Pride and Prejudice?

After the School Board Meeting on June 26, 2014, I noticed a young parent waiting around with her family. She spoke to her son saying, that is Mrs. Walker. I thought, oh no.

She approached me with her son and introduced the 2 of us. Another Community member was holding her youngest child. The young man stepped forward and told me this:

"I am an Academy student, but I will graduate from Dwight Morrow High School." He spoke with the pride and certainty that has been missing from the graduates of A@E since the first class earned diplomas from our Alma Mater.

Looking at them, I knew that at least one Englewood family understands what our group is trying to do. I hugged both of them and thanked them for the encouragement. That one exchange gave me enough fuel to carry on for a long time.

Join us. Help us dodge the bullets. Join the fight to save our traditions. We value our history. Some of our children are being taught to value their history also.   https://www.facebook.com/CelebrateDMHS

        Adios and Vaya Con Dios

How are the children?

The Englewood Public School District Joins the War on the Impoverished!

Earlier this year, Harley Ungar, an EPSD Board Member made a recommendation that any child in need of urgent intervention, as determined by the STAR RENAISSANCE DIAGNOSTIC TOOL, will be mandated to attend summer school. The district decided without a formal resolution and on the recommendation of a Board Member that these children will  be retained if they do not attend this urgent intervention.

There are problems with this:

1. Recommendations come from the Superintendent, not a school Board Member. 

2. We have not had a Superintendent since July 1 of 2011. This was confirmed in a letter dated April 24, 2014 from the Executive County Superintendent. Even without that obvious problem, there are other issues that must be addressed. 

3. Transportation has not been arranged for the children mandated to attend summer school.

5. Parents who do not have cars and depend on the school bus to transport their children during the school year are being punished for their economic status, yet again.

4. STAR RENAISSANCE is not a STATE MANDATED TEST. 

5. The children must be taught basic skills by the classroom teacher and supported by parents at home. The TEST does not teach.

6. Is the child failing the test or is the school failing the child?

We have 7 school buses that sit in the parking lot of Liberty School. Why are these buses NOT being used to transport the children to school?

The Board is set to spend a million dollars on a maintenance shed (which they claim will not be used for maintenance). It is said that this shed/office building/maintenance garage will house the buses, yet these buses will not be used to transport children to a program mandated by the school district. What exactly will these buses be used to do? We have been asking this same question for over 2 years.

There is something inherently wrong in this type of logic. How does the construction of this shed which has 3 bathrooms (2 with outside access), an office, a break room and a bay for maintenance of vehicles improve student achievement? We have a problem with priorities here. At the same time that students at Quarles are slated to be moved into $200,000 trailers, and the Alternative School Students are in a substandard building that costs over $26,000 per month for 12 months out of the year, we are building a million dollar building to house buses. 

Where are the priorities in EPSD?

How are the children?

WE DEMAND THAT NEW JERSEY INVESTS IN ITS PEOPLE

The War Against Poverty Coalition
Day of Action in Trenton

Thursday, June 26, 2014, 12:00 noon–1:00 p.m.
The State House
125 W State St., Trenton, NJ 08608

WE DID NOT CAUSE THE “BUDGET CRISIS”; WHY SHOULD WE PAY FOR IT?

WE DEMAND AN END TO CORPORATE WELFARE, WE DEMAND SHARED SACRIFICE, WE DEMAND THE REINSTATEMENT OF THE MILLIONAIRES TAX

WE DEMAND THAT NEW JERSEY INVESTS IN ITS PEOPLE:

• Invest in Social Programs that help all who are struggling in today’s economy!
• Invest in Public Education!
• Invest in our Workforce!

Sponsored By:

• War Against Poverty Coalition
• People’s Organization for Progress (POP)
• New Jersey Working Families
• Industrial Union Council
• NAACP, Newark Chapter
• Newark Education Workers (NEW) Caucus
• NOW-NJ
• Central Jersey Coalition Against Endless War
• CWA Local 1081

In Solidarity,

Newark Education Workers Caucus

(NEW Caucus)

We already have one Pond!

To our Business Administrator in training and our highly overpaid Operations Manager:

Our children should not have to walk through a pond as they go from one building to another. There are enough problems with the sharing of facilities as it is. Get the storm drains cleared so they will not be forced to walk through a pond every time it rains. It was too much of a detour to get into the North building from the visitor's parking lot.

Listen to the Children: It is time to Stand Strong, not back away!

May 20, 2014

NEWARK STUDENT UNION OCCUPIES MEETING, STILL SITTING-IN! ‏ 

As of 11:55 tonight, there are 10 members of the Newark Student Union spending the night at 2 Cedar Street in the room where the Advisory Board holds its business meetings.  

After our small but successful rally this afternoon, the students went upstairs, issued their demands and sat down in the floor in the front of the room.  The demands were:

1)  The immediate resignation of Cami Anderson

2)  An immediate halt to One-Newark

3)  Implementation of Newark Promise (the community driven report created over months and presented Saturday)

4)  A meeting with Anderson and NJ Commissioner of Education David Hespe.  

When they were offered the meeting with Anderson and Hespe, but had the other demands refused, they remained seated and refused to leave.  The meeting was ended, the adults all left, and the students controlled the room.  And they still control the room right now.

This is an INSPIRING example of what human beings can do when they show solidarity with each other and work together to fight injustice imposed by the wealthy and powerful!  A small group of students are literally putting their bodies on the gears of power, and stopping those gears from functioning!  

For we adults - often too afraid to take action even when our own profession, reputations, livelihoods and callings are under attack - this action should show us that it is not acceptable to bury our heads in the sand as public education is destroyed!  We hope this will be a call to action for the many adults who have thus far refused to stand up for themselves, their schools, and their students!  

BUT, the students have not eaten much since 6 or 7 pm, and are hungry now.  And, they will be truly hungry in the morning.  AND, they need moral support.  So, if you are at all able and have time in the morning, please help and support these students in any way possible, either materially (food and beverages) or morally (going to 2 Cedar St to show support, or telling friends about their action).  

Please tell friends, family, and colleagues about their fight and their current situation.  They need all the support they can get.  

NEW Caucus stands in solidarity with the Newark Students Union!

How are the children?