Inefficient, Ineffective, and Absolutely Necessary: The Case for Elected School Boards – Have You Heard

Inefficient, Ineffective, and Absolutely Necessary: The Case for Elected School Boards – Have You Heard

Inefficient, Ineffective, and Absolutely Necessary: The Case for Elected School Boards

Inefficient. Ineffective. Outdated. Outmoded. Unrepresentative. Sure, local school boards are deserving of all of these criticisms (and more), but they are also seedbeds of local democracy at a time when democracy is under attack. Special guests: school board member and scholar Rachel White, and school committee member Roberto Jiménez Rivera.

Episode transcript is here. The financial support of listeners like you keeps this podcast going. Subscribe on Patreon or donate on PayPal.

Have You Heard · #112 Inefficient, Ineffective, and Absolutely Necessary: The Case for Elected School Boards

Inefficient, Ineffective, and Absolutely Necessary: The Case for Elected School Boards – Have You Heard

Russ on Reading: Read Alouds for Social Justice: The Right to Vote and Combatting "The Big Lie"

Russ on Reading: Read Alouds for Social Justice: The Right to Vote and Combatting "The Big Lie"

Read Alouds for Social Justice: The Right to Vote and Combatting "The Big Lie"

This past Sunday was the anniversary of  "Bloody Sunday," the attack on peaceful protestors on the Edmund Pettis Bridge in Selma, Alabama that resulted in many marchers, including future Congressman John Lewis, being beaten nearly to death. Those marchers were seeking the most basic of American rights, the right to vote. Not long after Selma, President Johnson signed the Voting Rights Act of 1965, which was supposed to protect everyone's right to vote. Much of that landmark legislation was gutted by the Supreme Court in a 2013 decision, and that action brought on a new round of attempts to suppress voters. The Big Lie propagated by former President Trump and his followers, asserting that the latest presidential election was rigged, has now led to 23 states again trying to limit our voting rights. 

Picture books and read alouds have an important role to play in informing children about the importance of voting, the sacrifice others have made so we can vote, and the actions we need to take to make sure that the right to vote is protected. He are some favorites.

For The Teachers March! authors Sandra Neil Wallace and Rich Wallace interviewed the Reverand F. D. Reese, a principal and teacher and a leader of the Voting Rights Movement in Selma , Alabama, along with several other teachers and their families. The interviews make for a compelling story. It is the story of a group of Black teachers who walked off their jobs on January 22, 1965 to march for the right to vote. Charley Palmer's vibrant illustrations bring the story to life.

In Lillian's Right to Vote, we get the story of an elderly woman's CONTINUE READING: Russ on Reading: Read Alouds for Social Justice: The Right to Vote and Combatting "The Big Lie"

Rachel Levy Is Running for the Virginia House of Delegates. She Deserves Our Support! | Diane Ravitch's blog

Rachel Levy Is Running for the Virginia House of Delegates. She Deserves Our Support! | Diane Ravitch's blog

Rachel Levy Is Running for the Virginia House of Delegates. She Deserves Our Support!

I have known Rachel Levy for about a decade as a strong and fearless supporter of public schools. She just announced her candidacy for the Virginia House of Delegates. I will help her in every way possible, including a donation to her campaign. I hope you will help her too.

Dear Friends,

It’s time. I’m ready. I’m running.

I am a teacher, a parent, and a community leader with a PhD in education. I believe public education is the backbone of a healthy democracy, healthcare is a human right, and that we must protect our environment and conserve our natural resources.

I believe that Virginia’s 55th District deserves independent-minded, principled, service-oriented, and competent representation.

Right now, I’m in the “soft” launch period. I am spreading the word and building my campaign. You can sign up to receive campaign emails and updates, and to be informed of events and volunteer opportunities by completing this form: http://eepurl.com/hoNLiX. All future campaign updates should be coming via that email service.

Again, to sign up for my email list, go here.

Want to know more? Check out my campaign website and follow the campaign on facebook, twitter, and instagram. You can even donate.

Thank you for your support.

Best,

Rachel

Rachel Levy Is Running for the Virginia House of Delegates. She Deserves Our Support! | Diane Ravitch's blog

Will Ranked Choice Voting (RCV) Change the Political Power Structure in New York City? Should We Use RCV in State and Congressional Elections? | Ed In The Apple

Will Ranked Choice Voting (RCV) Change the Political Power Structure in New York City? Should We Use RCV in State and Congressional Elections? | Ed In The Apple

Will Ranked Choice Voting (RCV) Change the Political Power Structure in New York City? Should We Use RCV in State and Congressional Elections?

The ballots in New York City elections commonly ask voters to vote on “ballot proposals” as  well as candidates, in 2019, an off year, no one was running for citywide or state office, the ballot contained four proposals, one of the proposals changed the method of voting in city elections: Ranked Choice Voting.

What is Ranked Choice Voting? How does it Work?

  Ranked-choice, or instant-runoff voting, allows voters to choose multiple candidates and rank them by order of preference. In New York City, primary and special-election voters will have the choice to rank up to five … You don’t have to rank all five – in fact, you can just choose one candidate. But the option is there for you to voice your support for multiple candidates. For the voter, that’s basically all they have to think about when going to the ballot box – which candidates to choose and how to rank them.

Ranked Choice Voting (RCV) replaces run-offs for citywide elections. If a candidate did not reach 40% of the vote in a primary or general election for Mayor, Comptroller or Public Advocate the two leading candidates formerly would contest in a run-off election.

Run-offs were not required in City Council elections, three, four, five or more CONTINUE READING: Will Ranked Choice Voting (RCV) Change the Political Power Structure in New York City? Should We Use RCV in State and Congressional Elections? | Ed In The Apple

Teacher Tom: What We Can Learn About Democracy From Children

Teacher Tom: What We Can Learn About Democracy From Children

What We Can Learn About Democracy From Children

Every year, right after Easter, one of the children always raises their hand to tell us about the exciting thing that happened at their house over the weekend. "The Easter Bunny came to my house and laid eggs!"

Then, after a moment's pause, someone always replies, "The Easter Bunny doesn't lay eggs. Chickens lay eggs. The Easter Bunny paints them and brings them to your house."

At this point, the conversation shifts into a debate, complete with raised voices. Factions emerge, sides are chosen, tempers might even flair. You see, the Easter Bunny is an article of faith and as we know, public disagreements about faith can often be quite heated. As their teacher, I have no interest in quickly wrapping up these debates because, after all, this is part of how a self-governing society works, and a self-governing classroom is the gold standard for a play-based educator. We have to be able to discuss everything of importance, together, even if it sometimes gets loud. Even if it isn't always polite. Even if it means that we have to set aside our plans in order for us to have the important discussions we need to have. And my job is simply to make sure everyone was heard and to, if necessary, prevent violence.

Some years, these Easter Bunny debates really rage, often CONTINUE READING: Teacher Tom: What We Can Learn About Democracy From Children

Mike Klonsky's Blog: SNCC: Danny Lyon's new film.

Mike Klonsky's Blog: SNCC: Danny Lyon's new film.

SNCC: Danny Lyon's new film.

https://vimeo.com/461037507

A note from Danny Lyon: 

This is an open link to my new film SNCC. Anyone can see it. It is free.

I welcome comments on the Vimeo site. Please share this with anyone you want.

Thanks

Danny

https://vimeo.com/461037507

Radical artists from the movement are creating a mural of John Lewis being in Rochester New York. John was a powerful stump speaker, an inspiration. The 3000 square foot wall that will display John’s picture is across the street from where Fredrick Douglas gave his July 4th speech.

I urge you to contribute to this effort by Darius Dennis, an amazing
artist who has taken pictures of the movement made them one hundred
feet high, and turned them into an inspiration for the Black Lives Matter movement. One is already up in Chicago and another up in Louisville. A true synthesis of two grass roots struggles bridging sixty years of
time. A great accomplishment. 

Danny Lyon

Goggle: GoFundMe, John Lewis Mural
gofundme.com/f/john-lewis-mural

https://vimeo.com/461037507

Mike Klonsky's Blog: SNCC: Danny Lyon's new film.

NYC Educator: Voting Is Worth the Wait

NYC Educator: Voting Is Worth the Wait

Voting Is Worth the Wait

Voting this year wasn't what it usually is for me. Most years I wake up really early, show up at my polling place around 6 AM, and I'm the very first person there. Last year we had this law that gave us up to four hours off to vote. I needed to organize our staff around it, so of course I took the four hours. This year is something entirely different. 

I'm sure I'm not alone here. This is the first time we've had early voting in NY State, and it's pretty exciting. Everyone wants to vote ASAP. On Saturday, I went to the Freeport Recreational Center, got frightened at the line, and turned right around for home. 

I mean, there was always the possibility of just waiting until Election Day and going in really early. This notwithstanding, it seemed worth checking on Sunday as well. Sunday was way worse than Saturday, so I suppose I was not the only one who had that idea. But Monday? Monday would surely be better. After all, a whole lot of people needed to report for work. I was working from home, so as soon as my last class finished, I'd drive to the rec and vote. Monday, though, looked like Saturday, and the line wasn't moving at all. 

I'd heard from friends that nearby sites were a little better, so I drove five minutes to the North Merrick

Library. The line was just as long as the one in Freeport, but it seemed to be moving faster. I got on line and decided to take my chances. Just across the street was this house. There's the Trump flag, the Trump sign, and smaller signs urging us to vote for every GOP 'candidate on the line. The thing that upset me most is the fact that the GOP congressional candidate here, whatever his name is, has signs all over the place. Our Congresswoman, Kathleen Rice, seems to have signs precisely nowhere. Now Rice is not my favorite politician, having compared AOC to Trump. Still, I don't want her to lose. It's funny how low your standards get when a demagogue like CONTINUE READING: NYC Educator: Voting Is Worth the Wait

Danny Feingold: Why Californians Should Approve Three Ballot Propositions | Diane Ravitch's blog

Danny Feingold: Why Californians Should Approve Three Ballot Propositions | Diane Ravitch's blog

Danny Feingold: Why Californians Should Approve Three Ballot Propositions

Danny Feingold, publisher of Capitol & Main, explains why voters in California should right civil wrongs by voting for Proposition 15, 16, and 21.

He writes:

Proposition 15 would make amends for one of the most far-reaching ballot measures in American history — 1978’s era-defining Prop. 13. With its landslide passage, Prop. 13 not only upended California’s revenue stream for public education, it ushered in a taxpayer revolt that spread to cities and states across the country. In the rush to lower property taxes, California crippled one of the best K–12 public education systems in the nation while also starving local government of the funds needed for a host of essential programs.

How many libraries in poor communities closed for lack of funds, eliminating a critical refuge for both children and adults? How many programs had to turn away those in need, day after day, year after year, while frozen-in-place commercial property taxes padded the coffers of mega-land owners.

Like Prop. 15, Prop. 16 — which seeks to overturn California’s ban on considering race, sex or ethnicity in public employment, contracting and education — is politics as redemption. It speaks to our current reckoning CONTINUE READING: Danny Feingold: Why Californians Should Approve Three Ballot Propositions | Diane Ravitch's blog

Oakland, California: Elect a Slate of Pro-Public School Candidates! | Diane Ravitch's blog

Oakland, California: Elect a Slate of Pro-Public School Candidates! | Diane Ravitch's blog

Oakland, California: Elect a Slate of Pro-Public School Candidates!

Oakland has been a playground for the privatization industry for many years. The state took control of Oakland in 2003 because of a budget deficit and removed its school board. Billionaire Eli Broad selected its new superintendent (and his successors), and reformers took charge, opening charter schools and promising revolutionary improvement. Their goal was to turn the public schools into a “free market.” Five years after the takeover, Oakland had 32 charter schools and 111 regular public schools. Needless to add, there was no dramatic improvement in Oakland. Today, Oakland has the highest proportion of students in charter schools of any city in California.

Tom Ultican wrote here about the saturation of Oakland by billionaire privatizers, who just can’t leave the district alone and are determined to pour in more resources until there are no public schools left.

Four advocates of public schools are running for the school board.

They are: Sam Davis (District 1), VanCedric Williams (District 3), Mike Hutchinson (District 5) and Victor Valerio (District 7).

Tom Ultican posed this question: Oakland, California: Elect a Slate of Pro-Public School Candidates! | Diane Ravitch's blog

An Annotated Field Guide to 2020 Presidential Voters | Eclectablog

An Annotated Field Guide to 2020 Presidential Voters | Eclectablog

An Annotated Field Guide to 2020 Presidential Voters

Democrats…

You supported Amy Klobuchar, or Pete Buttigieg, or another “more centrist” candidate in the primaries; now voting for Biden…

You consider yourself a moderate; thoughtful, empathetic, perhaps fiscally conservative yet socially liberal; you were attracted to the intelligence of Pete, or Amy’s “seriousness”, but believe that at this point, they would want you to vote for Biden, too.

 

You supported Elizabeth Warren in the primaries; now voting for Biden…

You still can’t believe that more persons didn’t see the qualities in Warren that you thought made her the best choice among the Democratic contenders. Intelligence, experience, humor, policy depth–come to think of it, the same qualities that led you to vote for Hillary Clinton in 2016. But as you put away your disappointment after Warren withdrew from the race, the decision to vote for Biden took about 5 seconds. Because, come on.

 

You supported Bernie Sanders in the primaries; now voting for Biden… CONTINUE READING: An Annotated Field Guide to 2020 Presidential Voters | Eclectablog

Who’s “Hiding in the Weeds?” Biden or Trump Voters? [A Civics Lesson] | Ed In The Apple

Who’s “Hiding in the Weeds?” Biden or Trump Voters? [A Civics Lesson] | Ed In The Apple

Who’s “Hiding in the Weeds?” Biden or Trump Voters? [A Civics Lesson]

A wisp of sunlight on the horizon, standing on a long line waiting for my polling place to open chatting with two young women, first time voters, proud to be electing the first female president. November 8th, 2016.

Nate Silver (fivethirtyeight blog) assuring us for weeks than Hillary was far ahead in the polls. We forgot the mantra of pollsters: never having to say we’re certain.

What went wrong?

We’re two weeks from Election Day in an election that will determine the fate of our nation, the future of democracy.

I looked back at a blog I posted on October 20, 2016, “Can the polls be wrong: Hillary is up 8 points, no, Trump is up by 1 point, What’s going on? Why are the polls varying so much?” I took a deep dive into the polling process, a deeply flawed process that is meant to grab headlines, glue eyes to the screen. If a poll “predicts” a winner the pollsters can pat themselves on the back, if they’re wrong it’s the fault of the public, the “sample” wasn’t being honest.

2016 wasn’t a good year for pollsters; they were wrong predicting the Brevet vote CONTINUE READING: Who’s “Hiding in the Weeds?” Biden or Trump Voters? [A Civics Lesson] | Ed In The Apple

Think your vote doesn’t matter? Uneven early voting across LAUSD Districts means it may count more than ever. – Los Angeles Education Examiner

Think your vote doesn’t matter? Uneven early voting across LAUSD Districts means it may count more than ever. – Los Angeles Education Examiner

Think your vote doesn’t matter? Uneven early voting across LAUSD Districts means it may count more than ever.

Are you wondering whether the vote is effectively all over. Whether so many early ballots have been returned there’s, say, little point still in advocating for Schools And Community First (prop 15)? For community college board members? For Schools local bond measure RR? For your LAUSD BD3 (Schmerelson v Koziatek) or LAUSD BD7 (Castellanos v Franklin) board member?

The TL;DR is Your vote is still needed! Your advocacy is crucial. At best 4 in 5 ballots have not yet been counted as returned. Students are needing their voters’ support.

Who’s already gotten their VBM in? Who votes in the districts electing a school board member?

Turns out, there are 2.6m registered voters in LAUSD (according to PDI as of 10/10/20). Table 1 shows which districts have the most voters. Nick Melvoin’s board district 1 serving the westside and Hollywood area all the way up to Toluca Lake and into Topanga Cyn, has the most registered CONTINUE READING: Think your vote doesn’t matter? Uneven early voting across LAUSD Districts means it may count more than ever. – Los Angeles Education Examiner

VOTE NOW!!! | Bill Ayers (California Democratic Party Endorsements)

VOTE NOW!!! | Bill Ayers

VOTE NOW!!!

Voter suppression is as American as cherry pie.

The US is founded on war and conquest, land theft and forced removal, ethnic cleansing and genocide, kidnapping and a complex system of generational slavery based on African ancestry. Those are facts. None of the conquerors stopped and thought, Hmmmm…maybe Indigenous folks, or enslaved workers, or women should have a say in these matters. Ridiculous! It’s a settler-colonial system, and the founding documents are crystal clear: power will be exercised by and for the few.

And yet the struggle for the right to vote is steady and ongoing. And we should all be aligned with that effort because the right to vote is a fundamental principle worth fighting for—pause for a moment and note  that people here and all over the world have fought and died for that right. Universal suffrage is a righteous goal. 

Everyone who can vote should vote, and whether you can or cannot vote, you should stand on the side of universal suffrage. 

But don’t be confused: for me, while the right to vote is a principle, the act of voting is a tactic, and ought to be embedded in a strategy. 

That means coming to terms with the fact that you’re going to vote for a flawed, imperfect, infuriating, often-wrong-but-never-in-doubt candidate. But, hey, you’re not getting married (oh, and if you don’t know by now, even there, perfection is a fantasy) so vote.

You can recognize that issues of central importance—issues like war and peace, the unrestrained nature of finance capitalism, ending mass incarceration, or Medicare for All—are not on the ballot, and still vote. That’s because voting is neither the beginning nor the end of our political work, our  participation and responsibility—we still have 364 days to organize and agitate, participate in direct actions, mobilize masses of poor and working people, and create a powerful fire from below in order to get things done. Get up, go out, vote, and then go back to  work. 

Fundamental change comes when we walk on two legs: one, building the CONTINUE READING: VOTE NOW!!! | Bill Ayers

November 3, 2020 General Election

Sacramento Democratic Party Endorsements:

Endorsements as of September 10, 2020.

COUNTY OFFICES

County of Sacramento 

Board of Supervisors, District 3 – Gregg Fishman

CITY OFFICES

City of Elk Grove

City Council, District 1 – Ali Moua

City Council, District 3 – Maureen Craft

City of Folsom

City Council – Jaya Badiga

City of Rancho Cordova (vote for 3)

City Council – Jack Zwald

City Council – Donald Terry*

City Council – Siri Pulipati

City of Sacramento

City Council, District 2 – Allen Warren*

City Council, District 8 – Mai Vang

SCHOOL DISTRICT OFFICES

Center Joint Unified School District

At-Large – Julia Bellehumeur

Elk Grove Unified School District

Area 1 – Regina Q. Banks

Area 3 – NO ENDORSEMENT

Area 6 – Nancy Chaires Espinoza*

Folsom Cordova Unified School District

Area 2 – NO ENDORSEMENT

Area 4 – Christopher Clark*

Los Rios Community College District

Area 3 – Chris Yatooma

Area 4 – Kelly Wilkerson

Area 5 – Pamela Haynes*

Area 7 – Tami Nelson*

Natomas Unified School District (vote for 2)

At-Large – Ericka Harden

At-Large – Mariana Corona Sabeniano

Robla Elementary School District

At-Large – Sharona Devine

Roseville Joint Union High School District

At-Large – Greg Harnage

Sacramento City Unified School District

Area 3 – Jose Navarro

Area 4 – Nailah Pope-Harden

Area 5 – Chinua Rhodes

Area 7 – Lavinia Grace Phillips

San Juan Unified School District (vote for 2)

At-Large – Pam Costa*

At-Large – Paula Villescaz*

SPECIAL DISTRICT OFFICES

American River Flood Control District

At-Large – Tamika L’Ecluse*

Cosumnes Community Services District

Area 4 – Orlando Fuentes*

North Highlands Recreation and Park District

At-Large – Beau Reynolds

Sacramento Municipal Utility District (SMUD)

Ward 1 – Brandon Rose*

Ward 2 – Nancy Bui-Thompson*

Ward 5 – Rob Kerth*

LOCAL BALLOT MEASURES

City of Sacramento

Measure A – Vote NO
Stop the power grab — this measure would disempower our neighborhoods by concentrating power in the mayor.

Measure B – Vote YES
Extends deadline for city’s independent redistricting commission to complete drawing of new district maps.

Measure C – Vote YES
Protects working families by preventing rent gouging and ensuring that families can stay in their homes.

River Delta Unified School District

Measure J – Vote YES
Authorizes up to $45.7 million in bonds for school facilities in the southern part of River Delta USD (generally includes Isleton and Rio Vista).

Measure K – Vote YES
Authorizes up to $14.6 million in bonds for school facilities in the northern part of River Delta USD (generally includes Clarksburg, Courtland, Hood, Locke, Walnut Grove).

City of Isleton

Measure L – Vote YES
Extends by 5 years existing 1⁄2-cent general sales tax that is set to expire in 2022.

City of Citrus Heights

Measure M – Vote YES
Enacts new 1-cent general sales tax permanently.

City of Rancho Cordova

Measure R – NEUTRAL
Enacts a new 1⁄2-cent general sales tax permanently.

—

California Democratic Party Endorsements:

The following are California Democratic Party endorsements for federal and state offices in Sacramento County:

FEDERAL OFFICES

U.S. President/U.S. Vice President

Joe Biden/Kamala Harris

U.S. Representative

District 3 – John Garamendi*

District 6 – Doris Matsui*

District 7 – Ami Bera*

District 9 – Jerry McNerney*

STATE OFFICES

State Senate

District 1 – Pamela Swartz

District 3 – Bill Dodd*

District 5 – Susan Talamantes Eggman

State Assembly 

District 6 – Jackie Smith

District 7 – Kevin McCarty*

District 8 – Ken Cooley*

District 9 – Jim Cooper*

District 11 – Jim Frazier*

STATEWIDE BALLOT MEASURES

State Propositions

Proposition 14 – Vote YES
Invests in critical, life-saving stem cell research by approving continued funding for research.

Proposition 15 – Vote YES
Invests in our schools and communities by closing a special tax loophole for wealthy property owners.

Proposition 16 – Vote YES
Allows for more diversity in public education, employment, and contracting by repealing discriminatory law.

Proposition 17 – Vote YES
Restores the voting rights of Californians who made a mistake but have already paid back their debt to society.

Proposition 18 – Vote YES
Expands voting rights in primary elections to 17-year olds who will be able to vote in the general election.

Proposition 19 – Vote YES
Protects seniors and survivors of wildfires from facing increased property tax when needing to move to a new home.

Proposition 20 – Vote NO
Increases criminalization of our communities by irresponsibly prioritizing punishment over rehabilitation.

Proposition 21 – Vote YES
Keeps families in their homes by protecting them against eviction or rent gouging, especially during the COVID-19 crisis.

Proposition 22 – Vote NO
Allows billion-dollar app companies like Uber to get a special exemption in law to keep exploiting their workers.

Proposition 23 – Vote YES
Helps dialysis patients by combatting poor hygiene in clinics, improving staffing, and ending discrimination.

Proposition 24 – NEUTRAL
Adopts new privacy law relating to the use of privacy consumer data.

Proposition 25 – Vote YES
Approves law passed by our state legislature to reform bail system to ensure that no one sits in jail for inability to pay.