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Why I Joined People’s Congress

By On · Add Comment · In Political Education

Why I volunteer at the People’s Congress

WEB DuBoisThe People’s Congress serves as a framework for a call to action and an invitation to participate as a large civic coalition for any American.

The People’s Congress is building a collective of United States citizens responsibly fulfilling their collective civil duty to re-evaluate the “checks and balances” of our nation’s laws. It is now critical that citizens collectively assert their constitutional rights through civic-minded political actions. People’s Congress focuses on eliminating corporate abuses that has unbalanced the social, political and economical power of citizens. Such corporate abuses such as: tax havens, tax holidays and exporting jobs; increased corporate profits while silencing the voice of the average citizen in congress.

The People’s Congress endeavors to be an effective tool for precipitating change and making lasting social, political and economic reforms expeditiously.

The goal is to improve and expand our constitutional republic into a democracy that better serves the common interest of ALL citizens.

Guidelines must be amended to create and sustain equilibrium in the framework of United States governance, policies and campaigns. Amended governance is important because such governance guides our constitutional republic through the legislative, judicial and executive branches. Although all three branches of the government are run by United States citizens, the majority of these individuals are economically affluent and less likely to identify with and understand the current dire state of the average U. S. Citizen’s prospects for survival, not to mention posterity.

Rosa Parks

A clear example that proves that you don't need to be in an official position to impact history.

As it stands today, the People’s Congress is an event that will take place on the Mall of Washington D. C. and as an organization/coalition for citizen’s rights.

While the People’s Congress is currently only a few people networking with other organizations, the overall approach is to give typical citizens a better platform to influence the outcome of rules and regulations that affect their lives on social, political and economic issues.

The leader, John Mulkins, is intent on getting input from all individuals and organizations that will lead to policies that reflect the diversity or “melting pot” of modern day America.

When you review the site, http://www.peoplescongress.org, you will see links that talk about what the fledgling organization endeavors to be as an organized coalition, and what it plans to do over the next year in anticipation of America’s big 2012 election.

For the event, Mr. Mulkins intends to have the people do teach-ins and workshops over the course of a week to acquire direct input/feedback on important issues that impact everyone living in the United States. The work is currently underway and People’s Congress is seeking individuals to outline how to effectively accomplish this event and deliver feedback to the United States Congress directly from “we the people.”

"Government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth."

"Government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth." --Gettysburg Address, November 19th, 1963

While some argue that this may take longer than a week, and some believe a week is sufficient, the contrast of opinion is that which makes participating in the People’s Congress absolutely necessary. The steering committee is being assembled with invitations to organizers and organizations as this editorial is being written. So if you are interested, I encourage you to go to the website and register as an attendee, organizer, organization or  participant.

Please come join in and add your voice to the mission, vision and goals of an organization aimed at bringing the balance that many Americans had come to expect of American governance. This organization reminds me of Lincoln, “Government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.” So step forward and look at the goals or “deliverables.”

The “Deliverables”:

  • The Goals and Framework of People's Congress are developing nicely, consider contributing your voice.

    The Goals and Framework of People's Congress are developing nicely, consider contributing your voice.

    Corporate governance:

  • Election Reform:
    • Redistricting
    • Voting Rights Act of 1965
    • Electoral College
    • Hand Counted Paper Ballots
  • Restoring our media
  • Transparency in policy-making

The gap between citizens who have amassed more wealth and those who have limited financial means is now an economic canyon. Not only are there over 25 million people out of work or underemployed, but it leaves very little space for youth to get a job as adults in the American workforce are accepting employment well under their qualifications just to be employed. This does not even touch on the scores of Americans with no health insurance, while over-privileged leaders like Paul Ryan rally a battle cry to destroy medicare.

In other news,  poor people in Florida are now being required to pay to take a drug test to receive financial help and social services. they will be reimbursed later, provided they pass the test. I don’t know many people who plan to be that broke. Chances are, not being able to pay for a drug test is just another way to oppress people with limited economic means. This type of policy, reminds me of the Jim and Jane Crow laws in parts of this country that were crafted specifically to disenfranchise voters of African descent. As we all know, social and economic discrimination impacts people in America in many of the same aspects as race or ethnicity.

People’s Congress is definitely a good choice for me right now because I am hoping that it will help me solve some mysteries. I want to know why I am required to pay premium prices while receiving substandard treatment. Is that to much to ask?

The Stanford Center for the study of poverty and inequity outlines how the region is impacted by the deep recession we are currently experiencing in America. A recession especially highlighted in California with nearly 12% unemployment which is considerably higher if you happen to be a person of color.  In fact, Heidi Shierholz from the Economic Policy Institute states that unemployment among Black  people is twice as high that their white counterparts in the video, “The long road back to full employment.”  Ms. Shierholz says there are, “five unemployed workers for every job,” yet there is still debate about whether or not to extend unemployment benefits for those who cannot find a job. Ms. Shierholz also says that our economic growth is on pause because unemployment is going back up. We need governance reform because the natives are growing more restless with each passing day.

People's Congress could be an excellent solution for making government more accountable to its constituents.

People's Congress could be an excellent solution for making government more accountable to its constituents.

The phrase, "WE the people should," should not include the unequal financial influence of corporations!

The phrase, "WE the people should," should not include the unequal financial influence of corporations!

The Union perspective has been outlined by the AFLCIO pretty well. Take a look at it here. People’s Congress members seem to be talking to many other coalition and is building each day. So instead of joining yet another protest, there is concrete work to be done in the nature of teach-ins that will empower the people of the nation to take back the power that has been bestowed upon them with the constitution and all of its subsequent amendments. The meeting with other coalitions, the commitment to researching and sharing best practices, and the organizing of a culminating event that is both productive and festive seems like a good choice to me.

The Peoples Congress is a framework designed to develop and articulate specific legislation, which increases transparency and representation in government.  We hope to become an effective hub for organizations committed to specific political reforms because we believe the current approach towards dissent is ineffective. I like doing organizing with US uncut here in California locally, but I also think that clever protests is only half of the battle for me. So while I am watching and collaborating with both programs, I am seeing lots of issues where they overlap with each other and many other grass-roots coalitions nation-wide. As a matter of fact, US Uncut California will be protesting at Apple on Saturday,  June 4th, 2011. This will be a national day of action!

Of course none of this would be necessary if leaders in both parties had not betrayed most Americans by giving outrageous tax breaks to the wealthy while allowing tax havens to save the largest corporations billions of dollars in the American budget. An amount equal to the cuts that are causing our nation to figuratively flatline. So, it seems that the easiest solution for our so called leaders is to cut the services to the people who don’t have the money or lobbyist to stop them. While our nation pays tens of thousands of dollars to warehouse prisoners and less than 10 k in most states per pupil on education; budget cuts are easy as taking candy from a baby.

Even if you don’t fancy yourself a singer, it is time to add your voice to the collective chorus. I joined People’s Congress because I am ready to fight besides those that know that we are going to fight smarter for the sake of the so called “middle-class.” Well, austerity, tax cuts for the rich and a media that is being pimped by the corporations has already shouted “class-dismissed.”

Martin Luther King Jr.

Martin Luther King Jr.


“Every gun that is made, every warship launched, every rocket fired, represents, in the final analysis, a theft from those who hunger and are not fed, who are cold and are not clothed. This world in arms is not spending money alone. It is spending the sweat of its laborers, the genius of its scientists, the hopes of its children.” – President Dwight Eisenhower

This is a living article and will be edited and changed as my involvement moves forward. Stay Tuned!

Corporations and First Amendment Rights

By On · Add Comment · In Banking History, Facebook Response, Political Education 
“History records that the money changers have used every form of abuse, intrigue, deceit, and violent means possible to maintain their control over governments by controlling money and it’s issuance.”
— James Madison

This fight is much older than the United States...please watch the Money Masters: Its long and dull but the facts are pretty good.
The Banks and other powerful corporations, who are owned by the richest families do not care about equality or sustainability of society as long as they get what they want, YOUR MONEY! 

The media used to be in charge of disseminating information to the public but as corporations have grown they have purchased the media, installed lobbyist and used in house lawyers to draft policies that privatize the profits and socialize the losses through taxes. Many will argue that the tax laws (16th amendment) that were passed while many congress members were missing, was another critical moment most people don't discuss). 

The reason this is crucial was because in 1913 the federal reserve act was passed and this very private company called the "Federal Reserve" began a beguiling transfer of wealth that culminated into the economic Armageddon we are experiencing today. 

Considering the fact that we don't really know who the "federal reserve" is, the citizens united vs the FEC decision opened the flood gates, giving corporations unprecedented power in the governance of the United States through campaign contributions. So Corporations that don't even reside in the united states can use money as "free speech." In our current system, corporations are considered persons for the purpose of gathering wealth, yet they are not held accountable for ethics or policies that cause long term and short term destruction of earths resources and the social political and economic infrastructure that is the foundation of western civilization.

The biggest scandal is the participation of Defense contractors like Lockheed and Martin, Haliburton, McDonnell Douglass, and many more who get "no-bid" contracts that are non competitive
 and therefore against the interest of citizens because it is not the best possible price on the goods and or services. So when Donald Rumsfeld is the Defense secretary and he decides to give this multi-billion dollar contract to Haliburton he can be assured that it will pay off in the future because at that time the vice president was Dick Cheney who we all know was the CEO of Haliburton before he ran to become the vice president of the united States. Since Chaney still owned Stock, he was still getting money. 

This is talked about at http://peoplescongress.org

Now if the majority of these back door deals are taking place amongst conservative war mongers, the transfer of wealth ultimately becomes an easy ticket for socially engineering our country by making jobs scarce, working conditions miserable and extracting civil liberties from citizens. So our only option is to remove money from the election process. This way the voice of the people becomes paramount not who can spend the most on commercial advertising. ALL tv networks and media have to become outlets for equal commercials for free to all candidates so that politicians spend all their time meeting the needs of the people not 1/3 of the time raising the money to run for re-election.

of course there is WAY more to this. But this is the quick and dirty answer. http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-515319560256183936

http://www.storyofstuff.org/movies-all/story-of-citizens-united-v-fec/

http://www.storyofstuff.org/movies-all/story-of-broke/
Say no to corporate take over of communities through charter schools!

The Thin Line Between Tragedy and Comedy!

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The trifecta that is the prison, military and educational industrial systems has just reached an all time low. Besides the countless Americans that are unemployed and in debt over their collective head, Ithaca School Superintendent, Nathan Bootz, has just spelled out how broke down our nation’s systems of governance has become. In the Superintendent’s message to Governor Snyder of Michigan, he asks to the point of supplication to transform a school into a prison.

National Per Pupil SpendingIn California, according to California Budget Bites, California rank 47th in per pupil spending.

Bootz’s argument, better funding and a much better cared for population.
While I take the subject matter of his letter very seriously, one cannot help but notice the tone of ridicule that is aimed at all of us in America with respect to how our priorities are all wrong. Local organizations such as Ella Baker Center have been fighting to provide an alternative to prison while developing programs that reduce the risk of incarceration among youth. Meanwhile, long time activist Angela Davis has written extensively on how the prison industrial complex does not “rehabilitate” anyone and should be dismantled.

Dear Governor Snyder,

In these tough economic times, schools are hurting. And yes, everyone in Michigan is hurting right now financially, but why aren’t we protecting schools? Schools are the one place on Earth that people look to to “fix” what is wrong with society by educating our youth and preparing them to take on the issues that society has created.

One solution I believe we must do is take a look at our corrections system in Michigan. We rank nationally at the top in the number of people we incarcerate. We also spend the most money per prisoner annually than any other state in the union. Now, I like to be at the top of lists, but this is one ranking that I don’t believe Michigan wants to be on top of.

Consider the life of a Michigan prisoner. They get three square meals a day. Access to free health care. Internet. Cable television. Access to a library. A weight room. Computer lab. They can earn a degree. A roof over their heads. Clothing. Everything we just listed we DO NOT provide to our school children.

This is why I’m proposing to make my school a prison. The State of Michigan spends annually somewhere between $30,000 and $40,000 per prisoner, yet we are struggling to provide schools with $7,000 per student. I guess we need to treat our students like they are prisoners, with equal funding. Please give my students three meals a day. Please give my children access to free health care. Please provide my school district Internet access and computers. Please put books in my library. Please give my students a weight room so we can be big and strong. We provide all of these things to prisoners because they have constitutional rights. What about the rights of youth, our future?!

Please provide for my students in my school district the same way we provide for a prisoner. It’s the least we can do to prepare our students for the future…by giving our schools the resources necessary to keep our students OUT of prison.

Respectfully submitted,

Nathan Bootz
Superintendent
Ithaca Public Schools

After reading the letter, I too would like to know why we spend so much money building and running prisons; yet so little money to keep our schools infrastructure and technology current enough to create a competent, and dare I say, competitive work-force?

This teacher is a champion for equality

Fallen Angels: Do Corporations Benefit From Demonizing Teachers?

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Teachers are the lock and key vessels that empower many socio-economically marginalized citizens.
There are various types of teachers but for the sake of argument I will stick to two types of teachers. The type of teacher that is a strictly outcomes-based, content standards militant; the type that can create critical thinkers using a variety of methods and still manage to produce students that achieve the high test scores mandated by the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (NCLB). The former is often a gate-keeper of the status-quo and the latter is often that person in your life that teaches you how to find your own voice and think independently and objectively. While I think the definitions of content standards was a positive contribution to education, I believe that teaching towards tests may be producing a nation of disengaged, processed oriented citizens who don’t critique details or question things when they don’t make sense.

Having the right teacher at the right time can make or break a positive relationship with education. The right teacher could inspire the fire necessary to make it through the k-12 system; leaving students with enough momentum and skill to make it through college and perhaps become life-long learners. This support is that which most parents with limited resources hope for in a public education knowing that such support is not guaranteed. Since the right teachers can impart: effective study skills, study habits, and knowledge, why are teachers in the United States not valued?

If the saying “Knowledge is power,” still means that information, education, wisdom or skill will provide a person or group with the tools necessary to “even the playing field,” then it stands to reason why there are so many nefarious forces attacking teachers, their unions and supporters.
Education on history and economics holds the potential to politically shift the amount of active and engaged citizens who can champion the ideals of civil rights equality to an organic peak that will create and sustain actual equality.

One would imagine that many people would like that?

WRONG!

Face facts, civil rights has had a long, vicious history that has often ended with the violent death of some prominent leaders in recent history:

  • John F. Kennedy (May 29, 1917 – November 22, 1963)
  • Malcolm X AKA El-Hajj Malik El-Shabazz (May 19, 1925 – February 21, 1965)
  • Martin Luther King (January 15, 1929 – April 4, 1968)

An influential person like John Lennon could easily be added to this list as a “non-credentialed” voice for general world unity and human rights. If you listen to the lyrics of the song “Imagine,” one could easily see John’s perspective. Yet,  it is believed that Lennon was assassinated by a “crazed fan.” Of course, many people suspect that foul play may have played a role in his untimely departure, but I suppose we will never be sure.

The common thread of leadership and teaching through example among the mentioned voices leaned towards equality and human rights above politics and economics. This in theory would sound great to people who grow up in less than ideal conditions, but imagine what this must sound like to people who have been raised in a family with generations of wealth and privilege. You are asking me to believe that there would be much tolerance for the working class at the decision making table that is Congress, when most people in America turn their nose up to rival schools? I believe that this has become a part of America’s culture that we should consider re-thinking.

I have had a hard time with the idea that the majority of people who make decisions that impact people in my neighborhood come from homes and neighborhoods that could not possibly make appropriate decisions that balance our social, political and economic needs with ethical integrity. A brief look at our history supports that. Although the Brown Vs Board of Education decision of 1954 reversed the Plessy Vs Ferguson case that legalized segregation in 1896, it would take several more cases and military intervention on a federal level to actually uphold and enforce the concept of equality.

Any good teacher knows that it is not enough to teach pupils about such cases without providing the context of what it takes to uphold a law. The United States got its first big lesson with the Emancipation Proclamation, Civil War, and subsequent 13th Amendment. Sure, a lot of people still think that Abe Lincoln “freed the slaves,” and this was a nice thing for the Black people who were not part of the southern confederacy. However, a large population of people of African descent resided in the south at that time. Some sources say between 65,000 and 120,000 free and slave black men actually participated (not to mention women). Many were in labor roles or participated as musicians. Some sources say 13,000 were actually in battle for the confederacy along with some Cherokee and Chocktaw Native Americans. However, when the war ended and the 13 Amendment was enacted, Jim and Jane Crow laws immediately popped up to take away or limit the civil rights Black people. Poll taxes, grandfather clauses and lynchings were used to reinforce the second class citizenship of people of color. At this point, I am failing to see the difference between modern day austerity and the uncivilized policies that the USA has insisted is in our past.

This teacher is a champion for equality

Ida B Wells is an excellent example of a teacher that empowered her students and communities and made a difference. After the emancipation and subsequent death of her parents and a sibling from yellow fever, Wells became a teacher and champion for women’s rights and civil rights. Eventually this teacher became known as “The princess of the press.” Wells, a teacher that lost her job for writing articles about civil rights, organized opposition to lynchings and became part owner of a newspaper. Wells was one of the founding members of the NAACP and a fierce organizer in the women’s suffrage movement; she even refused to march in the back with other black delegates. Ms. Wells made it clear in her writing that lynchings were used as a tool to prevent people of color from exercising their civil rights. One of Ida B Wells last actions was to campaign for racial equality in the United States Army during the First World War. This included publicizing the execution of black soldiers, often for minor offenses. So I can see how people who may not want to share civil power may want to disenfranchise teachers because Wells is a positive example of what a teacher can do to the plutocracy.

Elizabeth Warren is a perfect example of the economics teacher that represents a “threat” to Wall Street and its banking Masters. Elizabeth Warren is the main proponent of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. Warren has been fighting for a watchdog organization for the working class for many years. Apparently she is so effective that the draconian powers in the current power structure did everything possible to keep her from heading that organization. Elizabeth Warren was passed over as this organization’s leader. Former Ohio Attorney General Richard Cordray was nominated instead as the leader to this organization; Professor Warren promises to be a part of that fight to bring more equity to financial matters in the United States. Only now she is doing that by running for congress.

I can see why Banking advocates would not want her. This educator and advocate identifies how income went up for married couples when women went into the work force in the 70′s. Warren also demonstrates how the average male actually makes $800 per month less than his father did after you adjust for inflation. Professor Warren provides a great discussion on how savings went down to zero while revolving debt (credit) went up very high. A typical 3 bedroom 1 bathroom increased 76% to rent/mortgage for housing. Housing is being built for the top 20% of the nation, no longer is housing being built as fast at an entry-level price. Warren also identifies that health care has gone up 74% after inflation adjusted dollars. I won’t even explore the 52% increase in money spent on cars. Childcare can be seen as a 100% or 1000% increase depending on how you look at it. After all you cannot “divide by zero.” The video above explains this in painful detail and runs for nearly an hour and is worth your time.

It is horrible when you consider that the National Education Association (NEA) claims, “An analysis of decennial Census data clearly shows that over the past 60 years the annual pay teachers receive has fallen sharply in relation to the annual pay of other workers with college degrees.”

Finances historically have a social and political impact on the shaping of policy and law so this is very important. Since the Citizens United Vs. the Federal Election Commission decision now treats the money of large corporation as “political speech” in elections, it is especially important to have bureaus that will have the people’s interest in mind. The decision also does not limit the amount of money that they can contribute to a campaign nor do they have t0 identify who they are or which country they came from. However, if you are an American you are only allowed to contribute about $2,500 per candidate with limits placed on how much they can be given on a state, local and national scale. See details here. See Building the CFPB: A Progress Report.

There are wonderful activist teachers that inform us all of the problems, offer solutions and hope that we either act on what they are teaching or do our own research and come up with alternative ways to solve these problems.

The majority of teachers come from middle-class or historically “class-mobile” families. Therefore disenfranchising teachers means that you are effectively disenfranchising everyone who is not “rich” including the working/middle-class, “underclass,” and impoverished families disproportionately. So fighting for the middle-class fractures the struggle of the working-class in general because working class people historically have been the allies of the most marginalized citizens. After all, if I am jobless or working in a position that pays next to nothing (read: education), I am much less likely to do any charitable work if I have bill collectors after me. We are now a two-class society. If you don’t see that your head may be in the sand or you may be living in a proverbial “ivory tower.” Professor Warren wants us to align our education, political interests and alliances to make a more solid middle class; one more capable of helping themselves and advocating for those less fortunate.

One of the first quotes you learn about power is that “power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely.”
Knowing we live in a world heavily influenced by business interest that often have reverence for Niccolò Machiavelli, Milton Friedman and “free market” capitalism, it is no wonder teachers and unions have fallen out of favor. After all the basic law of supply and demand mandates that if there is too much supply then the value of your commodity goes down. So jobs being exported to other countries gives the people at the top more power. Less jobs means more competition in the labor market for jobs that provide less wages, benefits and concern for safety regulations. This is devastating if you don’t have a job and tragic if you do. If you have a job, you are more likely to be betrayed by co-workers or in the very least be caught up in a conspiracy of silence when management is being abusive or unjust due to the fact that very few will speak out for fear of losing their own job. And who do you think is likely to bring this to your attention? Your teacher, professors and activists, those who want you to have a voice and learn to speak out when conditions in your environment are out of integrity. The Economic Policy Institute says that unemployment is 9.3% and about 25% among African Americans. Please watch Heidi Shierholz spell it out in the video below.

money_transfer2

Money Masters & Relevant Quotes

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Thomas Jefferson

Thomas Jeffers"I sincerely believe that banking establishments are more dangerous than standing armies, and that the principle of spending money to be paid by posterity, under the name of funding, is but swindling futurity on a large scale."Thomas Jefferson

 

“History records that the money changers have used every form of abuse, intrigue, deceit, and violent means possible to maintain their control over governments by controlling money and it’s issuance.”
— James Madison

 

“You are a den of vipers and thieves. I intend to rout you out, and by the eternal God, I will rout you out.”

–Andrew Jackson: To delegation of
bankers discussing the
Bank Renewal Bill, 1832

 

 

The Video below is VERY long. However, it will teach you a lot about the banking system that everyone in the industrialized “western world” should know.

 

Resources:

http://www.stanford.edu/group/scspi/cgi-bin/facts.php

http://www.truthorfiction.com/rumors/j/jefferson-banking.htm

http://www.goodreads.com/quotes/show/161878

http://millercenter.org/president/events/07_10

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bank_War

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Introduction to WordPress

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This is a brief introduction on how to use the tools of the OyaKali Website.

The site is in pre-production, so the quality of the video tutorials and explanations will improve as we go along.

#1

#2

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@Rachel on Schools

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@Rachel, I know this school and the guy who runs it makes a fascist from old world Italy look like a pacifist hippy with Birkenstock on in people’s park.
While I agree that No Child Left Behind (NCLB act of 2001) is a bunch of (expletive), administrators who run charter schools can become egocentric megalomaniacs.

The one I worked for also had a Napoleon complex. What I see is more people get cut out of education while the level of responsibility and expectations of the schools increase. How does this work when you start with a staff of 100 then you have 70? It means everyone else has to pick up the slack and usually the administration does not have the time or inclination to re-do all of the job requirements of each position so that you can evaluate everyone effectively.

Evaluation cannot be used as a one way street to punish, it is also to be used to recognize individual and group accomplishments. People need to know what is expected of them from the outset, and good administrators need to make sure that faculty/staff have the proper support to help develop and strengthen their skills individually and collectively. In addition to content standards based expectations, school employees  need training in all relevant safety measures from community first aid/CPR to 504/IEP health mandates to properly care for all the students. In most cases, when people fail to do their jobs properly often it is because they don’t have a supervisor that knows how to support them and bridge their efforts and talents with other staff who could potentially fill their skills gap until everyone reaches a higher degree of success.

The article insist that we don’t need more money based only on the autocratic principles of one school leader; where top down authority can do whatever they please and everybody else has to “watch your back.” What this means is a climate is created where people spend more time covering their collective derriere than doing their job. My conclusion is that this is counter-productive.

Also yes we do spend more on education than we did in the 70′s but the cost of living way out paces wages. We also discovered that kids learn better with smaller class sizes (imagine that–LOL) and tried to bring in more people to help without content standards. This meant that for a while it was “hit and miss.” Now I think that the certification is a good idea but I don’t think that it is the best option. There should also be a secondary option for on the job experience.

As a person who has been poor my whole life, I have worked while going to school while many peers went to school without working. The people who get out with higher degrees get preference over those with actual experience and their needs to be a “happy medium.” This structure favors people who have the privilege of wealth and often don’t see the value in diversity; they are often strictly by the book.” It took forever to work through school and I have a ridiculous student loan debt, but someone who breezed through college, and got high marks because they had no job, acquired little debt and/or experience gets the better job and they start with a clean credit score all because they came from a family who had the capacity to support them. So where is the social, political or economic justice? Of course, I have just shared my own story. I could never do all the variations of such stories justice. I can only show you where the obvious inequity is.

In the 70′s and early 80′s California was an excellent example for education. We have tumbled to 47th place…just about last. This is according to the NCES (National Center for Education Statistic) http://nces.ed.gov/annuals/. I would also recommend a refresher on the issue of Civil Rights.

But a more objective reference might be the OECD (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development). This organization gets us to see ourselves from a more global perspective. http://www.oecd.org/home/0,3305,en_2649_201185_1_1_1_1_1,00.html
They also are establishing international learning standards (PISA) Programme for International Student Assessment.
http://www.pisa.oecd.org/pages/0,3417,en_32252351_32235907_1_1_1_1_1,00.html

At the end of the day the school in the article has done better on standards testing because that is their focus. Speaking from experience, you have to teach more holistically. There are Special Education needs among pupils that are not met because some institutions weed out special needs students who have IEPs or 504 requirements that must be met. You might also investigate the suspension rate of the charter school and the manner that they help families who are in crisis. Do they help them or create a hostile environment until the family leaves? (An act that usually drives up the schools score).

Of course I could never do it ALL justice. Too many details and nuances..but its a good start.
Good Luck on your journey to find the “truth” as it is a moving target with ninja like nimbleness that would put Jackie Chan to shame!

USUALLY FACEBOOK RESPONSES ARE WRITTEN VERY QUICKLY AND NOT EDITED SO PLEASE FORGIVE ME IF THE GRAMMAR IS OFF! I ALWAYS CATEGORIZE THEM UNDER FACEBOOK RESPONSES SO YOU CAN TELL THEM APART FROM REGULAR BLOG POSTINGS.

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This website helps to show examples of blogs, wikis, multimedia and learning management systems. It is made for people of all ages. The majority of the content is written in simple terms unless it has the “academic” word on it. If you see this picture it means that the article is written in a more dry academic voice.

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