"We used to call it segregation. Now we call it failing schools."

[proud2BlibKansan]

Before President Obama appointed Arne Duncan Secretary of Education, Duncan was the CEO of the Chicago Public Schools. Under his control there, Chicago Public Schools endured a relentless wave of privatization, school closings, militarization, union busting and blaming teachers for the problems of urban schools. Now, the war on public education pursued during the Bush administration will only continue and intensify under the new Secretary of Education Duncan. His Chicago Plan, as former teacher and editor of Substance News George Schmidt explains, is the template for a national strategy to dismantle public education. Through revealing footage and comments from Chicago teachers, this video shows the resistance that has been growing among teachers and community organizations.Here is a national alert for everyone who cares about the future of public schools, threatened now by Arne Duncan and his corporate vision for the nation's school systems. 28 minutes. Produced by Labor Beat. Labor Beat is a CAN TV Community Partner. Labor Beat is a non-profit 501(c)(3) member of IBEW 1220. Views are those of the producer Labor Beat. For info: [e-mail], www.laborbeat.org. 312-226-3330. For other Labor Beat videos, visit Google Video, YouTube, or blip.tv and search "Labor Beat".

http://blip.tv/file/2428857

[Catshrink]

1. Thanks for posting this over here.

[proud2BlibKansan]

2. I watched it again

Lots of great quotes in this film. And sad realities.

[Reader Rabbit]

3. Good information

I'm going to send it to my union leadership.

[proud2BlibKansan]

4. Shared it with mine last night

We are scheduling a viewing for our members.

[Starry Messenger]

5. k & r

[stray cat]

6. We currently segregate kids by accepting poorly funded poorly perforrming schools

we would never put up with some of the schools in areas of the inner cities if they were in the suberbs

[proud2BlibKansan]

7. Just shows what happens when we refuse to adequately fund schools

I teach in an 'inner city' school. It is a high performing school that has won awards. And we constantly struggle to fund the programs we know our kids need to succeed. From year to year we watch them thrive while we worry how we will replace this program or that program when the funding runs out at the end of the year. And we wonder which of us will have the time to once again write that 100+ page grant application. Who can afford to take a day off to drive to the state capitol and lobby for the money we should be getting without even having to ask for it.

We have to beg for money that should be coming to our kids as easily as money spent on murdering people halfway around the world.

And now our school is closing. The building is too old. We never got the grant money we needed to put in a/c and modernize the heating system. We couldn't even get the district to replace windows that not only hadn't been opened in years but are so dirty you can't even see out of them.

And in this crappy building for the last several decades kids not only thrived but succeeded in surpassing the expectations of those who believe 'inner city' schools suck.

So you can take your assumption about 'inner city' schools and shove it.

[progressoid]

8. Aw fuck, this is a depressing way to start the week.

I'll forward it to my teacher friends and depress them too

[proud2BlibKansan]

9. Remaining ignorant is worse

[progressoid]

11. Sometimes I wish I could just be a pollyanna and not have to acknowledge

the fact that we have these corporate stooges in places of power.

Just because someone is a Democrat, doesn't mean they are on our side.

[Dinger]

13. "Just because someone is a Democrat, doesn't mean they are on our side."

exactly.

[Fire1]

10. k&r

[teacher gal]

12. K & R

[Eyerish]

14. K&R

[Dinger]

15. "Education's Dying, arne duncan's lying"

"Warmonger"

"Get outta here duncan"


Feelin' the heat arne?


"Edupaneurs"

[proud2BlibKansan]

16. "Edupaneurs"

I love it, love it, love it!!!

[Dinger]

18. "Get Out Of Here duncan!"

LOVE it!:rofl:

[Dinger]

17. "Separate And Unequal"? Fuck That arne, and fuck you

You make me sick arne.

[Dinger]

19. Is There A Transcript Of This?

Awesome video.:patriot:

[proud2BlibKansan]

20. Good question

Let me see what I can find out.

[Dinger]

22. Thanks!

LOTS of info in the video.

[Greyhound]

21. But I thought the good guys were in charge now...

:kick: & R

[Dinger]

28. The Good Guys (Most OF Them) Are Under The Bus (nt)

[Solly Mack]

23. K&R

[ecstatic]

24. We've been waiting for solutions from teachers but

the discussion always starts and ends with how to let every single teacher keep his/her job. Where are the solutions for the actual kids?

[proud2BlibKansan]

25. Well we can start by not closing their schools.

And if you actually believe teachers are outraged because they are losing their jobs, you haven't been paying attention.

[Dinger]

27. Good Points

as always.:)

[Dinger]

26. Broaden The Focus

Instead of making the primary focus teachers (blaming), focus on three very important things to move education forward:

The school (teachers, administrators, support staff)
The community
The home (parents/family)

[proud2BlibKansan]

29. Everyone needs to be held accountable

Not only the teachers.

[proud2BlibKansan]

30. Kick cause it's such an important film

[Boxcar Johnson]

31. Duncan is a corporate lackey

who cares nothing for the students.

He's a careerist vulture.

[Nikki Stone1]

32. It is about dismantling public education

And once the charters take over, and control is centralized at an out-of-state corporate headquarters, parental input will be neutralized. Maybe they'll move their call center to India or the Philippines to deal with angry calls from parents.