Ed Notes Extended

Friday, February 10, 2017

A Public School Teacher: Looks like public education is going the way of the dinosaurs

There is a push to defend out public schools in response to Trump and Betsy. And to defend teacher unions. Given my contact with both public schools and the UFT over the past 50 years sometimes I wonder exactly what am I defending? Twenty years of Giuliani and Bloomberg in charge of the city, followed by 4 more under de Blasio and Farina? A one party undemocratic UFT for the past 60 years? One teacher emailed me this morning with this:
Looks like public education is going the way of the dinosaurs. And the Democrats including union leaders all had a hand in it.
If public schools were doing the right thing, there would be nothing to worry about. However huge class sizes, low quality curriculum, schools budgets spent on countless vendors not classrooms, no supplies or even books, veteran educators jumping ship, students being denied or delayed special ed services, bad district and school leaders, parent and teacher voice shut out, etc
Now tell me... why would parents keep their kids in a district public school???? As for teachers - they should start thinking about 2nd careers. And it's not just Trump. This is has been a long time coming. He's just sped up the process..
It is true that the UFT alliance with the Democrats has led us to Betsy DeVos and even to Trump. Where are we to go? I find so much from the left annoying. The right is - well it is the right. And the center is the Democrats. I find it funny that there is now something called The Resistance -- I've considered myself part of the Resistance since 1970 -- but this might be something interesting to watch. I'm not ready to throw in the towel like some others.

And then just as I'm about to post, this comes in:
 
HOW TO BE AN EFFECTIVE ACTIVIST:
A 90-minute Training on Nonviolent Action


Presented by NYU's
Wagner Graduate School of Public Service; Gallatin School of Individualized Study; School of Law's Public Interest Law Center; and Steinhardt School of Culture, Education, and Human Development

The history of democracy in the US and abroad is in large part a history of popular protest—from the Civil Rights Movement, LGBTQ activism, or the Tea Party movement in the US to the ousting of dictators around the world. Despite the centrality of protest to the expansion and dynamism of democracy, the skills needed to bring democracy to the streets are rarely taught in contrast to other forms of political and civic engagement.

Popular protest—like other forms of political action—requires passion to be effective, but also planning, organizing, training, and discipline. Drawing on the deep expertise of leading practitioners, this 90-minute training on nonviolent organizing, advocacy, and action will start to develop the skills needed to be an effective, informed, and prepared activist.


Session 1—Developing a Strategy of Protest: Target, Demand, and Power
Daniel Altschuler, Managing Director, Make the Road Action Fund

Session 2—Into the Streets in Civil Resistance: Engagement, Mobilization, and Action
Rev. Noelle Damico, Senior Fellow, Work with Dignity, National Economic and Social Rights Initiative

Session 3—Telling the Story and Massaging the Message: How to Communicate an Unarmed Struggle
Jamila Brown, Digital Communications Strategist, The Opportunity Agenda

Session 4—How to Confront Violence, Coercion, and Arrest With Nonviolence: What You Need To Know
NY Civil Liberties Union (NYCLU)


Event Details:
Date:
Thursday, February 23, 2017

Time: 6:30pm – 8:00pm 
Location: Eisner and Lubin Auditorium
Kimmel Center for University Life
60 Washington Square South


RSVP purple button



2 comments:

  1. Where was all of the "activism" exhortation under Obama...? He was such great President that all of you lefties had nothing to whine about? PLEASE....u r phonies...when your guy is in...you wear rose colored glasses. When the opposition wins, suddenly the sky is falling. Hypocrites one and all...

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Are you dumb, dumber or dumbest? Or all three? Many of us have killed obama and hillary too. But your guy gives us so much more stuff to protect against. And we lefties are just having too much fun now that we don't have to try to defend people we didn't even like. Now it's your turn. You need to lighten up. Go buy yourself some ivanka jewelry

      Delete

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