Women’s March in Wooster; Speech by Karen Linch

Originally posted at: https://buckeyebats.wordpress.com/2018/01/21/womens-march-in-wooster-speech-by-bat-0-karen-linch/

I am here to advocate for our greatest resource – our children!
I am here to advocate for other people’s children.
I am here to advocate for developmentally appropriate instruction and play and joy and curiosity and imagination for ALL children.
I am here to advocate for the greatest equalizer – public schools.

I am here to inform you that school choice is code for privatization.
I am here to inform you that privatization looks like charter schools and vouchers and state take over of districts.

I am here to warn you about people who want to take money from our children to line their own pockets.

• The most powerful offender is Betsy DeVos . . . Secretary of the Federal Department of Education

• Here in Ohio, Bill Lager who founded ECOT; made over $200,000 in campaign contributions in 2015; fortunately, the buck is stopping for him

• David Brennan founded White Hat Management

• Fethullah Gulan founded Concept Schools is running the scammiest of scams all over the United States

I am here to warn you our state is taking over local school districts, leaving parents and students and teachers and school board members with no voice.

I am here to notify you that the term accountability is being used as the tool to privatize public schools:
Step #1 – paint our schools as failing and
Step #2 – paint educators as lazy and incompetent.

I am here to notify you that accountability has successfully accomplished these two things, making it easy for politicians to make laws that hurt our children.

I am here to notify you that our politicians are using the American Legislative Exchange Council (a.k.a. ALEC) to bring forth similar legislation all across the United States that hurts our schools.

I am here to remind you that children do not develop at the same rate; children are NOT standard.
I am here to remind you a standardized test is the least effective way to show a child’s growth.
I am here to remind you that teachers with personal relationships with children are able to show growth.
I am here to remind you that WE fail children when we have an incredibly narrow definition of success.
I am here to remind you women predominately work in classrooms.

I am here to tell you these women know what they’re doing.
Often, it’s not safe to speak up. Lady teachers . . . YOU are the experts!

I am here to tell you standardized tests have hijacked the time teachers have to teach.

I am here to tell you educators feel defeated when a child is labeled a failure according to 1 test.

I am here to tell you the relationships we build with students are far more valuable than a test score.

I am here to tell you educators are the first to admit schools can to do better for our children.

I am here to encourage you to support your local public schools.

I am here to encourage you to attend the meetings of your local school board. Those meetings are open to the public. Ask questions. Ask board members how often they go into classrooms?

I am here to encourage you to ask your legislators and candidates – who are the teachers you ask to help inform your decisions regarding education? How many classrooms and schools have you visited this school year?

I am here to alert you that educators feel deeply. When you believe the fallacy that our schools are failing, we hurt.

I am here to alert you that teachers . . . especially our newest teachers . . . are wasting precious time on paperwork and actions that do not help them help children.

I am here to let you know our public schools are NOT failing.

I am here to let you know we are not taking seriously what it takes to create a quality public school for ALL children.

I am here to let you know we can do better and we must do better together.

I am here to let you know about a website called Know Your Charter. You can find out how charters schools are doing in your local district. You can find out how much of your tax dollars are leaving to support failing charter schools.

Remember this and repeat after me . . . Know Your Charter 5X

Thank you