(photo credit: Becky Vevea, WBEZ)
- 50 Action Now members left Sunday morning on a bus to Washington D.C. for the 2nd “Journey For Justice” to speak out against school closings, turnarounds and other corporate education reform strategies. Action Now is joining community organizations from 18 different cities that are convening at the Capitol to rally and testify at the Department of Education Hearing on Civil Rights on January 29th. The topic of the hearing is “The Impact Of Closing (Turnarounds, Phase-Outs, Restarts, Co-Locations) Of Neighborhood, Community Based Schools In 18 Cities Across The United States.”
Parents, students, teachers and community residents in low-income black and brown neighborhoods are the real stakeholders in the fight for public education. Action Now President Michelle Young is a Local School Council President and will be one of the parents testifying at the hearing.
WBEZ 91.5 FM, “Chicago activists speak out against school-closings at D.C. hearing”
- Marsha Godard’s fight against charter school fines has also continued to gain traction in the press. She was featured in a discussion on HuffPost Live about charter schools charging parents money as a way to enforce “discipline.”
Marsha Godard telling her story on HuffPost Live
Huffington Post, “Marsha Godard, Chicago Mother, Fined Over $3,000 For Son’s Behavior At Noble Network Charter School”
The Inquistr, “Mother Enraged Over School Fines Exceeding $3,000 In Disciplinary Fees”
Diane Ravitch’s Blog, “Chicago Charter Fines Mom $3,000 for Her Son’s Misbehavior”
MSNBC, “As funding debate continues, parents still divided on charter schools”
“Godard said, in her perspective, the only difference between public schools and charter schools is that the charters are being funded more. According to the Chicago Public Schools’ 2013 budget, charter schools will see a 13% increase in funding this year. Noble Network, a Chicago network of charter schools that includes Chicago Bulls College Prep, is expected to receive $69.9 million. On the other hand, traditional public schools, according to WBEZ Chicago, are expected to lose millions in funding in 2013.”
- Action Now parent Lisa Russell’s story has also gone public in the Chicago Teachers Union’s video “The TRUTH In Black And White” about the fight to save our schools!
