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Building connections at Parents Across America forum

February 13, 2011
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Last Monday, February 7th, several members of the Rochester, NY-based Community Education Task Force traveled to downtown Manhattan to participate in the first Parents Across America national forum. Leonie Haimson is the head of Class Size Matters, co-founder of Parents Across America, an NYC parent, and a strong education advocate. Haimson hosted the event and provided excellent details on the numerous speakers at the event who spoke of the myriad issues in education nationally. The keynote speaker, Diane Ravitch, provided an insightful, passionate analysis of where we are in education as well as where we are going.

Powerful testimonies came forward from such advocates as Karran Harper Royal of the Pyramid Community Parent Resource Center and the Southern Poverty Law Center detailed the horrific misuse of the word “choice” in New Orleans:

It was fantastic to listen, learn, and build with the many parents, teachers, and community advocates. Julie Woestehoff of PURE in Chicago gave a scathing review of how high-stakes testing has damaged education in Chicago.

Sue Peters from PAA Seattle also gave a valuable analysis of how venture philanthropy has damaged education in Seattle. Her acute understanding of how both the Gates and Broad Foundations influence educational policy proved telling for us in the audience.

Julie Menin, the chair of Community Board 1 in lower Manhattan also provided an excellent perspective on how overcrowding and the selection of Cathie Black have affected the reality on the ground in the community.

This experience was definately worthwhile, as the movement for resistence and alternatives to the current corporate narrative in education continues to grow.   

from → call for stories, commentary, communities speak, parent stories, parents
2 Comments leave one →
  1. The Reflective Educator permalink
    February 21, 2011 1:47 pm

    It was a cool event. I wish I’d known you were there. I should have shook your hand.

    Reply
  2. speakup permalink
    February 27, 2011 10:17 am

    speakup2011@yahoo.com
    PLEASE HELP us, we don’t have much time. Every year this Tyrant, expels half of the yearly class in order to make her charter school look good. She only lets the kids that she likes take the reagents exams, and they mysteriously pass all of their test. The other kids of the parents that ask questions about the school, get low or failing grades. The teachers don’t understand why the best students fail the regents or their classes.

    At this time of the year Dr. Elaine Ruiz Lopez. There is to much to explain in a short time. Please look at some of this.

    http://charterschoolscandals.blogspot.com/2010/07/international-leadership-charter-school.html

    http://www.endteacherabuse.org/Rodriguez.html

    http://www.nydailynews.com/ny_local/bronx/2007/05/11/2007-05-11_principal_quits_after_kids_picket-1.html

    There is much more, and many parents that want to get to together, but DR. Lopez, keeps check of the internet. If any kid or parents puts up any negative info about The International Leadership Charter School in the Bronx.
    She, DR. Lopez calls the chilled into office and tells them that they better take off that info from the internet or they will be expelled from school.

    Dr. Lopez also tell the parents how she puts up restraining orders on teachers and parents that try to speak up against her. Some parents went to the board of trustees against the CEO DR. Elaine Ruiz Lopez, and their children were expelled from school with only a few months left to graduate.

    WE NEED THE HELP OF PARENTS ACROSS AMERICA
    WE HAVE TO KEEP OUR IDENTITY SECRET.

    speakup2011@yahoo.com

    Reply

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