The Grassroots Education Movement (GEM) to Defend Public Education educates, organizes and mobilizes educators, parents, students and our communities against the corporate and government policies that underfund, undermine and privatize our public school system. GEM advocates both within and outside the UFT for the equality and quality of public education services and the rights of school workers.
-April film showings for "The Inconvenient Truth Behind Waiting for Superman" are filling up, dates to be publicized soon. The official film opening will take place in May and will be announced soon. To be put on the list for a copy of the film or to sign up for a house showing or a public screening email: gemnyc@gmail.com
From the producers:
Arne Duncan's "Chicago Plan, as former teacher and editor of Substance News George Schmidt explains, is the template for a national strategy to dismantle public education. Through revealing footage and comments from Chicago teachers, this video shows the resistance that has been growing among teachers and community organizations." 28 min.
7 comments:
Jamaica High School has spoken and will continue to fight for sound and public education. The meeting that took place last night in Jamaica was just a formality carried by the DOE. They have no intentions of changing their minds about the closing of any schools. The DOE is doing what the MTA did with hearings all over the city, hundreds of people attended these meetings, they spoke loud and clear against the increases in fares, the cutting down of services, the layoff of transit workers. At the end they voted the way they wanted to vote all along.
Now with the DOE, they are going to do the same thing unless we build a mass movement against it, already what took place in Maxwell HS and Jamaica HS is the beginning of this movement, we already have City Council Camran and Charles Barron supporting this struggle against the closings of public schools, and the UFT is waiting on the sidelines, if the movement grows they will jump in, we need the resources of every body, we must continue to put the pressure on who ever we can to support this struggle, of course the UFT should be taking more action. But this is not going to take place unless we have the people, community, students, teachers, administrators in the streets demanding justice . The hearings are carefully manipulated to allow people to release steam, but we should not be fool by them. We must continue to put the pressure on. Yesterday in Jamaica, the DOE reps wanted to shut down the people in the auditorium, put out their crap and go home quietly. BUT they had another thing coming, the speakers lined up along the aisles from the front to the back of the auditorium, as one speaker finished more students, parents, teachers, community members, came forth.Councilmen Camran, spoke very clearly against the closing of Jamaica HS, each contributing to expose the lies of the DOE. James Eterno gave a thorough speech about the lies of the DOE and the truth about JHS. All of the speakers added something to the lies of the DOE. At the end of the meeting all the lackeys of the DOE had long faces, they gave up trying to answer any questions, because the moment they came out with a lie, the people stood up and shouted them down. We must not seat back and be satisfied. GEM must continue the struggle getting more and allies; GEM must maintain its independence as a voice and as an organizer. Good job Angel GEM, ICE.
Gustavo
Jamaica High School has spoken and will continue to fight for sound and public education. The meeting that took place last night in Jamaica was just a formality carried by the DOE. They have no intentions of changing their minds about the closing of any schools. The DOE is doing what the MTA did with hearings all over the city, hundreds of people attended these meetings, they spoke loud and clear against the increases in fares, the cutting down of services, the layoff of transit workers. At the end they voted the way they wanted to vote all along.
Now with the DOE, they are going to do the same thing unless we build a mass movement against it, already what took place in Maxwell HS and Jamaica HS is the beginning of this movement, we already have City Council Camran and Charles Barron supprting this struggle against the closings of public schools, and the UFT is waiting on the sidelines, if the movement grows they will jump in, we need the resources of every body, we must continue to put the pressure on who ever we can to support this struggle, of course the UFT should be taking more action. But this is not going to take place unless we have the people, community, students, teachers, administrators in the streets demanding justice . The hearings are carefully manipulated to allow people to release steam, but we should not be fool by them. We must continue to put the pressure, yesterday in Jamaica, the DOE reps wanted to shut down the people in the auditorium, put out their crap and go home quietly. BUT they had another thing coming, the speakers lined up along the aisles from the front to the back of the auditorium, as one speaker finished more students, parents, teachers, community members, came forth.Councilmen Camran, spoke very clearly against the closing of Jamaica HS, each contributing to expose the lies of the DOE. James Eterno gave a thorough speech about the lies of the DOE and the truth about JHS. All of the speakers added something to the lies of the DOE. At the end of the meeting all the lackys of the DOE had long faces, they gave up trying to answer any questions, because the moment they came out with a lie, the people stood up and shouted them down. We must not seat back and be satisfied. GEM must continue the struggle getting more and allieds; GEM must maintain its independence as a voice and as an organizer. Good job Angel GEM, ICE.
Gustavo
Councilman pictured is Leroy Comrie.
Mr. Comrie represents the area immediately south of JHS, CD 27. It's much to his credit that he appeared and spoke.
What about CD 24, James Gennaro? Was he missing in action last night? Or did he at least send some representation?
And what about the council members who have constituents children in the school? They all know how to show up for the nice photo ops...where are they now?
Where were you guys, when we warned you two years ago when they came to Canarsie High School and did the same thing....it is a never ending force that will continue to destroy all NYC large high schools in order to make room for those lovely new smaller high schools..but don't they realize, they get the same kids, no matter small or large!
We fought just like you guys are. We protested, went to the community board, went to the news channels, daily news, times, post, etc. But what did they do NOTHING!!!! NOTHING AT ALL!! And we even went so far as to prove their statistics wrong and we all received a bonus last year! Imagine that a BONUS FOR A "FAILING SCHOOL"
How is that? But yet they continued to close us Now Canarsie will be in its final year beginning this September. No one challenges them, but even whenyou do, you lose! So many people in excess, so many people are ATR's. I, myself after 18 full years in this school was excessed! Bottom line...everybody has to go! A beautiful neighborhood school servicing so many kids in so many ways, destroyed. Everything slowly disappearing..sports, clubs, family and friends amongst a staff that was so strong for so many years. People you have seen for the past 25 years every day of your life...gone! And the new shools don't want us...we cost too much money!! Been on interviews, and turned down that I have too much experience. All I can say is "GOOD LUCK" to all of you, Maxwell, Sheepshead, Jamaica, Christopher Columbus, Beach Channel, South Shore, John Dewey, etc.....how many more! IT'S A DAMN SHAME!!!FIGHT HARD for a cause that we all have in common - THE FUTURE AMERICA - Our students..."LET TEACHERS TEACH!!"
Dear Anonymous, Dec. 23
Two years ago we did not have GEM, today we have this organization . Can use the experiences of past history to move forward?
The question is, do we have more awareness now to make a difference? Do we have a base among parents associations and high school students to make a difference? Can we systematically work with members of the city council to unite with teachers, parents, students with GEM? Do we have the organization needed to carry on our own independent media and ways to communicate with the larger media, news channels, daily newspapers? Can we pressure our union, by the force of numbers, to take stand to save the union, because that is what is on the table, UFT elections are coming up, remember the incumbents lost in LA and Chicago, the UFT has serious problems, can we make use of these to get a strong independent movement going?
But what did they do, NOTHING!!! You say. Our experience shows that we must rely on our own forces, a grassroots movement, that is capable of building the type of movement that is necessary. Do we have what it takes?
But even when you do you lose! You say. We don’t have to loose, I believe that people are tired of loosing, that people are fed up, that if we can show a possible alternative, an alternative that is possible, to empower the membership, to empower the people, to create a sense of struggle for power,we can turn the tables around if we are willing to do the work and unite as a force capable of causing positive change.
Don’t say “GOOD LUCK” to all of you; join us, we need your experience, your hunger, your militancy. Contribute to this process. Come to the January 4th meeting.
Or any other group fighting, GEM is not the only one, but all of us together we can win.
Finally, we in Jamaica High School, the teachers, secretaries, others we have been able to win some victories, we have that experience. May be this time we can win some more. The struggle to save public education. The fight is not over.
GustavoM
I honestly have to say I don't understand every detail surrounding this issue but I grew up right down the hill from Jamaica High. I attended the Big Apple Games there when I was younger, my mother went there, I went to school right across from Jamaica at Edison, I knew people there and I know for a fact that Jamaica has soooo much potential. These kids are not dumb and these teachers aren't bad and I suspect there is a much much larger reality at work thats creating a devastating impact on Jamaica's performance.
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