Friday, December 08, 2006

Oakland/SF Bay Area Teachers, Parents, Activists Challenge the Crisis in Public Education

Oakland 12/9 - SF Bay Area teachers, parents and educational justice leaders from the Oakland Education Association and other groups are gathering to discuss and strategize on addressing the crisis in public education.

HIGHLIGHTS: Herb Kohl keynote; noted education authors: Gray Brechin and Kathy Emery, and the Rockin' Solidarity Labor Heritage Choir
Sat. Dec. 9, at the Laney College Forum,
9:15 a.m. - 3:45 p.m

Schedule
8:30 – 9:15 Registration, Coffee and Pastries
9:15 – 10:15 Opening Plenary (Forum)
Welcome – Elnora Webb (VP of Instruction, Laney College)
Introduction – Betty Olson-Jones (OEA President)
Keynote Address – Herb Kohl (author and education activist)
Overview & Education Timeline – Harvey Smith (OEA)
10:25 - 11:35 Session I Workshops (3) - Funding, Privatization, Criminal Justice
Economic Issues & School Policy/Funding of Education Panel (Rm. A239)
Prop. 13/Resource Allocation – Niru Jayaraman (California Budget Project) Organizing to Revise NCLB – Harold Berlak (author and education activist)
Privatization of Higher Education – Gray Brechin (author)
Corporate Oakland & Port of Oakland – Bob Mandel (OEA)
Combatting Corporatizations/Privatization Panel (Rm. A120)
ESEA/NCLB– Manny Lopez (OEA)
High Stakes Testing – Kathy Emery ( San Francisco Freedom School)
History of State Takeover/ /Democratic Control – Dan Siegel ( Oakland School Board)
Vouchers/Charters/Foundations/Corporations – Jack Gerson (OEA)
Criminal Justice/Prisons/ Military-Industrial Complex Panel (Rm. A140)
Prison-Industrial Complex – Nat Smith (Critical Resistance)
Youth and Prisons – Zachary Norris (Books Not Bars)
Counter-Recruitment – Escenthio Marigny and Aurora Castellano
Youth Organizing – George Galvis (Youth Together) and Big Dan (Youth Uprising)
11:45 - 12:55 Session II Workshops (3) - Funding, Privatization, Racism
Economic Issues & School Policy/Funding of Education Panel (Rm. A239)
Repeat of Session I Workshop
Combatting Corporatizations/Privatization Panel (Rm. A120)
Repeat of Session I Workshop
Institutional Racism Panel (Rm. 140)
Youth Organizing – Big Dan (Youth Uprising)
Push-Outs – Jonah Zern (Education Not Incarceration)
Williams Case – Michelle Rodriguez (Public Advocates)
Immigrant Rights – Allison Davenport (Centro Legal de la Raza)
12:55 - 1:40 Lunch
1:40 - 2:50 Session III Workshops (2) - Media, View from the Ground
A View from the Ground Panel (Rm. A120)
RBB, School Closures, Program Cuts – Steve Miller (OEA)
Parents and Students – Henry Hitz ( Oakland Parents Together)
Small Schools – Craig Gordon (OEA)
Community – ACORN
Media Coverage Panel (Rm. A239)
Louis Freedberg (SF Chronicle)
Katy Murphy (Oakland Tribune)
Jessie Allen-Taylor (Berkeley Daily Planet)
2:50 – 3:05 The Rockin' Solidarity Labor Chorus (Forum )
3:05 - 3:45 Closing: Vision for the Future (Forum)
OEA Statement – Betty Olson-Jones
AFSCME Morris Tatum
AFT Ana Turetsky

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

are these the same turkeys that couldn't figure out which teachers were really on the payroll a few years back and made everyone show up on a payday to pick up a check?

give me a break!

get your own house in order before you criticize anyone else in public service

you have ZERO credibility!!!

Eric Mar said...

the oakland unified school district's problems were from the central office - from the superintendent and management. new school board members like david kakishiba, gary yee, greg hodge, others had no involvement in the financial mess. it seems to me the teachers are often scapegoated for problems caused by mananagement.