Tag Archives: Education

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Policing School Districts: The New Separate but Equal


In our last correspondence we received an overwhelming response to the Op-Ed articles about the struggles between traditional public and charter schools being housed in the same facilities. Your responses show that you are fully aware that the issues surrounding barriers to quality education are multifaceted at best. Our current blog discusses problems faced by parents who have attempted to place their children in better neighboring school districts. Share your feedback and respond to other responses posted.

Policing School Districts: The New Separate but Equal

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The Black Institute

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The State of Public Education …The Black Institute


As you know, education continues to be a vitally important issue in American society.At The Black Institute, we believe that every student can be a scholar and thus deserves the opportunity to receive an excellent education…period! The education debate is at the forefront of issues that the American people care about because it affects not only our lives but those of our children, our grandchildren and future generations. Not long ago, the NAACP signed on to a lawsuit against the NewYork Department of Education against the forced cohabitation traditional public schools and charter schools. Click here to read Bertha’s Lewis Op-Ed here  on this issue.

Let your voice be heard by leaving a comment on your thoughts.

In Solidarity,

The Black Institute Team

~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture

Scholastic Lies to 4th Graders …change.org


Let’s say you’re the CEO of McDonald’s. You know kids love to eat your food, but their pesky teachers keep telling them it’s not healthy. Don’t worry! You have options.

Scholastic (the company that publishes tons of children’s books) has a program where companies like McDonald’s, the American Coal Foundation, and SunnyD can pay to have teachers teach kids about their products to create “brand awareness” and “consumer loyalty.”

http://www.change.org/petitions/tell-scholastic-stop-pushing-corporate-pr-in-classrooms?utm_source=action_alert&utm_medium=email&alert_id=XjZTygzXWR_JMKqNQJEBS

It’s called Scholastic InSchool Marketing –– and it has nothing to do with education.

Here’s how the program works: A corporation gives Scholastic a pile of money. In turn, Scholastic creates a curriculum designed to further “client interests,” cleverly masked as actual learning opportunities for students. (For example, Scholastic sometimes says these materials will help improve students’ scores on standardized tests.)

According to Scholastic, this program reaches more than 66,000 classrooms.

Some terrific groups (including the Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood and Rethinking Schools) are fighting hard to end Scholastic InSchool Marketing. This week, they had a big win when Scholastic agreed to stop selling its “United States of Energy” curriculum (paid for by the American Coal Foundation) which teaches 4th graders about the benefits of coal while hiding all the risks to public health.

Momentum is on their side. Now it’s time to stop this practice for good. Sign the petition today to tell Scholastic to end its insidious InSchool Marketing division:

http://www.change.org/petitions/tell-scholastic-stop-pushing-corporate-pr-in-classrooms

Thanks for taking action,

– Patrick and the Change.org team

~ my 2cents ...

Monday mashup &some News …


So, two weeks without both Chambers of Congress doing the Peoples Business makes me a little unsettled. I wonder what all of us political junkies will do, the weather is very cold here, definitely not spring like and gotta say it makes me think about and I wonder how many left of center members of Congress will support the President’s Budget on camera given what happened last week on the Floors of Congress. I hear some say that they support this President but I have to say the silence from most left of center members of Congress two years ago was and still is a bit much for me as a voter who definitely will vote for Barack Obama in 2012. 

How a Bill Becomes a Law <<

When performing legislative research, it is important to understand the legislative process. The numerous steps that result in a bill becoming a law are described in this 24th edition of “How Our Laws Are Made.”

Failed Promises ?

my take on failed promises? or change to or redirection of promises?

i would say the day the system crashed was the day we all should have hit the re-set button to any campaign pledges that may need a new process to achieve a positive outcome.

… Community Organizer and young Senator Obama watched from the side lines, watching, hearing and knowing the status quo had to change; no financial crisis to speak of but things probably were not as they should be so Presidential Candidate Obama had an agenda for America. It is possible some financial issues are brewing, the house of Bush was focused on the surplus, waging a couple of Wars and giving out tax breaks to what I would say were his friends at least two times.

If we compare and contrast what Bush did to what Candidate for President Obama did, he ideas, his values and visions for America not only seemed far ahead of the Republican Administration but Barack Obama’s other competitors as well. To be sure it is obvious that Barack Obama knew what he wanted to do which included changing the way things are done on the Capitol Hill, Congress. We all know that change takes a while maybe positive change takes years and so does co-operation and as months went by there are more rumblings of financial problems. As more rumors came out about a financial issue some candidates stayed quiet some said our economy was fundamentally strong while others seemed to lose it as more private meetings with candidates became the norm. The political competition, cableheads and or negative noise about candidate Barack Obama started grew stronger. face a lot of criticism from not just the Republican Party but from people from our own party putting out doubt about where he was born, was he an American and did he pal around with terrorists or those questions about his ability to bring in the vote of not only women but white women and men. As all these political debates happen the race card gets pulled out by some if not all candidates who say they want to represent all Americans. As the weeks pass more information about how bad things were started to come out and like everyone else we all started to notice that there were a lot of layoffs happening on a weekly and or monthly basis. I remember the news coverage of employees coming from corporate America companies crying and or leaving the building with boxes or their belongings. While the media dissed candidate Obama, talked about Bush being less available and McCain tells Americans that our economy is still sound and strong though it is clear by his behavior the news is bad. It is also obvious Hillary Clinton opts to say little; seemingly in such shock herself and quite rattled about the financial news of an impending Wall Street crash. It was at that moment that I along with a whole lot of other folks came to believe Hillary did not have what it takes to handle that 3am call not to mention she was engaging in some of that race card nonsense the Republicans were fully engaged in. In my opinion the fact that she even went there was offensive as a democratic candidate for President of the US of A.

In just months before Americans had to vote for President of the United States the House of Bush slowly opened the doors of pain. I believe Americans figured it out themselves long before Bush decided to come clean what with friends, relatives and or neighbors with homes suddenly leaving the area and neighborhoods were definitely emptied and the question that still haunts me is; why did they wait until the next administration was about to be put into place?

Other News …

**Storms in NC kill

**Last day for Taxes

**Japanese voters

**Japanese voters call for prime minister Naoto Kan to step down

**Libyan Rebels Battle Qaddafi Forces as Migrants Flee Misrata

**French minister under ‘attack from Taliban’

**Many dead after Nigerian election protests

**Inflation in China Poses Big Threat to Global Trade

**Libyan forces shell Misrata, 17 killed: rebels

CSPAN

Pakistan Foreign Minister on U.S.-Pakistan Relations … http://c-span.org/Events/Pakistan-Foreign-Minister-on-US-Pakistan-Relations/10737420948/

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A Look at Offshore Drilling and Environmental Regulations … http://c-span.org/Events/A-Look-at-Offshore-Drilling-and-Environmental-Regulations/10737420946/  

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Washington Journal Special Series: National Debt

 http://c-span.org/Events/Washington-Journal-Special-Series-National-Debt/10737420941/

Focus on Bi-partisan Fiscal Commission

~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture

a message from President Obama …”I will not let it happen”


President Obama said this week that any budget that sacrifices a commitment to education is a budget that sacrifices our future:

“And I will not let it happen.”

Here’s why he’s taking a stand:

The cuts in the House Republican budget to education would be devastating for teachers, students, and families — costing 55,000 jobs, slashing financial aid for 8 million college kids, and dropping hundreds of thousands from Head Start, an early-education program proven to help low-income children graduate high school.

This week, the House passed another short-term extension of the federal budget that will fund the government through early April — between now and then, we need to find common ground.

President Obama is committed to commonsense spending cuts that allow us to live within our means without sacrificing key investments that will help us win the future.

With your support today, we can redouble our campaign for a responsible budget as the deadline nears, with OFA volunteers calling lawmakers and hand-delivering petitions to congressional offices.

Together, we’ll work to make sure that every family, principal, teacher, and student across the country understands that critical funding for education is at stake — and what they can do about it.

Please donate $3 or more today to support Organizing for America and fight to protect our investments in education.

http://my.barackobama.com/page/m/55c111e3/6c0d017d/17b04a80c/1188251f/3026681374/VEsH/

House Republicans are proposing reckless cuts that would undo our progress on health reform, prevent the EPA from protecting our air and water, and hurt our economy and job creation.

The cuts are particularly bad for education, and when we’re talking about investing in children and schools, we’re talking about investing in our future.

If the House Republican budget cuts are adopted:

— More than 16,000 classrooms would close;

— 55,000 teachers would lose their jobs;

— Nearly 200,000 pre-kindergarten children would lose access to Head Start; and

— More than 8 million college students currently receiving tuition assistance would see their Pell Grants cut.

The budget the President signs must have bipartisan support, but he’s made it clear it also must invest in — not sacrifice — education.

Anything less is irresponsible and not worthy of our children.

Your support today will ensure all Americans understand what’s at stake. We’ll stand together and support the President as he tries once again to reach common ground with Republicans.

But we need your help.

Please donate $3 or more to support Organizing for America today:

https://donate.barackobama.com/Stand-Up-For-Education

Thanks for standing up for teachers, kids, and jobs.

Mitch

Mitch Stewart

Director