Saturday, November 19, 2011

Interview with the guy did the “bat-man” on the Verizon building for OWS. « Fred Klonsky:Interview with the guy did the “bat-man” on the Verizon building for OWS.by Fred KlonskyXeni Jardin interviews Mark Read who did the bat-man projects on the Verizon building.XJ: How did you go about finding someone nearby who would allow you stage this from inside their home?MR: Opposite the Verizon building, there is a bunch of city housing. Subsidized, rent-controlled. There’s a lack of services, lights ... more »

Saturday coffee + Old school . « Fred Klonsky #ows

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 20 minutes ago

Saturday coffee. « Fred Klonsky:Saturday coffee.by Fred KlonskyThis morning Anne and I headed over to Peets for coffee and a bagel. My Thanksgiving week off has begun.The week before Thanksgiving must count as the longest week of the school year. Monday was a twelve hour day that included a union meeting and a board meeting. Tuesday and Thursday were twelve hour days for parent conferences. By Friday I was wiped.“Let’s go to Lula,” I suggested to Anne yesterday.Lula was our ... more »

Call for an Alternative Day of Action on Human Rights Day Saturday, December 10th, 2011 | Occupy Together #ows

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Call for an Alternative Day of Action on Human Rights Day Saturday, December 10th, 2011 | Occupy Together:Call for an Alternative Day of Action on Human Rights Day Saturday, December 10th, 2011November 19th, 2011 · Ella · AnnouncementsNo commentsThe success of October 15th has triggered an unprecedented momentum for global action. Humanity has united across boundaries in a struggle for real democracy and individual rights. Essential to this struggle is the respect for human life and living conditions, including environmentsGlobal ... more »

ACLU restarts battle over illegal school fees | SignOnSanDiego.com

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ACLU restarts battle over illegal school fees | SignOnSanDiego.com:ACLU restarts battle over illegal school feesGroup wanted school districts to have complaint process and compliance auditsThe American Civil Liberties Union has resumed a lawsuit against the state, alleging lax enforcement of the Constitutional ban on mandated fees for students using a public school system that’s supposed to be free.The ACLU had put the lawsuit on hold pending a bill to establish a complaint process and require school districts to audit compliance. ... more »

The Answer Sheet - A School Survival Guide for parents (and everyone else). - The Washington Post

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The Answer Sheet - A School Survival Guide for parents (and everyone else). - The Washington Post:Syracuse chancellor’s letter to alumniValerie Strauss at The Answer Sheet - 9 minutes agoHere is the letter that Syracuse University Chancellor Nancy Cantor sent out to alumni Friday about allegations that an assistant basketball coach had molested two former ball boys for years. The assistant coach, Bernie Fine, has called the allegations “patently false” and vowed to “do everything in our power to find ... more »

Philip Kovacs Takes on TFA in Huntsville - Living in Dialogue - Education Week Teacher

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Philip Kovacs Takes on TFA in Huntsville - Living in Dialogue - Education Week Teacher:Philip Kovacs Takes on TFA in Huntsvilleby Anthony CodyIn the past few weeks, Philip Kovacs has taken a public stance in Huntsville, Alabama, raising questions about the school district's decision to invest significant resources in bringing Teach For America interns to that city. This is a guest post by him, describing his concerns.Guest post by Philip Kovacs.When I first heard about Teach for America, I thought ... more »

#Occupy (We the 99) Music Video | OWSnews.org #ows

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Occupy (We the 99) Music Video | OWSnews.org:by adminVote --Occupy (We the 99) Music VideoNovember 19, 2011 in DC, Liberty Park, Music, Pittsburgh, Police Brutality, Pop Cult, Video Filmed live at Occupy Wall Street and Occupy Pittsburgh by Director Paradise Gray, Jasiri X reconnects with super producer Cynik Lethal to provide a soundtrack for this growing movement that has taken the world by storm. We gonna Occupy!LYRICSVerse 1The Power’s with the people don’t let these cowards deceive youand be the ... more »

Teachers For Social Justice #ows

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Teachers For Social Justice:Occupy Dialogueby Teachers For Social JusticeWith the Occupy motion gaining momentum, people are mobilizing across the US in ways we haven't seen in a long time. We will be having a dialogue at this year's curriculum fair about Occupy and how it relates to those of us who see ourselves as part of the Education for Liberation movement. Here are some resources that give more information on the Occupy motion. This list will continue to be updated ... more »

UC Davis Chancellor Called to Resign After Police Pepper Spray Students | The Dissenter #ows

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UC Davis Chancellor Called to Resign After Police Pepper Spray Students | The Dissenter:UC Davis Chancellor Called to Resign After Police Pepper Spray Studentsby Kevin GosztolaPopoutEach and every day some police action infuriates and breathes new life into this movement. Just when you think the movement might go stale and the message of “We are the 99%” will no longer pack the punch that it has had over the last two months, some picture or some video is released showing ... more »

In Florida, Cash for Charter School Cronies While Ending Funding for Adult Education | Scathing Purple Musings

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In Florida, Cash for Charter School Cronies While Ending Funding for Adult Education | Scathing Purple Musings:In Florida, Cash for Charter School Cronies While Ending Funding for Adult Educationby Bob SikesFrom the News Service of Florida:TALLAHASSEE – In the four months since Florida began charging tuition for adult education programs, enrollment has dropped dramatically, prompting concern from some lawmakers that the Legislature may have gone too far.Since requiring not only tuition, but also documentation to determine residency, enrollment in adult ... more »

Fail - Feature Story - Local Stories - November 17, 2011 - Sacramento News & Review

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Fail - Feature Story - Local Stories - November 17, 2011 - Sacramento News Review:FailTest scores are mixed, costs are high and teachers are pissed. Why critics say Sacramento city school reform could …By Cosmo Garvin cosmog@newsreview.comRead 5 reader submitted commentsThis article was published on 11.17.11.Full disclosure:Reporter Cosmo Garvin’s wife is a teacher in the Sacramento City Unified School District.School districts all over the country are struggling to turn around “failing schools.” It’s a harsh label, but the pressure to ...more »

TEACHERS – RECORD YOURSELF « Teachers Fight Back

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TEACHERS – RECORD YOURSELF « Teachers Fight Back:TEACHERS – RECORD YOURSELFby alkleenI saw a news item which showed a video of a special education teacher screaming at one of his students. Another horrible example of a teacher caught in an unprofessional act.I have a suggestion for teachers everywhere. It’s an excellent idea to record yourself as you teach. Record yourself at various times of the week and the day. Listen to the recording at home and see if there are ... more »

Schools Matter: Great Reporting in The Nation on the Big Online Biz in K-12

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Schools Matter: Great Reporting in The Nation on the Big Online Biz in K-12:Great Reporting in The Nation on the Big Online Biz in K-12by Jim HornGreat reporting. An introductory clip:Lee Fang | November 16, 2011This article was reported in partnership with The Investigative Fund at The Nation Institute. If the national movement to “reform” public education through vouchers, charters and privatization has a laboratory, it is Florida. It was one of the first states to undertake a program of “virtual ... more »

Jersey Jazzman: Scrubbing Reformy Rhetoric

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Jersey Jazzman: Scrubbing Reformy Rhetoric:Scrubbing Reformy Rhetoricby DukeDerrell Bradford's most infamous performance, where he admitted that he is all about "advancing the people that advance the reforms, not the reforms themselves," is no longer freely available on YouTube. It is now a "private" video.Gosh, whatever could he have said that would be embarrassing to a man who says those who oppose his views (like me) are guilty of caring less about student achievement than he does?Well, we still have the ... more »

Students Arrested & Pepper Sprayed at Occupy UC Davis Camp (VIDEOS) - Davis, CA Patch #ows

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Students Arrested Pepper Sprayed at Occupy UC Davis Camp (VIDEOS) - Davis, CA Patch:Students Arrested Pepper Sprayed at Occupy UC Davis Camp (VIDEOS)from Davis Patch: Latest Articles Like Davis Patch on Facebook to stay updated. The Occupy protest in the UC Davis quad swelled rapidly after the group was quietly removed from Mrak Hall this week. On Friday, Chancellor Katehi warned that police would remove the camp if it was not cleared out by 3pm.Safe to say, it was not. ... more »

Brain Crush - Dana Goldstein

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Brain Crush - Dana Goldstein:Brain Crushby Dana GoldsteinWith all the reading I'm doing for my book proposal, there is one person who I think deeply got the various dysfunctions of the American school system and, more importantly, the American cultural conception of education itself: Richard Hofstader. If you haven't already, you should really read Anti-Intellectualism in American Life. It is one of those eerie experiences where you feel the work could have been written today--Penn State scandal!--but it dates to ... more »

NYC Public School Parents: video: Occupy Wall St. as sung by Frank Sinatra #ows

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NYC Public School Parents: video: Occupy Wall St. as sung by Frank Sinatra:video: Occupy Wall St. as sung by Frank Sinatraby Leonie HaimsonInspirational and brutal; this brilliant video by Casey Neistat with a soundtrack of the classic Kander and Ebb theme shows one side of the story. Hopefully I will figure out how to edit my less violent footage and post it this weekend!Popout

A Retro-Rocketship to the Future: Corporate Education Reform Blasts Off in Silicon Valley | Dailycensored.com

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A Retro-Rocketship to the Future: Corporate Education Reform Blasts Off in Silicon Valley | Dailycensored.com:A Retro-Rocketship to the Future: Corporate Education Reform Blasts Off in Silicon ValleyWritten by Adam BessieEducation, MediaNov 18, 20110diggShareRocketship is blasting off in Silicon Valley, with great fanfare – and no, it’s not a new tech start up, propelled by the genius of another 22-year old wunderkind who has invented the latest, most innovative way to virally spread videos of silly cats playing pianos. Yet, looking ... more »

Whom Do You Serve? | OccupyWallSt.org #ows

Whom Do You Serve? | OccupyWallSt.org:

Whom Do You Serve?

by OccupyWallSt

UC Davis Pepper Spray Incident

This incident took place at UC Davis. See below for video of this incident, as well as more examples of state repression against the 99% movement across the U.S. TRIGGER WARNING: Graphic images.

Popout

Such incidents are unfortunately common. Brutal repression is happening every day to occupiers around the world, people of color, trans and queer people, recreational drug users, sex workers, and many other marginalized communities. How can the police protect and serve the public, when they repeatedly assault the

Peaceful UC Davis Students Pepper-Sprayed - Living in Dialogue - Education Week Teacher

Peaceful UC Davis Students Pepper-Sprayed - Living in Dialogue - Education Week Teacher:

Peaceful UC Davis Students Pepper-Sprayed

by Anthony Cody

Students occupying the central quad at the University of California at Davis were pepper sprayed in the face as they sat peacefully on the ground yesterday afternoon. One of my two sons attends this school. I would like you to watch the entire eight minutes of this video.
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I attended UC Berkeley in the 1980s. We protested President Reagan's funding of death squads in Central America. We protested UC investments in apartheid South Africa. In fact, the Divestment movement created a shantytown outside the Chancellor's office that lasted for months. I spent several nights sleeping with a peaceful encampment on the steps of Sproul Plaza. There was very little violence. The operation of the University, though

CHARTER SCHOOLS IMPRESS HALF OF CALIFORNIA VOTERS BUT 64% FAVOR MORE INVESTMENT IN TRADITIONAL SCHOOLS + Poll results + smf’s 2¢

4LAKids - some of the news that doesn't fit: CHARTER SCHOOLS IMPRESS HALF OF CALIFORNIA VOTERS BUT 64% FAVOR MORE INVESTMENT IN TRADITIONAL SCHOOLS + Poll results + smf’s 2¢:

CHARTER SCHOOLS IMPRESS HALF OF CALIFORNIA VOTERS BUT 64% FAVOR MORE INVESTMENT IN TRADITIONAL SCHOOLS + Poll results + smf’s 2¢

In the USC Dornsife/Los Angeles Times poll, 52% of respondents had a favorable opinion of charter schools. But voters overall opposed supporting charters at the expense of resources for traditional schools.

BY HOWARD BLUME, LOS ANGELES TIMES | HTTP://LAT.MS/SXXXEB

smf:

Polls do not reveal the facts, the truth or reality – they reveal the polled population's perceptions of those things.
Polling, even so-called Scientific Polling, is selective statistical analysis.
- Using enhanced interrogation techniques the data

Interview with the guy did the “bat-man” on the Verizon building for OWS. « Fred Klonsky

Interview with the guy did the “bat-man” on the Verizon building for OWS. « Fred Klonsky:

Interview with the guy did the “bat-man” on the Verizon building for OWS.

by Fred Klonsky

Xeni Jardin interviews Mark Read who did the bat-man projects on the Verizon building.

XJ: How did you go about finding someone nearby who would allow you stage this from inside their home?
MR: Opposite the Verizon building, there is a bunch of city housing. Subsidized, rent-controlled. There’s a lack of services, lights are out in the hallways, the housing feels like jails, like prisons. I walked around, and put up signs in there offering money to rent out an apartment for a few hours. I didn’t say much more. I received surprisingly few calls, and most of them seemed not quite fully “there.”

Saturday coffee + Old school . « Fred Klonsky #ows

Saturday coffee. « Fred Klonsky:

Saturday coffee.

by Fred Klonsky

This morning Anne and I headed over to Peets for coffee and a bagel. My Thanksgiving week off has begun.

The week before Thanksgiving must count as the longest week of the school year. Monday was a twelve hour day that included a union meeting and a board meeting. Tuesday and Thursday were twelve hour days for parent conferences. By Friday I was wiped.

“Let’s go to Lula,” I suggested to Anne yesterday.

Lula was our neighborhood’s first fine dining spot. It still gets mentioned in magazines like Travel and Leisure.

Before it became Lula about ten years ago, it was Logan Beach. Logan Beach was the neighborhood’s first

Old school.

by Fred Klonsky

Leonard Cohen.

Call for an Alternative Day of Action on Human Rights Day Saturday, December 10th, 2011 | Occupy Together #ows

Call for an Alternative Day of Action on Human Rights Day Saturday, December 10th, 2011 | Occupy Together:

Call for an Alternative Day of Action on Human Rights Day Saturday, December 10th, 2011

November 19th, 2011 · Ella · AnnouncementsNo comments

The success of October 15th has triggered an unprecedented momentum for global action. Humanity has united across boundaries in a struggle for real democracy and individual rights. Essential to this struggle is the respect for human life and living conditions, including environments

Global civil society is being threatened by a system based on power and not on human values. Day after day it represses basic freedoms and consistently favors the greed of the few over the needs of the many. This power finances wars, food and pharmaceutical monopolies, it sponsors dictatorial regimes across the globe, destroying environments, manipulating and censoring information flow and transparency.

Despite our different cultural backgrounds and social contexts, we all suffer the same threats. Our freedom and dignity are under attack as a result of market dynamics and corrupt government institutions that are turning our local and global societies into increasingly unjust places. The governments of this planet must work for the people, not against them. The time has come to stand up for our rights together and to demand the rights we were promised in the 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights, signed and approved by most of the world’s governments and the basis for many of our constitutions.

The struggle for our rights as human beings underlies everything we have demanded in every square and every demonstration in this historic year of global change. There is no better culmination to this year of protest than a global day of action to defend our inalienable human equity from those trying to take it away from us. From East to West, North to South: on the 10th of December we will take to the streets and squares together to demand the fundamental principles that were promised and are inherent to the Human Beings.

We would like to propose the week starting on the 10th of December (10/12 – 17/12) as a time for alternative forms of protest which will be found after a debate between all of us. The idea is to participate in proposing new forms of action with a creative spirit: we can organize public forums and workshops, flash-mobs, we can promote the movement in local schools and neighborhoods or get in contact with humanitarian organizations working with the same goals.

VISIT 10DECEMBER.NET FOR MORE INFO

ACLU restarts battle over illegal school fees | SignOnSanDiego.com

ACLU restarts battle over illegal school fees | SignOnSanDiego.com:

ACLU restarts battle over illegal school fees

Group wanted school districts to have complaint process and compliance audits

The American Civil Liberties Union has resumed a lawsuit against the state, alleging lax enforcement of the Constitutional ban on mandated fees for students using a public school system that’s supposed to be free.

The ACLU had put the lawsuit on hold pending a bill to establish a complaint process and require school districts to audit compliance. Gov. Jerry Brown vetoed the bill last month, so the ACLU has once again taken up its legal fight.

The state Constitution guarantees a free education for all students, and the state Supreme Court ruled in 1984 that both curricular and