Newark students staging BOE sit in to defend their public schools.

[madfloridian]

Raucous school board meeting held in Newark over control of public schools

NEWARK (WABC) --
Students in Newark held a sit-in Tuesday night after being kept out of a school board meeting.

The students, along with some parents and teachers, went to the board with demands for control of their public schools, something they haven't had in years.

..The students took over the Newark Board of Education meeting, demanding the removal of state-appointed schools superintendent Kami Anderson and more local control.

...The board's policy was apparently to starve the students out, refusing to allow food to get to the students they are there to serve.

Food was finally brought in and "the students vowed to stay through the night as their supporters lined the streets outside. "

You can follow them at Twitter:

Newark Student Union

There is also a link to their Facebook page at Twitter.

There are more comments and pictures at the hashtag #OccupyNPS

[Luminous Animal]

1. Nice!

[madfloridian]

2. Newark may lay off more than 1000 teachers. No wonder they are upset.

http://dianeravitch.net/2014/03/01/newark-plans-to-lay-off-more-than-1000-teachers/

Teachers, students, and parents protested the decision by Superintendent Cami Anderson to lay off about a third of the teachers in Newark, NJ, more than 1,000.

Anderson plans to close many public schools and replace them with charter schools.

Anderson did not attend the meeting of the elected advisory board –and has announced that she will no longer attend such meetings–because she did not like the tone of the last meeting, where residents vented their rage against her and her plan for greater privatization.

Newark has been under state control since 1995. Anderson was appointed by the Chris Christie administration, which favors privatization.

[daleanime]

3. Just teachers, nothing important....

[madfloridian]

4. That seems to be the general attitude.

That Cami seems like a real piece of work.

[oneofthe99]

5. What is so bad about Charter schools?

They are still supported by tax dollars and you can send your child to a better school

[madfloridian]

6. Don't get me started.

....trust me you do not want to get me started.

On 2nd thought:

More charter school problems in FL. Where's the oversight of taxpayer money?
http://www.democraticunderground.com/10024282410

Four states, 4 examples of charter schools fraud. Oversight needed badly.
http://www.democraticunderground.com/10024106466

Labor board decides Chicago charter school is really private, subject to private sector laws.
http://www.democraticunderground.com/10022121286

This is how they are declaring schools "failing" so they can be turned into charter schools.
http://www.democraticunderground.com/10024966712

Forcing brain damaged students to take the same test as everyone else and counting their scores with the others.
http://www.democraticunderground.com/10024956116

Turkish charter schools, Harmony, finalist for 30 million from Race to the Top federal money.
http://www.democraticunderground.com/10022131852

States are being forced by Arne to raise the number of charter schools or lose millions in federal money.
http://www.democraticunderground.com/10024939550

When FL charters close money doesn't get back to the public schools.
http://www.democraticunderground.com/10024934579

One testing company put a gag order on teachers to keep them from talking about how sorry the tests are that calls schools failures and turns them over to charters.
http://www.democraticunderground.com/10024882119

Florida's largest charter school under investigation.
http://www.democraticunderground.com/10024854017

The kind of testing that fails public schools so they can be turned into charters run by private companies.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/10024848990

Thank you, Raul Grijalva: Obama’s Market-Based Policies Endanger Public Education.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/10024843639

"we have not spoken earlier, as we are a staff that exists in fear of bullying, retaliation...

http://www.democraticunderground.com/10024832541

White Hat Charter schools got about 1 billion from Ohio, claimed public property as theirs

http://www.democraticunderground.com/10024800260

Arne Duncan complicit as forces of privatization take over public schools.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/10024752043

NY legislature: Charter schools get free space in public schools. Hostile takeover of public arenas?

http://www.democraticunderground.com/10024751666

Build an F-Rated Charter School? WITHOUT Approval? Only in Florida. From Daily Kos today.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/10024694215

Eva Moskowitz moves charter school into another public school's space, boots them from classrooms.

http://journals.democraticunderground.com/madfloridian/6703

FL gave $25 million to pro-profit charter schools for non-attending students in 2006-2007

http://www.democraticunderground.com/10024472708

Online charter school, K12, got 730.8 million from taxpayers in 2013. Teacher speaks out.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/10024291075

That's just a few things.

[oneofthe99]

7. I never researched it before

and I see there are fraud cases but there are close to 6000 charter schools
and I'm sure the vast majority are not having those problems.

I could say look at the fraud that happened where I live in the state department of transportation

It doesn't mean the entire department is corrupt and for the most part they do a good job keeping our roads
and bridges in good shape.

We could also say the same thing about our federal government but we don't say lets all stop paying taxes
when there is fraud uncovered

[madfloridian]

8. They are taking resources from public schools.

Then those public schools are tested to death or tested until they are deemed failures and closed.

Part of Obama's ed policy is calling for "turnarounds". Public schools deemed as failures have options, one of which is being closed, another is that all teachers are fired, and still another is to be "turned around" into a charter run by a management company.

Yes, there are some good charter schools run by districts, but the billionaires took over and blind-sided everyone. It's like a steam-roller.

Unintended consequences of poor policy made by people who know nothing about education.

[Jakes Progress]

10. You should research.

You spoke in support of something without knowing what kind of thing you were lending your support. If you are serious about this, you could do no better than to look at anything Madfloridian provides. No one on DU is better informed about education issues. She is passionate and informed.

Truly. Take a look at the wealth of links she gave. Don't fall for the PR put out by the people who really want more charter schools, the neo-con elite.

Madfloridian will always give a reasoned and well-supported argument if that is what you want. I agree with her, but I can't be counted on for anything other than knee-jerk snark. I lack her hope. I lack her patience. Follow her, and you will be in good hands.

[Starry Messenger]

9. k&r