Doug Martin's Letter to the Indiana State Board of Education, July 8, 2014

Dear State Board of Education:

As you seek to dismantle public education and democracy, I want to remind you of my book, Hoosier School Heist, which is becoming quite popular.  Although it's hard to determine (since I don't have billionaires behind me to pay for someone to track the data), my educated guess is at least 250,000 people know about this book. 

The FBI even reads Hoosier School Heist. 

ABC Nightline is working with me and others on a possible show about a rightwing free-market Christian school highlighted in my book that Governor Pence's associate Mark Terrell now runs.  You can see the movie, Kidnapped for Christ, about this school on Showtime on Thursday, so mark your busy calendars. 

But I am not the only voice. 

Things are looking up in the arena of truth here in Indiana.  A strong movement to expose the corporate-theocratic assault on Indiana public schools, kids, and teachers is spreading across the state from Elkhart to Evansville. 

I know.  I have been travelling, and so has the pro-public education movie Rise Above the Mark.  Justin Oakley's Just Let Me Teach radio show draws thousands of listeners every live show.

There are now pro-public education leaders and groups sprouting up everywhere.  I am proud of them.  They are my friends.  Because we speak truth to power, we can sleep well at night, hearing the words of the real Hoosier hero Eugene V. Debs: "Our cause is just, the great public is with us, and we have nothing to fear."

I urge you to use some of that Hoosier "common sense" the Walmart/DeVos/hedge fund politicians in this state like to brag about, and leave Glenda Ritz alone.

Sincerely,  Doug Martin

 

Join Me at the Rise Above The Mark Kokomo Show, July 17th

By Doug Martin

I will be in Kokomo on the Rise Above the Mark after-movie panel on July 17 at the South Branch of the Kokomo library.  I will be signing copies of Hoosier School Heist from 4:30 to 5:30pm.  Here is the press release.  Please share this far and wide and follow me on twitter:

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE, July 1, 2014

RISE ABOVE THE MARK, DOCUMENTARY FILM DETAILING THE ATTACK ON INDIANA'S PUBLIC SCHOOLS, COMING TO KOKOMO

After-Movie Panel Discussion to Include Workers Voice Show Radio Host, Hoosier School Heist Author, Indiana Democratic House Candidate, ISTA Rep., and Literacy Expert

CONTACT: Randy M. Obenchain PHONE: (765) 301-8113 EMAIL: randy.obenchain@gmail.com

KOKOMO – Rise Above The Mark, a documentary film created by the West Lafayette School Corporation and narrated by actor/activist Peter Coyote, will be shown at the Kokomo Library South Branch. The film is aimed at educating the general public about the “corporate takeover” of Indiana's educational system and what parents, community members, and educators can do to protect their local public schools. The event will be hosted by The Workers Voice Show, a local worker's rights podcast, and the Indiana State Teachers Association Unit 7.

“Public education is and always has been the mark of a free democracy” says Randy M. Obenchain, host of The Workers Voice Show and moderator for the event. “The attacks against our public schools brought on by the Walton family and the Koch brothers are not happenstance events – they are deliberate, well calculated attacks designed to further corporatize America.” Heidi Miller, the Indiana State Teachers Association Uni-Serv Director for District 7, further comments, "Hoosiers and experts come together in the documentary Rise Above The Mark, discussing the real impact of the extreme education reforms on Indiana educators, schools and students.”

Free and open to the public, the event will take place July 17, 2014 from 4:30 to 7:30pm at the Kokomo South Branch Library, 1755 E. Center Rd.  The first hour will be a social hour with the film being shown promptly at 5:30 and a panel discussion to take place directly thereafter. Along with moderator Obenchain, the panel members will include:

Dr. Doug Martin, the author of Hoosier School Heist whose research on the corporate school movement has been cited or used by the Washington Post Answer Sheet, the Associated Press, ABC Nightline, and the FBI. 

Chuck Sosbe, the Democratic candidate for Indiana House District 30 who is a retired Kokomo firefighter and current vice president of the Indiana AFL-CIO.

Heidi Miller, the Indiana State TeachersAssociation’s Uni-Serv Director for District 7 and a past chemistry teacher at North Miami Community Schools, Denver, Indiana.  

Bob Stephenson, the executive director for Kokomo-Howard County Literacy Coalition and the vice president of the Indiana Literacy Association.

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Doug Martin's Letter to the Anderson Herald Bulletin

(The following is Doug Martin's letter to the editors of the Anderson, Indiana, Herald Bulletin, sent at 7:56 pm, May 30, 2014. If you would like to contact that newspaper, you can at letters@heraldbulletin.com) 

DOUG MARTIN'S NOTE TO THE EDITORS: "My letter is endorsed by ONLY myself.  It does NOT reflect the views toward your paper of any of the panelists that appeared with me on the Rise Above the Mark event panel, and it does NOT reflect the views toward your paper of any of the makers of the film or the organizers of the event.  In fact, the panelists, makers of the movie, and organizers of the event have NOT seen the letter I submit to your paper.  And I do NOT endorse candidates for political office, since I have problems with both parties, so the views in my letter are solely my own.  Thanks.  Doug Martin)

222 Words

I find it highly depressing and even insulting that your newspaper did not cover May 28’s Rise Above the Mark movie event at Anderson High School in support of public education. 

After the screening, I was a member of the panel which consisted of Dr. Rocky Killion, the supt. of West Lafayette Community Schools, state representative Terri Austin, Daleville teacher Melanie Wright, and educator and radio host Justin Oakley.  

Since the audience included two newspapers from Muncie and one from Indianapolis, the Herald Bulletin’s refusal to cover the event tells me it must not care that Anderson public schools are taking a financial beating because so-called school reform, as I point out in my book HoosierSchool Heist, is a hoax funded by out-of-state billionaires that is meant to wipe out public education entirely and funnel taxpayer money to religious schools and Republican campaign donors and acquaintances who profit from charter schools.  

The Herald Bulletin’s editors should also know that I told those in the audience that night that people must boycott every paper in this state that uses the talking points of the billionaires, is too lazy or clueless to do investigative reporting, and refuses to aggressively support public education. Being a no-show, the Herald Bulletin is guilty of treason against the public.  Therefore, teachers and parents should find their news elsewhere.  

Dr. Doug Martin, Author of Hoosier School Heist