Occupy Sacramento: GEM Film in the Belly of the Rhee- Kevin Johnson Beast

Dear GEM

I want to let you know that the Coalition will be screening “Superman Truth” at for Occupy Sacramento Thurs. evening downtown  in Cesar Chavez Park. Mayor Kevin Johnson had said he was going over to parley with the group even though the Council hasn’t allowed them to camp overnight and have been arresting resisters every night.  Johnson has said that he would not vote for an exception to the city’s no camping ordinance, but he volunteered to take a letter for the group to Washington-- blatant attempt to co-opt the group. 

This may turn out to be the most satisfying screening of "The Inconvenient Truth Behind Waiting for Superman" yet – right up the nose of Michelle Rhee's hubby.

And let me also remind you, today is the 157th consecutive day since the premiere that the UFT has ignored a film made by NYC teachers and parents that calls for real reforms like low class size and defends unions - while screening "American Teacher" which ignores class size and never mentions unions while claiming the major reform we need is to pay teachers more money - oh, of course, for the UFT Administration that makes perfect sense.

And then there was this email for GEM from Melbourne Australia:

I am a student teacher in Melbourne, Australia and I would like to know how Australian public teachers can join your Grassroots Education Movement.  We are struggling with the same issues here of standardized testing overtaking classrooms, and the threat of charter schools opening when public schools are proved to be 'ineffective' due to measurements of student and teacher performance.

We are fortunately not in the throes of threats as serious as in the UK or USA at this stage but Australian government and business always follow the policies of both countries so there is a strong feeling among teachers that this is imminent.

Please advise us how teachers here in Australia like myself can join with your organisation and support a global movement to ensure public schools remain open and opportunities for all children to have a good education survive into the future?

I found your movement in the following link from a Nation of Change interview with Brian Jones:   http://www.nationofchange.org/poverty-problem-efforts-cut-education-funding-expand-standardized-testing-assailed-1314548242

Thank you.

Hmmmm. I see an organizing road trip in my future.

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 the right for important bits.