Network for Public Education's Second Annual Conference Makes History
By Anthony Cody.
The last weekend of April I joined about 600 other history-makers in the great city of Chicago for the second annual conference of the Network for Public Education. It has been said that American attitudes towards education are like a pendulum, swinging from one side to another. If so, this was a room full of pendulum pushers, decidedly unhappy with the status quo.
The biggest news out of the conference was made when, in response to a question from NPE’s president, Diane Ravitch, both Lily Eskelsen Garcia and Randi Weingarten categorically stated that the NEA and AFT would no longer accept grants from the Gates, Walton or Broad Foundations. (Video here.) Both unions have accepted multiple grants for millions of dollars from Gates and Broad. Several Gates-funded projects have taken on the task of promoting Common Core implementation. While other comments made indicate that both unions remain wed to the Common Core, this is an important step back from collaboration with foundations that are hostile to teacher unions and public education.
Another way this conference made history is by being the largest gathering of education activists in the nation. This activism in support of real change in public education is emerging as a real social movement, and the Network for Public Education has created events that bring this movement together. There was solidarity with other organizations who offered workshops, including leaders from United Opt Out, theBadAss Teachers Association, FairTest, and Save Our Schools. Many education bloggers and grassroots activists attended as well. The event trended on Twitter both days, and several thousand people tuned in to watch the live streamed sessions broadcast by our talented volunteer Vincent Precht throughwww.Schoolhouselive.org. We managed to broadcast all keynotes and 18 separate workshops, so even those not in attendance could access the conference. Many of the sessions referenced in this post can be viewed on archived video as well.
There were numerous sessions that focused us on how to communicate and organize. Members of the Newark Students Union shared hard won experiences from several years of organizing their peers. (Video here) I accompanied Tanaisa Brown to a meeting of Chicago’s CORE caucus after the conference ended on Sunday, where she told the crowd that the connections the students had made at the conference had them thinking about a national tour, so that NSU members could visit and encourage Network for Public Education's Second Annual Conference Makes History - Living in Dialogue:
Watch New Video From the NETWORK FOR PUBLIC EDUCATION NATIONAL CONFERENCE Schoolhouse LiveSchoolhouse Live:
I am a teacher, writer, filmmaker and live streamer. I have produced live stream events for United Opt Out featuring addresses by Diane Ravitch and Karen Lewis and am making a documentary, which includes interviews with Noam Chomsky, Jesse Hagopian and many others. Published in the New York Times, Seattle Review, TriQuarterly and elsewhere, I have written award winning short stories. I have been a public school teacher for 29 years. The biggest moments of my life were having a son and 40 years earlier meeting the Beatles.
Vincent Precht http://bit.ly/1GwPEPv
From Vincent Precht and SCHOOLHOUSE LIVE
I am a teacher, writer, filmmaker and live streamer. I have produced live stream events for United Opt Out featuring addresses by Diane Ravitch and Karen Lewis and am making a documentary, which includes interviews with Noam Chomsky, Jesse Hagopian and many others. Published in the New York Times, Seattle Review, TriQuarterly and elsewhere, I have written award winning short stories. I have been a public school teacher for 29 years. The biggest moments of my life were having a son and 40 years earlier meeting the Beatles.
Vincent Precht http://bit.ly/1GwPEPv
