New Labor Beat Video 'What's happening in Chicago is the national model for the attack on public education...' ... 'We are the people who will save our schools!'
A new Labor Beat video out in January 2012 adds to the growing list of videos that teachers, parents, students and supporters of real public schools can draw on to educate themselves, their colleagues, and their neighbors about the attacks on public education in Chicago (attacks which have been exported around the USA since Arne Duncan became U.S. Secretary of Education by appointment of the President in January 2009).
Since he appointed Chicago's Arne Duncan to be U.S. Secretary of Education in January 2009, President Barack Obama has supported every attack on the nation's urban public schools and the Duncan Education Department's "Race to the Top" program, which is aimed at privatizing as many public schools — through anti-union charter schools — in the nation's urban areas as possible. Above, Obama and Duncan during the back-to-school media event in Minneapolis in September 2009. Every September, Duncan tours a part of the country promoting the attacks on teacher unions and real public schools and their replacement with false 'market based choice', usually via charter schools. We Are The People Who Will Save Our Schools is a new YouTube video produced by Labor Beat. The URL for those who can't access a hotlink is: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lFAOJsBxAxY
This video begins with Professor of Education Pauline Lipman (University of Illinois-Chicago) briefly recapping the plans hatched a decade ago in Chicago to replace public schools with private charter schools. Then Chicago Public Schools head Arne Duncan implemented those plans (Renaissance 2010) so obediently that President Obama picked him to do the same thing to every school system in the country.
So Chicago's growing uprising against these deepening attacks against public education has national importance. Here is a battalion of voices from the communities and the teachers union, all exposing the constantly changing, Kafkaesque rules for evaluating school turn-arounds and closings. The counter-attack from the working people in the city is energized and spreading, and is on a collision course with the 1% who want to take away their children's futures. Includes comments from Chicago Teachers Union President Karen Lewis, teachers and parents from targeted school communities. Length - 24:40.
No sooner was former White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel (above left) inaugurated Mayor of Chicago in May 2011 than he began an orchestrated public attack on the city's unionized public schools and the promotion of privatized and anti-union charter schools as their replacement. Above, Emanuel with President Barack Obama at a November 20, 2011, election rally promoting Obama's presidential run in Iowa. Because of Obama's support for Arne Duncan, Rahm Emanuel, and the attacks on real public schools, he has lost the support of the majority of the public school teachers who helped elect him in 2008. At the time of the Democratic Convention in August 2008, the largest single group of Obama delegates were public school teachers. In 2012, thanks to the policies of Obama aides like Duncan and Emanuel, the majority of the nation's public school teachers are alienated from or hostile to Obama.We Are The People Who Will Save Our Schools will be shown on TV in Chicago:
Chicago - CAN TV cable tv Channel 19:
Thurs., Jan. 19, 9:30 pm
Fri., Jan. 20, 4:30 pm
Thurs., Jan. 26, 9:30 pm
Fri., Oct. Jan. 27, 4:30 pm
By: John Whitfield
What's Happening in Chicago?
While Walking from the Board of Education to the Chicago Teachers' Union yesterday, after having stopped at fifth Floor to see what was happening with the sit-in, a flyer was handed to me at the corner, while approaching the State of Illinois building. "Join Us on January 11th, 2012, 3pm, gather at the Federal Plaza (corner of Dearborn and Adams)for a rally, march and human chain. Wear Orange!
Some in the group vigil were wearing orange jump suits already. The event will be a National Day of Action Against Guantanamo.
The flyer, the size of a parking ticket, and orange also said; No Torture, No Gitmo, No Bagram. BROKEN PROMISES LAWS LIVES
Broken Laws, Broken Promises
On January 22, 2009, President barack Obama- in one of his first executive acgts-signed an order shutting down Guantanamo and ending torture politics. He pledged to restore the rule of law-whether domestic laws against torture or international agreements mandating the prosecution prosecution of alleged torturers. On March 7th 2011Obama signed a new executive order"all but cementing Guantanamo Bays continued role in U.S. counterterrorism." 171 men are still held at Guantanamo condemned to indefinite detention withoutcharge or trial. On January 11, 2012, President Obama will be in chicago to raise money for his presidential campaign. Gather with usto bear witness to his failure to close Guanta`namo and protest the passing of the National defense authorization Act which give the military permission to arrest U.S. citizens suspected of terrorism and detain them without trial.
(www.witnesstorture.org)(chicagomassaction.org)
Other events for your information on January 10th- END THE WAR ON TERROR, 8-9am, 8th Day Center for Justice vigil with OCCUPY CHICAGO at LaSalle and Jackson
and Jan. 12th, SUPPORT THE RESOLUTION TO MAKE CHICAGO A TORTURE FREE ZONE (to be announced)
for more information and to join the Witness
Against Torture Chicago group Program, to invite a speaker from this group, and share your ideas contact 773-856-0315 or whiterosecw@gmail.com