[EDLING:1313] NABE Petition: Jim Crawford

[Francis M Hult]

> Dear colleagues,
> 
> Apologies for duplicates and multiple postings.
> 
> The following very important petition has been created as a vehicle for 
> the membership of the National Association for Bilingual Education 
> (NABE) and other NABE supporters to express concerns regarding the 
> firing of Jim Crawford to the Executive Board in a collective voice.
> 
> Please read the petition. To add your name to the list of those 
> demanding immediate reform of the Executive Board, visit
> http://www.petitionthem.com/default.asp?sect=detail&pet=2545 
> <http://www.petitionthem.com/default.asp?sect=detail&pet=2545>
> to sign online.
> 
> Then please distribute this announcement so others may sign as well! 
> Please forward to relevant listservs.
> 
> NABE Membership Collective
> fixnabe at yahoo.com
> 
> 
> NABE Board Should Immediately Reinstate Jim Crawford as Executive Director,
> Seven Remaining Members to Resign
> 
> 
> THE PETITION
> 
> In a closed NABE Board meeting on Feb. 25, 2006, a majority of the NABE 
> Board refused to renew Jim Crawford?s contract as Executive Director. 
> Jim was not permitted to be present at the meeting. No reasons for his 
> termination have been made public.
> 
> Three Board members have resigned in protest at these actions: Josefina 
> Tinajero, Mary Carol Combs, and Stephen Krashen. NABE?s attorney sent 
> these former Board members a tersely worded letter asking them to 
> refrain from making further statements about Jim?s firing.
> 
> The remaining Board members, who apparently support the action to 
> terminate Jim?s contract, are the following: Pedro Ru?z, Thomas Brown, 
> Zaida Cintr?n, Elena Izquierdo, Heriberto Galarza, Willard Gilbert, and 
> Mary Jew.
> 
> At a time when bilingual education is under severe political attack and 
> the English-pressuring No Child Left Behind Act will be up for 
> reauthorization in 2007, these unexplained actions by NABE?s Board are 
> incomprehensible and deeply disturbing. Jim Crawford?s skills as a 
> bilingual education policy analyst, Washington insider, experienced 
> journalist and published writer are unique. Combined with his commitment 
> to NABE?s political and educational agenda, he is our ideal Executive 
> Director at this critical time.
> 
> Why are we as an organization being forced by the NABE Board to replace 
> Jim at this time? Why has there been no public explanation of these 
> incomprehensible actions by a majority of the Board, actions which 
> resulted in a public but silenced split among Board members themselves?
> 
> One of NABE?s stated goals is to unite the field of bilingual education 
> behind NABE?s leadership, as described on its website. By its recent 
> secret and unexplained actions, the remaining Board members have not 
> only splintered NABE?s leadership, they have seriously jeopardized our 
> organization?s unified and strategic power to provide national 
> leadership, to respond to attacks on bilingual education, and to 
> influence upcoming legislation.
> 
> 
> DESIRED OUTCOME
> 
> WE are NABE. It is time for NABE members to speak out on behalf of 
> responsible, unified and competent leadership at this crucial time. Our 
> charge to the national leadership team (new Board and Executive 
> Director) is that it provide the unified, insightful, focused and 
> effective political and educational leadership that we urgently need now 
> if NABE as an organization is to successfully defend bilingual education 
> against political attacks and support and strengthen bilingual programs 
> in the coming years.
> 
> We, the undersigned, call for:
> 
> a) immediate reinstatement of Jim Crawford as NABE Executive Director;
> b) immediate resignation of the seven remaining Board members named above;
> c) immediate election of a new NABE Board, by September 2006, at the latest;
> d) commitment by the new Board to working with the Executive Director as 
> a unified national leadership team, in collaboration with local and 
> state affiliates.
> 
> 
> WHO WE NEED TO INFLUENCE
> 
> Pedro J. Ruiz
> President
> pedrojruiz at aol.com
> 
> Zaida A. Cintron
> Vice President
> zcintron at csu.edu
> 
> Heriberto Galarza
> galarza at buffnet.net
> 
> Mary Jew
> jew_mary at cupertino.k12.ca.us
> 
> Elena Izquierdo
> ielena at utep.edu
> 
> Willard Gilbert
> Willard.Gilbert at nau.edu
> 
> Thomas Brown
> 2csap at nemontel.net
> 
> 
> HOW LONG WILL WE CAMPAIGN
> 
> Until the desired outcome has been achieved.
> 
> 
> HOW TO TAKE ACTION
> 
> Signatures for the petition are being collected on the web. To view 
> current signatures and sign, please click on the following link; you'll 
> receive an email message asking you to confirm your intentions to sign, 
> which you must respond to in order for your name to appear. (If you do 
> not receive an email after signing, check in your spam/junk folder.)
> 
> http://www.petitionthem.com/default.asp?sect=detail&pet=2545 
> <http://www.petitionthem.com/default.asp?sect=detail&pet=2545>
> 
> We must reform the NABE Executive Board today! Please forward this 
> announcement to others.
>