Snow Days

Snow days are good for lesson plans.

Lesson in Democracy 101.

How can we save our schools if grassroots education activists can't endorse or support candidates running for public office?

This in my in box from Save Our Schools March and National Call to Action. The love fest is over. The high stakes have gotten too high.

If SOS can not support Network for Public Education which has political clout and candidates, it is worthless. Stop wasting your time people and start endorsing candidates who support public education like De Blasio in NY and other in your state, city, county, and town.

"NPE – Network for Public education                      SOS cannot endorse it because of our 501C3 status because it raises money and campaigns for individual people.  However, individuals are free to endorse."

National Call for March 4 Strike and Day of Action to Defend Public Education

At this point nothing can stop the resistance that is mounting against the corporate takeover of public education in the U. S. The possibility for a democratic nation state hinges upon the outcome of this fight

by Elly
National Call for March 4 Strike and Day of Action To Defend Public Education
California has recently seen a massive movement erupt in defense of public education — but layoffs, fee hikes, cuts, and the re-segregation of public education are attacks taking place throughout the country. A nationwide resistance movement is needed.

We call on all students, workers, teachers, parents, and their organizations and communities across the country to massively mobilize for a Strike and Day of Action in Defense of Public Education on March 4, 2010. Education cuts are attacks against all of us, particularly in working-class communities and communities of color.

The politicians and administrators say there is no money for education and social services. They say that “there is no alternative” to the cuts. But if there’s money for wars, bank bailouts, and prisons, why is there no money for public education?

We can beat back the cuts if we unite students, workers, and teachers across all sectors of public education — Pre K-12, adult education, community colleges, and state-funded universities. We appeal to the leaders of the trade union movement to support and organize strikes and/or mass actions on March 4. The weight of workers and students united in strikes and mobilizations would shift the balance of forces entirely against the current agenda of cuts and make victory possible.

Building a powerful movement to defend public education will, in turn, advance the struggle in defense of all public-sector workers and services and will be an inspiration to all those fighting against the wars, for immigrants rights, in defense of jobs, for single-payer health care, and other progressive causes.

Why March 4? On October 24, 2009 more than 800 students, workers, and teachers converged at UC Berkeley at the Mobilizing Conference to Save Public Education. This massive meeting brought together representatives from over 100 different schools, unions, and organizations from all across California and from all sectors of public education. After hours of open collective discussion, the participants voted democratically, as their main decision, to call for a Strike and Day of Action on March 4, 2010. All schools, unions and organizations are free to choose their specific demands and tactics — such as strikes, rallies, walkouts, occupations, sit-ins, teach-ins, etc. — as well as the duration of such actions.

Let’s make March 4 an historic turning point in the struggle against the cuts, layoffs, fee hikes, and the re-segregation of public education.

- The California Coordinating Committee
To endorse this call and to receive more information contact march4strikeanddayofaction@gmail.com

Release of "Democracy at Risk: The Need for a New Federal Role in Education Policy"

Reminder to SAVE THE DATE!
April 23rd, 8:30am - 11am
National Press Club
529 14th St, Washington DC

Mark your calendars to join The Forum for Education and Democracy for the release of Democracy at Risk: The Need for a New Federal Role in Education Policy, on the 25th anniversary of A Nation at Risk. The event will take place on Wednesday, April 23, 2008, with coffee at 8:30 a.m. and program from 8:45 to11 a.m. in the National Press Club Ballroom (529 14th Street NW, Washington, DC 20045). Featured guests will include:

• The Honorable George Miller, Chairman of the Committee on Education & Labor, U.S. House of Representatives (invited)

• Linda Darling-Hammond, Charles E. Ducommun Professor of Education, Stanford University;

• John Deasy, superintendent, Prince George's County Public Schools;

• Milton Goldberg, distinguished senior fellow, Education Commission of the States and former staff director for the commission that produced A Nation at Risk;

• Deborah Meier, senior scholar, New York University Steinhardt School of Education;

• Pedro Noguera, professor, New York University Steinhardt School of Education;

• Wendy D. Puriefoy, president, Public Education Network;

• Sharon Robinson, president and CEO, American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education and former U.S. Assistant Secretary of Education; and

• George Wood, executive director, The Forum for Education and Democracy, and principal of Federal Hocking High School and Middle School.

Additional event details to come. Space is limited. To attend, please RSVP with Chloe Louvouezo at clouvouezo@communicationworks.com or at (202) 955-9450, ext. 320.