Video: SUPE Student Slams Michelle Rhee and Deformers at LA Town Hall

I used to stand by reformers.... But after seeing the facts, and the data and everything, and my own lived experience. I cannot –  I’m sorry — stand by what you preach if it has to do with high-stakes accountability, this “school choice,” which sounds great, you know, choice — who can argue against that? But, I don’t agree with the fact that charter schools, and how they push our certain students, and I’ve seen it happen.... Hannah Nguyen to Michelle Rhee

Kudos to Hannah Nguyen! We have also had many courageous students stand up in NYC around the closing of their public high schools and some are beginning to speak out about high stakes testing. If the Rhee's of the world won't listen to the teachers, they should listen to the students. They are OUR future. They see the folly. They are living it. Hopefully they will be able to bring sanity back to our country and to its public education system... Pat D, NYC teacher

I want to share this video of Hannah Nguyen (twitter: @hbnguyen18), a sophomore at University of Southern California, and my fellow SUPE National Organizer, speaking up for public education and students at Michelle Rhee's Teacher Town Hall last night. I hope you all will not only watch how powerful her voice and courage is, but will help me share this widely.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rL4zOuJe0hQ... Stephanie Rivera, Rutgers

Michelle Rhee is on a tour to hold conversations with teachers, a sign of how she is on the downslide. Astro turf Students for Education Reform is losing traction. [See The Nation's Astroturf Activism: Who is Behind Students for Education Reform? -

SFER has received $1.6 million from Education Reform Now, whose PAC, Democrats for Education Reform (DFER), shelled out $1 million to attack the Chicago Teachers Union. 

Students United for Public Education on the rise
Former SFER supporter Hannah Nguyen a student at USC who has joined with Rutgers student Stephanie Rivera in the true grassroots students real reform movement Students United for Public Education (SUPE), to smack the deformers. Here are some of their tweets about becoming a teacher.

• Hannah Nguyen ‏@hbnguyen18 5 Sep Yo @KenzoShibata, I channeled one of your tweets during my two minute speech. "Poverty shouldn't be. Period."

1. Hannah Nguyen ‏@hbnguyen18 20h

   @stephrrivera is going to be a fantastic teacher someday. I am lucky to consider her my teacher and even luckier to consider her my friend.

    
2. Stephanie Rivera ‏@stephrrivera 15h

   @hbnguyen18 Right back @ ya. It's going to be a scary time to be a reformer when me, you, 

Stephanie attended the conference we held in Chicago on social justice unionism last month. There is hope!

Here is the SUPE announcement if you want to check them out further.

Dear SUPE Supporter,

This past Thursday, September 25th, Michelle Rhee, the CEO of StudentsFirst, held a Teacher Town Hall in Southern California. 

Having enough of Rhee's union-bashing, Hannah Nguyen, University of Southern California's SUPE Chapter Leader and Co-National Organizer, stood up to have her voice heard.

You can watch the video of her here: http://youngist.org/post/60559465736/the-most-brilliant-thing-youll-see-today-watch

We have a lot of new things planned for this semester, and we can't wait to share them with you as the rest of the year moves forward. We have a bunch of new chapters this Fall, so make sure to check out our full list here and get involved with your local if you can!

In Solidarity,

Students United for Public Education (SUPE)

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Follow us on Twitter: @SUPEnational

Valerie Strauss blogged the story:

Los Angeles town hall was when a University of Southern California student, Hannah Nguyen, called out Rhee on her “school reform” movement. It turns that Hannah Nguyen is a former big supporter of Rhee’s brand of reform, once belonging to Students for Education Reform. She changed her mind after looking at what really happens in schools and now is involved with Students United for Public Education.

As did Diane Ravitch with an expanded story on Rhee's upcoming visit to Philly where Diane will also appear.