Dear Friends,
Remember to mark you calendars: the weekend of May 15th, the Rouge Forum Conference at Eastern Michigan University in Ypsilanti.
What with wars and economic collapse in the forefront of American minds, it seems the hot education debate is vanished. Perhaps for good reason as the major party candidates agree on the crux of NCLB, merit pay, the expansion of charters, the heroification of Teach For America’s drive-by projects in poor neighborhoods, and they must be clear on what will be the school budget impact of the financial firestorms.
Depending on where you live, PBS and NPR plan discussions between McCain and Obama surrogates, but really, what can be said to demonstrate passionate disagreement? Not much. Here is Fairtest’s examination of the candidates positions.
Having surveyed the web sites of the major unions in the US, only one has anything to say about the bankster bailout—the American Federation of Teachers, in support of it. The rest are pouring millions of dollars into the Obama campaign.
Why would the huge National Education Association and AFT shower Obama with member cash when his fundraising is already over the top, $150 million in September, within a billion dollar electoral spectacle? In the case of NEA, it’s dues income and jobs. The early childhood education centers Obama may set up will be contested terrain for NEA, but rumor has it that Reg Weaver, outgoing NEA president, is lined up for an administration job in that field.
Meanwhile, the tyranny deepens as banksters, AIG bailout recipients, go partridge hunting on taxpayers’ nickels
http://www.nydailynews.com/money/2008/10/14/2008-10-14_aigs_lords_and_lady_of_the_hunt_may_find.html
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/19/opinion/19dowd.html?ei=5070
(Defarge was right).
Those who were born with the least capital will get hurt first and worst in these crises. And the wisdom they display will often be exemplary, a lesson for us all. Right now, people in Morelos Mexico (named for the revolutionary) are battling the police and the military. They are led by teachers and other school workers who are demanding an end to school privatization, a project of the “Alliance for Quality Education,: which also seeks to demolish teacher benefits won over decades. The fight has gone on for more than two months, demonstrating that educators are centripetally positioned to initiate social change. The Morelos fighters were recently joined by comreades from Oaxaca—a learning from all; one lesson being that their top union leadership consistently betrays them. The Morelos educators are good examples of people connecting reason to power, with solidarity. Here is one of many links on Morelos.
Thanks to Gil, Amber, Gina and Adam, Sandy. Bill and Bill, Greg and Katie, Melissa, Nancy, Bonnie, Sarah, Giselle, Eva, Lisa, Liz, Betty, Gloria and the Michigan gang, Kim, Bob, Dirty Edd, Pete, Dave, George and family, Wayne, and Sue. H.
All the best
r
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