EduShyster had a conversation with Ruby Anderson, a high school senior who belongs to the Philadelphia Student Union.
If you read this interview, you will be astonished at how knowledgeable and insightful Ruby is.
She explains why and how the students disrupted the SRC showing of a pro-charter, anti-union film.
She understands that Governor Corbett cut the education budget in the state by $1 billion.
She doesn’t think that teachers should have to sacrifice to make up the state’s neglect of the Philly schools.
She knows that the School Reform Commission’s ultimate goal is to get rid of public schools and she knows it is wrong and she knows why it is wrong.
Ruby thinks that Philly should have democratic control of its schools.
This is a wise student. If only the grown-ups on the SRC and in the Legislature were as wise as she.
Diane Ravitch's blog 
I donated $50! There’s a match on. so they double your donation.
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These students’ actions are so commendable – social studies in action! I hope this is “the shot heard round the student world of public education”… yes our students matter and yes their health, happiness and love of learning matter!!! They recognize the importance of the union in protecting those who want them to be happy, healthy and life-long learners and can certainly “smell a rat when they see one”.
This week John Deasy rode out on his broomstick bought from the same company as Michelle Rhee’s! I read the LA Times article on his nasty departure and could not help but to add “twist” or two.
“Deasy said that many attacks and criticisms were frequently not based in fact and that well-funded teaches unions have often put adults before children…”
My response… if you believe that I’ve got an I-pad to sell you at well above the going price!
“Children are “voiceless and defenseless,” Deasy said. “My concern is that youths’ well-being be paramount and that their rights come first. Quite frankly, that’s the only reason we open our doors when we begin work in public education.”
My response… the reason Deasy “opened his door in LA was the offer of a huge 6 figure salary despite his close to baloney doctoral degree” . As for “voiceless and defenseless” children… he tried his best to make them that way… while watching his bank account grow!
“Deasy also added that he is considering several other lines of work, including working within the youth criminal justice system, working to develop and support superintendents or a possible run for public office…”
My response.. Is this not a “conflict of interest” for him to work in the youth criminal justice system as his policies have aided and abetted the “school to prison” pipeline!!!!
My parting thoughts…
Welcome to the world of activism – Philadelphia students.
Good-bye and good riddance Deasy. I suggest a janitorial job so you can understand what it is like having to clean up the mess made by others. The LA School System now must clean up after you.
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We are very proud of our smart and courageous students here in Philly. They give us hope, and for that we are so grateful.
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Governor Rendell was in office when the “billion dollar cut” happened. Corbett has increased spending on education through his current term. There are major concerns regarding pension funding and health cares escalating costs, which drain dollars out of the classroom. Valid concerns …
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With all the BILLIONS being ponied up by the usual suspects to win seats on local school boards where they don’t live just to sway the outcomes in the favor of eliminating teachers, closing pubic schools, cutting libraries, librarians, nurses, counselors, cleaning staff, etc., so unions will fold, TFA can come in, TNTP can come in, SIX FIGURES Supes from Broad can come in, unnecessary administrators can bloat the home office, Pearson can get richer, charters can be erected and public dollars squandered – the list goes on – and all the while the kids suffer – then you add in common core and how that dumbed down streamlined/scripted curriculum is forced down their throats, tests that intend to fail kids so schools can fail so teachers can be fired – THAT money could be spent for actually running the schools they intend to run into the ground. It could be spent for the cost of educating our kids, pensions, health care, instead of the carefully planned, intentional break-our-back cuts that were made. Hey, it could be spent on teacher salaries. It could fund the holes in the pensions that the politicians and wall street have raided to begin with.
The teachers have funded their pensions, but the states have STOLEN the teacher contributions to fill budget shortfalls, but that is the fault of teachers, right? Teachers have negotiated to pay more, and they do, yet they still get less. What is worse is that BILLIONS are spent to smear teachers en masse as greedy, as lazy, and as sex offenders, and the reason that states can’t meet their budgets. You know what? Teachers are an easy target, and there is gold in them thar hills of edu-dollars that the billionaires and wall street hedge funders so greedily want to get their hands on. Hypocrite much? All we have to do is look to Walmart’s business policies to see what it wants to do to education. They have shitty cheap products imported from China, pay their work-the-hardest staff the worst salaries, no benefits, part time hours, and hold seminars that show its employees how to apply for food stamps, public health care, and rent assistance. THE BILLIONS OF DOLLARS IN SABOTAGE MONIES IS THERE, if it could only get used to fix the mess those monies have created, rather than tear down our public schools, our kids, and the middle class.
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Go Ruby go~! I could not be more proud of this young woman than I am. Lets hope she and the student union continue to speak out and make people aware of the shenanigans going on.
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This young lady may be the one to start a positive revolution to show that the death of public schools are not the answer. I am sure that the teachers’ in the past had a union and the education that I received could not have been better. This young lady is an example of standing up for what she believes is an injustice she feels needs to be exposed.
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Bravo Ruby !!
“It’s pretty simple. We want to ensure equal access to education for everyone.”
“Share our stories. That really helps a lot.”
A few voices and actions now. Crescendo to-come !
Thank you.
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