Education as a Right-Wing Wedge Issue—and How to Stop It
Session Type(s): Panel
Training Tag(s): Education
Starts: Saturday, Jun. 9 10:30 AM (Eastern)
Ends: Saturday, Jun. 9 11:45 AM (Eastern)
For many low-income areas and communities of color, education is regarded as the key to rebuilding our communities and overcoming injustice. So why has education policy become so divisive? In this session, panelists will draw on their experience and expertise as public school teachers, parents and advocates to guide attendees toward an understanding of the ways in which education reform has been used as a wedge issue to pit members of historically underserved communities against each other, as well as how these communities have been used by outside interests in the pursuit of other ideological goals. This will also be a space to envision how communities can come together to resist these trends and build a vision of public education that uplifts the entire community and serves our collective best interests.
Education as a Right-Wing Wedge Issue—and How to Stop It
Miss this panel? No problem! Here’s what happened.
Storified by Netroots Nation · Sat, Jun 09 2012 15:32:04
Panelists
Karran Harper Royal
Karran Harper Royal is the Executive Director of the GU272 Descendants Association and Co-Host of the genealogy television show, “Nurturing Our Roots”. She is also the Assistant Director of Pyramid Community Parent Resource Center where she is training the next generation of parent advocates for children with disabilities. She is one of the producers of “A Perfect Storm: The Takeover of New Orleans Public Schools.” She’s consulted with the Southern Poverty Law Center and contributed to Research on Reforms, an organization studying the education reforms in post Katrina New Orleans. She has served as a member of the National Journey for Justice Alliance and the Alliance to Reclaim Our Schools and is a founding member of the Louisiana Alliance to Reclaim Our Schools. Mrs. Harper Royal is the mother of a two sons, one a pre-Katrina graduate of New Orleans Public Schools and one who is a post-Katrina graduate of New Orleans Public Schools.
Martha Infante
Martha Infante is a National Board Certified Social Studies teacher in Los Angeles. As a frequent presenter in both the Gifted and Social Studies fields, Martha has trained educators nationwide and participated in international study tours to Japan, China, and Saudi Arabia. As a 16 year veteran of public schools, Martha became involved with education reform issues when her school was decimated by layoffs in the 2009 reduction in force. Since then, this UCLA graduate and former California Council for the Social Studies Teacher of the Year has blogged frequently about the impact of federal education policy on the South Central Los Angeles school community at the Don’t Forget South Central blog and at Interact, via the Accomplished Teachers Network. Martha’s school has been labeled as failing and is undergoing sanctions derived from education reforms.
Sabrina Joy Stevens
Sabrina Joy Stevens (she/her) is an accomplished movement-builder, storyteller, and strategist. She has contributed to some of the most impactful human and civil rights movements of the last 20 years. She helps advocates cultivate brave and joyful strategic communications and campaigns for justice. She also teaches people how to use values-driven narrative techniques to neutralize mis- and disinformation. Her work has appeared in media outlets like MSNBC, The Washington Post, Education Week, The Hill, and more.
Jose Vilson
Jose Vilson is a math teacher, math instructional coach and data analyst in a New York public school. He writes at TheJoseVilson.com. Vilson is also on the board of directors for the Center for Teaching Quality and the steering committee for the Save Our Schools Movement.