That was the frame of last night's PEP meeting on Channel 2 this morning. And it was the lead story:
NEW YORK (CBS 2) — Hundreds of public school supporters cranked up the volume Thursday night, but it may not have been loud enough to get the message across.
Mothers and fathers, teenagers, and community leaders booed new Schools Chancellor Cathie Black. Her Department of Education’s school closings plan is facing mounting outrage as the clock counts down to a final vote.
The demands came fast and furious on Thursday night – that the Panel for Educational Policy keep their schools open.
“They’re closing schools,” teacher Tony Cohen said. “It’s as if they don’t care about anybody.”
The Department of Education said the schools slated for closure are failing, but some said there’s a reason for that failure.
“If you look at why the schools are closing, you see that they don’t have the resources they need to succeed,” Brooklyn resident Joy Simmons said.
The frustration was evident as opponents packed the auditorium with posters, blasting the closings – as well as the new schools chancellor the moment she took the stage.
The rowdiness was ratcheted up not long after that when nearly 10 minutes passed without a speaker being heard, thanks largely to a crowd that wouldn’t sit down.
Then, a large group of the audience, mostly teachers, began leaving.
“We’re saying we’re not going to participate in this fake process,” one teacher said.
“They already made their decision,” said another.
When order resumed, local lawmakers and students sounded off.
“If it takes a revolution in this city, we are going to take back our schools,” State Sen. Tony Avella said.
“If you close my school down, you’re closing down my life,” student Joshua Jordans said.
The second story on CBS 2 was how a dictator wouldn't listen to the will of the people and continued to hold power and promote policies that are not supported by the populace.
That dictator is Mubarak in Egypt.
We have our own dictator to deal with here in NYC.
And indeed, it will take a revolution to take back the school system from the corporatocracy.
I have to actually agree. I am not one for being loud and droning out people HOWEVER, this is to the point where the people of New York City need to TAKE ACTION. The walk out made A PROFOUND impact on how parents, teachers, students as well as citizens are feeling.
ReplyDeleteWe want our voices heard and to be recognized. The Dept of Education deputies are NOT LISTENING and ignoring everyone. It is not a democratic system at all. If this was a democratic system, then that PEP would have been fair and judicious, public schools would be receiving equitable resources as well as many more things that are not being accomplished.
Honestly, I am glad it was the UFT that orchestrated the walk out. I really do not want to see anymore schools being shut down by the NYC Dept of Education and I hope the union will really help stop it.