Forum:The Puerto Rico Teachers Union (FMPR*) & NYC School Struggles

SPEAKERS:
President Rafael Feliciano,
*Federacion de Maestros de Puerto Rico- FMPR
&
Grassroots Education Movement - GEM

March 23, Tuesday
4 – 7 PM
CUNY Grad Center - Rm 5414
34th St. & 5th Ave
#6 train to 33rd - Bring I.D.

In 2008, after a militant 10 day strike, the FMPR stopped the charter school privatization threat on the island-nation. Despite the Puerto Rico laws against public worker strikes, the FMPR (80% women) continues to represent and fight back as a democratic bottom-up rank and file union. Today the FMPR again resists privatization, charters invasions, violations of teacher & public worker rights, cutbacks and massive layoffs. As more draconian cutbacks loom, the FMPR leads protests along with debates on how to successfully build a united struggle nationwide.

In NYC, GEM has campaigned against the very same destructive federal government "No Child Left Behind/Race to the Top" policies that Puerto Rico also faces, despite different conditions. GEM addresses issues such as test-driven curricula, the displacement of seasoned veteran teachers (ATRs), school closing, private charters, dictatorial mayoral control, privatization and union-busting.

Over decades, the FMPR has worked to empower their members and school communities. The FMPR supports school teacher-parent-student committees with significant input. FMPR union chapters have autonomy and are supported when militant job actions are necessary. The FMPR consistently seeks to educate and organize through general meetings, educationals, media campaigns, litigation, legislative initiatives, guerrilla theater, militant job actions and more.

The FMPR model of social justice unionism provides many lessons for us here. We too have much to share. Join us in this important dialogue.

SCRL High School Protests School Closure

Mon, Dec. 21 - Bronx, NY

At the High School for Community Research & Learning over 100 protesters, mostly students, loudly voiced their anger at the Department of Education's (DOE) notice to close them down. Students filed out in front of their Stevenson Building in the bitter cold with hand-made signs, some which read, "SCRL did not fail, the DOE failed us", "Phase-out is not a solution" and "Money for War, Money for Stadiums But No Money for Education". As this energetic crowd picketed up and down the sidewalk, they chanted loudly "Save Our School" and vowed to raise outrage at their DOE "hearing" on Jan. 5 at SCRL High. Click on title for video.

"Today's not about THAT fight."

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UPDATED info on this situation (with even more video) here at Ednotes.

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Ednotes just put up a new video of the PS 123 demonstration and walk-through July 10th with Manhattan Borough Pres. Scott Stringer.

GEM people asked all the right questions and made all the right points.

Stringer: "We're on the case."

Stringer: "We're going to work."

But, they haven't been on the case, and they're only going to get on it if it becomes politically expedient.

You could tell there's a long way to go after Norm Scott asked:

"If Bloomberg and Klein run the schools for 7 years, they're in charge of every school, how do they manage to push the idea of a charter school, which basically absolves them of the responsibility.

In other words, isn't that an admission of their failure if they say that public schools are failing and they need charter schools. Isn't there a contradiction in that very concept?

Stringer dodged it, claiming his purpose that morning was to see what's going on at 123 and try to figure out a solution.

Stringer: "Today's not about THAT fight."

Of course it isn't — to him. Because he and his colleagues on the City Council have watched privatization for seven years, first with the Gates money and now with the charters. The flood of no-bid contracts, non-educator corporate ideology, and inflated PR teams are not new, and it's obvious these people have bought into the process. In fact, it's in their interest to let their constituents, not to mention the entire nation, believe that the NYC school system is a model of "accountability" and "transparency," with scores going "up" and graduation rates "on the rise."

The fight that Stringer sidelined at Scott's question is the fight, no two ways about it. And it's going to have to get much louder before elected officials like Stringer get down with making quality facilities equal for all public school kids.

— JW