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By Anthony Cody. The teachers of America have been learning some very deep lessons about the nature of 21st century capitalism. And these lessons may turn teachers into a political force to be reckoned with in the years to come. Those who have studied Marxist theory know that he predicted that the exploited working class held the key to political and economic change. It is the workers that generat
Arne Duncan’s Edu-Politics 101
By John Thompson. National and local reporters who cover the Education beat already know the full story behind Secretary of Education Arne Duncan’s retreat from his demands that states comply fully and immediately to everything on his corporate reform wish list. Most have displayed balance and excellence in reporting on the second tier issue that is public education. The press has ably documented
Aixa Rodriguez on Racism: We Must Connect What We Teach to Real Life
by Aixa Rodriguez. 1. In terms of a response to the Michael Brown shooting, what is our responsibility as educators and citizens who care about social justice? Educators are on the front line when it comes to dealing with the effects of tragic events. When it comes to the Michael Brown shooting the the subsequent protests and militarized police response, teachers who care about social justice, sho
Lucianna Sanson: Move Past Discomfort to Learn About Racism
By Lucianna Sanson. 1. In terms of a response to the Michael Brown shooting, what is our responsibility as educators and citizens who care about social justice? Our response as educators should be to speak up about these issues and raise awareness about the institution of racism in America. White people, especially, should be educated about racism and prejudice and privilege in America. Until we l
Xian Barrett: Confronting Racism Cannot Wait
By Xian Barrett. 1. In terms of a response to the Michael Brown shooting, what is our responsibility as educators and citizens who care about social justice? We must acknowledge the fact that if our students feel as if we don’t care if they live or die, there is literally no way we can engage them in an academic or any human way. It is our responsibility to weave the study of the inequities shown
Yohuru Williams: Discussions of Race Can be Thorny
by Yohuru Williams. 1. In terms of a response to the Michael Brown shooting, what is our responsibility as educators and citizens who care about social justice? One of the most important things to remember is that the Michael Brown shooting, like any teachable moment, is an opportunity for students to think about and apply their academic studies to real issues. The Brown shooting, for example, is
Adam Bessie: Our First Step in Discussions of Race is to Listen
By Adam Bessie. In terms of a response to the Michael Brown shooting, what is our responsibility as educators and citizens who care about social justice? Without doubt, there is a cone of silence around race in the education dialogue from white teachers – and I include myself in this. Part of this is because there are very real institutional and political pressures keeping all teachers fro
Denisha Jones on Discussing Race: Meet People Where They Are
By Denisha Jones. 1. In terms of a response to the Michael Brown shooting, what is our responsibility as educators and citizens who care about social justice? I think our responsibility is to help our colleagues and neighbors understand why the death of Michael Brown and the response in Ferguson is an educational issues. I have heard from many teachers and parents that this has nothing to do with
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Leonie Haimson, champion of student rights, speaks about the importance of class size
Leonie Haimson, founder of Class Size Matters and champion of student rights, speaks at Occupy the Department of Education in 2013. Read about her recent work here. The post Leonie Haimson, champion of student rights, speaks about the importance of class size appeared first on Living in Dialogue.
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Starve the Testing Beast: Chicago Teachers Show Us How to Organize a Test Boycott
By Michelle Gunderson. We have a saying in the testing resistance movement – don’t feed the beast, starve the data monster. When parents opt their children out of testing they are taking a strong stance against having their children’s data used as a mechanism to sort students, punish teachers, and privatize our schools. When teachers decide to boycott testing – completely refusing to administer te
Administrator’s Pledge on Ethical Treatment of Students Who Opt Out
by Michelle Gunderson. Imagine you are 8 years old. Your parents respectfully requested that you not participate in standardized testing. Yet, your school system insists on putting the test in front of you, reading the directions, and making you sit quietly for the duration of the test. Now that over a thousand students have opted out of testing in Chicago this is the scenario facing many children
Part Three: The Attack on Teacher Tenure is an Attack on the Black Middle Class
By Paul Horton. Part three of three. Perhaps even more alarming than the Obama administration is the recent campaign headed up by former CNN and CNBC talk show host Campbell Brown and former Obama Press Secretary Robert Gibbs against teacher tenure. Energized by the apparent success of the Vergara decision, the Partnership for Education Justice was recently launched to disparage teachers, teacher
Duncan Listens to Gates, Offers One Year Delay on New Test Consequences
After five years at his post, Secretary Duncan indicates he is now “listening to teachers on testing.” His statement, released this morning, offers a thorough repudiation of teaching to the test, but little substance regarding federal policies, beyond offering states the chance to request a year’s delay in the use of scores from new tests on teacher evaluations. This reflects, once again, that the