United Opt Out National To Lead Occupy DOE 2.0: The Battle For Public Schools At US Dept of Ed

Online, March 12, 2013 (Newswire.com) - Supporters of public education will gather on the grounds of the US Dept. of Education on April 4-7th for Occupy DOE 2.0: the Battle for Public Schools to protest the expansion of the Race to the Top program, increases of corporate influence on educational policy and expenditures, and the negative impact of ed-reform policies on the institution of public education and learning environments.

Occupy DOE 2.0, the second annual event sponsored by the nonprofit group, United Opt Out National, will feature teach-ins and presentations by Diane Ravitch, Karen Lewis, Nancy Carlsson Paige, Deborah Meier, Stephen Krashen, Brian Jones, Faya Rose Saunders, and a dozen others inspirational educators, community leaders, and student activists from around the country. During the Occupy, presenters will discuss the negative realities of ed-reform and how it is impacting education. They will also provide successful examples of resisting destructive policies and discuss ways for rebuilding positive learning environments.

Among the specific issues addressed at the event will be the

1) The impact of testing and test-related activities on teacher evaluations, school budgets, and curriculum

2) The devaluation of the teaching profession, and

3) The increased privatization of all aspects of our public educational system.

In addition to the rally and teach-ins, Saturday's events will also include a march to the White House.

Laurie Murphy, co-administrator of United Opt Out National, explains, "Current policies make it easy for corporate interests to push their profit-based agendas, even when doing so is to the detriment of students, teachers, and our schools. Instead of emphasizing the development of critical thinking skills, ed-reform is turning schools into training centers based on a business model that focuses on narrow outputs, competitive funding, and success that is primarily measured by standardized tests.

Murphy adds, "As a result, curriculum is being narrowed and teachers are being forced to focus their efforts simply on improving test scores. The opportunity for meaningful and effective learning and teaching is vanishing right before our eyes. If these ed-reform policies continue, our students and our country will not be prepared to address the complex challenges we will face in the future."

Occupy DOE 2.0 will offer a rare opportunity to connect with both renowned experts and people with in-the-trenches experience. Speakers will discuss how current policies threaten to dismantle our system of public education and lead to the erosion of the teaching profession. A visual map of the corporate ties and financial motivations relating to the establishment of Common Core will be revealed. Presenters will also explore the negative impact of Common Core on school curriculum and individualized learning, as well as the disproportionate impact of education reform policies on minority communities and recent increases in civil rights violations.

For specific information concerning Occupy DOE 2.0: The Battle for Public Schools, visit http://unitedoptout.com/event/occupy-doe-2-0-the-battle-for-public-schools-read-all-details-here/

About United Opt Out National:

United Opt Out National (UOO) is a grassroots based, nonprofit organization dedicated to preserving, protecting, and strengthening our public educational system. Its focus is on revealing and fighting corporate based reforms that threaten the concept and existence of an educational system that is publicly-funded, quality in nature, and available to all.

In particular, United Opt Out National seeks to end the practice of punitive, high-stakes testing, as such test-related activities are destroying health learning environments, diverting critical public funding into private sources, and are fraudulently being used as "proof" of the incompetence of educators and our public education system.

For more information about the Occupy DOE 2.0 or United Opt Out National, or to schedule interviews with the Administrators of United Opt Out National, please contact Peggy Robertson at (720) 810-5593 or via email at [email protected]