I can’t begin to summarize the emotional impact of this 4 minute speech by Letitia James, who will soon be the Public Advocate of New York City. She recently won a run-off election to be the #2 ranked official in the city. Her election in November is a foregone conclusion.
As you will see in the video, she is a fierce advocate for public schools and for children with special needs. She is a powerful critic of charter co-locations. If you thought that Karen Lewis of the CTU was a firebrand, wait until you meet Letitia James.
In this 4-minute clip, she roasts Mayor Bloomberg’s compliant “Panel on Education Policy” for having police in the hearing room; for permitting separate-but-equal schools; for co-locating privileged charter schools into buildings with under-resourced public schools. She says, in a fiery tone, get ready for the lawsuits! Save your emails! 77 days to go and it will be a new day in New York City,
As of today, 76 days to go.
Diane Ravitch's blog 
I love it. I recall a few years ago when the corporate media shills poo pooed teachers and parents for comparing Eva’s co-locations as a replay of the 1892 Plessy’s separate but equal decision.
You’re right, Diane.
She was great. Noah Gotbaum was there too and made a strong statement. But no one matched Letitia James who built to a soul-stirring climax on the theme of separate but equal = unequal. Hope she can use her forcefulness to turn the deliberately underfunded Office of Public Advocate into a people’s powerhouse.
Push back is no longer enough, the battle cry must continue to loudly issue forth, corporate reform must be DESTROYED.
Tish James has been an amazing advocate for schools as our city council rep for many years, and District 13, already a battleground for corporate education forces, would be far worse off without her. But please spell her first name correctly: it’s Letitia.
CitizensArrest, we have the KISS formula and it is “The Public Process.” One thing they cannot stand is the Public Process. We had this in LAUSD in 1997 for the election of Rubin Zacarias to be superintendent. It was great. They had to go around the city and tell what they would do and answer questions at random from the public. No cheating here. In the end it is always a board vote which determines that position. That is correct and proper, but to not have the public involved deeply in the choice for “Their Schools, not Their Schools” is what this is all about. Especially, when the boards of education in the past have proven to not be in the students or public’s best interests. This is a proven fact with the documented lies and deceptions. Everyone demand this. The billionaires will run away as they only know how to operate one way and that is in the dark of night behind closed gates with armed guards with months of planning. When they are on an even footing as we have them with the Aquino affair at LAUSD they are now the ones running backwards and making stupid mistakes out of fear. For the first time they did not have time to plan as Aquino freaked out and saw his life ending and got out of town before Deasy, Gates, Broad and Walton could blame him for their misdeeds they paid Aquino to do. Aquino did the old political trick of “Innoculation” which is I move before they do.
In your districts demand that when new high administrative positions come up you, the public who own the schools, demand a say so in the affairs of who will control the lives and education of their children. These are their children, after all, not the administrators and hedge funds.
The corporate privatizer billionaires cannot take the public process, so give it to them. Give them our virus of democracy not fascism.
my comments here: http://21stcenturytheater.wordpress.com/2013/10/16/letitia-james-nyc-public-advocate-passionately-speaks-at-the-panel-for-educational-policy-pep/
It is telling that the NY Times endorsed her opponent, unfortunately. However, the vast majority of voters probably cannot afford to pay $2.50 for a copy of their daily paper. I know I can’t. I am proud to have voted for James.
The NYTimes also endorsed Quinn and I am not sure if they will endorse deBlasio because every editorial they write tells him how to be more like Bloomberg. Today Lhota has a horrible ad saying that deBlasio will turn NYC into a Detroit and crime will increase. This is dirty politics at its best.
The video gave me goosebumps. The tide may really be, finally, turning. Our kids (and we their poor old stressed out teachers) deserve better than the past several decades’ reign of error.
OMG…I love her! I watched it twice. I’m all fired up. Sending to many.
Letitia! Not Leticia. But I agree with the thoughts expressed: she’s going to be great as Public Advocate!
Sorry for misspelling. She had me cheering out loud.
That was amazing!
Wow!
Go New Yorkers, get behind this woman.
And when she is finished getting you all settled, please ask her to journey down south.
Our day is coming when as parents we will no longer be under the dictatorship of Bloomberg. Our children will be respected. Parents voices will be heard. Thank you Letitia james for understanding what we as parents have been going through for the past 12years. Know that you have our support.