Protest Of Union Buster & Privatizer US Education Secretary Arnie Duncan At Foothill

There will be a picket of union buster and privatizer Arne Duncan who is the US Secretary Of Education. He has supported the mass firing of teachers and is working with privateers to destroy public education.

United Public Workers for Action


http://www.upwa.info/documents/6-25-10-Duncan.htm

June 25, 2010 Protest
of Union Buster and Privatizer US Education Secretary Arnie Duncan
At FOOTHILL COLLEGE

STOP (AND REVERSE) THE PRIVATIZATION OF PUBLIC EDUCATION!!!

Protest Picket of Privatizer Arne Duncan
Friday June 25th, 5:00 PM in the Library Quad at Foothill College
12345 El Monte Road in Los Altos Hills (El Monte Road and Interstate 280)
http://www.foothill.edu/news/maps.php

United Public Workers for Action
Founded January 2009
San Francisco, California
http://www.UPWA.info

Press Release

The United Public Workers for Action will carry out demonstrations protesting the appearance of United States Secretary of Education Arne Duncan’s participation at Foothill Community Colleges’ graduation ceremonies on June 25. Duncan will deliver the keynote address. The action at Foothill College, Friday, June 25, will begin at 5 pm. Duncan is the former chief executive officer of the Chicago Public Schools. Foothill College is located at 12345 El Monte Road in Los Altos Hills (El Monte Road and Interstate 280)

The intent of the UPWA actions is to show public outrage at the Obama Administrations’ privatization of Public Education policies; policies which are severely impacting state and local Public Education. Duncan, who is credited with raising test scores and educational standards in Chicago, actually facilitated the further privatization of Public Education in Chicago. This was achieved through the expansion of charter schools and the weakening of the public teacher’s union. The UPWA feels it is ironic and tragic that the Foothill-DeAnza Community College District is allowing a certified enemy of Public Education to give the keynote addresses at Foothill College and DeAnza College, at a moment when Public Education in California is facing a historic attack; an attack, which if not halted by public response, will destroy Public Education.

Since becoming Secretary of Education, Duncan has been the chief architect of the Obama Administrations’ “Race to the Top” education policy. Presented as a means to improve Public Education in the United States, that policy is the continuation of the three decade-long assault on Public Education which began with the Reagan Administrations’ “A Nation at Risk” policy. The intent of that policy has been to: 1) promote the expansion of privately-managed charter schools; 2) deepen the access to public educational resources for corporate-interests; 3) smash teacher unions, thus weakening the political power of those unions, and cutting the cost of teachers; and, 4) eliminate multicultural, revisionist, internationalist, and critical perspectives from the school curricula.
The 2008 collapse of the financial system, amplified by chronic over-lapping federal, state and local budgetary crises, has provided a “win-dow of opportunity” to intensify this assault.

The intent of Obama’s education policy was made clear in a statement he made, in February, 2010, after the Central Falls, Rhode Island school district fired 93 unionized teachers, alleging that they were responsible for “failing” standardized test scores. In what could be considered Obama’s PATCO Moment, he stated: “…if a school continues to fail its students year after year after year, if it doesn’t show signs of improve-ment, then there’s got to be a sense of accountability,…” Just like Reagan opened the door for the attack on unions when he fired 13,000 air controllers in 1981, unionized teachers now are increasingly vulnerable.

UPWA BACKGROUND AND CONTACT INFORMATION: The UPWA is an organizing committee and network, formed in 2009 by San Francisco Bay Area union members and activists committed to bring public workers in the state together to challenge the current economic/budget crisis in California. The objective of the organizers is to develop a unified-statewide coalition and present an alter- native political agenda to confront the economic/budget crisis in California in the defense of public workers and the recipients of public services. To inform public workers and the recipients of public services the UPWA will provide educational forums on the root causes of the crisis and its political implications, and the organization’s political alternative agenda.
http://www.upwa.info
Other endorsements to follow

Education Secretary and Privatizer Duncan apologizes for Katrina comments-Hurricane Katrina was "the best thing that happened to the education system in New Orleans,"
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/02/02/AR2010020201661.html
BACK TO BASICS: Arne Duncan's School Reform Plan: Fire Everyone
http://www.ednews.org/articles/back-to-basics-arne-duncans-school-reform-plan-fire-everyone.html
Obama's Education Secretary Arne Duncan's As Flim-Flam Man-Hustling Education Privatization While Destroying Public Education
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/12/28/AR2009122802368.html?hpid=topnews
Obama's & Duncan's Privatization Scheme Responsible For Chicago Murder? Hundreds at meeting with schools chief on teen's fatal beating
http://www.wbbm780.com/Hundreds-at-meeting-with-schools-chief-on-teen-s--/5342757
Obama's "Way-to-Go, Brownie!" Moment?


http://www.gregpalast.com/obamas-way-to-go-brownie-moment/#more-2171


Press RELEASE 5/25/2010 Picket/Protest Against US Education Sec Arne Duncan At Foothill College
5:30PM
The United Public Workers for Action will carry out an information picket protesting United States Secretary of Education Arne Duncan’s keynote address at Foothill Community Colleges’ graduation ceremony on June 25.
The action at Foothill College, Friday, June 25, will begin at 5 pm. Foothill College is located at 12345 El Monte Road in Los Altos Hills (El Monte Road and Interstate 280.)

The UPWA action is intended to show public outrage at the Obama Administrations’ privatization of Public Education policies; policies which are severely impacting state and local Public Education. Duncan, who is the former chief executive officer of the Chicago Public Schools, is credited with raising test scores and educational standards in Chicago.

In actuality, he facilitated the further privatization of Public Education in Chicago. This was achieved through the expansion of charter schools and the weakening of the public teacher’s union.

Since becoming Secretary of Education, Duncan has been the chief architect of the Obama Administrations’ “Race to the Top” education policy. Presented as a means to improve Public Education in the United States, that policy is the continuation of the three decade-long assault on Public Education which began with the Reagan Administrations’ “A Nation at Risk” policy. The intent of that policy has been to: 1) promote the expansion of privately-managed charter schools; 2) deepen the access to public educational resources for corporate-interests; 3) smash teacher unions, thus weakening the political power of those unions, and cutting the cost of teachers; and, 4) eliminate multicultural, revisionist, internationalist, and critical perspectives from the school curricula.

The action at Foothill College, Friday, June 25, will begin at 5 pm. Foothill College is located at 12345 El Monte Road in Los Altos Hills (El Monte Road and Interstate 280.)

UPWA BACKGROUND AND CONTACT INFORMATION: The UPWA is an organizing committee and network, formed in 2009 by San Francisco Bay Area union members and activists committed to bring public workers in the state together to challenge the current economic/budget crisis in California. The objective of the organizers is to develop a unified-statewide coalition and present an alternative political agenda to confront the economic/budget crisis in California in the defense of public workers and the recipients of public services. To inform public workers and the recipients of public services the UPWA will provide educational forums on the root causes of the crisis and its political implications, and the organization’s political alternative agenda.
http://www.upwa.info

Contact

Endorsed by "Raging Grannies Action League, San Francisco Peace & Freedom Central Committee



Education Secretary and Privatizer Duncan apologizes for Katrina comments-Hurricane Katrina was "the best thing that happened to the education system in New Orleans,"
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/02/02/AR2010020201661.html
BACK TO BASICS: Arne Duncan's School Reform Plan: Fire Everyone
http://www.ednews.org/articles/back-to-basics-arne-duncans-school-reform-plan-fire-everyone.html
Obama's Education Secretary Arne Duncan's As Flim-Flam Man-Hustling Education Privatization While Destroying Public Education
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/12/28/AR2009122802368.html?hpid=topnews
Obama's & Duncan's Privatization Scheme Responsible For Chicago Murder? Hundreds at meeting with schools chief on teen's fatal beating
http://www.wbbm780.com/Hundreds-at-meeting-with-schools-chief-on-teen-s--/5342757
http://www.gregpalast.com/obamas-way-to-go-brownie-moment/#more-2171
Obama's "Way-to-Go, Brownie!" Moment?

YouTube - Chicago CTU Pres Elect and CORE Candidate Karen Lewis Election Victory Press Conference-The Beginning Of The End Of Scapegoating Teachers
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=42TtWpO9vf0
MiloWolf — June 12, 2010 — June 12, 2010--In a union election with national significance, Karen Lewis, CORE caucus candidate for President of Chicago Teachers Union, decisively defeated incumbent Marilyn Stewart. As reported at http://www.substance.net, American Arbitration Association announced early in the morning on June 12 that Lewis got 12,080 votes to Stewart's 8,326. Over her years in power Stewart froze up when Arne Duncan, then head of Chicago Public Schools, pushed school privatizations, turnarounds, obsessive testing, closures and massive teacher layoffs. During this period Karen Lewis and the Caucus of Rank and File Educators organized a strong fight back against these measures. Lewis' victory today represents a major national challenge to now-Secretary of Education Arne Duncan and his policies, today being forced onto every school system in the U.S. "This election shows the unity of 30,000 educators standing strong to put business in its place: out of our schools!" The Chicago Teachers Union Local 1 is the largest union in the state of Illinois. 10 minutes. Produced by Labor Beat. Labor Beat is a CAN TV Community Partner. Labor Beat is a non-profit 501(c)(3) member of IBEW 1220. Views are those of the producer Labor Beat. For info: mail [at] laborbeat.org, http://www.laborbeat.org. 312-226-3330. For other Labor Beat videos, visit Google Video, YouTube, or blip.tv and search "Labor Beat".
http://coreteachers.org/
Sunday, June 13, 2010
Karen Lewis, CTU President-Elect Acceptance Speech
6-12-10 Karen Lewis, CTU President-elect

Election Acceptance Speech

I want to thank everyone who made today a reality – the CORE members who worked tirelessly for this day, the CTU members who voted for us, and the thousands of teachers, parents and students who stand up each and every day to improve and defend public education, often against some very powerful forces. On behalf of CPS students, I want to personally thank my fellow teachers and paraprofessional educators for the long hours you work off the clock every day under increasingly challenging circumstances. Thank you. We will work night and day to deliver on the trust you have placed in us.

Today marks the beginning of the end of scapegoating educators for all the social ills that our children, families and schools struggle against every day. Today marks the beginning of a fight for true transparency in our educational policy — how to accurately measure learning and teaching, how to truly improve our schools, and how to evaluate the wisdom behind our spending priorities.

This election shows the unity of 30,000 educators standing strong to put business in its place – out of our schools. Corporate America sees K-12 public education as 380 billion dollars that, up until the last 10 or 15 years, they didn’t have a sizeable piece of. This so-called school reform is not an education plan. It’s a business plan and mayoral control of our schools, and our Board of Education, is the linchpin of their operation.

15 years ago, this city purposely began starving our lowest-income neighborhood schools of greatly needed resources and personnel. Class sizes rose, and schools were closed. Then, standardized tests which, in this town alone is a $60 million dollar business, measured that slow death by starvation. These tests labeled our students, families and educators failures because standardized tests reveal more about a student’s zip code than a student’s academic growth. And that, in turn – that perceived school failure — fed parent demand for charters, turnarounds and contract schools. People thought it must be true, and it must be theteachers’ fault, because they read about it every week in the papers. And our Union that has been controlled by the same faction for 37 of 40 years didn’t point out this simple reality – what drives so-called school reform is a singular focus on profit. Profit, not teaching, not learning. Profit.

In Chicago, we’ve seen CPS close 70 neighborhood schools and open 70 charters that do no better. 6,000 Chicago Teachers Union members have lost their livelihoods – their jobs – their dignity – in the process. Countless children have lost their friends, and families have lost their schools that, for most, are a source of pride, tradition and safety.

Of course, just as our city’s social conditions must improve, many of our schools must improve too. But we have hundreds of thriving schools filled with dedicated, loving, and professional educators and administrators who are wise enough to empower teachers to lead.

Outside of the classroom, we need society to recommit to bettering all communities. We also need our parents to recommit to the education of their children. But inside the classroom, the only people who can improve our schools are professional educators. Corporate heads and politicians do not have a clue about teaching and learning. They have never sat one minute on this side of a teacher’s desk. But they’re the ones calling the shots and we’re supposed to accept it as “reform.”

As a Union of 30,000 united educators, we have a lot of work to do … and we know we can’t do it alone. We need to work together and rethink education policy here in Chicago. I am asking that Mayor Daley and Mr. Huberman line up their allies in Springfield, and we’ll line up ours, to stop this annual ritual of “crisis budgeting”. Once and for all we need to change how Illinois funds its schools — 60% from property taxes and 30% from the state. We need to reverse that, flip it on its head, so ALL children, no matter the value of their family’s home, have equal access to quality education.

And while we’re in Springfield together, let’s make sure that the average CPS teachers’ retirement – just $39,000 a year, yes, that’s the average, $39,000 and that’s WITHOUT Social Security – is safe and sound. The law says our pension fund has to be at 90% … it’s about 60% now. We need to follow that law together.

Now, back home here in Chicago, we need to put ALL the financial details on the table, because teachers got pink-slips THIS week – and yet Chicagoans have not seen a clear, transparent and detailed CPS budget. We don’t KNOW the details behind this claimed 6 hundred million deficit, that’s just what we’ve been TOLD. It’s time for the Board to give citizens all the specifics – how CPS spends our money, on what and to whom.

How the 250 million in TIFs that should go to schools each year are really spent. Chicagoans need to know how charters spend their taxpayer dollars because to date, we have not seen one charter school’s financials, not one.

CORE ran a clean campaign calling for a clean government. We called for budget transparency and a clear read on how social ills outside the schools impact our classrooms on the inside. Then we can start to change the conversation.

Not what or who to cut, but how to save money and lower, yes, lower classroom sizes. Not whether yet another one-size-fits-all policy – the latest silver bullet – will work, but how each school can rebuild itself into a responsive learning environment. And certainly not whether open access for ALL children to high-quality public education is a luxury society simply cannot afford, but rather that true public education – great schools with great teachers – is the most important civil rights battle of our generation.

And we will change that conversation because the Chicago Teachers Union is now unified. Our teachers and paraprofessionals are poised to reclaim the power of our 30,000 members and protect what we love – teaching and learning in publicly-funded public schools.