Organize
and Activate…
"May you live in
interesting times", is a phrase of unknown origin that sounds like a
blessing, but is actually considered more of a curse. Interesting times are ones of danger,
uncertainty and often are unpleasant. Compare that to times of peace and there is no
doubt that most of us would prefer to experience the relative
"boredom" of the latter.
During less interesting times people experience stability and go about
their daily lives untroubled by upheaval and controversy of a scale beyond the
immediate and common. Of course stress
and trouble are a part of these times, but not at the same level and intensity
of "interesting times".
In many ways Wisconsin had been
experiencing relatively uninteresting times for the past decades in most
aspects of our society. For the most
part we enjoyed stability in our social, economic and political
activities. That isn't to say that there
weren't significant problems in our state, but rather that we were not
generally uncomfortable with the way things were. While it is true that we should not have been
as complacent in our attitudes in many areas, Wisconsinites weren't
demonstrating much in the way of significant interest in making changes in the
status quo.
All of that changed with
the election of Scott Walker and the subsequent events of early 2011. It was as though a small wound had been
ripped open, exposing a much more significant injury just beneath the surface. The elimination of collective bargaining
rights for public employees was the spark that ignited a blaze of action. Suddenly the eyes of many of us were opened
to a whole host of issues as well as the potential connections that existed
between groups that had previously viewed each other with, at the very least,
indifference if not even some antipathy.
Public employees, quite
frequently white, middle class citizens, saw just what it was like to be
outsiders and disenfranchised. They
realized just how fragile our rights and privileges are when they are taken for
granted and left undefended. We also saw
just how fragmented and easily "divided and conquered" our society
was, as Walker
and his supporters ran roughshod over issues of social justice, fairness and
equal opportunity.
Yet we also found that
"interesting times", while fraught with peril on one hand, are also
times of opportunity as well. Groups and
interests that had opposed each other found a common enemy in the Walker administration and
its policies. We discovered areas of
common interest and unity that had existed all along, but that were ignored
while we pursued our own separate interests.
While there were opportunities, there were also long standing barriers
that existed. Trust between groups has
been eroded over years of slowly entrenching positions based on actions or
inaction.
An example of this is
found in public education. This is an
area where many progressive interests come together. It is also a place were all races, social
classes, religions, and any other demographic distinction should find a
place. Yet, because of many different
reasons, trust in the public school system has been undermined, and for many
groups our public schools have become another symbol of oppression and lost opportunity. Conservative interests have actively worked
to foster the mistrust of our schools and supporters of public education
haven't been able to, or done enough to, counter these actions.
There was also a need to
mobilize a base, that had relied on legal protections, bureaucratic procedures
and a small number of organizational "experts" to promote our
interests. If we had a problem, there
was someone who we could turn to, or a policy we could access that would help
us overcome our obstacles. Along the way
we became observers and not participants in important aspects of our
lives. We didn't take personal action to
defend our rights in the workplace, in economic terms, or in society as a
whole.
Now, we are seeing Scott
Walker and other conservative GOP leaders stripping away the legal and
procedural protections that we have come to rely on. This has had a devastating effect on many of
us. We see a conscious effort to change
the way our society operates and to put a significant amount of power in the
hands of a small number of people. There
is no doubt that there is a deliberate and purposeful plan that is being
implemented to gain control of our society from a political and economic
standpoint.
One example of this is the
efforts to privatize our public schools.
Our public schools aren't perfect, but they are the institution that is
most likely to give all students an opportunity to learn. Our schools are accountable to the public in
a way that privatized voucher schools are not, and never will be. Our public schools are also a place that is
legally bound to attempt to meet the needs of every child, no matter what their
needs may be. Yet, Walker has articulated his plan to destroy
public educator unions and then to move to privatize our school system.
Question -"Could you have taken
on the politics of vouchers before taking on the teacher's union?" Walker - "No, we put
in place the foundations necessary." 19:00 into the interview.
The effort to destroy the public schools isn't the only venue where radical conservatives are working to change the landscape of our society. They are working to dismantle and privatize virtually all aspects of our public sector. At the same time they are removing protections and weakening their potential opponents. It would be one thing if it were only radical conservative Republicans who were doing this, but it is difficult to find a politician who is willing to take a stand for social justice on a consistent basis. Remember, President Obama didn't remove the NCLB mentality, but rather refined it through his "Race to the Top" policies.
The effort to destroy the public schools isn't the only venue where radical conservatives are working to change the landscape of our society. They are working to dismantle and privatize virtually all aspects of our public sector. At the same time they are removing protections and weakening their potential opponents. It would be one thing if it were only radical conservative Republicans who were doing this, but it is difficult to find a politician who is willing to take a stand for social justice on a consistent basis. Remember, President Obama didn't remove the NCLB mentality, but rather refined it through his "Race to the Top" policies.
Out
State Legislators Will Determine the Future of Milwaukee County at Committee
Hearing on April 10
What a
"Jobless Recovery" Really Means: A Massive Redistribution of Wealth
from the Little Guy to th
What has been difficult
for many opponents of the conservative agenda to come to grips with is the fact
that despite the grim reality created by conservative policies and the facts
that call conservative ideology into question, politicians like Walker continue to
receive significant support from the general population.
host.madison.com
Obviously as sense of
justice and a belief in the values we espouse isn't enough to change the
political trends in Wisconsin,
or across the nation. As much as we may
dislike it, acting politically is a necessity in defeating the agenda that is
harming our state. Many activists have a
strong idealistic view of the world, and politics is anything but a place of
idealism. Politics is a competitive,
cooperative, compromising world where ideals sometimes take a back seat to
successfully navigating the maze of opposing interests. Yet, despite our sometime reluctance to
engage in politics, activists in Madison
and surrounding communities have seen a tremendous amount of success in recent
elections.
The final results of the last Madison School Board race are in.
Political success is only
one part of the equation. Political
success is often unreliable and seldom lasting.
The sweeping successes of 2008 become the dismal defeats of 2010. If we are to create lasting results we must
work to change the "hearts and minds" of the people who make up the
society we live in. Otherwise we may
change the veneer, but will be left with the same festering, divisive wounds
that existed prior to the Walker
election.
We are seeing this work in
many places around the United
States.
I attended a conference on April 6th where organizers from places like
Walmart and North Carolina
spoke about building solidarity where the rights of workers are severely
restricted or nonexistent. We heard a
speaker from Chicago Teachers' Union speak
about organizing the community around their public schools. It has been done in other places and it
certainly can be done in a community like Madison,
Wisconsin.
We must continue to look
for new ways to engage all citizens in the efforts to preserve and protect the
public institutions that are the foundation of our society's labors to provide
equal opportunities for all people.
Clearly we haven't done enough to garner the support of many sectors of
the citizenry. I'm excited to be a part
of one of these efforts through a group called SCAPE (School Community Alliance
for Public Education). We are seeking to
engage educators, families and community members in a dialog around public
education and use this dialog to drive positive actions in defending our public
schools.
We held a meeting last
week at the Boys and Girls Club in the Allied Drive neighborhood that was
attended by a diverse group of people interested in talking about our
schools. Topics were many and varied and
at times issues caused some discomfort for participants. Yet, the fact that people of different
demographic groups, professional backgrounds and experiences were able to
converse about difficult topics like racial inequality in our schools was a
significant step towards finding common ground.
Once we establish common ground it becomes possible to work towards
finding solutions to the challenges we face.
The
Future of Public
Education
in Wisconsin?…
What is it exactly that we
are defending and what are the attacks that are being directed at public
education in Wisconsin
and across the nation?
Remember that public
education is a human created institution and has its strengths and its
flaws. Part of defending something is
recognizing these aspects that exist in all of our efforts to provide services
to the people. Unfortunately, most of
what the public hears about our schools is the negative side of the
equation. We are flooded with data that
describes our schools as money pits where students are not respected, educated
or supported. The educators who work in
public education are as maligned as the institution itself. Public educators are portrayed as leftist,
lazy and incompetent.
These attacks have lead to
a real problem with morale in our public schools. Educators feel attacked from all sides and
are unable to do their jobs in the manner that they would like. Facing a lack of respect, loss of income and
uncomfortable with their working environment many are leaving the profession,
or moving to "greener pastures".
By portraying our schools
as failing and our system as broken, "reformers" seek to undermine
public confidence in our schools. They
use this lack of support to promote budgets that harm our schools, and policies
that make educating our young people even more difficult. There are many vehicles that are used to
carry out this agenda. The may involve
curriculum and standards, or they may involve budgets, but the purpose is
clear.
www.scholastic.com
Once again,
"interesting times" lead to opportunity, as administrators, educators
and families from across the state find themselves united in a common
condition. Diverse interests from
previously unconnected areas are finding common ground in opposition to the
"reforms" offered by Walker. This unity is what it will take to turn
around the future of public education in Wisconsin.
Dane County, rural districts meet with press to criticize
Governor’s budget | Institute for Wisconsi
Another thing that we must
do is share important information with parents and families. Schools are only part of a child's
educational development. In fact, a
significant amount of learning takes place long before a child enters the
school system. If we can help inform
parents about the important role that they have in education they can see
themselves as partners in the process, not as outsiders.
While in some ways the
future seems bleak, it is true that the economic and political pendulums tend
to move back and forth as time passes.
It is our job to make sure that we do everything possible to move our
society in a positive direction.
