LABOR BEAT: History's verdict is now in on the wars from Bush to Obama

A new Labor Beat video, "The Verdict on the Wars from Bush to Obama" is now available On YouTube at: http://youtu.be/npUGZDVitA4. The video is also archived at:laborbeat.org. And for teachers and others concerned with public . . .

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Tony Blair (left) and Geroge W. Bush were the two national leaders most responsible for the fraudulent 2003 invasion of Iraq. The subsequent endorsement of the Middle East wars by the Obama administration has come as no surprise to careful observers.

Opposition caucus in national teachers' union leading the struggle against neo-liberal corporate 'reforms'...Mexico: Largest Teachers' Union Actions in History Win Moral Victory, Struggle Continues

[Editor's Notes. The following article -- Mexico: Largest Teachers' Union Actions in History Win Moral Victory, Struggle Continues -- by Dan La Botz was first published September 25, 2013 in New Politics. Across the USA, . . .

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Mexico teachers striking in September 2013.

Teachers strike rocks Brazil... major clashes in Rio

Teachers from Mexico to Great Britain have been leading strikes and taking part in demonstrations against neo-liberal government policies over the past months. In October 2013, in addition to strikes in England and Mexico, teachers . . .

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Teachers protest in Rio October 8, 2013.

HISTORY FLASHBACK: Giap death reminds USA that the (U.S. part of) the Vietnam War did not have to be...

Everybody who studied the cluttered history of the world after the brutal endings of World War II knows that a lot of the problems that have continued through today could have been solved had Roosevelt's . . .

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By early 1945, U.S. soldiers with the

Slide show on Mexican teachers' struggle

A young Oakland teacher, who wants to remain anonymous, sent me a slide show on the Mexican teachers' struggle that she put together and used with her sixth grade class. I think it's very . . .

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Like his counterpart to the north, the President of Mexico knows that the real threat to his nation is not greedy CEOs, corrupt corporations, or drug gangs -- so he sends his army and police, including mounted cops on horses, to attack protesting teachers. Photo by Al Jazeera.

Honduran teacher activist to speak at Whittier Elementary School in Chicago this Friday

On Friday, November 18 2011, at 3:30, Honduran teacher Norma Yanina Parada Martinez will be in Chicago at Whittier Elementary meeting with teachers and local activists. This event, which is cosponsored by C.O.R.E (Caucus of . . .

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During the hunger strike.

Paul Vallas gets a half million dollars to help 'reform' schools in Chile... Students, workers in Chile battle to restore free public education decades after the 'free market' Chicago Boys joined with a brutal dictator to install the 'Atlas Shrugged' version of reality

While the news of mass movements in the USA and in some (not all) parts of Europe is dominating the news, a very significant struggle — with direct roots today and throughout history in Chicago's most . . .

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Chilean police used riot control tactics including water cannons after massive protests over the cost of education resumed in October 2011, following earlier protests in August 2011.

Test boycott in Great Britain successful... Infamous 'league tables' rendered meaningless

The British love their traditions, but this Spring's naming and shaming ritual based on standardized test scores has finally been interrupted. The infamous "league tables" are being thrown into disarray, and if Brits want to . . .

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White Sox fan Sam Schmidt (above right) stands as his cousin Jade Forman displays the first fish Sam ever caught on July 10, 2009, at the Hudson River lighthouse in Saugerties, New York. Sam Schmidt, Substance elementary education editor and nature photographer, joined the early boycott of standardized testing in the USA on May 11 and May 12, 2010, by sitting out the tests at his public school in Chicago, while American teachers decide whether to join with their British brothers and sisters in ending the noisome reign of so-called standardized tests in the USA. Substance photo by George N. Schmidt.

Teachers in United Kingdom boycotting tests

With the support of a growing number of parents, teachers in the United Kingdom have decided to boycott the national tests in Great Britain. Much of the information about this important action has been provided . . .

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British Columbia teachers call for two-year moratorium on standardized tests... Help organize student boycott of tests in Vancouver

Unionized teachers in British Columbia, Canada, recently won a victory against school officials when they got an agreement to allow teachers to distribute union pamphlets opposing standardized tests to their students. The teachers are also . . .

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Above, former British Columbia Federation of Teachers president Jinny Sims speaks to a group organized by CORE and Teachers for Social Justice at Casa Aztlan in Chicago on June 7, 2008. The Jinny Sims visit helped catalyze CORE, which was organizing itself at the time. Sims led the October 2005 strike that closed the schools of the entire Canadian province of British Columbia for nearly a month. The event was ignored in the media in the USA. Substance photo by George N. Schmidt.

SUBSTANCE ANNUAL SECOND CITY BENEFIT. November 10 at Second City comedy theater in Chicago. Tickets $35. Write for tickets now

There are still a limited number of tickets available for the 30h annual Substance benefit at the world famous Second City Comedy theater at 1616 N. Wells St. in Chicago. The benefit will be held . . .

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Lower class size part of high school teachers' victory... Isreali strike ends after 60 days

In a dramatic ending worthy of an action film, the Israeli high school teachers strike, which lasted for 60 days, was finally settled on December 13, 2007, mere moments before a restraining order by the . . .

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Blackout on union news from Israel... Teachers' strike enters 10th week

In an educational crisis of Biblical proportions, Israel’s high school teachers have now been on strike for more than a week and 40 days. The story, neither glamorous nor glitzy, has been largely ignored by . . .

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