On April 15, students, teachers,
unionists and community members chanted, “Print the truth, nothing
but the truth,” at a rally initiated by the Washington Teacher’s
Union. The rally was held in front of the Washington Post to show
opposition to their biased reporting on education reform in the
District of Columbia Public Schools system.
Over 150 people representing various
unions and community organizations—including the WTU, American
Federation of Government Employees, American Federation of State,
City and Municipal Employees, Washington Metro Labor Council AFL-CIO,
the National Congress of Black Women, and the ANSWER Coalition (Act
Now to Stop War and End Racism)—were in attendance.
WTU President Nathan Saunders stated,
“We are tired of being vilified for what we are not instead of
being challenged for what we can be. Today, we are in front of the
Washington Post. Next week, we could be in front of DCPS
[Headquarters].”
One of the rally participants,
Francesca Dixon, has worked for DCPS for 12 years. She told
Liberation News that she is outraged that socio-economic
status is not considered in evaluations. “The Editorial Board [of
the Washington Post] refuses to acknowledge that social conditions
account for the performance of students at schools. … IMPACT [the
teacher evaluation program implemented by former Chancellor Rhee] is
just a firing tool and teachers have no due process. Where else do
children get to determine someone’s job? If one of my students has
a bad day, tests poorly, I could get a low score. The ‘value added’
assessments are a ridiculous method of evaluating teachers.”
Secretaries, educational aides and
office personnel are also adversely affected by the changes in
education in the District. Terminology such as “high expectations
and commitment to the school community” makes it impossible for
evaluations to be un-biased. AFSCME Local 2921 President Michael
Flood encouraged rally participants: “Don’t be afraid of the
Washington Post. No one will turn us around. We must be vigilant. We
must keep fighting for what’s right. We want justice for workers.”
Another rally participant, Claudette
Carson, worked as a teacher for 24 years until she lost her job as a
result of an unfair assessment. She is now working for the WTU. She
told Liberation News: “The testing method has created a
climate of fear in the schools and teachers are feeling the pressure
in a big way. There is a shift in the form of education and teachers
are forced to ‘teach to the test.’ It’s not just an accident
that this is happening while the number of private charter schools is
increasing. Big corporations are behind all of this.”
Caneisha Mills, a DCPS worker and
member of AFSCME Local 2921, spoke at the rally on behalf of the
ANSWER Coalition and told the crowd: “We are here at the Washington
Post because they have lied to us about IMPACT and about the budget.
They are not independent but directly connected to corporate
profits.” She concluded her speech by leading the crowd in chants
of “Up, up with the union, down, down with the Post.”
