Saturday, 3 November 2012

[WardFive] Re: [ward5] Council puts hold on charter school board member’s reappointment over articles on multiculturalism By Tim Craig (D.C. Wire)

Julianne,
 
Credit for What??  -- I don't believe everything I hear and I don't get sucked into what may be propaganda. This man's work is not "news" to lots of folks.  The reality is that almost all the Charter schools are Multicultural and Bilingual with exposure to much more than "Judeo-Christian" influence.
 
In reality, the man being on this board works against his own core thoughts.  So, it is very topical and reactionary for his writings (who so many others share) to be a hold up unless the thought process behind and the questions being asked are most important.  I have a lot more on this but I would like to see it unfold.
 
I want to hear the reasoning -- and that usually comes out in the passion and the vehement approach.   
 
Rob 

On Sat, Nov 3, 2012 at 11:37 AM, kingjulianne@yahoo.com <kingjulianne@yahoo.com> wrote:
 

Morning Rob,

It took insight and courage to make a stand on this charter board appointment.  Councilman had been asked (desperately implored) to step out on the dismissal of effective school personnel and the looming onslaught of traditional school closures.  The forces in support of school privatization are powerful beyond our widest dreams, but Clearly his staff is carefully studying the trends and connections which have brought us to this crisis, and this is a promising step.  Give credit where its due.  



Sent from my HTC EVO 4G LTE exclusively from Sprint

----- Reply message -----
From: "Rob" <indianrob@gmail.com>
To: <ward5@yahoogroups.com>, "Ward 5 Google Groups" <wardfive@googlegroups.com>
Subject: [ward5] Council puts hold on charter school board member's reappointment over articles on multiculturalism By Tim Craig (D.C. Wire)
Date: Sat, Nov 3, 2012 11:16 AM


 

Good Mornig Julianne,
 
We need to hear Kenyan's thoughts on this. This whole Tommy Wells connection wrapping his arms around Kenyan makes me nervous. Don't like the connection with the industrial land task force and the "ease" of temporary business licenses.  But back to the Charter School appointment, I am interested in more of the discussion to see the thought process on this and see the players on both sides to understand how this really affects us or if this is just show.
 
Rob 
 


 
On Sat, Nov 3, 2012 at 8:24 AM, kingjulianne@yahoo.com <kingjulianne@yahoo.com> wrote:
 

Wow!!  Congratulations to the Councilman for bringing this to the forefront.    Anyone with these beliefs about people is likely to make destructive choices about children based on race, national origin, ethnicity and gender.

Sent from my HTC EVO 4G LTE exclusively from Sprint



----- Reply message -----
From: "Rob" <indianrob@gmail.com>
To: <ward5@yahoogroups.com>, "Ward 5 Google Groups" <wardfive@googlegroups.com>
Subject: [ward5] Council puts hold on charter school board member's reappointment over articles on multiculturalism By Tim Craig (D.C. Wire)
Date: Sat, Nov 3, 2012 1:31 AM


 

Hello everyone,
 
I am interested in understanding the thoughts behind holding up the Re-appointment of Don Soifer?  Also, are we sure that this is the first that anyone downtown has known about this or has this been discussed before.
 
Rob Ramson

On Fri, Nov 2, 2012 at 1:38 PM, KPW <WKPW3@aol.com> wrote:
 


Posted at 06:28 PM ET, 11/01/2012
Nov 01, 2012 10:28 PM EDT
TheWashingtonPost

Council puts hold on charter school board member's reappointment over articles on multiculturalism


The D.C. Council has temporarily halted the reappointment of a member of the D.C. Charter School Board after council members became aware of articles he wrote in which he appeared to challenge how multiculturalism is taught in school.

Don Soifer has served on the charter board since 2009, and had been expected to easily be confirmed for a second term after being renominated by Mayor Vincent C. Gray (D).

But Soifer's nomination hit a major roadblock Thursday after council member Kenyan McDuffie (D-Ward 5) referred his colleagues to articles Soifee co-wrote in recent years about multiculturalism.

One article for the conservative The Daily Caller Web site, titled "Radical multiculturalism is a growing problem in public schools," called on parents "to combat the destructive force that multicultural dogma is exerting on the teaching of American heritage and values."

"The expanding use of such textbooks is a dramatic example of the influence of radical multiculturalists over what is taught in public schools around the country," wrote Soifer, an analyst at the libertarian Lexington Institute. "These multiculturalists are espousing a conviction that the teaching of history must be liberated from white Eurocentric or Judeo-Christian 'oppressive' perspectives."

McDuffie, who was elected to the council this spring, said the writings were discovered by a legal fellow working in his office.
Though the council was slated to vote on Soifer's nomination Thursday, McDuffie and council member Tommy Wells (D-Ward 6) convinced council Chairman Phil Mendelson (D) to delay the vote.

"That article raised eyebrows for me and there are other things I would like to explore before I give my support," McDuffie said. "In his role as charter school board member, he approves new charter schools, so it's important we do our due diligence."
Soifer did not return calls seeking comment.

"The members of the D.C. Public Charter School Board stand firmly in support of Mayor Gray's renomination of Don Soifer to the Board," read a statement from the board Thursday. "Don has a distinguished three-year record of tireless service to the Board and to the 57 charter schools and more than 35,000 students that we serve. He has been a consistent voice on the Board in support of parental choice and quality options for D.C. families, and has in both word and deed been a champion of the diversity of our charter school community. Throughout his term he has distinguished himself as one of the most active and devoted members of the Board – all of whom are volunteers – spending countless hours on the ground inside schools and in community meetings getting to know school leaders and talking with D.C. parents. We wholeheartedly support his re-nomination to the D.C. Public Charter School Board for a second term."

In a separate article published in the Washington Times in 2011, Bob Holland, also a policy analyst at the Lexington Institute, and Soifer appeared to draw broad comparisons between multiculturalism and Muslim extremism.

"Europe's leaders seemingly have awakened from a long slumber to discover that state-sponsored multiculturalism threatens the fabric of their societies," the article stated. "Their somber conclusions should cause reflection by Americans about the potential threats to national identity here and how educational institutions could play a constructive role in preserving our shared values."

By | 06:28 PM ET, 11/01/2012




--
R. Ramson
3744 12th Street, N.E.,
Washington D.C., 20017
202-438-5988

"We must become the change we want to see" - Mohandas Gandhi-
(Together, for a Brighter Tomorrow)




 





--
R. Ramson
3744 12th Street, N.E.,
Washington D.C., 20017
202-438-5988

"We must become the change we want to see" - Mohandas Gandhi-
(Together, for a Brighter Tomorrow)




 


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--
R. Ramson
3744 12th Street, N.E.,
Washington D.C., 20017
202-438-5988

"We must become the change we want to see" - Mohandas Gandhi-
(Together, for a Brighter Tomorrow)




 


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