Coverage of Press Conference at Tweed by Fight Back Friday Coalition

Here is a section of video I edited where a young lady goes up the steps of Tweed to hand over the invitation to Cathie Black. Fight Back Friday participants and supporters held a press conference at Tweed with an invitation to Cathie Black, who is on a "listening tour", to come to the January 27 rally to listen to parents, teachers and students.



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WYCVEU9N4EE



Report on NY 1: Note Julie Cavanagh's quote:

Parents, students and teachers rallied in Downtown Manhattan on Friday to save public schools from what they called "destructive education policies."
They picketed, signed petitions and distributed flyers about the city's plan to close 26 schools because of poor performance.
Public hearings will be held on each school closure next month before an education panel vote is held.
The so-called "Fight Back Friday" events culminated with a news conference outside Department of Education headquarters in the Boss Tweed Courthouse.
"For the Department of Education, for Mayor [Michael] Bloomberg, for [Schools Chancellor] Cathie Black to say after eight years of mayoral control that these schools are failing and that our only choice is to turn schools over to private hands is an outrage," said teacher Julie Cavanagh. "They have been in charge of our schools for the last eight years. This is their failure."
Organizers say they have invited Black to participate in a citywide rally on Thursday.
Department of Education officials refused to comment on the request Friday."

NY1 video here: Rally Against School Closures Held By DOE Headquarters - NY1.com

Julie Cavanagh and Sam Coleman

Note the great work in emceeing the press conference by Sam Coleman (NYCORE and GEM), who along with Julie (CAPE and GEM) have emerged as leaders of the fight back movement. Both have had a decade or more as teachers but became ed activists only in the last few years.

And to think they only met a little over a year ago and have become an amazing team - just to show you how fast things are moving and changing as they and other younger gen teachers are emerging to take charge - and allowing these old bones to rest a bit.

Check out Norms Notes for a variety of articles of interest: http://normsnotes2.blogspot.com/. And make sure to check out the side panel on right for news bits.