a clip from Chalkbeat:
Citing the historic U.S. Supreme Court case that led to integration of America’s public schools, a handful of Memphis parents and teachers are suing Shelby County Schools over a recent school closing, claiming that its students will receive an “inferior and unequal” education at the school to which they are being reassigned.
In a motion filed in U.S. District Court, three teachers, family members of two students, and a community activist argue that test scores at South Side Middle School, which is in the process of being shuttered, outpaced those at Riverview Middle School last year. They say Riverview is a dilapidated building in a gang-ridden neighborhood that would place students’ safety at risk. They also cite absence of computer and Spanish classes at Riverview, which were offered at South Side. . . .
Read the rest here.
I think most educators and those connected to public schools understand that there is a great push to squeeze the under classes (below the top 10%) to ensure a decreasing opportunity to gain any power. That is, by privatizing the commons, controlling unions until their extinction, codifying every activity so that patterns can be created to further ensure complete dominance of an authoritarian state. This is clearly being enabled by Big Banking and its oligarchy withing the state houses and, Congress, and the White House. Complete extermination of the common weal.
ReplyDeleteI keep reading the same stuff over and over about this school district, or that charter, or what an ass Arne Duncan is. But the same people are okay with a coronation of Hillary Clinton into the White House. Obama lies to us as he follows the rules of the banking ownership. It's no coincidence that most of his chiefs surrounding him are from Big Banking. Does anyone feel HRC will be any different? I'll bet Duncan keeps his job. Weingarten and the chosen sycophants who follow will continue to bilk unions until membership is rendered useless.
Rise Up, Or Die, as Chris Hedges said. If you don't like what's happening, then don't continue to support the oppressor. With the passage of the TPP many scenarios are possible. How about the one where US corporations move offshore, not just to avoid taxes, but to create a cadre of TFA like people to replace US teachers. Under the conditions of TPP, those corporations could rightly claim a loss of opportunity costs by not allowing their fair share of markets. Given our government's contempt of public costs, allowances would be made to replace all public school teachers (in those public schools which remain open). Corporate ownership of private schools in the US could do the same. Of course, only the best education would be reserved for the upper classes.
I like all the stories about victories over testing, VAM, etc. As long as it remains as small victories isolated in various locations, as the corporate rentier class prefer, it has yet to foment a national movement. Yeah, yeah, slow down, man. It's coming. They say. Well, I don't see it and I'm stuck to all the media.
We now have before us a competition of phony populism among candidates for state and federal positions. Sanders can't save us. Elizabeth Warren, Alan Grayson, and others can't save us from the privatization of the commons. The banks enable everything. They're are no saviors.
Our children and grandchildren will take it upon themselves (some already have) to just say no to our government. They will be the change agents. The people working at jobs petrified at the idea of a loss of income, of a mortgage, of their way of life will not bring the changes needed in our schools or our government. Our youth will refuse to participate. They will organize to eradicate and rebuild because they have nothing to lose.
So, I could be writing blogs and articles about public education battles and the conquests of the state. But why? The adults are not willing to give up themselves, to re-invent themselves, so they sing to the choir and battle little affrays within their realms, some even strong enough to bring it to the bosses on campuses, the BOEs, DOEs. But I see very little disobedience on a scale necessary to disrupt the authority and their boundless stupidity.
The kids. They's the one's that's gonna do it.