Tag: activism

Rahm Emanuel Shut Down by Teacher Activist

This was passed along to me, so I figured I would share here.  Rahm Emanuel, the former Obama chief of staff, and current   Mayor of Chicago, has done everything in his power to destroy public education in Chicago.  On Monday night, at a public hearing on the city’s 2016 budget, Emanuel made a rare public appearance.  While he worked the crowd, shaking hands, he was promptly shut down by Isaac Krantz-Perlman, a special education classroom assistant in Chicago.  Check out the gif below…

Micah Uetricht of In These Times has a full write up of the story here.

To read more about the hunger strike in Chicago, organized to save Dyett High School, check out Michelle Gunderson’s piece on Living in Dialogue.

Welcome New PJSTA Members!

The newest members of the PJSTA!
The newest members of the PJSTA!

Welcome to the newest members of the PJSTA!  Today, 18 new members had their orientation with members of the PJSTA’s executive board along with members of our rank and file.  In addition to taking care of membership paperwork and getting to know their contract, PJSTA’s newest members were briefed on the current landscape of public education in New York State and encouraged to get involved in being an activist who will advocate for their profession, their students, and the communities that we serve.

If you are a new PJSTA member, or someone else who is wondering where you can get informed and stay informed on all the happenings in public education, you will want to be sure to regularly check out the following…

Blogs

  • Perdido Street School- An brilliant blog, updated regularly, written by a NYC teacher who covers all things public education in New York.
  • NYC Educator– Updated nearly daily, another blog written by a NYC teacher, providing commentary on all the happenings in public education.
  • Diane Ravitch– The foremer Assisstant Secretary of Education keeps us up to date on public education in the US.
  • Ed Notes Online– Retired educator and long time activist Norm Scott’s well know blog dealing with public education and teacher unions.

Facebook Groups

Twitter

  • @ThePJSTA– The official Twitter account of The PJSTA
  • @beth_dimino– PJSTA President Beth Dimino
  • @sashammy– PJSTA 1st Vice-President Brian St. Pierre
  • @Refusethetests– PJSTA rank & file member, and dynamic public education activist Melissa McMullan
  • @STCaucus– The Rank & File Caucus of NYSUT
  • @nysape– New York State Allies for Public Education
  • @LIOptOut– Long Island Opt-Out
  • @perdidostschool– The Twitter account of the Perdido Street School blogger
  • @TeacherArthurG– The blogger who write the NYC Educator blog
  • @DianeRavitch– The aforementioned Diane Ravitch

This is by no means a comprehensive list, however it is a good list to get started with.  If you read these blogs several times a week and follow them on social media you are on your way to becoming an informed public school teacher in New York!

The PJSTA Welcomes Our New Activists!

Today the PJSTA welcomed twelve new members to our local.  Our new brothers and sisters are excited to bring their energy and activism to the PJSTA as we embark on another school year that will, once again, require more work than ever before as the fight for public education wages on.

The new members had an opportunity to meet their mentors, be briefed on who the PJSTA is, and then mingle with fellow teachers and district administrators.  We look forward to the many skills and talents that they will bring to our local this year!

Brand new PJSTA members plus some old lady in the blue shirt.
Brand new PJSTA members plus some old lady in the blue shirt.

A National Campaign to Stop Race to the Top

Education/Labor blogger Fred Klonsky is imploring teachers across the country to contact the White House weekly to urge the president to abandon Race to the Bottom Top and stop privatizing public schools.

Here is what he has to say…

Contact the White House weekly at 202-456-1111 on your state’s designated day.

 

Message: Give all students the same education your girls are getting! Abandon Race to the Top and stop privatizing public schools.

MONDAY

1. Alabama2. Alaska3. Arizona4. Arkansas5. California6. Colorado7. Connecticut8. Delaware9. Florida10. Georgia 

TUESDAY
1. Hawaii
2. Idaho
3. Illinois
4. Indiana
5. Iowa
6. Kansas
7. Kentucky
8. Louisiana
9. Maine
10. Maryland

WEDNESDAY
1. Massachusetts
2. Michigan
3. Minnesota
4. Mississippi
5. Missouri
6. Montana
7. Nebraska
8. Nevada
9. New Hampshire
10. New Jersey

THURSDAY
1. New Mexico
2. New York
3. North Carolina
4. North Dakota
5. Ohio
6. Oklahoma
7. Oregon
8. Pennsylvania
9. Rhode Island
10. South Carolina

FRIDAY
1. South Dakota
2. Tennessee
3. Texas
4. Utah
5. Vermont
6. Virginia
7. Washington
8. West Virginia
9. Wisconsin
10. Wyoming