"A child's learning is the function more of the characteristics of his classmates than those of the teacher." James Coleman, 1972

Monday, December 22, 2014

United Opt Out Declares "The #PublicEdRevolution will not be on FB"

From United Opt Out:
 
We, at UOO, have been saying for over a year now that the 2014-2015 school year is the tipping point.  With PARCC, SBAC and other common core tests rearing their ugly heads this year we know that the time is prime for corp. ed. reformers to  push the business model of public education, as they state once again, that our students, teachers, and public schools are failing.  We can anticipate a 70% failure rate on these common core tests – one simply need look only to New York’s scores for the last two years.

The UOO conference is truly a working session for local and national activists who hope to take new learning and plans of action back home to their communities. Yes, we have speakers, and yes we have Q/A panels. But we also provide the time and opportunity for locals to gather and formulate a campaign to reclaim their public schools while also determining what they want for all children once we tear down the corporate reformers’ agenda. All of the speakers STAY for the full event,  and they are available to sit in on working sessions and provide insight into campaign planning.

As Martin Luther King said, The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy.

The #PublicEdRevolution will not be on Facebook, as much as it is a great tool for organizing. True change requires hard work on the ground. It requires standing tall and strong in the face of continued backlash. It requires being prepared to help others who want to act as they look to each of us to support them in determining how to move forward. It requires hours and hours of unpaid work. It requires building relationships. At UOO we have always worked hard, we have always consistently stepped up for action when it was necessary, and we have been successful due to our one on one conversations with students, parents, teachers, and community members all over the country. And again, we will build community, forge relationships, and create action in Florida as we help locals reclaim their public schools from years of corporate ed. reform destruction.

The UOO conference in Florida is open to everyone. We will have national and local activists there to help organize campaigns for local communities and for the state of Florida. Our conference is very different than the typical conference because we do not manage it “top-down.”  When folks arrive, we have them share what they hope to learn and accomplish during the conference, and then, we simply tailor the conference to meet their needs – just like a democratically-run public school classroom should work! Currently we have potential working groups identified, but this may change based on the needs of participants.

For more information on attending the event, viewing the schedule, finding out about working groups and speakers,  please go HERE

Saturday-only registrants for the “Testing Refusal 101″ workshop is only is $20.00. Please RSVP on FB and pay the resistration fee ON SITE at the welcome table.

In solidarity,

UOO Team

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