The Network for Public Education released a statement drafted by its executive director Carol Burris and approved by the board.

This week we have been shocked and horrified ​by the shootings of Alton Sterling in Baton Rouge, and Philando Castile in Minneapolis by police. The Network for Public Education sends our deepest condolences to their families and friends. We strongly condemn the racial profiling and disparate justice that culminates in violence against Black Americans.

Reverend Barber’s speech begins at minute 10:00. You can hear it in its entirety here.

The following statement was issued as a press release and sent to Scott Kirby, President of American Airlines:

For Immediate Release: April 18, 2016

Media Contact:

Carol Burris 718-577-3276 cburris@networkforpubliceducation.org

The Network for Public ​Education (NPE) expresses its outrage about American Airlines’ decision to remove the Reverend Dr. William Barber II from a late night flight from DC to Raleigh. Reverend Barber was removed after a passenger seated behind him made hostile comments.

Reverend Barber is one of the nation’s most eminent civil rights leaders. He is the president of the North Carolina NAACP and founder of the Moral Mondays movement, which leads protests in support of equality and justice. He should have received the same courteous treatment that all passengers expect.

As it happens, he was flying to Raleigh to address our annual convention on Saturday morning. When he arrived late, he did not mention what had happened to him. He spoke eloquently about the necessity of eliminating racism and establishing justice for all.

We call upon American Airlines to issue an official apology to Rev. Barber, reimbursement for any expenses he incurred as a consequence of this unfortunate incident, and to award him Elite Platinum status so he can be sure of being treated with dignity in the future by the staff of American Airlines.

Diane Ravitch, P​resident of NPE, said, “There is little doubt in my view that Reverend Barber was taken off the flight through no fault of his own but because he is a black man. Had I been in his place, I as a white woman would not have been kicked off the flight. American Airlines should show their regrets by apologizing to him and protecting him from future actions of this kind, which reflect poorly on the judgment of AA’s staff at Washington Reagan Airport.”

​Ravitch sent a letter to the President of American Airlines today insisting that Reverend Barber be given the above consideration. ​

The Network for Public Education has now held three national conferences. The first was in Austin, Texas; the second in Chicago; and the 2016 conference just concluded in Raleigh, North Carolina.

About 500 activists, mostly teachers, but also principals, administrators, school board members, parents, and even representatives of the Newark Student Union were there. Most of the best-known education bloggers were there. I haven’t done a count but we had representation from nearly every state, including people who flew in from California, Washington, Oregon, New Mexico, Arizona, and Nebraska.

Every one of these conferences has been exciting. It is exciting to meet the people you know online but have never met face to face. It is exciting to be surrounded with people who share your beliefs and values. It is exciting to know that you are not alone. There was a sense of collegiality and camaraderie that occasionally felt like joy, just plain joy.

The speakers were outstanding. Reverend Barber brought the audience to its feet repeatedly. He is a grand preacher and orator. We even had call and response going. Phil LaNoue, the National Superintendent of the Year, talked about what really mattered most in schools, and he talked about children and their social and emotional needs, not their test scores. Bob Herbert brought a keen perspective to the role of education in a changing economy. Jesse Hagopian of Seattle and Karren Harper Royal of New Orleans engaged in a discussion of the issues that concern NPE members most: privatization, high-stakes testing, and the struggle to improve education under adverse conditions.

In times, all the keynote speeches will be posted, as well as several of the panels. Here is Reverend Barber’s speech. 

In addition to excellent general presentations, there were nearly 50 workshops. Many could have been general sessions by themselves. It was an embarrassment of riches that we all could share. The hardest part was deciding which workshops to attend. I enjoyed Jitu Brown’s workshop on state takeovers, where speakers documented that takeovers lead to privatization, that they inevitably are targeted at black and brown communities, and that 96% of the students whose schools are closed are African American. Jitu pointed out that the closure of a school precipates the closure of the local police station, the grocery store, and other community amenities, robbing the community of basic necessities. I also enjoyed hearing the Texas Pastors for Children, whose work has stopped vouchers in Texas; they reach out to fellow clergy in rural communities and advance the principal that “we do not need Caesar’s gold to advance God’s work.” I am crazy about Pastor Charles Foster Jones.

I expect we will hear from the many bloggers who were there.

Every year we ask ourselves how we can possibly top this year’s conference. We did it. And we will do it again next year.

Next year, the conference will be held on the West Coast. Stay tuned.