Sunday, November 20, 2011

Modern School: Human Need or Capitalist Greed:Human Need or Capitalist Greedby Michael DunnIt is not only absurd, but dangerous, to believe that jobs are good just because losing a job is undesirable (See the Cry For Jobs, Ruthless Criticism). Of course it is terrible to lose ones income and material security. But simply demanding jobs generally results in compromises and sacrifices in order to get that paycheck rolling in again. Workers accept lower wages, longer working hours, more dangerous conditions, ... more »

Drum Circle headed to Bloomberg's Mansion.

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 3 hours ago

Drum Circle headed to Bloomberg's Mansion. Liberty Square to be Occupied with Voices of Immigrant Women and Elders from the Civil Rights Movement | OccupyWallSt.org:Drum Circle headed to Bloomberg's Mansion. Liberty Square to be Occupied with Voices of Immigrant Women and Elders from the Civil Rights MovementPosted 1 hour ago on Nov. 19, 2011, 7:03 p.m. EST by OccupyWallStSunday, November 20th:12:00pm: Liberty Square -"We, Spanish-speaking immigrant women of New York City, call on all women to join us ... to ... more »

#ows Davis Faculty Association » Blog Archive » DFA Board Calls for Katehi’s Resignation

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Davis Faculty Association » Blog Archive » DFA Board Calls for Katehi’s Resignation:DFA Board Calls for Katehi’s ResignationThe DFA Board calls for the immediate resignation of Chancellor Katehi. The Chancellor’s authorization of the use of police force to suppress the protests by students and community members speaking out on behalf of our university and public higher education generally represents a gross failure of leadership.Given the recent use of excessive force by police against “occupy” protestors at UC Berkeley and elsewhere, ... more »

#ows DC, Others Occupy Abandoned Buildings. Streaming Video. | OccupyWallSt.org

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DC, Others Occupy Abandoned Buildings. Streaming Video. | OccupyWallSt.org:DC, Others Occupy Abandoned Buildings. Streaming Video.by OccupyWallStOccupy K St./DC has taken over the empty city-owned Franklin School. The school was closed several years ago and was initiatially reopened as a homeless shelter. The city government later closed the shelter and -- despite widespread public opposition -- announced plans to turn the building either into condos or a hotel for the 1% lobbyists on K St.Watch live streaming video from occupykst at ... more »

#ows Oakland Commune Assembles to Retake a Space « occupy california

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Oakland Commune Assembles to Retake a Space « occupy california:Oakland Commune Assembles to Retake a Spaceby *OAKLAND, California – The Oakland Commune’s general assembly called this past week for a march to reclaim a space today. This day has also been called as a day of action against police repression by the Oakland Commune’s GA. As of around 2:30pm, around 1000 people have assembled in Oscar Grant Plaza and at the adjacent 14th and Broadway intersection, which has been shut ... more »

First Teachbad Survey: Please Help | Mr. Teachbad

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First Teachbad Survey: Please Help | Mr. Teachbad:First Teachbad Survey: Please Helpby teachbadHere’s what I would like to do. Eventually I would like to develop a survey of teacher satisfaction that will be answered by tens of thousands of teachers and former teachers and will be disseminated inter-galactically and change teaching forever, for the better. I know that I skipped some steps just there and the details are lacking. But here is what we are doing now. I am experimenting ...more »

#ows NYC Public School Parents: What's the real story behind the threatened bus strike: are the bus drivers the enemy or part of the 99%?

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NYC Public School Parents: What's the real story behind the threatened bus strike: are the bus drivers the enemy or part of the 99%?:What's the real story behind the threatened bus strike: are the bus drivers the enemy or part of the 99%?by Leonie HaimsonThe real facts behind the threatened school bus strike are difficult to untangle. As the NY Times explainedtoday, the mayor's position is a reversal of his previous one:The specter of a strike is an interesting turn ... more »

Young People – The World’s Last Chattel? | Lefty Parent

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Young People – The World’s Last Chattel? | Lefty Parent:Young People – The World’s Last Chattel?by Cooper ZaleThis latest round of high-profile revelations of at times systemic cover-ups of the sexual abuse of young people at Penn State and elsewhere has been topping the news lately. There seem to be ongoing issues with this within the Catholic denomination but that is no longer news. Still in much of the world young people are coerced into military service, marriage or as ... more »

Today's Big Education Ape - PostRank Top Early Afternoon Posts #ows #edreform

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Interview with the guy did the “bat-man” on the Verizon building for OWS. « Fred KlonskyBig Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All)-20 minutes agoInterview 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 ... more »

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

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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) - 16 hours 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

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 16 hours ago

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 »

Maybe It's Time to Occupy the Police State - Forbes

Maybe It's Time to Occupy the Police State - Forbes:

Maybe It’s Time to Occupy the Police State

by E.D. Kain

When the first major evacuation of Occupy Oakland was ordered, and police responded in full riot gear, I wrote at the time:

A little friendly advice for the police: if you want a protest or a rally to dissipate, ignore it. Until it turns into a violent riot, ignore it. Even if it goes on for weeks and months, eventually people go home.
If you want to make the protests more poignant, more profound, if you want to swell the ranks of the protesters and give them even more legitimacy, attack them with tear gas and flashbombs. Arrest them en masse.

Even better, pepper-spray unarmed, nonviolent protesters while they sit in a line. According to James Fallows, police are claiming that the officer who pepper-sprayed a number of Occupy protesters at UC Davis Friday responded in self-defense during a tense moment. Here’s the picture he uses to illustrate the absurdity of this claim:

It’s almost as if the police here don’t want the protests to end. Instead of waiting for boredom or cold weather to

At UC Davis, Students Silently Confront Chancellor Katehi

by E.D. Kain

Popout

This is via Xeni Jardin at boing boing who writes:

I thought I wouldn’t see a more dramatic video than the ones yesterday of the pepper-spraying of students by police at UC Davis. I was wrong.
In the video above, UC Davis students, silent, with linked arms, confront Chancellor Katehi one day after the incident. It’s hard to tell exactly how many of them are present, but there they are, a huge crowd. They’re seated in the same cross-legged-on-the-ground position their fellow students were yesterday just before Lt. John Pike pulled out a can of pepper spray and pulled the trigger.
Note that Katehi remains silent during what looks like her perp walk. She does not acknowledge

Privatizing Liberty | California Progress Report #ows

Privatizing Liberty | California Progress Report:

Privatizing Liberty

by megan

By Richard (RJ) Eskow
Campaign for America's Future

As Mayor Bloomberg's forces swooped down on Occupy Wall Street, news reports described the "hundreds of police and private security guards" who had re-taken Zuccotti Park. Those private guards were used against public citizens who had been exercising their civil liberties in a public area.

That's not just wrong. It's un-American.

This incident holds an important lesson for anyone who loves our freedoms: When something public is made private, our liberties are privatized too. And privatized liberty isn't liberty at all.

Privatizing Liberty

A Letter from California « Bill Ayers

A Letter from California « Bill Ayers:

A Letter from California

by billayers

Open Letter to Chancellor Linda P.B. Katehi

Posted on November 19, 2011 by crank

18 November 2011

Linda P.B. Katehi,

I am a junior faculty member at UC Davis. I am an Assistant Professor in the Department of English, and I teach in the Program in Critical Theory and in Science & Technology Studies. I have a strong record of research, teaching, and service. I am currently a Board Member of the Davis Faculty Association. I have also taken an active role in supporting the student movement to defend public education on our campus and throughout the UC system. In a word: I am the sort of young faculty member, like many of my colleagues, this campus needs. I am

Save Seattle Schools Community Blog: Poking the Hornets Nest

Save Seattle Schools Community Blog: Poking the Hornets Nest:

Poking the Hornets Nest

by Melissa Westbrook

It looks like the Board election has poked, prodded and possibly smashed open the hornets nest that is the education establishment in Seattle. The initial charge, before the election, was clearly the Seattle Times but they have been largely mute since the election results.

Now the Alliance for Education has decided to really insert itself and frankly, if I were anyone on the Board (current or new and/or a person with a spine), I would not like it.
Let's get a round-up of voices.

I did look to see what Stand for Children (who supported all the incumbents but Maier and had no endorsement for that district) had to say. Nothing said as is their way. They always talk about community and yet, they have

Corporate America Shows It’s True Colors | Seattle Education

Corporate America Shows It’s True Colors | Seattle Education:

Corporate America Shows It’s True Colors

by seattleducation2011

This photo says it all.

Popout

From Reuters:

Student protesters at Davis had set up an encampment in the university’s quad area earlier this month as part of the nationwide Occupy movement against economic inequality and excesses of the financial system.
Their demonstrations, which had been endorsed by a faculty association, included protests against tuition increases and what they viewed as police brutality on University of California campuses in response to recent protests.

The Global Occupy Movement Challenges the Transnational Corporate Class Propaganda Machine | Dailycensored.com

The Global Occupy Movement Challenges the Transnational Corporate Class Propaganda Machine | Dailycensored.com:

The Global Occupy Movement Challenges the Transnational Corporate Class Propaganda Machine

Written by adminWorld NewsNov 19, 2011

0digg

By Peter Phillips

The international concentration of wealth and military power is endangering not only the personal freedoms and life chances of billions of people, but the potentiality for life on earth to simply exist. The US-NATO military-industrial-media empire operates in support of transnational corporations and the central banks primarily as the enforcer of International Monetary Fund/World Bank’s fiscal policies and the protector of transnational capital flow. The combination of empire enforcers—both public and private military/police—in partnership with the private owners of production and capital’s need for constant growth and profits is resulting in a tragic decline of humanity into a freedomless state of global corporate fascism.

We are not going to reform the empire of destruction globally through

VOTE ‘None of the Above’ in 2012

by Danny Weil

written by kabuki7″ While the liberal and conservative constituencies in our country have legitimate differences in how the country should be governed, one thing all Americans can agree on is our current political system is broken, corrupted by money, and that it no longer serves the interests of citizens. Our [...]

Let Students Own, Not Rent! Making it “Our Classroom” « Diary of a Public School Teacher!

Let Students Own, Not Rent! Making it “Our Classroom” « Diary of a Public School Teacher!:

Let Students Own, Not Rent! Making it “Our Classroom”

by Oldschoolteach

The other day, I don’t remember why, we moved our desks. Instead of 6 groups of four, we ended up in two groups of 10. At some point during the day, my students asked me to leave the tables in two groups of 10. I took their request lightly, and began to dismiss it. But they pleaded, because they really enjoyed the new layout of the room. They began to support their request with strong reasons, and I relented. The desks stayed where they were, and have been like that for the last couple of days.

It’s their room too. I came to that realization. It can’t always be my way, I had to let them own their classroom. When I speak to my students, I make sure I say

Saturday, November 19, 2011

Modern School: Human Need or Capitalist Greed #ows

Modern School: Human Need or Capitalist Greed:

Human Need or Capitalist Greed

by Michael Dunn

It is not only absurd, but dangerous, to believe that jobs are good just because losing a job is undesirable (See the Cry For Jobs, Ruthless Criticism). Of course it is terrible to lose ones income and material security. But simply demanding jobs generally results in compromises and sacrifices in order to get that paycheck rolling in again. Workers accept lower wages, longer working hours, more dangerous conditions, less autonomy, longer commutes just to get back to work.

Jobs do not even necessarily provide material security, particularly if the wages aren’t sufficient to cover living expenses. Even when times were “good” and unemployment was low, prior to the start of the economic crisis, wages and living standards had been spiraling downwards for

Drum Circle headed to Bloomberg's Mansion.

Drum Circle headed to Bloomberg's Mansion. Liberty Square to be Occupied with Voices of Immigrant Women and Elders from the Civil Rights Movement | OccupyWallSt.org:

Drum Circle headed to Bloomberg's Mansion. Liberty Square to be Occupied with Voices of Immigrant Women and Elders from the Civil Rights Movement

Posted 1 hour ago on Nov. 19, 2011, 7:03 p.m. EST by OccupyWallSt

Sunday, November 20th:

12:00pm: Liberty Square -"We, Spanish-speaking immigrant women of New York City, call on all women to join us ... to stand up, speak out, assemble and make our diverse voices heard with dignity and strength as we demonstrate in solidarity with the Occupy movement for democracy, dignity and equality for all people." Details Here

2:00pm: 24 hour "Occupy Bloomberg's Mansion Drum Circle Protest And Love-In Art Show " in front of Mayor Bloomberg's massive mansion on 17 East 79th Street. Details Here

3:30pm: Liberty Square - "Elders from the Civil Right's Movement will be sharing the torch of social justice and equality with our movement, a symbolic act by which they recognize OWS as the transformative movement of the 21st Century." Details Here

#ows Davis Faculty Association » Blog Archive » DFA Board Calls for Katehi’s Resignation

Davis Faculty Association » Blog Archive » DFA Board Calls for Katehi’s Resignation:

DFA Board Calls for Katehi’s Resignation

The DFA Board calls for the immediate resignation of Chancellor Katehi. The Chancellor’s authorization of the use of police force to suppress the protests by students and community members speaking out on behalf of our university and public higher education generally represents a gross failure of leadership.

Given the recent use of excessive force by police against “occupy” protestors at UC Berkeley and elsewhere, the Chancellor must have anticipated that, by authorizing police action, she was