Comments on: Inspiration from Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. http://morehockeylesswar.org/blog/archive/2008/01/21/inspiration_from_dr_martin_luther_king_jr/ Peace, Justice and Hockey Mon, 08 Sep 2008 03:49:40 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.5 By: Steve Buel http://morehockeylesswar.org/blog/archive/2008/01/21/inspiration_from_dr_martin_luther_king_jr/#comment-16133 Steve Buel Wed, 23 Jan 2008 03:00:15 +0000 http://morehockeylesswar.org/blog/archive/2008/01/21/inspiration_from_dr_martin_luther_king_jr/#comment-16133 Toni, thank you. Go ahead and speak out more at the board meetings. Somebody needs to do it. Trying to get more people involved is always a worthy goal. I share your frustrations. People often just don't pay any attention and it is often the people who should the most. I taught 10 years at Lane Middle School, was a well liked and respected teacher, ran the major part of my campaign directed at improving the middle schools in lower economic neighborhoods like Lane, and never won a precinct in the whole attendance area. Not one. Nobody was paying any attention. The way it goes sometimes. All you can do is hang in there. Toni, thank you. Go ahead and speak out more at the board meetings. Somebody needs to do it. Trying to get more people involved is always a worthy goal. I share your frustrations. People often just don’t pay any attention and it is often the people who should the most. I taught 10 years at Lane Middle School, was a well liked and respected teacher, ran the major part of my campaign directed at improving the middle schools in lower economic neighborhoods like Lane, and never won a precinct in the whole attendance area. Not one. Nobody was paying any attention. The way it goes sometimes. All you can do is hang in there.

]]> By: Wacky Mommy http://morehockeylesswar.org/blog/archive/2008/01/21/inspiration_from_dr_martin_luther_king_jr/#comment-16125 Wacky Mommy Tue, 22 Jan 2008 15:33:57 +0000 http://morehockeylesswar.org/blog/archive/2008/01/21/inspiration_from_dr_martin_luther_king_jr/#comment-16125 He really was a student rep for the school board, representing Iowa City City High High School (as we call it). The platform he ran on was... "What is this crap?" Some things never change. He really was a student rep for the school board, representing Iowa City City High High School (as we call it). The platform he ran on was…

“What is this crap?”

Some things never change.

]]> By: Terry http://morehockeylesswar.org/blog/archive/2008/01/21/inspiration_from_dr_martin_luther_king_jr/#comment-16116 Terry Tue, 22 Jan 2008 05:09:09 +0000 http://morehockeylesswar.org/blog/archive/2008/01/21/inspiration_from_dr_martin_luther_king_jr/#comment-16116 Direct (non-violent) action may be the only thing that will capture the attention of the community --and the board. Board protocols do their best to tamp down any overly "enthusiastic" demonstrations of discontent with school policy. I'm ready to start some strategic civil disobedience. Just let me know when and I'll be there (as long as it doesn't involve public speaking. I'm not ready for that.) I'm happy to see Antoinette back on the blogs. (Hi Toni!) Direct (non-violent) action may be the only thing that will capture the attention of the community –and the board. Board protocols do their best to tamp down any overly “enthusiastic” demonstrations of discontent with school policy.

I’m ready to start some strategic civil disobedience. Just let me know when and I’ll be there (as long as it doesn’t involve public speaking. I’m not ready for that.)

I’m happy to see Antoinette back on the blogs. (Hi Toni!)

]]> By: Steve http://morehockeylesswar.org/blog/archive/2008/01/21/inspiration_from_dr_martin_luther_king_jr/#comment-16114 Steve Tue, 22 Jan 2008 04:42:24 +0000 http://morehockeylesswar.org/blog/archive/2008/01/21/inspiration_from_dr_martin_luther_king_jr/#comment-16114 Ohhhhh!! <em>That</em> Toni! You set a great example for all students, and I certainly understand your frustration. (Little known fact: I was a student school board rep in high school.) It was certainly not my intent to detract from the students at either the school board meeting or city council meeting. I hope it didn't come across that way. To your frustration with getting students involved, and also to Steve B.'s point about people not wanting to take on the status quo, I say you have to be very patient with people who are under siege. Many people have reason to shy away from the kind of confrontation that comes with speaking truth to power. Ohhhhh!! That Toni!

You set a great example for all students, and I certainly understand your frustration. (Little known fact: I was a student school board rep in high school.)

It was certainly not my intent to detract from the students at either the school board meeting or city council meeting. I hope it didn’t come across that way.

To your frustration with getting students involved, and also to Steve B.’s point about people not wanting to take on the status quo, I say you have to be very patient with people who are under siege. Many people have reason to shy away from the kind of confrontation that comes with speaking truth to power.

]]> By: Toni http://morehockeylesswar.org/blog/archive/2008/01/21/inspiration_from_dr_martin_luther_king_jr/#comment-16112 Toni Tue, 22 Jan 2008 04:23:34 +0000 http://morehockeylesswar.org/blog/archive/2008/01/21/inspiration_from_dr_martin_luther_king_jr/#comment-16112 Hey Wacky Mommy! lol. Good job! Thanx for the email earlier! I was just writing you a response.... Hey Wacky Mommy! lol.

Good job! Thanx for the email earlier! I was just writing you a response….

]]> By: Wacky Mommy http://morehockeylesswar.org/blog/archive/2008/01/21/inspiration_from_dr_martin_luther_king_jr/#comment-16111 Wacky Mommy Tue, 22 Jan 2008 04:20:58 +0000 http://morehockeylesswar.org/blog/archive/2008/01/21/inspiration_from_dr_martin_luther_king_jr/#comment-16111 Heh heh -- I knew it was Toni. Heh heh — I knew it was Toni.

]]> By: Toni http://morehockeylesswar.org/blog/archive/2008/01/21/inspiration_from_dr_martin_luther_king_jr/#comment-16110 Toni Tue, 22 Jan 2008 03:59:33 +0000 http://morehockeylesswar.org/blog/archive/2008/01/21/inspiration_from_dr_martin_luther_king_jr/#comment-16110 Yes I am aware of all of this. I'm on the school board (duh!!) lol. Anyway, as the Student Rep, I wanted to hear from the STUDENTS themselves who presented at council. I also wanted to see them at the SuperSAC meetings that I have announced almost every board meeting since November. Steve, you need to keep the board chances as long as you live in this district. Repetition is key. What is important is that adults don't overhype and overshadow the students. Let the students talk without having hundreds of angry adults breaking the moment. To both Anne and Steve, I don't doubt your commitment to this district, this city, or this school system for one moment at all. But my job recruiting students has not been easy. It's hard trying to be a student while simultaneously being involved in the community, but students haven't exactly been rushing to the Student Advisory Council meetings voicing their opinions. In fact, most have just written it off not knowing that they have that opportunity to talk directly to the Superintendent. What more can I do? I can't force students to come. The district must act but to those students who are old enough must take action as well and speak for the younger students, too. People like to bring up the fact that the board members are volunteers so they don't put their all into it. I'm a volunteer and a student and I sacrifice my Mondays to be at those meetings. I make the necessary calls and emails to my fellow board members and I have the necessary conversations with them as well. I am not at all a sitting duck. Just because I'm not having those conversations on Channel 28 on Mondays at 7pm doesn't mean that those convos aren't taking place. I am a student in PPS so I know exactly what it means to be a student. I don't go to Jeff, I go to Grant. I am one of few African-American students in most of my classes. I have to do what I can to demand attention in my classes because of class size. Please don't think that students in high school are peachy keen in every other school BUT Jeff. Every school has its issues with race and class. When we try to have those "open conversations" about race, somehow Jeff and Roosevelt seem to be the only schools people talk about. What about those schools with a small percentage of minority students, why aren't we focusing our attention on them as well? Why aren't we engaging them in these conversations? What about the minority students who transferred out of Jeff and Roosevelt clusters and fell through the cracks at the other schools? Who will speak for them? If we are going to have those conversations, we must talk about every school and every neighborhood, not just the ones that seem to be the most "diverse". I definitely agree with most of the standpoints that I've been hearing about the state of our schools. But I am a student in those schools. I am not at all privileged and I am not a part of the illustrious middle-class. However, I make the best of what I have and I fight for what the students don't have. Together with an inclusive student council we, the students, can create resolutions and make a change in district policy. But where are the student leaders I made a call for at Wednesday's council meeting? I wasn't exactly talking to the air and I certainly wasn't on stage for a couple seconds of fame (i mean it's public access t.v.)! And while I might not incite controversy or speak out often during the board, I hold my opinions strongly. I put out a call for student leaders to stand up, join with me, and make a change. It's been done before. Sometimes, it's not always up to the adults to do the talking. Yes I am aware of all of this. I’m on the school board (duh!!) lol. Anyway, as the Student Rep, I wanted to hear from the STUDENTS themselves who presented at council. I also wanted to see them at the SuperSAC meetings that I have announced almost every board meeting since November. Steve, you need to keep the board chances as long as you live in this district. Repetition is key. What is important is that adults don’t overhype and overshadow the students. Let the students talk without having hundreds of angry adults breaking the moment. To both Anne and Steve, I don’t doubt your commitment to this district, this city, or this school system for one moment at all. But my job recruiting students has not been easy. It’s hard trying to be a student while simultaneously being involved in the community, but students haven’t exactly been rushing to the Student Advisory Council meetings voicing their opinions. In fact, most have just written it off not knowing that they have that opportunity to talk directly to the Superintendent. What more can I do? I can’t force students to come. The district must act but to those students who are old enough must take action as well and speak for the younger students, too. People like to bring up the fact that the board members are volunteers so they don’t put their all into it. I’m a volunteer and a student and I sacrifice my Mondays to be at those meetings. I make the necessary calls and emails to my fellow board members and I have the necessary conversations with them as well. I am not at all a sitting duck. Just because I’m not having those conversations on Channel 28 on Mondays at 7pm doesn’t mean that those convos aren’t taking place. I am a student in PPS so I know exactly what it means to be a student. I don’t go to Jeff, I go to Grant. I am one of few African-American students in most of my classes. I have to do what I can to demand attention in my classes because of class size. Please don’t think that students in high school are peachy keen in every other school BUT Jeff. Every school has its issues with race and class. When we try to have those “open conversations” about race, somehow Jeff and Roosevelt seem to be the only schools people talk about. What about those schools with a small percentage of minority students, why aren’t we focusing our attention on them as well? Why aren’t we engaging them in these conversations? What about the minority students who transferred out of Jeff and Roosevelt clusters and fell through the cracks at the other schools? Who will speak for them?

If we are going to have those conversations, we must talk about every school and every neighborhood, not just the ones that seem to be the most “diverse”. I definitely agree with most of the standpoints that I’ve been hearing about the state of our schools. But I am a student in those schools. I am not at all privileged and I am not a part of the illustrious middle-class. However, I make the best of what I have and I fight for what the students don’t have. Together with an inclusive student council we, the students, can create resolutions and make a change in district policy. But where are the student leaders I made a call for at Wednesday’s council meeting? I wasn’t exactly talking to the air and I certainly wasn’t on stage for a couple seconds of fame (i mean it’s public access t.v.)! And while I might not incite controversy or speak out often during the board, I hold my opinions strongly.
I put out a call for student leaders to stand up, join with me, and make a change. It’s been done before.
Sometimes, it’s not always up to the adults to do the talking.

]]> By: Steve Buel http://morehockeylesswar.org/blog/archive/2008/01/21/inspiration_from_dr_martin_luther_king_jr/#comment-16109 Steve Buel Tue, 22 Jan 2008 03:46:35 +0000 http://morehockeylesswar.org/blog/archive/2008/01/21/inspiration_from_dr_martin_luther_king_jr/#comment-16109 Who are these people who are out there tiring of the inequities? Haven't seen many. When you go into the neighborhoods in the outer SE and North Portland there are very few people interested in taking on the status quo. Sure, in the Jefferson cluster there are many who understand the inequities, but there is no leader to gather around. No organization which stands up against the school board. So I think the board can, as always rest pretty easy that they will be protected by The Oregonian, Stand for Children etc. who will rail against the dissidents. The last serious direct action was Ronnie Herndon standing on the tables shutting down the meetings. It is the only action the school board understands. But even so, there is no one on the board to lead toward justice for the kids stuck in the miserable schools. And it takes that too. Don't get me wrong. My school board campaign was serious direct action. I would love to help in a campaign which took these people on. I'll be there. But, in the meantime, the entrenched bureaucracy and power structure doesn't really need to listen. Heck, they are doing just fine. And even the most radical dissenter thinks they will eventually come around to seeing it how it is if the dissenters are just reasonable and make the argument. Ha! However, I really think the exchange of ideas on this blog and others may be having an effect in the "baby steps" (suggested by Steve) way. Who are these people who are out there tiring of the inequities? Haven’t seen many. When you go into the neighborhoods in the outer SE and North Portland there are very few people interested in taking on the status quo. Sure, in the Jefferson cluster there are many who understand the inequities, but there is no leader to gather around. No organization which stands up against the school board. So I think the board can, as always rest pretty easy that they will be protected by The Oregonian, Stand for Children etc. who will rail against the dissidents.

The last serious direct action was Ronnie Herndon standing on the tables shutting down the meetings. It is the only action the school board understands. But even so, there is no one on the board to lead toward justice for the kids stuck in the miserable schools. And it takes that too.

Don’t get me wrong. My school board campaign was serious direct action. I would love to help in a campaign which took these people on. I’ll be there.
But, in the meantime, the entrenched bureaucracy and power structure doesn’t really need to listen. Heck, they are doing just fine. And even the most radical dissenter thinks they will eventually come around to seeing it how it is if the dissenters are just reasonable and make the argument. Ha!

However, I really think the exchange of ideas on this blog and others may be having an effect in the “baby steps” (suggested by Steve) way.

]]> By: Steve http://morehockeylesswar.org/blog/archive/2008/01/21/inspiration_from_dr_martin_luther_king_jr/#comment-16106 Steve Tue, 22 Jan 2008 01:44:02 +0000 http://morehockeylesswar.org/blog/archive/2008/01/21/inspiration_from_dr_martin_luther_king_jr/#comment-16106 Props to Anne, and all the other folks who started NSA and have continuously pressured the school board to do the right thing over the past several years. Nothing I've written on this blog, and nothing I've said to the school board in my 11 months of direct involvement is fundamentally new. I'm not sure who made the decisions about who spoke to the school board and council. Noah Kone and his mother Kenya Nelson did speak to the school board on Monday night, though, and the message was consistent with the message Noah and his student colleagues delivered to the city council Wednesday. I'm willing to give the district another chance, under the leadership of Carole Smith. But meanwhile, we're depriving thousands of students of a comprehensive education in their neighborhood schools. Too much is at stake to keep hoping waiting for the district to get it right. They must start acting <em>now</em>. Props to Anne, and all the other folks who started NSA and have continuously pressured the school board to do the right thing over the past several years. Nothing I’ve written on this blog, and nothing I’ve said to the school board in my 11 months of direct involvement is fundamentally new.

I’m not sure who made the decisions about who spoke to the school board and council. Noah Kone and his mother Kenya Nelson did speak to the school board on Monday night, though, and the message was consistent with the message Noah and his student colleagues delivered to the city council Wednesday.

I’m willing to give the district another chance, under the leadership of Carole Smith. But meanwhile, we’re depriving thousands of students of a comprehensive education in their neighborhood schools.

Too much is at stake to keep hoping waiting for the district to get it right. They must start acting now.

]]> By: Anne http://morehockeylesswar.org/blog/archive/2008/01/21/inspiration_from_dr_martin_luther_king_jr/#comment-16105 Anne Tue, 22 Jan 2008 01:29:05 +0000 http://morehockeylesswar.org/blog/archive/2008/01/21/inspiration_from_dr_martin_luther_king_jr/#comment-16105 Toni- People have been talking to the Board and getting little or no response for years. I was there in 2005 and 2006 when students, parents and teachers spoke out against the racism and stupidity of the reforms intiated by Vicki Phillips. For an example: I posted PTSA president Glenda Walker Simmons speech to the school board from Jan.06 her on this site a few days ago. The board ignored common sense, complete documentation, impassioned appeals and instituted the latest reforms at Jefferson that mostly worsened the situation. In fact they lauded Phillips for her vision and promised this would be an improvement. We are tired of pointing out the obvious, tired of the school board mouthing platitudes about equity. The latest presentations, I believe, were an attempt to gain the school board's attention while the City Council was watching. I sure hope it works, but if it doesn't, as Steve points out, we will have to move to the next stage. I speak as someone who has been speaking out about inequity, racism and corporate influence in our public schools for 5 years since my daughter was in Kindergarten. I know there are activists out there with a much longer track record than that and I honor their commitment. It is a daunting task to continue to stand up to this kind of institutional racism, but it must be done. Toni-
People have been talking to the Board and getting little or no response for years. I was there in 2005 and 2006 when students, parents and teachers spoke out against the racism and stupidity of the reforms intiated by Vicki Phillips. For an example: I posted PTSA president Glenda Walker Simmons speech to the school board from Jan.06 her on this site a few days ago. The board ignored common sense, complete documentation, impassioned appeals and instituted the latest reforms at Jefferson that mostly worsened the situation. In fact they lauded Phillips for her vision and promised this would be an improvement.
We are tired of pointing out the obvious, tired of the school board mouthing platitudes about equity.
The latest presentations, I believe, were an attempt to gain the school board’s attention while the City Council was watching. I sure hope it works, but if it doesn’t, as Steve points out, we will have to move to the next stage.
I speak as someone who has been speaking out about inequity, racism and corporate influence in our public schools for 5 years since my daughter was in Kindergarten. I know there are activists out there with a much longer track record than that and I honor their commitment. It is a daunting task to continue to stand up to this kind of institutional racism, but it must be done.

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