You're Never to Young for Social Justice - SF Public School MomSF Public School Mom

You're Never to Young for Social Justice - SF Public School MomSF Public School Mom:

You’re Never to Young for Social Justice

You’re never to young for social justice. With the Presidential Inauguration Week coming up (aka. a week of protests) this is a great opportunity to model our values with our kids of standing up and speaking up for what’s right.

I’ve put together these resources to share with my girls as we prepare for upcoming political actions, in the weeks and months ahead.

#RadicalMonarchMagic

In a recent interview on The Real, the Radical Monarchs are proof that you are never too young to create a radical change.

Why I March

This presentation was created by Melissa Holmes, for her nieces. Many families will be marching together for the first time. This is a great way to explain to younger kids the importance of the Right of Assembly, guaranteed by our U.S. Constitution.

Click here to see the presentation.

#TeachResistance

Resistance 101 is the introductory lesson for a series teaching the history of resistance. This a lesson for teaching middle and high school students about Inauguration Day.

This is a great resource for teachers. But parents can also use it to help You're Never to Young for Social Justice - SF Public School MomSF Public School Mom:

DeVos says she won’t force private school voucher plan on states | EdSource

DeVos says she won’t force private school voucher plan on states | EdSource:

DeVos says she won't force private school voucher plan on states

 At a contentious confirmation hearing that mostly broke along party lines, Betsy DeVos, President-elect Donald Trump’s nominee to be secretary of education, said she wouldn’t try to force states to adopt private school voucher programs along the lines of those she has promoted around the nation for several decades.

Her views are especially relevant to states like California with a history of opposition to taxpayer-funded vouchers that could be used to pay for tuition at private schools.

Appearing before the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, DeVos responded to a series of questions from the committee chairperson Sen. Lamar Alexander, R-TN, against a backdrop of Democratic anger that Alexander allowed only one round of questions, limited to five minutes, for each senator.

Republicans uniformly expressed strong support for DeVos, while Democrats criticized her on multiple fronts, ranging from her lack of experience, her attendance at private schools as a student, and the use of her family’s fortune to advance conservative candidates and causes.

Democrats also complained they had not received a report from the Office of Government Ethics on DeVos and her finances, something they said Republicans had demanded before holding hearings for President Barack Obama’s nominees.

Alexander pointed out to DeVos that he had failed to get a private school voucher plan through the Senate in 2015, and for that reason it was not in the Every Student DeVos says she won’t force private school voucher plan on states | EdSource:

Diane Ravitch's blog | Is Trump's Pick for Education Secretary an Enemy of Public Schools?

Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all:

 Is Trump's Pick for Education Secretary an Enemy of Public Schools?

DeVos: Schools May Need Guns to Protect Against Grizzly Bears

2by dianeravitch / 17min

Betsy DeVos was questioned about whether she would maintain gun-free zones around schools. She said that should be left to states . She was questioned by Senator Chris Murphy of Connecticut, where the Sandy Hook massacre occurred in Newtown. DeVos said that some schools might need guns to protect against grizzly bears. She also said she would do whatever Trump wanted on the issue. She expressed s

The New Republic: DeVos Stumped by Direct Questions

3by dianeravitch / 46min

Graham Vyse writes in The New Republic that Betsy DeVos was stumped time and again by straightforward questions from Democrats. Meanwhile, Republicans fell all over themselves praising her for being willing to serve in a job for which she is manifestly unfit. “Betsy DeVos, President-elect Donald Trump’s nominee for secretary of education, just failed her first test. At her Senate confirmation hea

The Man Known as “Putin’s Brain” Celebrates Trump’s Election

by dianeravitch / 46min

Now that Vladimir Putin is slated to become a good friend of the new president, it is important to know more about Putin. Start by learning about Aleksandr Dugin , who is known as “Putin’s Brain.” Dugin is a Russian nationalist. He proudly calls himself a fascist. He despises secularism and modernity. He strongly opposes the U.S. and our allies. He foresees a new Russian-Arab alliance and longs f

New Republic: Betsy DeVos Would Be A Disaster” for Students With Disabilities

8by dianeravitch / 1h

Sarah Jones, writing in The New Republic, was appalled by Betsy DeVos lack of knowledge or interest in students with disabilities. She writes: “It’s difficult to overstate how nightmarish DeVos’s policy positions would be for students with disabilities and their parents. With no guaranteed access to publicly funded private education, parents of these students would have little choice but to send

Nancy Bailey: Betsy DeVos On Special Education: Clueless

6by dianeravitch / 1h

Nancy Bailey followed the hearings of Betsy DeVos to see what she knows about special education. The answer: Not much. http://nancyebailey.com/2017/01/17/betsy-devos-confirmation-hearing-and-special-education/ She doesn’t seem to know that the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act is a federal law. She thinks that states can decide whether or not it should be enforced in charter schools and

My Appearance on Chris Hayes, Following Senator Sanders

by dianeravitch / 2h

I was invited to appear on Chris Hayes’ “All In” last night. Here is the link . It starts with Senator Sanders asking Betsy DeVos how much money she gave to Republicans. http://www.msnbc.com/all

Steven Singer: The Ignorance and Arrogance of Betsy DeVos

24by dianeravitch / 2h

Steven Singer watched the Betsy DeVos hearings and was taken aback by her ignorance of education policy and her arrogance in thinking she is qualified to be Secretary of Education. He writes: Betsy DeVos wouldn’t commit to protecting students with special needs. She wouldn’t commit to keeping guns out of school campuses. She wouldn’t commit to holding charter and voucher schools to the same stand

YESTERDAY

Democracy Now Interviews Matt Taibbi about His Book, “Insane Clown President”

6by dianeravitch / 12h

Amy Goodman and Juan González interview journalist Matt Taibb i about Trump’S election. Key comment: “MATT TAIBBI: Yeah, and I think that was kind of a big oversight by a lot of the media. Trump—look, how do politicians get elected? There’s a very simple formula that people on both sides have followed for ages. They tell people that, you know, things are bad, and we’re going to give you somebody

My Interview on NPR “The Takeaway” re Betsy DeVos

60by dianeravitch / 18h

In case you want to listen for 10 minutes about why Betsy DeVos should not be confirmed, here is the link. Also, I will be on the Chris Hayes show tonight on MSNBC. Same topic.

Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all:

CTA & NEA Presidents To Join LA Educators Declaring That Schools Are Safe Havens For All Students In National Event

Calaveras News - Breaking News for Calaveras County & Beyond!- The Pine Tree .net:

CTA & NEA Presidents To Join LA Educators Declaring That Schools Are Safe Havens For All Students In National Event

Burlingame, CA...In a sign of rising resistance to federal threats to public schools, California educators will join with parents, students, labor and civic leaders and communities on Thursday in calling for every student to have access to a high-quality public education and in standing up against extremist, anti-public school political agendas. This national day of action comes just one day before President-elect Donald Trump’s inauguration and will call out his incoming administration’s support for the corporate privatization of public schools and for Betsy DeVos, his anti-public education nominee for U.S. secretary of education.



CTA President Eric Heins and Lily Eskelsen García, president of the 3 million-member National Education Association, will join Los Angeles Unified educators to march in front of their schools with oversized signs in the shape of shields with phrases like “Shield Against Immigrant Detention” and “Shield Against Trump/DeVos/Broad/Walmart.” These actions support the day’s national theme organized by the Alliance to Reclaim our Schools that “Education Justice is Racial Justice.” The push is on to protect schools from privatization and as well as to create safe spaces for immigrants, women and minorities.

“As educators, we know our responsibility is to make our schools safe havens for student learning, and to prevent the corporate privatization of public education,” CTA President Heins said. “We invite community members to join us in reminding the incoming Trump administration that we will always stand up for all students. Our neighborhood schools must remain community centers, not profit centers. Let’s stand together—as teachers, parents, students and as communities—to demand federal support for our schools, not neglect.”

Many local CTA chapters are following the lead of State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson who released a letter encouraging all California public schools to declare themselves “safe havens” for students and to remind families about existing laws that protect students’ records from questions about immigration status. Educators on Thursday are organizing walk-ins, working with local school boards to designate their school district as a “safe haven” or “sanctuary school,” and holding “hands around our school” events. In addition, T-shirt days and “teach-ins” on immigration rights will be held. Events will stress how well-resourced schools help improve student achievement.

The National Day of Action to Reclaim Our Schools demands well-funded public schools that insure a child’s ZIP code or race does not determine success. Past national events have included thousands of teachers, parents and community members in 17 California communities and more than 75 cities nationwide.

Here is a sampling of “Reclaim Our Schools” Events in California.
All events are on Thursday, January 19, unless noted otherwise

San Francisco Bay Area

OAKLAND: Members of the Oakland Education Association (OEA) will emphasize the need for safe schools and that Oakland schools are for everyone. Before school starts, solidarity walk-ins will occur at about 40 school sites. For media coverage, good turnout is expected at Bret Harte and Edna Brewer middle schools, and at Allendale and Sequoia elementary schools. Some sites will invite parent to come into school and discuss student safety issues. Others will feature student performance art based on a district Martin Luther King oratorical contest. Contact: Trish Gorham, OEA President, 510-332-9103.

SAN JOSE: A news conference organized by San Jose area teachers’ unions, school board members from Santa Clara County districts and parent/community organizations is set Wednesday to declare Santa Clara County as a safe school zone for students and all families, including those that are undocumented, Muslim and LGBTQ. The coalition is sharing policies and resources. The news conference is at 4 p.m., Wednesday, Jan. 18, in the San Jose Unified School District board room, 855 Lenzen Ave., San Jose, 95125. Joining San Jose Teachers Association members will be educators from East Side Union, Alum Rock Union, Morgan Hill Unified and Santa Clara Unified districts. Contacts: San Jose Teachers Association President Jennifer Thomas at 408-267-0411, or Lucila Ortiz, 209-780-9036

SAN RAMON: Hundreds of educators in the San Ramon Valley Unified School District will be wearing red as a show of solidarity for public education. Contact: SRVEA President Ann Katzburg, 925-413-9258.

RICHMOND: United Teachers of Richmond is organizing several events all week, from community marches to the walk-ins starting at about 8 a.m., or 15 minutes before classes start, on Thursday. The message all week is to “Say No to Billionaire Bullies” and to support public education. Contact: UTR President Demetrio Gonzalez, 510-222-5112.

SAN FRANCISCO: Thursday morning before classes start, United Educators of San Francisco members at two dozen schools will do walk-in solidarity events to take a stand for safe and welcoming schools for all our students and to show the incoming Trump administration that the community will protect students and schools. Attention morning TV news crews: A “Hands Around Our Schools” action will take place from 7:15-7:45 a.m., at Galileo High School, 1150 Francisco St., San Francisco, 94109. Other San Francisco Unified activities include leafleting parents and community members about protecting public schools, as well as circulating a parent and community survey. More info is at www.uesf.org. Contact: Matthew Hardy at 415-513-3179.

FREMONT: At numerous Fremont Unified schools, members of the Fremont Unified District Teachers Association (FUDTA) will be doing walk-ins before the 8 a.m. start of school. “We are angered by the clear indications that Donald Trump and his billionaire nominee for secretary of education, Betsy DeVos, plan to dismantle our public schools by putting them on the market,” FUDTA said in a statement. Fremont teachers called Thursday “a moment to come together, each in our own communities, on a single day, with a single message to Donald Trump and Betsy DeVos.” Contact: Sherea Westra, FUDTA president, 510-299-4161.

Southern California

LOS ANGELES: Joining thousands of members and supporters of United Teachers Los Angeles (UTLA), NEA President Lily Eskelsen García and CTA President Eric Heins will join UTLA to #SchoolTrump by marching, chanting and “shielding” public schools from corporate privatization with symbolic shields and arm-in-arm lines formed in front of Los Angeles Unified schools. “With the incoming administration, if we are to believe what Trump says, the very existence of public education is under threat,” says UTLA President Alex Caputo-Pearl in the full UTLA media advisory. Educators will hold picket lines and rallies with the shields against attacks on schools. Plans also call for a mass “Tweetstorm” by sending personal messages to Trump via Twitter with the hashtag #SchoolTrump. Contact: Anna Bakalis, UTLA communications director, at 213-305-9654.

SAN DIEGO: Before the school day starts Thursday at 16 schools, San Diego Unified educators will show solidarity by doing walk-ins to underscore looming federal threats to public education. Attention morning TV news crews: San Diego Education Association (SDEA) President Lindsay Burningham will be at Hoover High School from 6:45-7:15 a.m. The 16 school sites are Hage, Bethune, Zamorano, Language Academy, Baker, Spreckels, Rowan, Hawthorne, Rosa Parks, Audobon, Florence, Central, Hoover High, Euclid, Miramar Ranch, EB Scripps. Contacts: Carlos Mejia or Jonathan Mello, SDEA staff, at 619-283-4411.

Central Valley

SACRAMENTO: Members of the Sacramento City Teachers Association (SCTA) will be thanking the Sacramento Unified school board for passing a progressive Dec. 8 resolution declaring the district is a safe haven for all students, and will be discussing possible future threats from the Trump administration and DeVos. The public discussion starts at 7 p.m. Thursday at the school board meeting in the Serna Center, 5735 47th Ave., Sacramento, 95824. Contact: John Borsos, CTA staff, at 916-471-9376.

Calaveras News - Breaking News for Calaveras County & Beyond!- The Pine Tree .net:

 

Answer Sheet Valerie Strauss covers Betsy DeVos’s confirmation hearing - The Washington Post

Answer Sheet - The Washington Post:

Answer Sheet Valerie Strauss covers Betsy DeVos’s confirmation hearing 

Six astonishing things Betsy DeVos said — and refused to say — at her confirmation hearing

4Kby Valerie Strauss / 9h

At her contentious confirmation hearing as Donald Trump’s nominee to be education secretary on Tuesday, Betsy DeVos was asked a question by Sen. Al Franken (D-Minn.) about an important education debate involving how student progress should be measured. The query essentially rendered her speechless as she appeared not to know how to answer. When Franken told […]

Sanders to DeVos: Would you be Trump’s education nominee if you weren’t a billionaire?

51by Valerie Strauss / 9h

He couldn’t have really expected her to answer this in the negative, but Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) went right at Betsy DeVos, President-elect Donald Trump’s education secretary nominee, at her confirmation hearing on Tuesday with a question that was a direct jab at her qualifications for the job: Did the fact that she is a […]

Betsy DeVos apparently ‘confused’ about federal law protecting students with disabilities

3Kby Valerie Strauss / 9h

Betsy DeVos displayed at best confusion and at worst a lack of knowledge about a key federal law involving students with disabilities during her Tuesday confirmation hearing before a Senate panel that will vote on whether she should become President-elect Donald Trump’s education secretary. Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.) asked DeVos about the federal Individuals With […]

How Sen. Lamar Alexander slammed Betsy DeVos’s confirmation hearing through his committee

500+by Valerie Strauss / 13h

Republican Sen. Lamar Alexander of Tennessee on Tuesday slammed the confirmation hearing of Betsy DeVos, President-elect Donald Trump’s education nominee, through the Senate education committee, which he chairs — over the objections of Democrats who practically begged for more time to question her. Democratic members of the committee repeatedly asked for more time to ask […]

Joe Lieberman disses the entire education establishment at Betsy DeVos’s confirmation hearing

200+by Valerie Strauss / 13h

Former senator Joe Lieberman of Connecticut on Tuesday introduced Betsy DeVos at her Senate confirmation hearing for education secretary in the upcoming Trump administration — and in the process he dissed the entire education establishment. DeVos is a Michigan billionaire tapped by Presiden

Answer Sheet - The Washington Post: