers.! ! !Teachers!Rock!2012!is!sponsored!by!Walmart,!the!retailer!owned!by!the!Walton!family.!!The! Walton!Family!Foundation,!which!has!given!over!$159!million!in!support!of!charter!schools!and!vouchers! both!of!which!have!drained!public!school!districts!of!funds!for!traditional!schools,!is!one!of!the!most! antiIunion!corporations!in!America.!!The!Walton!Family!promotes!an!antiIunion,!democracy!distorting! agenda.!!! ! ! Save!Our!Schools!questions!whether!the!celebrities!who!have!attached!their!names!to! Teachers!Rock!2012!have!any!idea!what!theyve!gotten!themselves!into.!!!Many!are!members!of! unions!like!Actors!Equity!and!The!American!Federation!of!Musicians!(AFTRA)!and!yet!they!are!willing!to! get!behind!a!project!with!a!barely!concealed!antiIunion!agenda.!Among!the!listed!performers!are!Dierks! Bentley,!Fun.,!Josh!Groban,!Carrie!Underwood,!Meryl!Streep,!Jennifer!Garner,!Matthew!Morrison,!Foo! Fighters!Dave!Grohl,!Usher,!Maroon!5s!Adam!Levin!and!Garth!Brooks.!! ! !Representatives!of!Save!Our!Schools!and!Parents!Across!America!are!asking!CBS!and!other! media!outlets!for!equal!time!to!voice!their!concerns!and!to!make!the!public!aware!of!the!veiled! attempts!to!push!a!privatization!of!public!education!agenda!that!threatens!the!teaching!profession.!!! !!!!!!! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! !

Save Our Schools: A National Call to Action

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www.saveourschoolsmarch.org

Action'Alert'to'Supporters'of'Save'Our'Schools'' and'Public'Education' Dear!SOS!Supporters,! On!Friday,!August!17th,!CBS!will!air!Teachers!Rock!2012!a!live!broadcast!of!a!star!studded!concert! promoted!as!a!celebration!of!teachers!and!education.!!While!SOS!welcomes!media!events!that!honor! teachers,!we!believe!that!this!concert!and!special!WILL!NOT!benefit!the!teaching!profession!or!public! education.!First,!proceeds!from!the!special!will,!in!part,!benefit!Teach!for!America,!an!organization!that! sends!underprepared,!temporary!teachers!into!our!most!needy,!poverty!stricken!public!schools,! displaces!career!professionals,!and!pumps!nonIunion!staff!into!private!charter!schools.!! Second,!the!sponsors!of!Teachers!Rock!2012,!Walmart!and!Walden!Media,!will!use!it!to!publicize!the! upcoming!movie!Wont!Back!Down,!an!emotionally!charged!and!manipulative!account!of!a!fictional! event!that!will!be!used!to!whip!up!public!support!for!passage!of!a!Parent!Trigger!Law!in!every!state.!! Save!Our!Schools,!along!with!Parents!Across!America,!opposes!this!law!that!supposedly!promotes!parent! empowerment,!but!is!really!a!thinly!veiled!scheme!to!hasten!the!takeover!of!public!schools!by!private! charters.!!Walden!Media!brought!us!the!2010!film,!Waiting!for!Superman,!which!demonized!unions! and!promoted!private!charter!schools.!The!Walton!Family!Foundation,!the!owners!of!Walmart,!has!given! over!$159!million!in!support!of!charter!schools!and!vouchers!!and!is!one!of!the!most!antiIunion! corporations!in!America.!!! We'need'your'help'in'spreading'the'word'about'the'real'goals'of'Teachers'Rock'2012'and'the'truth' about'Teach'for'America!'' In!2010,!when!Walden!Media!released!Waiting!for!Superman!we!were!not!prepared!with!a!plan!of! action!to!counter!its!promotion!of!charter!schools!and!its!demonizing!of!teachers!unions.!This!time,! Save!Our!Schools!is!prepared!with!a!two!step!campaign!to!counter!the!dangerous!messages!of!both!the! CBS!special!and!the!upcoming!film.!!The!first!step!of!the!campaign!is!to!counter!the!messages!of!the! Teachers!Rock!2012!CBS!special.!We!are!calling!on!all!SOS!supporters!to!take!immediate!action!to! inform!your!local!communities,!media,!elected!officials,!parent!groups,!and!fellow!teachers!about!the! failures!of!Teach!for!America!and!the!need!for!wellIprepared,!certified,!career!professionals!in!our! classrooms.!To!support!your!efforts,!we!are!attaching!information,!model!letters,!and!a!press!release! that!you!can!adapt!to!your!own!local!actions.!! You!will!be!receiving!another!action!alert!shortly!regarding!the!second!step!in!our!campaign!timed! around!the!release!of!Wont!Back!Down!and!targeting!the!Parent!Trigger!Law.!!Together!we!can! change!the!dialogue!on!public!education!! For!complete!information!visit!our!website!at!saveourschoolsmarch.org! '

Save Our Schools: A National Call to Action

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www.saveourschoolsmarch.org

SUGGESTIONS)FOR)LETTERS)TO)THE)EDITOR.) Dear%_____________________% CBS%is%airing%(or%has%aired)%Teachers%Rock%a%star%studded%special%on%Friday,%August%17th.%%This% is/was%promoted%as%a%charity%event%that%will$be$celebrating$teachers$and$education.$%However,%the% educational%organization%selected%to%receive%the%proceeds%was%Teach%for%America.%This%event%is/was% sponsored%by%Walmart%and%Walden%Media.%%Last%year,%Walden%Medias%release%of%Waiting%for% Superman%tried%to%convince%us%that%charter%schools%are%the%answers%to%Americas%failing%schools%% and%this%year%it%is%a%fictionalized%account%of%the%Trigger%Laws%with%Wont%Back%Down%(which%will% be/was%highlighted%during%the%special%and%premieres%September%28th).%%%New%lies%are%now% promulgated%about%public%education.%If%charters%cant%get%into%a%failing%school%fast%enough,%parents% can%take%over%(and%charters%like%KIPP%and%TFA%will%be%there%to%support%their%efforts.)%%%This)is)why) we)must)speak)out)now)to)stop)further)damage.) Below%are%some%factoids%about%TFA%%use%the%ones%that%best%serve%your%community.%There%is%more% information%below%in%the%David%Greene%attachments%as%well.%%%% Teach%for%America%is%already%well%funded.%%%It%has%received%$50%million%from%Walmart,%$50%million% from%the%US%Department%of%Education%and%$100%million%from%a%consortium%of%other%foundations,%as% well%as%additional%millions%from%corporations%and%other%major%donors.%(Districts%hiring%a%TFA%staffer% must%also%pay%TFA%$5,000%per%hire!)% TFA%is%an%admirable%idea.%The%young%people%who%join%TFA%are%typically%among%our%brightest% students%from%top_tier%universities.%On%some%campuses,%more%students%apply%to%TFA%than%to%any% other%prospective%employer.%Like%others%who%become%teachers,%they%want%to%make%a%difference%in% the%lives%of%children,%particularly%those%who%are%poor.%%However,$novices$with$a$few$weeks$training,$ no$matter$how$smart$and$idealistic,$cant$be$expected$to$produce$dramatic$results$in$two$or$three$ years$as$a$teacher.$$ Wendy%Kopp's%original%mission%was%to%recruit%people%who%are%NOT%destined%to%be%teachers.%Instead,% she%wanted%to%expose%young%people%likely%to%be%leaders%in%NON_teaching%professions%to%the% (horrific)%inequities%in%public%education%in%the%hopes%that%they%will%do%something%about%it%in%their% own%field.%TFA%is%NOT%trying%to%recruit%career%teachers%and%only%ask%for%a%2%year%commitment.%% However,%many%of%those%who%continue%in%the%"education%sector"%move%into%positions%of%educational% and%political%power%and%use%these%positions%to%advocate%for%more%public%funding%for%TFA%and%for%the% expansion%of%TFA%into%districts%which$were$never$intended$to$have$TFA$corps$members.%% Too%often,%TFA%gives%weak%schools%and%districts%a%"cheap%out"%that%fails%to%truly%address%a%deep,% endemic%sickness%that%won't%be%cured%with%any%sort%of%cheap,%quick%miracles.%

TFA%benefits%from%actions%that%hurt%kids%and%teachers.%When%a%school%gets%shut%down%unfairly,%TFA% alums%will%be%there%to%start%a%charter%school%in%the%old%building.%When%a%school%fires%half%its%staff%for% a%turnaround,%TFA%populate%these%schools%with%more%TFAers.%%TFA%must%know,%deep%down,%that% shutting%down%schools%and%turning%them%around%doesnt%work.%It%is%this%kind%of%destructive% corporate%reform%at%the%heart%of%Waldens%new%movie.%%Wont%Back%Down%is%the%new%fictionalized% narrative%Corporate%America%wants%to%lead%our%public%education%debate.% I/(we%insert%your%organization)%stand%with%Save%Our%Schools,%and%many%other%educators,%education% organizations,%parents,%students%and%communities%%and%demand%we%have%a%new%Narrative%hope%that% the%stars%who%rocked%for%teachers%on%the%CBS%special%will%join%us%in%providing%real%support%for%our% public%school%teachers.%%We%need%their%voice%as%well%to%have%a%true%narrative%on%what%we%need%to% save%our%schools.%%(www.saveourschoolsmarch.org).%%% I%agree%and%support%Save%our%Schools%Guiding%Principles%that:%% For%the%Future%of%Our%Children,%we%demand%% Equitable%funding%across%all%public%schools%and%school%systems% An%end%to%high%stakes%testing%used%for%the%purpose%of%student,%teacher,%and%school%evaluation% Teacher,%family%and%community%leadership%in%forming%public%education%policies% Curriculum%developed%for%and%by%local%school%communities% % Sincerely,% % % % %

Save Our Schools: A National Call to Action

! Dear%CBS,%

www.saveourschoolsmarch.org

On%Friday,%August%17th,%you%will%air%(aired)%Teachers%Rock%2012%a%star%studded%concert%promoted% as%a%celebration%of%teachers%and%education.%%While%I,%as%a%member%of%Save%Our%Schools,%welcome% media%events%that%honor%teachers,%I%believe%that%this%concert%and%special%WILL%NOT%benefit%the% teaching%profession%or%public%education.%First,%proceeds%from%the%special%will,%in%part,%benefit%Teach% for%America,%an%organization%that%sends%underprepared,%temporary%teachers%into%our%most%needy,% poverty%stricken%public%schools,%displaces%career%professionals,%and%pumps%non_union%staff%into% private%charter%schools.%% Second,%the%sponsors%of%Teachers%Rock%2012,%Walmart%and%Walden%Media,%will%use%it%to%publicize% the%upcoming%movie%Wont%Back%Down,%an%emotionally%charged%and%manipulative%account%of%a% fictional%event%that%will%be%used%to%whip%up%public%support%for%passage%of%a%Parent%Trigger%Law%in% every%state.%%I%support%Save%Our%Schools,%along%with%Parents%Across%America,%who%have%publicly% opposed%this%law%that%supposedly%promotes%parent%empowerment,%but%is%really%a%thinly%veiled% scheme%to%hasten%the%takeover%of%public%schools%by%private%charters.%%Walden%Media%brought%us%the% 2010%film,%Waiting%for%Superman,%which%demonized%unions%and%promoted%private%charter%schools.% The%Walton%Family%Foundation,%owners%of%co_sponsor%Walmart,%has%given%over%$159%million%in% support%of%charter%schools%and%vouchers%%and%is%one%of%the%most%anti_union%corporations%in%America.%% (Walmart%has%also%given%$50%million%to%Teach%for%America.)% We%ask%CBS%work%with%us%to%truly%inform%our%%local%communities,%other%media,%elected%officials,% parent%groups,%and%fellow%teachers%about%the%failures%of%Teach%for%America%and%the%need%for%well_ prepared,%certified,%career%professionals%in%our%classrooms.%%%I%am%very%willing%to%speak%to%you% further%in%this%regard%or%you%may%contact%(Please%insert%your%name%if%you%want%to%be%the%local%contac% or%you%may%use%_)%Lee%Barrios985I789I8304%or%Bonnie%Northrop%Nesbitt%(703)%536_2497,%our%Save% Our%Schools%National%contacts.%%Also,%for%more%information,%please%visit%our%website%at% saveourschoolsmarch.com.% % Sincerely,% % % % ! !