Julia Brownley e-mail

Kudos to a friend from California who sent a no-holds-barred email to the Chair of the Education Committee, Julia Brownley, who did the unions' bidding and threw kids under the bus:

 Thank you for the recent update on California's efforts in the Race to the Top arena. I'd followed the lead-up but, being out of town, had missed the outcome. Your write-up spurred me to send a scathing email to Julia Brownley, who sadly is my representative. I wish there was a way to turn her out of office because if there was I'd do everything in my power to do so. Unfortunately, the political make-up of our district and the anointment system that exists means that the only way to turn her out is wait for term limits to work their magic. 2 more years...and then she'll move onto the State Senate.

 Thanks for your tireless work,

 Text of my email:

 As one of your constituents, I am thoroughly disgusted by your sponsorship of ABX5 8. California schools need real change and your bill does *not* effect that change. If anything, it continues the failed policies of the past and stymies real efforts for reform. If California hopes to compete in the global economy, we need educated workers. The current system does not allow that.

 I know firsthand after seeing the shape of our schools while doing outreach for my college and working with children in underserved areas. It led me to become involved with KIPP LA, a charter school that has made a real difference in the lives of the students who have attended the school. KIPP works in large part because of the parental involvement its model fosters and yet your bill would block efforts to allow more parental involvement in education. It would also put restrictions on charters that would hurt efforts to open more schools like the very successful KIPP, Green Dot, and Bright Star schools. We need to encourage reform, not stop it.

 Perhaps you haven't noticed living as you do in a generally wealthy area, but the vast majority of California schools aren't as well off as those in your district. The kids aren't learning and are falling further and further behind. We need real change and we need it now if we are going to stop this slide. We need to reform the completely unworkable school financing system. We need to try new ideas. We need to be at the forefront instead of bringing up the rear.

 Working against the "Race to the Top," as your bill does, will only hasten California's Race to the Bottom with states like Mississippi.

Do you really want to be known as the person who stood as the roadblock to the Top? Your actions tell me that you do, which upsets me even more due to your role as Chair of the Education Committee. If you don't care to make change and give hope for a better future for our kids, who will?