by Alicia Rudnicki, Library Mix

Teachers who want to speak their mind to President Obama should get to know Anthony Cody, a longtime teacher in Oakland, California, public schools. Six months ago, Cody founded the Teachers’ Letters to Obama group page on Facebook.

The page links teachers and others concerned about the problems of public education with powerful commentary and reporting by teachers, journalists, and activists nationwide.

Tripping on the Race to the Top
Cody and a team of veteran educators who participate in the Facebook page will soon be meeting with U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan by conference call. To prepare for their conversation with Duncan, they have been gathering comments and questions from teachers around the nation about concerns such as budget shortfalls and the Obama Administration’s “Race to the Top” program, which will tie supplemental funding to state programs for judging teacher performance.

There is plenty to worry teachers, students, and their families these days. Huge education budget cuts looming nationwide will mean more school closures, major cuts in teaching staff, and increasing class sizes.

At the same time, school districts are facing “Race to the Top,” which is intensifying what many view as the negative legacy of the 2001 No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act.

Penalizing schools and teachers
NCLB has caused many public schools to close and be converted into charter schools. Instead of just penalizing schools that do not perform well on standardized tests, Race to the Top will also formally penalize teachers whose students do not fare well.

Critics say Race to the Top increases spending on standardized testing at a time when instructional funding is being slashed. They also say that it will further increase test preparation time instead of fostering well-rounded instruction.

The national focus on standardized testing has even inspired musical commentary in the form of  Tom Chapin and John Forster’s song “Not on the Test,” a video of which is embedded below.