Labor Beat Video shows Karen Lewis's speech from September 21 Daley Plaza rally
On Sept. 21, 2010 a spirited rally of some 500 teachers, community organizations and students was held in Daley Plaza, just across the street from Chicago's City Hall. The rally protested the ongoing plundering of public education being led by City Hall, CPS head Ron Huberman, and corporate Chicago which gives them their orders. "Our communities are not for sale," Chicago Teachers Union President Karen Lewis told the crowd. "You cannot destroy communities one by one through neglect, through under-funding, under-resourcing and then punish those very communities and say 'you're not living up to standards'. No, you're [pointing to City Hall] not living up to standards!"
To view on YouTube, click here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UecAThdg2gA
Referring to the ongoing occupation by parents of a school in the Pilsen area of the city, President Lewis said: "We have parents right now at Whittier demanding a library for their kids. Across this city the Board of Education has said our students do not need libraries. They have said not only do we not need a library, we do not need librarians. How do you learn to read, how do you learn to read for pleasure without a library in your school? How do you learn to do research without a library in your school? They don't want our children to do research, they don't want our children to know what they are doing in the name of business." Length - 5:40.
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Comments:
By: Diane Walsh Franco
FBI raid on local activists Friday 9/24
I believe that CTU should make a strong statement in support of Iosbaker and Weiner, et al. And against the
feds for repression of free speech and political activism.
This injustice must be met with strong and immediate response from all progressive organizations. CTU members, let's look outside of our own issues and join in solidarity with these local activists who have been targeted by FBI and federal grand jury to test recent "Patriot Act" decisions.
By: Parents need to be involved
Parental Involvement
As a parent and student, I want to make sure my teachers, principals, and education leaders are highly qualified because our future and the students deserve the best. One of my friends gave me a website to observe the credentials of my childrens' teachers, principals, and other education leaders. I think all parents and concern citizens should view this website and make frequent visits to their childrens' classrooms. Parents need to be active participants in their chidrens' life and demand the best.
The website is www.isbe.net. When you get on ISBE website press the botton ECS that indicates public records. You will need to put the educators name and their qualifications will come up. I hope this information will be helpful for parents wanting to know if their Childrens' teachers, principals, and other educators are qualified to teach in specific areas and of their past experiences. I know I obtain relevant information.
By: Sharon M. Schmidt, Editor
Rules for Substance comments
Three comments regarding Karen Lewis's Daley Plaza speech have been removed from this news service. One of the three was from wwh96@aol.com, an address that does not exist. The other two were from another suspect e-mail address which we are checking. All three were signed in anonymous ways.
Our policy is that anyone wishing to comment must provide us with a real e-mail address and, if the comment is about an individual rather than something general, the person making the comment must sign his or her first and last name.
Substance News is not a blog, and we do not follow the conventions of blogs.
By: Dear Karen Lewis
Huberteam hurting us all
Dear KAREN Lewis, It is time to do more than gather and speak to undemocratic sleeping board members and what is left of the mayor. At the next CPS professional development day, it is time for the Golden Flu, (like blue flu, except teachers are golden.) This will NOT harm the children; they are home. Teachers will call in and take a PB day. Then, ALL teachers, available parents and students et al, will gather for a huge rally that will block the streets of Chicago. Does this really sound extreme with what is going on now? YOU and CTU know that the 'mistake' DNH is NOT the only low-down-dirty the Huberteam is doing. (Principals and real educators @CO will be on your side--silently. Huberteam is torturing them too.) If you show no united wall or muscle, no physical, concrete strategy soon, like a golden flu; we will be dumped just as all these good and great teachers-staff members who are discharged and negatively labeled unfairly.
This action is peaceful, not harmful. It is a conscientious democratic statement without harm. We must make one solid statement.
The next PD day is in October; plenty of time to plan.
With the Huberteam, we ALL are next!