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    theresa


    Theresa Lode or, simply “T”, had her world turned upside down and inside out when her son was diagnosed with ADHD and a few other goodies. Her choice- follow the doctor's orders....or trust her heart and delve into the world of Free Range Education. She chose the latter...

    Curious? Want to know more? Read on ...

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We need your help!

Posted on April 4, 2011 by therealmotherlode

Have you ever gotten a product home from the store and discovered it doesn’t do what you expected it to do?  Anytime there’s a gap between what’s sold and what’s reality…you know there’s been some marketing afoot.

I can think of no other place that illustrates this more than our school system.  We are promised that school will be all things to all kids.  We are told kids will be prepared for the future.  Learning differences will be accommodated and bad teachers will be sent on their way.

One need not look very hard to see that these promises fall short on delivery.   Our present educational models are failing our kids!

We need change and we need it now.  Charter schools offer a great opportunity to do just that.  Montana is one of ten states that do not allow charter schools and it’s high time to get with the program.

We need your help.

This Wednesday,  the hearing on HB603 Public Charter will be heard at 3:00 p.m. in Room 303, at the Capitol.

Rest assured the the unions and higher ups in education will be there in full force.  We need to let the senate hear our voices.  I mean, really, this comes down to….who’s going to make the decisions when it comes to school choice (or lack there of) for our kids?

Come, be heard. 

 

Filed under: Current events, Public schooling, Uncategorized | Tagged: , , | Leave a Comment »

Please call on the Charter School bill

Posted on March 19, 2011 by therealmotherlode

Here’s the link to the article from the IR on the charter school hearing last week.  I find the comments following the article interesting; it is clear there is a lot of fear.  Indeed, anytime the “C” (change)  word is introduced,  we humans retreat. Even an inmate will chose the security and familiarity of his cell over freedom.

It was interesting listening to the arguments against the charters at the hearing.  (And a bit amusing at time; like when an educator of 30+ years used the word “irregardless” but I digress.)  ;)

One thing that I found truly disturbing was Eric Feaver’s umbrage at the use of “out of state” help in writing this bill.  Feaver is the head of the Montana Education Association. Really?  Really? Is there a name for interstate xenophobia?

Doesn’t it make sense to consult with an expert who has achieved a level of success in a field, regardless of their state of residency?

I’ve spent too much time out of state to be impressed with the “We’re Montanans we don’t need no help” rationale.  I find the juxtaposition of ignorance and arrogance in such a statement, fascinating.

Yeah, there’s bad charters out there.  (I betcha there’s FAR more bad public schools.)  And is a charter a silver bullet solution?  Absolutely not.

Change has got to begin somewhere though.   The schools have violated our trust. Our test scores are  in the toilet.  Challenge a 12th grader to read a 6th grade McGuffy’s reader.   And critical thinking skills? Laughable.   (Consider- Exhibit A: The “We’re Montanans” argument.)

And don’t show me statistics; the most important lesson when it comes to statistics, IMHO, is that people can twist them to represent whatever they want. Need validation?  Just talk to a teacher.  The one I visited with the other day said she retired early after 30 years in the classroom.  “I loved it but just couldn’t take it anymore,” she told me.   I’ve heard countless stories that echo what she told me.

The Powers That Be have paid lip service to change and have delivered more of the same.  (Perhaps they were too busy discussing how the explicit sex ed curriculum is in the best interests of our children.)

If you haven’t contacted the members of the education committee yet, you may do so here.

We need education reform.  NOW. Our kids deserve so much better.

 

Filed under: education, Public schooling, The Mother Lode Project | Tagged: , , , | 1 Comment »

Charter school informational meeting

Posted on March 13, 2011 by therealmotherlode
What is a Charter School and Why should I be interested?
Come to an informational meeting this Tuesday, March 15, at 7PM at the Residence Inn, 2500 E Custer Ave, Helena.
Come hear National Leader, Lisa Grover talk about the advantages of charters and why we need a charter law in Montana.  Grover is the Senior Director of State Advocacy for the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools. Her Bio is at the end of this email.
And then mark your calendars for the Hearing on HB 603, the Charter School bill at 3:00 on Wednesday, March 16 in room 137. Please come to testify, or just watch the proceedings. The Legislature needs to know that this is important to us either by hearing your voice or seeing your body :)
Please spread the word to any interested parties.  Thank you so much for your support; this bill is all about Choices in Education!
Any questions, feel free to contact me, Theresa Lode.
LINK to the National Alliance with whom Lisa Grover serves as the Senior Director of State Advocacy
BIO for Lisa Grover:
Lisa Grover is the Senior Director of State Advocacy for the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools. Most recently, Lisa was the CEO of the New Mexico Coalition of Charter Schools, where she advanced the policy environment by  helping to create a second authorizer, solidify a lease assistance program and gain charter access to state tax exempt bonds. Before that, in 2001, Lisa was a founder of one of the first high charter schools in New Mexico, ranked over the last four years by Newsweek magazine as one of the top performing 1,200 high schools in the country.  She began her career as a high school Spanish teacher in the Los Angeles Unified School District and taught also English as a Second Language in China, Ecuador and Mexico. She holds a doctorate in Romance Languages and a Masters Degree in Linguistics and Multi-cultural Education.  In 2010, her charter school peers recognized her as New Mexico’s Innovator of the Year.
See you there!

 

Filed under: Current events, education, Public schooling | Tagged: , , | Leave a Comment »

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