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Peter Cook on Muck Rack

Peter Cook

New Orleans
As seen in: Medium, ScienceDirect, Archives of Disease in Childhood, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, BioRxiv, Buffalo News, The 74, Vineyard Gazette, Supply Chain Digital, Ed Post and
Covers:  new orleans, public education, louisiana, politics, education reform, teachers unions, government, policy
Unapologetic Education Reformer • New Orleanian • Progressive (unwilling to let crazies define it) • Democrat • DMs open • #FreeUkraine
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Teachers Union Endorses Foster Campbell | PE + CO

Teachers Union Endorses Foster Campbell | PE + CO

peterccook.com — Given the myriad challenges facing Louisiana these days, it's clear we need a bold, forward-looking leader fighting for us in the United States Senate. Apparently, LFT believes that no one embodies bold, forward-looking leadership like a 69 year-old white man who has held elected office longer than I've been alive.
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Quick Take: New U.S. Senate Poll & Endorsement | PE + CO

Quick Take: New U.S. Senate Poll & Endorsement | PE + CO

peterccook.com — Democrats For Education Reform Louisiana (DFER) released a poll today from the firm Anzalone Liszt Grove that has U.S. Senate candidate Caroline Fayard ahead of fellow Democrat Foster Campbell. If the Senate race were held today, Fayard is the only Democrat with support in the double-digits at 13%, while Public Service Commissioner Foster Campbell and Acadiana businessman Josh Pellerin polled at 7% and 1%, respectively.
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Who Are Mike Deshotels' Defenders of Public Education? | PE + CO

Who Are Mike Deshotels' Defenders of Public Education? | PE + CO

peterccook.com — Aaron Megee Bossier Parish Schools Aaron Oglesby Bossier Parish Schools Abby Odenbaugh Lincoln Parish Schools Aimee Rambin Lincoln Parish Schools Alan McCain Washington Parish School Board Ali McLaughlin St. Tammany Parish Schools Alice Higginbotham Lincoln Parish Schools Alice Wilbert St. Tammany Parish Schools Alicia Breaux La. Democratic Party Executive Ctte.
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Is AFT Trying To Influence NOLA's School Board Races? | PE + CO

Is AFT Trying To Influence NOLA's School Board Races? | PE + CO

peterccook.com — A recent filing with the Louisiana Board of Ethics suggests that the American Federation of Teachers (AFT) is seeking to influence the upcoming Orleans Parish School Board (OPSB) elections. On September 16th, an AFT-affiliated political action committee called Orleans Future PAC filed a statement of organization with the state ethics board.
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Let's Recognize AROS For What It Really Is... | PE + CO

Let's Recognize AROS For What It Really Is... | PE + CO

peterccook.com — On Thursday, the Alliance to Reclaim Our Schools (AROS) held "walk-ins" in cities across the country to call for an increase in education funding, a reduction in standardized testing, and limits on charter school expansion.
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One Small Step For BESE, One Giant Leap For Teacher Prep | PE + CO

One Small Step For BESE, One Giant Leap For Teacher Prep | PE + CO

peterccook.com — At a time when other states are backing away from education policies that shake-up the status quo, Louisiana is charging forward with reforms aimed at raising student achievement. On Wednesday, the state Board of Elementary and Secondary Education (BESE) approved a plan that will dramatically transform teacher preparation in Louisiana.
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AFT Is Now A Major Player In The Upcoming OPSB Races | PE + CO

AFT Is Now A Major Player In The Upcoming OPSB Races | PE + CO

peterccook.com — It's official. The American Federation of Teachers has become a major player in the upcoming races for the Orleans Parish School Board. A recent filing with the Louisiana Board of Ethics reveals that the union has given a whopping $225,000 to Orleans Future PAC, a political action committee AFT launched in September to support candidates opposed to charter schools and the reforms New Orleans has undertaken in the years since Hurricane Katrina.
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Why Is David Alvarez Flouting Campaign Finance Law? | PE + CO

Why Is David Alvarez Flouting Campaign Finance Law? | PE + CO

peterccook.com — Post-Script: 11/01/2016 Wonders never cease! It appears that David Alvarez has finally filed his missing campaign finance reports, albeit three weeks late. His 30-P report, along with his 10-P report, simultaneously appeared on the Louisiana Board of Ethics website this afternoon.
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A Huge Wake-up Call | PE + CO

A Huge Wake-up Call | PE + CO

peterccook.com — Anyway you slice it, last week was pretty disastrous for the education reform movement. On Election Day, two closely watched and fiercely contested ballot initiatives backed by reformers in Massachusetts and Georgia went down in defeat. The former was an effort to lift the Bay State's charter school cap, while the latter was a proposition by Georgia Gov.
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Nobody Likes A Liar, Lily | PE + CO

Nobody Likes A Liar, Lily | PE + CO

peterccook.com — Lily Eskelsen García, president of the National Education Association (NEA), visited Rogers High School in Spokane, Washington last week. While she was there, she sat down for an interview with Wilson Criscione of the Pacific Northwest Inlander , in which she made several outlandish claims that had absolutely no connection to the truth.
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Update: John White Calls on García To Retract Statements | PE + CO

Update: John White Calls on García To Retract Statements | PE + CO

peterccook.com — Louisiana State Superintendent John White called on National Education Association president Lily Eskelsen García to publicly retract statements she made last week about the rebuilding of New Orleans schools after Hurricane Katrina. On Friday, the Pacific Northwest Inlander published an interview with García in which she claimed that state education officials rebuilt and modernized "white suburb public schools" while bulldozing those in New Orleans' black neighborhoods.
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The LAROS Papers: Part I | PE + CO

The LAROS Papers: Part I | PE + CO

peterccook.com — Over the past year, a small group of education leaders from across Louisiana has been secretly plotting to curtail charter school expansion, weaken the state's accountability policies, and rewrite the law passed earlier this year to return New Orleans schools to local control.
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The LAROS Papers: Part II | PE + CO

The LAROS Papers: Part II | PE + CO

peterccook.com — When Kyle Serrette learned back in February that Louisiana was on the verge of winning an $8 million charter school grant from U.S. Department of Education, he wasn't happy about the news. After all, he had spent the previous six months working to establish the Louisiana Alliance to Reclaim Our Schools (LAROS), a secret group of education leaders dedicated to securing a statewide moratorium on charter schools.
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The Full Monty | PE + CO

The Full Monty | PE + CO

peterccook.com — On Friday, Orleans Parish School Board (OPSB) Superintendent Henderson Lewis announced that he will turn New Orleans' five remaining traditional public schools into charters by the start of the 2017-18 school year. Lewis will present his transition plan to the school board on Tuesday, although it will be little more than a formality.
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No Good Deed Goes Unpunished In Vermilion Parish | PE + CO

No Good Deed Goes Unpunished In Vermilion Parish | PE + CO

peterccook.com — No good deed goes unpunished, or at least that's what officials at the Associated Professional Educators of Louisiana (A+PEL) found when they tried to send early Christmas presents to teachers in Vermilion Parish Schools this week. In the wake of catastrophic flooding in August, A+PEL raised over $220,000 for their Disaster Relief Fund to help educators rebuild.
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Take Your Excuses Elsewhere | PE + CO

Take Your Excuses Elsewhere | PE + CO

peterccook.com — When the Board of Elementary and Secondary Education (BESE) made the difficult decision to close Baton Rouge Charter Academy in Mid-City (BRCA) last month, that was supposed to be the final word on the matter. But apparently Jon Hage, CEO of Charter Schools USA, the organization which runs BRCA, didn't get the memo.
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How To Buy A Congressional Caucus | PE + CO

How To Buy A Congressional Caucus | PE + CO

peterccook.com — American Federation of Teachers (AFT) president Randi Weingarten and National Education Association (NEA) president Lily Eskelsen García joined 11 members of Congress for a press conference on Tuesday to announce the formation of a new caucus in the U.S. House of Representatives focused on public education issues.
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AFT's AstroTurf Adventure | PE + CO

AFT's AstroTurf Adventure | PE + CO

peterccook.com — An analysis of campaign finance records reveals that the American Federation of Teachers (AFT) spent far more on November's Orleans Parish School Board (OPSB) elections than previously reported. According to filings with the Louisiana Board of Ethics, Orleans Future PAC, a political action committee launched by AFT in late-September of last year, spent nearly $345,000 in the seven weeks leading up to Election Day.
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Money In The Bank | PE + CO

Money In The Bank | PE + CO

peterccook.com — Although the Louisiana Association of Educators (LAE) and Louisiana Federation of Teachers (LFT) largely stayed on the sidelines during last year's electoral contests, a review of campaign finance reports filed by their political action committees over the past 12 months provides some interesting insights on our state's two teachers unions.
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The Supes Who Cried Wolf | PE + CO

The Supes Who Cried Wolf | PE + CO

peterccook.com — Last week's meeting of the Superintendents' Advisory Council turned into a three-hour long soap opera as several school district leaders used the opportunity to attack State Superintendent John White over his plan to comply with the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA).
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Dumb & Dumber | PE + CO

Dumb & Dumber | PE + CO

peterccook.com — Last week, the U.S. Senate voted to repeal federal regulations that would require states to assess the effectiveness of their teacher training programs and hold schools and districts accountable for student performance. Why? Because Republicans in Congress appear hellbent on dismantling the Obama Administration's legislative and regulatory legacies without regard for the consequences of their actions.
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Down-and-out In Dixie | PE + CO

Down-and-out In Dixie | PE + CO

peterccook.com — When teachers unions attacked charter schools in Washington State by filing lawsuits challenging their constitutionality, reformers from across the nation rushed to their defense. A media campaign was launched with the hashtag #SaveWACharterSchools. Op-eds were written. Amicus briefs were filed. Rallies were organized.
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The Madness of John Bel | PE + CO

The Madness of John Bel | PE + CO

peterccook.com — I would venture to guess that most people are familiar with this aphorism, which is usually (although inaccurately) attributed to Albert Einstein. I say "most people" because the behavior of Governor John Bel Edwards suggests that he hasn't absorbed this bit of wisdom.
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Will Louisiana Slip Backwards Or Slide Toward Equity? | PE + CO

Will Louisiana Slip Backwards Or Slide Toward Equity? | PE + CO

peterccook.com — For almost 20 years, Louisiana high school students who graduated with a 2.5 G.P.A. and a score of 20 on the ACT exam were eligible for a TOPS scholarship that would cover the cost of tuition at a state college or university.
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