From the Rank and File: School Pickets June 4, Picnic May 29

GET INVOLVED IN THE BATTLE FOR PUBLIC EDUCATION.
COME TO THE GEM MEETING: Weds. May 26th, CUNY, 4:30 - 34th st and 5th ave. Rm 5414 Bring id.

June 4th Eng


June 4th is going to be a day of protests at many schools around the city against the budget cuts and layoffs. Some school are picketing before or after school that day.

Others are giving out buttons and stickers to faculty, staff and families to wear in protest of the cuts and proposed layoffs. There will be informational fliers to give out too.

In preparation we are inviting all parents, students, community members and school workers
to join NYCoRE in Prospect Park on May 29, 1-5 pm to make signs, snack, play and meet great people!

Come all day, for a couple hours or just stop by. Bring your friends, families and students!
We need lots of signs for the upcoming protests.

We will be near the 11th and 15th street entrances to the park off of Prospect Park West.
Nearest train station is the 15th street stop on the F train. Also close to the 4th ave/9th street
stop on the F, R and G trains.

Here is a map of where we will be.
http://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&hq=&hnear=New+York&ll=40.661792,-73.977159&spn=0.004615,0.009506&z=17

If you cant find us call: 646 354 9362

If you're interested in coming, want more info about the day, or are interested in finding
out more about June 4th and how to get your school involved email: sam@nycore.org

Let us know so we can plan material amounts.

Attached are fliers in English and Spanish.

We've intentionally left the school info part blank so you can easily type right into it to
personalize it for your own school.


Download pdf: English: http://www.scribd.com/doc/31924007
Spanish: http://www.scribd.com/full/31923984?access_key=key-5sdh4xvlwvylnq663cv

Why No Charter Schools

by Antoine Bogard
Chapter Leader, PS 197M

The following is my response to someone who asked me a question about my stand on Charter Schools below:

Hope this finds you well too. Public Education is the responsibility of the government. Those of us who work in the Public School System are government employees. Charter schools are private businesses based on profits. They are part of the corporate agenda to privatize public services, in this case, education. The big billionaire corporations and foundations such as Wal-Mart, Eli Broad Foundation, Bill Gates Foundation, believe the government has a monopoly on education. They see education as a big pie and they want a piece of the pie. They want a market share in the education budget.

The charter school concept is their way to get their share of the pie. They are investing in these charter schools just like they invest in everything else in the economy for future happy profitable returns. Likewise, lone entrepreneurs are also seeking a way to make a buck too. So, they create charter schools, as for instance, Eva Moskowitz of Harlem Success Academy, Seth Andrew of Democracy Prep or Geoffrey Canada of Harlem Promise Academy and Harlem Children Zone.

There are no DOE charter schools. They are private entities whether they are run by companies or by nonprofit organizations or unions such as the UFT. The government is outsourcing its responsibilities to the private sector, private organizations or individuals. Our schools should not be run by private individuals, groups or corporations.

The government has the responsibility to fix schools that need fixing. We want our schools to remain in the public domain. The government must be accountable to the public. For all these reasons, in addition to all the problems already coming out about charter schools, namely, corruption, lack of transparency in their finances, etc, they should be abolished totally.

Center for Immigrant Families: High Stakes Testing

by Diane Smith

On May 8th, I was at Riverside Church where Center for Immigrant Families and The Foundry Theatre put on a performance on High Stakes Testing in NYC.

I am grateful to have attended this event. It's another avenue for this extremely important dialogue.

I met parents, students, college professors, college students, some new teachers and not so new. I am encouraged by the experience of meeting and networking with others who are concerned about the direction education is taking in NYC and our country.

After the show there was an engaging discussion between the audience, the writer, and the performers. Eager to share the message on the dangers of High Stakes Testing, a parent asked if the performance would be made available on film. There was no copy available but the presenters noted the request and said they would look into making it available in the future.

I hope you all get a chance to see the work these talented folks have done on this vitally important issue in education. A presentation like this would be a great tool for school communities who are worried about the effects High Stakes Standardized Tests have on their lives. There may be a video copy of the performance out soon so -- stay tuned!

May Day 2010 Photos