Don't Sell Off Our Public Schools To Beller/Caliber-Stop Sale Of Adams Middle School

6/12 Press Conference Don't Sell Off Our Public Schools To Beller/Caliber-Stop Sale Of Richmond Adams Middle School

Defend Public Education/Stop Privatization
No Backdoor Deal In $60,000 Sale Of Adams Middle School to Beller/Caliber

Sunday June12, 2016 11:00 AM
Adams Middle School
5000 Patterson Circle near Arlington Blvd.
Richmond Ca 94805


Former Goldman Sacks Hedge fund operator Ron Beller who now runs the Caliber Charter School Chain wants a prime property the Adams Middle School that is owned by the West Contra Costa County School District. The district is planning to sell the 5 acres for $60,000.
They also plan to bring 800 or more students from throughout the region to the school in an area which already has k-8 schools including Mira Vista. The community, teachers and working people are opposed to this transfer. We need to protect our community schools and not further the privatization and destruction of public education in Richmond being pushed not only by private charter school operators but anti-union developers like Chamberlin Associates. The Aspire school on Hilltop promised the residents and unions that it would be built by union labor. Instead they brought in workers from Nevada who they paid $15 an hour and Beller is refusing to build union. Anti-labor non-union developers and corporate education speculators are taking over land all over Richmond in a land grab that will further gentrification and push working people out of our communities. They opposed unionization of the staff, teachers and maintenance workers who live in this community and need good paying jobs.
Join community groups. unionists and others to let the community and the WCCCSD know that we cannot afford this deal with Ron Beller and Caliber.

Sponsored by
Fairmede Hilltop Neighborhood Council
Defend Public Education
Repeal California Charter Laws
http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/repeal-charter-school-act-of-1992-in-ca-ballot
United Public Workers For Action
http://www.upwa.info

For more information
(510) 909-2797, (415) 505-2246, (415)282-1908


URGENTE MENSAJE A LA COMUNIDAD, PADRES DE FAMILIA, MAESTROS Y TRABAJADORES DE WEST CONTRA COSTA

4 de Junio, 2016

URGENTE MENSAJE A LA COMUNIDAD, PADRES DE FAMILIA, MAESTROS Y TRABAJADORES DE WEST CONTRA COSTA: Las llamadas ‘Escuelas Charter’ se hacen pasar por escuelas públicas cuando en realidad representan intereses corporativos. Utilizar fondos públicos no las convierte en escuelas públicas. La presencia de estas escuelas significa un derrame económico que amenaza la viabilidad de nuestro distrito escolar.

El ataque más reciente a nuestro sistema de educación pública lo encabeza el especulador financiero Ron Beller. El señor Beller, director ejecutivo de la cadena de escuelas Caliber, formó parte del grupo de especuladores en operaciones de bolsa responsables en parte del colapso financiero del 2008, cuando millones de familias en todo el país perdieron su vivienda. Recuerden que Richmond fué una de las comunidades más afectadas. La cadena de escuelas Caliber quiere adquirir el lote donde se ubica la Antigua escuela primaria Adams en Patterson Circle # 5000, Richmond, Ca 94805, por la suma de sesenta mil dólares. Lo escadaloso de esta oferta no es la irrisoria cantidad de dinero sino el hecho mismo de intentar vender el patrimonio de nuestros hijos a un interés corporativo más interesado en obtener fondos públicos que en la educación pública.

En más de una ocasión las escuelas charter han menospreciado a la comunidad trabajadora de Richmond. Por ejemplo, la flamante escuela charter Aspire en Hilltop se construyó con trabajadores no- sindicalizados traidos de Nevada a quieres se les pagó un sueldo muy por debajo de la tasa sindical, a pesar de que los dirigentes corporativos de Aspire prometieran que la contrucción de su escuela beneficiaría a la comunidad de Richmond. Además, en todas las escuelas charter las labores de mantenimiento, limpieza, trabajo de oficina y hasta las labors de enseñanza se realizan con trabajadores no-sindicalizados. Y, por si esto fuera poco, la mesa directiva de estas escuelas no está formada por miembros elegidos por la comunidad como es el caso de la mesa directiva de nuestro distrito escolar. Asi pues, ¿ante quién son responsables los dirigentes, la comunidad que los elige o los especuladores que los escogen?

SOLICITAMOS SU ASISTENCIA A DOS IMPORTANTES EVENTOS

1. CONFERENIA DE PRENSA el domingo 12 de Junio en el local de la Antigua escuela Adams (5000 Patterson Circle, Richmond Ca, 94805) a las 11 a.m. denunciaremos ante los medios de comunicación este burdo intento de apropiación de los recursos públicos.

2. REUNIÓN MESA DIRECTIVA DE WCCUSD el miércoles 15 de Junio a las 6:30 p.m. en el salon multiusos de la escuela Lovonya DeJean, la mesa directiva de WCCUSD decidirá si procede o no la venta del predio a la cadena Caliber. Esperamos su presencia para rechazar esta intentona.

Para firmar la solicitud exigiendo la revocación inmediata de la Ley de 1992 autorizando las escuelas charter en California acuda a la siguiente dirección electronica:
http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/repeal-charter-school-act-of-1992-in-ca-ballot

United Public Workers for Action: http://www.upwa.info

Para mayor información sirvase llamar a los números: (510) 909-2797 o (510) 222-8632


United Teachers Of Richmond UTR CTA/NEA Resolution Opposing More Charters and Privatization
http://files.ctctcdn.com/c5bd42c6001/6b873bf4-5f20-4c5a-80f3-10405aecf0ef.pdf


The United Teachers of Richmond CTA/NEA strive for high quality universal free public education for every student. UTR CTA/NEA advocates for well-resourced, community-centered, publicly funded and democratically managed schools. UTR CTA/NEA believes in teaching the whole child a broad curriculum that prepares them to be productive and critically thinking citizens. UTR CTA/NEA knows this requires a qualified, caring, diverse and stable workforce. We know that parental, family and community engagement are also key. All of this is only possible with sufficient, equitable and consistent funding.

Therefore:

Whereas offering parents the "choice" of charter schools removes attention from the real problems facing our educational system - Poverty and inequitable funding.

Whereas charter schools do no better and often worse academically than traditional public schools.

Whereas charter schools take away funding from traditional public schools creating a wasteful parallel school system.

Whereas charter schools increase segregation both racially and socio economically.

Whereas charter schools are unaccountable to the duly elected members of the community school boards.

Whereas charter schools are largely not unionized and therefore represent a means of weakening unions.

Whereas charter schools are less transparent then traditional public schools leading to such things as cheating on state tests.

Whereas charter schools are allowed to choose how students are admitted and can kick out students that are more difficult to teach, leading to "cherry picking" and creating a two tiered educational system.

Whereas charter school choice is supported by special interests who seek to privatize and profit from our schools.

Whereas charter schools often impose a business model that is completely inappropriate to public education.

Be it resolved that the United Teachers of Richmond CTA/NEA opposes charter school expansion in the West Contra Costa School district and the nation.