A Message from Education Action: Toronto December 10, 2010 Closing Poor Schools, The "Miseducation of Somali Youth," Turning the Screws on Local Trustees Dear Friends, The three pieces attached below open up different windows into the ways in which the neo-liberal (or corporate) agenda - increasingly promoted by the current Liberal government - is hammering the public school system in Ontario and especially in poor, racialized neighbourhoods. Diane Dyson looks at the most recent Area Review Committee (ARC) Process at the TDSB, which is focused on closing schools to save money. It's a process pushed forward because of continued provincial underfunding and growing pressure for privatization. What Dyson finds is that in this process, poorer schools "faced a double jeopardy." More of them were under review and their parents didn't have the time or resources that wealthier parents had to fight the closing of their local school. Click HERE to download: Diane Dyson, "Double Jeopardy for Poorer Schools George Martell responds to the question "Why are so many Somali Youth dropping out and what are we going to do about that?" The question was asked at the recent "Miseducation of Somali Youth Conference" sponsored by the TDSB. Martell argues that the main reason for these dropouts is corporate-government insistence on treating these kids as low-level "human capital" rather than creating a school program focused on building strong caring individuals, who can look forward to meaningful jobs and to finding a place for themselves as citizens in the larger society. Click HERE to download: George Martell, "A Response to the Dudley Paul brings us up to date on the most recent moves by the Government of Ontario (through Bill 177) to destroy what is left of local democracy in our boards of education. Increased provincial power is essential if the government wants to continue underfunding and intensifying the "human capital" curriculum with its attendant standardized testing, profiling and bottom streaming. Paul takes us through the extraordinary new measures designed by the province to ensure it has this power over our elected trustees. "To be a trustee in this climate," he concludes, "is to live in a state of continual insult." Click HERE to download: Dudley Paul, "Queen's Park Keeps Turning Part of the battle in dealing with all of these issues - the school closings, the "human capital" curriculum, the destruction of trustee power - has to take place at our local boards. Progressive trustees still have a very important role to play in rallying their communities, and they need your support. We hope you will find time to give it to them. In solidarity, George Martell and Faduma Mohamed
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