Using the People's Mic to OCCUPY the DOE

UPDATED WITH MEDiA ADVISORY

How many times have we seen the mics turned off at PEP meetings at the 2 minute mark? Now the audience has a new weapon developed at Occupy Wall St. to have their voices heard. But you need enough people to join in to make it effective. Tuesday is a first test of this tactic but not the last. No matter what happens the message to WalBloom is: WE WILL BE BACK!

Now strictly speaking, this is not a PEP meeting but a Dennis Walcott dog and pony show pushing the Common Standards - another scam that the UFT is salivating over. I won't go into the details here but the main speaker on Tuesday is featured by Leonie on the NYC Parent blog - read it even if you are not going tomorrow:

The Kick-off of "Parents as Partners Week": Who is David Coleman and why should we care?

For Planning Purposes Only:                                                                                                                                         Contact:    Kelley Wolcott  201-344-0382

October 24, 2011                                                                   

MEDIA ADVISORY

After introducing catastrophic budget cuts to education that have left New York City schools overcrowded, under-staffed and sorely lacking in resources – despite an  estimated budget surplus in 2011 of more than $3 billion – Mayor Michael Bloomberg continues his attack on teachers, students and schools.

Educators, parents and other stakeholders fear that the worst cuts – as well as more school closings and inequitable charter school co-locations – lie ahead. The Panel for Educational Policy, which was replaced the elected Board of Education under Bloomberg’s tenure, could combat these cuts, but is dominated by mayoral appointees.

What:              Teachers, students, parents and education advocates from Occupy Wall Street will occupy a meeting of the city’s Panel for Educational Policy, dominated by mayoral appointees, and hold their own democratic meeting on the state of public education in New York City

When:             5:30PM, Tuesday October 25, 2011

                       

Where:           Seward Park High School

                        350 Grand Street

                      New York, NY

Who:               Public school teachers, students, parents, education advocates and activists from Occupy Wall Street.

Here is an announcement from the new Occupy Public Education Committee along with a video demonstrating the People's Mic.

WAYS TO PARTICIPATE IN THE OCCUPY THE DOE ACTION ON 
TUESDAY, OCTOBER 25th

Seward Park High School

350 Grand Street

Manhattan

(near Williamsburg Bridge)

  

Background

On Tuesday, October 25th, the Panel for Educational Policy (PEP) is hosting a meeting where Chancellor Walcott (the 1%) is planning a "conversation on raising standards in the classroom.”  The PEP is an un-elected 13-member body (the majority of whom are appointed by Bloomberg) that makes decisions for the Department of Education. The PEP meetings are open to the public. ALL are welcome.

We, the 99% invite you, educators, parents and students to contribute to the conversation on the table:

How do YOU want public education to change?

What are YOUR “common core standards?”

Contact occupypubliceducation@gmail.com if you have questions, and to let us know that you plan to speak.

To get YOUR voice heard, please review the menu of options and also become familiar with how the people’s PEP will run on Tuesday:

Option A:  Come to the meeting with a prepared statement about why you are participating in this action.

EXAMPLE

I am here because as a parent my voice is not represented on the Panel for Educational Policy. Parents have no vehicle in the decision-making process around the issues affecting their children's education. 

EXAMPLE

I am here because as a teacher I support high standards in the classroom, but excluding teachers from the decision process around implementation of those standards is insulting and undermines my ability to teach to high standards.

EXAMPLE

I am a student and my common core standard is to have curriculum that is driven by critical thinking not test prep so that I can be prepared for college.

From 4:30 - 5:15 there will be an organizing meet at the Seward Park Library at 192 East Broadway to polish our mic check skills and prepare to speak the PEP meeting. At 5:15 we will go to the PEP meeting.

Option B: Arrive at the PEP Meeting - Seward Park High School at 350 Grand Street New York, NY at 5:30 to ensure you get a seat at the meeting. Participate in the Mic Check during the meeting (you'll have plenty of examples during the meeting -- we promise, you'll be able to pick it up!). Remember, this meeting is a public forum. The purpose of these meetings is to exchange ideas. We hope you will come and express your views.

For more information on the people’s mic go to this link to watch a video on how it’s performed.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d0hxRGBcc6Y

Option C: Don't have a seat? Arrive a little late? Can’t get in for some reason? NO problem! Join us either in front of Seward Park High School (Ludlow entrance), or in the parking lot behind the school (on Broome). If we can't be at either we will go to Seward Park at Essex and Canal.  We will be hosting a teach-in around the issues impacting public education in NYC.

Can’t find us? Call Marcelle at 865 - 898 - 8632 or Kevin at 347-443-4598

Option D: Meet us at Zuccotti Park at 4:45 to march to Seward Park High School. (We are asking for 4 volunteers who would like to march with us -- contact Marcelle @marcellejgood@gmail.com if you love a good march.)

Contact occupypubliceducation@gmail.com if you have questions, and to let us know that you plan to speak.

And here is a nice video on the peoples mic from Rachel Maddow:

http://youtu.be/d0hxRGBcc6Y



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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.