The December 2013 Issue of Substance
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Office Depot headquarters remains in Florida... When will Illinois politicians stop playing corporate blackmail games?
On the morning of December 10, 2013, Crain's Chicago Business reported on line that Illinois was "losing" the possibility of the company's headquarters of Office Depot to Boca Raton, Florida. But as the story notes, . . .
Drinking the Technology-Enhanced Kool-aid
Lior Klirs, Coordinator of English Language Arts Content and Resources in the Division of Curriculum and Instruction at the Tennessee Department of Education, offers an explanation (http://thescoresheet.org/2013/11/25/how-were-building-parcc-ela-and-literacy) of how the Common Core-aligned tests will be . . .
AFT video explains why international 'test scores' like PISA do not tell the real story of American schools
Indicative of a significant shift in national union policy, the American Federation of Teachers (AFT) has devoted its considerable talent and resources not only in the implementation of the National Day of Action but to . . .
UNO chieftain out... Problem with charter corruptions grows
The December 5, 2013 announcement that UNO chieftain Juan Rangel was resigning came as a shock to no one who has been following the rather sordid tale of nepotism, cronyism, union busting and corruption at . . .
MEDIA WATCH: 'These people are hypocrites, and they should be ashamed to open their mouths...' Karen Lewis lays out the challenge on 'pension reform' in The New York Times
It was buried towards the end of the article, after a stream of half-truths and lies quoting Rahm Emanuel and the billionaires' mouthpiece, Civic Federation chief Laurence Msall, but at least it was there. The . . .
ALEC plans include continuing attacks on public education, teachers and unions
Despite growing protests across the nation, the strategy of America's ruling class continues unabated. The December 3, 2013 Illinois vote to begin the destruction of the state's defined benefit pension plans (most, for teachers and . . .
COMMON CORE: The lies underlying the Common Core push have been exposed, and now the resistance has to be done state-by-state
All the evidence points to the upcoming year as a time for a major struggle across the USA against the so-called "Common Core" being promoted by the Obama administration through the U.S. Department of Education . . .
Why 'School Choice' is not the 'Civil Rights Issue of Our Time'
[Editor's Note: Its one of those salvation stories that indicates when you are dealing with someone of a religious zealotry. The CHARTER SCHOOL THAT SAVED MY SOUL (AND LIFE) version of reality. Every meeting of . . .
'The main culprit was our profit-focused system, with rising profiteering by a massive health care industry...' The Real Fix for Obamacare's Flaws: Medicare for All
[Editor's Note: Why is anyone in the USA surprised that Rose Ann DeMoro has to publish her analysis of the need to go beyond "Obamacare" in the Guardian, a British newspaper? Anyway, the following appeared . . .
Major City Hall protest planned for Monday, December 9... 'Naughty or nice' awards to be given
The Chicago Teachers Union, in alliance with several other organizations, will be holding a protest at Chicago's City Hall on Monday, December 9, 2013. According to a union press release: "On Monday, December 9th, hundreds . . .
Concept Charter Schools packs Chicago Lawn 'NAC' meeting
I got to the Chicago Lawn NAC late. I was there with a friend (Sarah Ann and her daughter Tarah). It was unusual in that the Neighborhood Action Council meeting was in the basement at . . .
Chitown CEO Nixed in NYC!... Byrd Bennett strikes out in New York City as her slavish adherence to Rahm's school closing quota catches up with her
Despite her attempt to escape Chicago, schools chief Barbara Byrd Bennett will not find a new home running the nation's largest school system after a little more than a year running the nation's third largest . . .
ZAP! Vitale, Ruiz & Co. continue strangling democracy at Chicago Board of Education meetings by restricting sign in to speak at Board of Education meetings
At 8:32 a.m. on the morning of December 9, 2013, the message went up at the Home Page of the nation's third largest school system: "All advance registration slots filled." What the message meant was . . .
New York's 'reform' mayor creates a short list of the most reactionary corporate reformers out there... Byrd Bennett looking for a new job in New York City as New York schools chancellor?
When the rumor first reached Substance that Chicago Public Schools "Chief Executive Officer" Barbara Byrd Bennett was consulting with people in New York City about returning to New York for the job as schools chancellor . . .
National Day of Action at City Hall December 9, 4:15 p.m.
Chicago parents, teachers, students and community leaders will be at Chicago's City Hall on December 9, 2013, to sing holiday songs and protest the school privatization and closing policies of the national administration and locally, . . .
New Labor Beat Video... 'Done with Democrats' released in a timely manner after Springfield vote against public worker pensions
Done with the Democrats is a new Labor Beat video on On YouTube at: http://youtu.be/u8bSkYhmk74. It is also archived at:. laborbeat.org. After the recent vote in Springfield against teacher and other public worker pensions, . . .
Catalyst investigation hitting Byrd Bennett's corruption... 'Chicago Executive Leadership Academy' is another ripoff... Principals will be attending their 'training' on December 7 while edupreneurs and Barbara Byrd Bennett's buddies laugh all the way to the bank...SUPES Academy corruption continues
The question is when Chicago principals and other professionals (including those at the city's major universities) will take a public stand against an example of corruption that even in Chicago is a zinger -- CELA . . .
CTU had a history of activism against apartheid... Chicago Teachers Union pauses to honor memory of Nelson Mandela
The Chicago Teachers Union has had a long history of organizing opposition to racism, and part of that history was supporting the struggles of the majority of people in South Africa against apartheid. That support . . .
ANALYSIS: Liars and thieves vote for 'pension reform'... State pension hopes now rest with lawsuit on constitutionality of what the General Assembly has done
It was passed by both houses of the Illinois General Assembly on December 3, 2013. Illinois Senate Bill 1, the So-called “Pension Reform” Bill (or Attempt to Break a Constitutional Contract with Public Employees and . . .
'This is not over...' Union leaders vow to continue fight for fair pensions, despite Springfield vote
Despite the narrow vote to approve so-called "pension reform" legislation by the Illinois General Assembly on December 3, 2013, opponents of the continued attack on public service and public sector workers are preparing to continue . . .
Chicago teachers joined lobbying against 'pension reform' during heated day in Springfield
On December 3, 2013, dozens of CTU members were in Springfield lobbying against the vote for so-called "pension reform." In addition to days of telephone lobbying by members of the CTU, the union sent one . . .
Illinois' so-called 'Pension Reform' Is Without Legal and Moral Justification
…To possess a right to a promised deferred compensation, such as a pension, is to assert a legitimate claim with all Illinois legislators to protect that right. There are no rights without obligations. They are . . .
Betrayal in Springfield: Does Pension 'Reform' mean we must organize a third party now?
Glen Brown reported on November 21, 2013, at Substance and elsewhere, accurately, as follows: "Illinois' four legislative leaders have been meeting privately in an effort to carve out a pension reform deal. Only top staffers . . .
VALLAS WATCH: Black teacher elimination was a key to the Vallas program from 1995 through 2001
Although a great deal has been reported during the last few years about the elimination of black people from Chicago's teaching force, an examination of the historical facts (please leave the word "data" to the . . .
