Barbara Dowdall SRC testimony transcript

A shill, also called a plant or a stooge, is a person who publicly helps or gives credibility to a person or organization without disclosing that they have a close relationship with the person or organization. Shills can carry out their operations in the areas of media, journalism, marketing or other business areas. A shill may also act to discredit opponents or critics of the person or organization in which they have a vested interest through character assassination or other means. (This comment is in reference to Commissioner Green calling APPS’s Lisa Haver a “shill for the PFT” in an interview with City and State Pennsylvania.)

To be fair, honest and transparent, let me disclose that I have been a dues-paying member of the Philadelphia Federation of Teachers, Local 3 for the entire period of my employment as teacher of English and English Department Head for the School District of Philadelphia.

I served as Building Representative with the PFT at Vaux Junior High School (Independent Caucus), Rush Middle School and A. Philip Randolph Technical High School. (Collective Bargaining). I am currently a dues-paying member of the PFT Retirement Chapter and a contributor to their Scholarship Fund which provides grants for college texts for students graduating from traditional public schools.

I am the child of union member parents, including one who was employed by the Upolsterer’s International Union and held membership in the American Federation of Teachers and another who worked as a branch head for the Free Library of Philadelphia.

There is ample documentation that I have advocated for honoring labor union contracts, supporting healthful and productive working conditions, and the re-establishment, resourcing and professional staffing of public school libraries.

If invited to discuss the current Presidential election on national television, I would have to disclose both my work and advocacy history, and the likely prospect that I would continue to vote Democratic as I have consistently since my first opportunity in November of 1967, with the exception of November 1971 when I voted for Thacher Longstreth, the Republican in the mayoral race.

[In reference to the SRC providing signing service for the deaf at their meetings: Pennsylvania Convention Hall has capacity for close caption projection of speech on large screen. Many hearing-impaired individuals have never learned or do not use sign language and could benefit from close captioning – including my grandson who, at 2 and a half, is already working on his letter recognition.]

[In reference to the goal of reducing student suspensions of K-2 students, reducing class size from the current 30 with no aide that will likely greet my god daughter this fall at C. W. Henry School, would more effectively reduce the circumstances leading to our egregious suspension rates.]

Here is the link to the Common Core State Standards

http://www.educationworld.com/standards/national/ http://www.corestandards.org/

http://www.corestandards.org/wp-content/uploads/Appendix-A-New-Research-on-Text-Complexity-revised.pdf

They use technology and digital media strategically and capably. They come to understand other perspectives and cultures http://www.corestandards.org/ELA-Literacy/introduction/students-who-are-college-and-career-ready-in-reading-writing-speaking-listening-language/

http://www.ncte.org/