Jitu Brown... Journey for Justice
My interview with Jitu Brown, education organizer, Kenwood Oakland Community Organization (KOCO) was packed with revelations. Brown was talking about Grassroots Impact Tours, which are community groups that visit different cities throughout the United States working with the Civil Rights section of Department of Education to view the impact of closing schools and opening Charter Schools has on a community.
Brown talked about a tour of Charter Schools in New Orleans which is 90% of whose schools are now Charter schools. Brown pointed out that 79% of the charter schools in New Orleans have received a D or F grade rating.
Among the group visiting the school were Department of Education Director of Special Projects and Events, Tim Tuten and the Community Partnership C6, Conscious, Concerned, Citizens Controlling Community Changes, a nonprofit community organization.
The group was visiting what was supposed to be a model school in New Orleans. Among other outstanding programs, this school had a working radio station. As the group approached the school, they noticed mold on a grill, by the front door. They were shown the radio station but did not see any radio equipment, just canvas on the wall with mold on it.
They were told that the school had received $38 million.
The Community groups involved in the visits are from 22 cities, which include Chicago; Kansas City, Missouri; Detroit; New York, Philadelphia; Boston; Hartford, Connecticut; Newark, New Jersey; Baltimore; and Wilmington, Delaware; Atlanta; Wichita, Kansas; Euphura, Mississippi; Cleveland, Ohio; Oakland and Los Angeles.
The Department of Education has scheduled a hearing on January 29 at 2PM, in the auditorium at the Department of Education in Washington D.C. entitled the Journey for Justice. The purpose of the meeting is to discuss the impact tours. At least one Senator, Bobby Rush, will also be present. Brown states that the mission of the Journey for Justice hearing is to inform the Department Of Education that “Our children are not Collateral Damage and that closing schools and starting charter schools is damaging children and destabilizing neighborhoods.”
Question- From whom does the D or F rating comes from (The state?)
