PACIFIED NO, ON FIRE, YES!

Dean

Dean Brackley

 

by Brian Flagg,

Some people might like to think that a 30 day silent retreat based on the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius might have a pacifying effect on me.

Not so!

That is because I read Dean Brackley’s book on the Exercises and learned about FALSE HUMILITY and MAGNANIMITY!

I feel that doing the Spiritual Exercises gave me the tools to become a much more conscious hombre.

This consciousness is based in knowing the God who created me and came to earth in human form in a much more profound and personal way. And so, that relationship is more and more my identity, how I see and know myself and my calling.

I know that my calling is to be an instrument to be used in the struggle for the liberation of God’s people and God’s creation. This is fact.

So I’ve got no excuses. Practice my calling daily or be a hypocrite.

I feel that in the retreat I experienced humiliations which provided a glimpse of true humility for me.

False humility is when one gets sidetracked from practicing liberation for reasons like I’m too stupid, or people hate me or don’t like me or resentments about the perceived shortcomings of comrades and co-workers, etc, etc.

Being free and practicing liberation daily, hourly, ideally all the time, based on access to the power of the Holy Spirit is the antidote to false humility.

To the extent I or anyone can move down that path, one exudes magnanimity! That means that you can become a great-souled individual, with an expansive spirit, able to think and pray big!

Dean Brackley says that magnanimity is the other side of the humility coin, and that true humility and magnanimity lay the foundation of love, with its indispensable option for the poor.

He also says that (p.123) “each of us is called to make history in our own way, to speak and act with boldness, as the early Christians did, and that cultivating magnanimity should leave fewer guilty bystanders on history’s sidelines”. The challenges we confront surely ought to inspire humility – but the authentic humility that leads to bold, creative action.

So this awareness, this Christian, Catholic, Ignation discipline is the key to me and others fomenting revolution, a revolution of tenderness among brothers and sisters and also a concrete New World Order based on Love and Justice!

Power to the Parents

IMG_4686 Ochoa

by Cesar Aguirre,

It is a quarter to six, Dr. Sanchez has arrived early. The room is still empty, the seats dotted with a few parents as we prepare ourselves for the meeting. I feel nervous, anxious, and worried. All the hard work we’ve done, talking to other parents and informing them on what is going on in our school, our district, and in public education across the country. Where is everybody? Why aren’t they here yet?

I start to think about all the movements across the country I’ve been reading about. The walk-outs in Chicago. The Grassroots Educational Movement in New York (http://gemnyc.org/). The opt-out movement happening across the country to push back against the testing regimes making billions of dollars off testing our kids as early as Kindergarten (http://unitedoptout.com/). These movements have all been started by parents, students and teachers working together to better understand “education reform” and the failing system in place that is destroying our public education system.

It is now six and people are beginning to show up, but I still worry. Morale has been at an all-time low among parents here at Ochoa and it has been difficult to encourage them to stay involved. I step outside for a breath of fresh air before we start. I’m suddenly filled with excitement and enthusiasm as I see cars lined up along-side the street in front of the John Valenzuela Youth center, and groups of parents congregating as they make their way towards the building.

Education is important to all parents, but with all the misinformation about public education, along with the day-to-day struggle of trying to survive and keeping food on the table, it is very difficult to get involved and support our schools. But tonight we are here to say that the education of our children is not only important to us, we want to be part of the conversation and have a strong voice when it comes to the decisions and policies made regarding our children’s education.

We invited Dr. Sanchez tonight so we could discuss the future of Ochoa, and other south side schools that are in danger of losing magnet funds due to a 40 year old desegregation lawsuit that is now hurting schools with high minority enrollment.

Ochoa’s magnet program has not been fully funded and supported, therefore has not had a fair shot at integrating the school. Ochoa has gone from a Double D rating two years ago to a B rated school two years in a row. When the staff and programs needed are in place, our school could be one of the best in the city, and could be a model for other schools with high populations of impoverished minority students.

Dr. Sanchez was asked by parents, community members and teachers if the district would follow through with their commitment to fully support the Reggio Emilia Philosophy at Ochoa Community Magnet School by providing the necessary training and quality teachers needed to bring back the strength and glory of Reggio that once was present at Ochoa. The answer is yes. The district will work with parents to create the type of school envisioned by us to insure that our children are successful in life. Now it is up to us to keep pressure on the district to make sure that they follow through.

Tonight we saw the power of parents influence and make change in our public school. It was amazing to see, for the first time, a superintendent that actually showed up early and stayed late, until the last of the parents left, to answer questions and build genuine relationships with the parents.

After the meeting I was approached by parents from other schools also beginning to organize. After seeing all the parents pitted against each other by Pedicone during the TUSD school closures, I can tell it is a new day in TUSD. It’s time to come together as parents, back up our outstanding teachers, and make changes in the public education system for the common good of not only our children but the future of our society as a whole. It’s up to us to put the PUBLIC back into PUBLIC education!

____________________

por Cesar Aguirre,

Faltan quince para las seis, el Dr. Sánchez ha llegado temprano. El salón aun está vacío, solo unos cuantos padres en las sillas mientras nos preparamos para la reunión. Me siento nervioso, ansioso, y preocupado. Todo el trabajo que hemos hecho, hablando con los padres e informándoles sobre lo que está sucediendo en nuestra escuela, el distrito, y la educación pública en el país. ¿Dónde están todos? ¿Por qué no están aquí ya?

Empiezo a pensar sobre lo que he estado leyendo acerca de todos los movimientos sociales a través del país. Las huelgas en Chicago. Los Movimientos Educativos en Nueva York (http://gemnyc.org/). Las huelgas que están ocurriendo en todo el país para luchar en contra del régimen de evaluación que hace billones de dólares tomando pruebas a nuestros hijos, incluso los que están en el kinder (http://unitedoptout.com/). Estos movimientos sociales han sido iniciados por padres, estudiantes y maestros, trabajando juntos para tener un mejor entendimiento de la “reforma educativa” y el sistema, el cual está fracasando y destruyendo a nuestra educación pública.

Ya son las seis y las personas están empezando a llegar, pero aun estoy preocupado. La moral ha estado muy baja entre los padres aquí en Ochoa, y ha sido difícil animarlos a que permanezcan involucrados. Salgo a tomar un poco de aire antes de iniciar. De repente estoy lleno de ánimo y entusiasmo al ver la fila de carros estacionados al lado de la calle en frente del Centro de Jóvenes John Valenzuela, y un grupo de padres reuniéndose mientras van llegando al salón.

La educación es importante para todos los padres, pero con toda la mala información sobre la educación pública, y con las dificultades diarias para sobrevivir y tener comida en la mesa, es muy difícil estar involucrado y apoyar a nuestras escuelas. Pero esta noche estamos aquí para decir que la educación de nuestros hijos no solo es importante para nosotros, nosotros queremos ser parte de la conversación y tener una voz fuerte cuando se trata de hacer decisiones y leyes sobre la educación de nuestros hijos.

Esta noche nosotros invitamos al Dr. Sánchez a dialogar sobre el futuro de Ochoa y otras escuelas en el lado sur, que están en peligro de perder fondos debido a una ley sobre desegregación de más de 40 anos, la que esta afectando a las escuelas que tiene inscritos a un alto número de minorías.

El programa magnet de Ochoa no ha sido completamente financiado ni apoyado, por lo tanto, no ha tenido una justa oportunidad de integrar la escuela. Ochoa ha pasado de ser una escuela con calificación doble D hace dos años, a ser una escuela con calificación B por dos años seguidos. Si la escuela tuviera el personal y los programas necesarios, podría ser una de las mejores de la ciudad, y un ejemplo para otras escuelas con poblaciones empobrecidas y con gran número estudiantes minoritarios.

Los padres, maestros y miembros de la comunidad le preguntaron al Dr. Sánchez si el distrito continuaría con su compromiso de apoyar completamente la Filosofía Reggio Emilia en la escuela Ochoa, proporcionando los maestros y el entrenamiento necesarios para traer de regreso la fuerza y la gloria de Reggio en Ochoa. La respuesta fue que sí. El distrito trabajara con los padres para crear el tipo de escuela imaginada por nosotros para asegurar que nuestros hijos sean exitosos en la vida. Ahora depende de nosotros el mantener la presión en el distrito para asegurarnos que cumplan con lo que dijeron.

Esta noche vimos el poder de los padres para influenciar y hacer cambios en nuestras escuelas públicas. Fue increíble ver, por primera vez, a un superintendente que en verdad llegue temprano y se quede hasta tarde contestando preguntas y construyendo verdaderas relaciones con los padres.

Después de la reunión se me acercaron padres de otras escuelas que también se están empezando a organizar. Después de ver a los padres luchando uno contra el otro durante el cierre de escuelas con el superintendente Pedicone, puedo ver que es un nuevo día en TUSD. Es tiempo de unirse como padres, apoyar a nuestros maravillosos maestros, y hacer cambios en el sistema de educación pública para el bien común de no solo nuestros hijos, pero para el futuro de toda nuestra sociedad. ¡Depende de nosotros en poner al PÚBLICO nuevamente en la educación PÚBLICA!

Falling in Love

imagesCADWEBRC

by Brian Flagg,

Pedro Arrupe, SJ was the Superior General of the Jesuits from 1965 to 1983.

He was famous for his insistence that proclaiming the Gospel meant promoting justice and entering into solidarity with the voiceless and the powerless.

Under his leadership the Jesuits made great sacrifices for their beliefs and immense dedication to the poor and dispossessed. On 20 June 1977 the White Warriors Union death squad threatened to kill all of the 47 Jesuits serving in El Salvador unless they abandoned their work with the poor, and left the country within a month. After consulting with the Jesuit community in El Salvador, Fr. Arrupe replied “They may end up as martyrs, but my priests are not going to leave because they are with the people.” A few months earlier, Jesuit Father Rutilio Grande, a proponent of liberation theology, had been assassinated in El Salvador.

On 16 November 1989, six Jesuits (Ignacio Ellacuría, Armando Lopez, Joaquin Lopez y Lopez, Ignacio Martín-Baró, Segundo Montes and Juan Ramon Moreno, along with their housekeeper (Julia Elba Ramos) and her daughter (Cecilia), were murdered at the Jesuit University of Central America. Others also suffered martyrdom: the chief bishop in El Salvador Archbishop Óscar Romero (though conservative in respect to religion) was gunned down whilst celebrating the Eucharist on 24 March 1980. Lay missionary Jean Donovan, Ursuline sister Dorothy Kazel and Maryknoll sisters Maura Clarke and Ita Ford were beaten, raped and murdered by non-uniformed members of the Salvadoran National Guard on 2 December 1980. They joined some 75,000 Salvadorans who were killed during this troubled period. All the while, Fr. Arrupe continued to support and pray for those people who were willing to lay down their lives to help the poor initiate change.

Here is what Pedro Arrupe has to say about Falling in Love!

Fall in Love

Nothing is more practical than

finding God, than

falling in Love

in a quiet absolute, final way.

What you are in love with,

what seizes your imagination, will affect everything.

It will decide

what will get you out of bed in the morning,

what you do with your evenings,

how you spend your weekends,

what you read, whom you know,

what breaks your heart,

and what amazes you with joy and gratitude.

Fall in Love, stay in love,

and it will decide everything.

 

_________________________________________

 

Pedro Arrupe, SJ, fue el Prepósito General de la Compañía de Jesús entre 1965 y 1983.

El fue famoso por su insistencia en que el proclamar el Evangelio significaba promover la justicia y entrar en solidaridad con los que no tienen voz ni poder.

Bajo su liderazgo los Jesuitas hicieron grandes sacrificios por sus creencias e inmensa dedicación hacia los pobres y desposeídos. El 20 de junio de 1977 el escuadrón de la muerte llamado UGB ordeno a todos los 47 jesuitas sirviendo en El Salvador a salir del país dentro de un mes o ser eliminados. Después de consultar con la comunidad Jesuita en El Salvador, el Padre Arrupe contesto “Podrán terminar como mártires, pero mis padres no se van a ir porque ellos están con la gente.” Unos cuantos meses antes, El Padre Jesuita Rutilio Grande, un proponente de la teología de la liberación, había sido acecinado en El Salvador.

El 16 de noviembre de 1989, seis Jesuitas (Ignacio Ellacuría, Armando López, Joaquín López y López, Ignacio Martín-Baró, Segundo Montes y Juan Ramón Moreno, junto con su ama de casa (Julia Elba Ramos) y su hija (Cecilia), fueron acecinados en la Universidad Jesuita de Centro América. Otros también sufrieron martirio: el obispo principal en El salvador Arzobispo Oscar Romero (aunque conservador en respecto a la religión) fue disparado mientras celebraba la Eucaristía en 24 de Marzo de 1980. El misionero Jean Donovan, la hermana Ursulina Dorothy Kazel y las hermanas Maryknoll, Maura Clarke y Ita Ford fueron golpeadas, violadas y asesinadas por miembros no uniformados de la Guardia Nacional Salvadoreña un 2 de diciembre de 1980. Fueron parte de unos 75,000 salvadoreños que fueron asesinados durante este periodo de dificultades. Durante todo el tiempo, el padre Arrupe continúo apoyando y rezando por aquellas personas que estaban dispuestas a dejar sus vidas para ayudar a los pobres a iniciar el cambio.

¡Aquí esta lo que Pedro Arrupe tuvo que decir sobre Enamorarse!

 

¡Enamórate

Nada puede importar más que encontrar a Dios.

Es decir, enamorarse de Él

de una manera definitiva y absoluta.

Aquello de lo que te enamoras atrapa tu imaginación,

y acaba por ir dejando su huella en todo.

Será lo que decida qué es

lo que te saca de la cama en la mañana,

qué haces con tus atardeceres,

en qué empleas tus fines de semana,

lo que lees, lo que conoces,

lo que rompe tu corazón,

y lo que te sobrecoge de alegría y gratitud.

¡Enamórate! ¡Permanece en el amor!

Todo será de otra manera.

 

Brian’s in Love!

Fr. Ravizza

by Brian Flagg,

My 30 day silent retreat at the Jesuit Retreat Center in Los Altos, California was the greatest experience of my life since I became a born again Christian when I was 22 years old.

I’ve been home since July 25, but haven’t been able to write about it until now, I guess, because it was so intense and so personal. I just have not been able to find the words to adequately express my experience of being transformed into a new man!

It was like being born again, again in three parts, since I attended 8 day silent retreats at the JRC the past two summers.

When you have 30 days, it really gives you the time to step back and look at your life. For me it was not pretty. I got in touch with how ashamed and embarrassed I feel about how I have personally acted in many different kinds of relationships over the years.

I also felt the power of the risen Jesus that gave me a glimpse of being able to trade in my heart made of stone for participation in ‘a revolución de ternura’ (a revolution of tenderness) that Pope Francis talks about in The Joy of the Gospel (p.88).

The Jesuits and the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius basically promote the idea of falling in love with Jesus. This I have whole heartedly embraced and my new novia (my new lover, my significant other so to speak) is Jesus. I’m serious.

Easy to say 6 weeks after the retreat, we will see where I’m at in 6 months or 2 years. But hell, I know I can keep a commitment. I’ve been married to the Casa Maria Catholic Worker for more than 30 years! And I know that it’s all got to flow from that love relationship with Jesus.

At the silent retreat, you do get to talk to your spiritual director for an hour each day. I was super blessed that mine was an incredibly soulful, inspirational and revolutionary young Jesuit, Fr. Mark Rivazza. He is officially a philosophy professor at Santa Clara University but has spent many years in both the Philippines and El Salvador. He was good buddies with the great Jesuit liberation theologians Fr. Jon Sobrino and Fr. Dean Brackley.

He told me stories about how humble and free and spiritual these guys were in their daily lives. This inspired me to try to envision what a whole new style of leadership might look like!

I almost fell over when Fr. Mark told me that Dean Brackley had written a book about the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius. So we ordered it and it was like I did the Spiritual Exercises guided by Fr. Mark and Dean Brackley, who recently died of cancer.

Dean was a community organizer in New York before moving to El Salvador to replace the Jesuits who were slaughtered by a U.S. sponsored death squad in the early 90’s.

Needless to say, his book brings the Exercises (and the Gospel) out of the clouds and forces a concrete response to massive poverty and human suffering in the world. He is even very clear about who caused it: the United States. But he does it in a most gentle, funny, compassionate and non-judgmental spirit.

I am now more convinced than ever that the struggle for justice and dignity for all people must inflict itself on the consciences of all authentic Catholics and Christians. Believers must rid themselves of excuses, embrace reality (poverty and suffering) and follow Jesus so that we believers model integrity instead of hypocrisy.

So I was inspired by Fr. Dean Brackley, Fr. Mark Rivazza, St. Ignatius, the Jesuits including the Holy Father, but most of all by my novia, Jesus. I’ve experienced his love in a profound and tender way, I ‘m joyfully hanging on to it and I’ve got nothing to fear!

*Special thanks to Msgr. Tom Cahalane for pushing me to do this!

_____________________________________________________________________

 

El retiro silencioso de 30 días en el Centro de Retiros Jesuitas en Los Altos, California fue la mejor experiencia de mi vida desde que me convertí en cristiano renacido cuando tenía 22 anos.

He estado en casa desde el 25 de Julio, pero no he podido escribir sobre esto hasta ahora, me imagino que porque fue tan intenso y personal. ¡Simplemente no he podido encontrar las palabras adecuadas para expresar la experiencia de ser transformado en un nuevo hombre!

Fue como haber nacido nuevamente, renacido en tres partes, desde que participe en los retiros silenciosos de 8 días en el CRJ los pasados dos veranos.

Cuando tienes 30 días, en realidad tienes el tiempo para dar un paso atrás y ver tu vida. Para mí no fue algo bonito. Me puse en contacto con lo avergonzado y culpable que me siento sobre cómo a través de los años he actuado en muchas diferentes relaciones.

También sentí el poder de Jesús resucitado, que me dio un vistazo sobre cómo ser capaz de intercambiar mi corazón hecho de piedra para participar en una ‘revolución de ternura’ de la cual habla el Papa Francisco en La Alegría del Evangelio (p.88).

Los Jesuitas y los Ejercicios Espirituales de San Ignacio básicamente promueven la idea de enamorarse de Jesús. Esto lo he aceptado de todo corazón y mi nueva novia, mi pareja es Jesús. Es enserio.

Es fácil decirlo después de 6 semanas de retiro, veremos donde estaré en 6 meses o en 2 años. Pero yo sé que puedo mantener mi compromiso. ¡He estado casado con el Trabajo Católico de Casa María por más de 30 años! Y también se que todo tiene que fluir de la relación y del amor con Jesús.

En el retiro silencioso, te permiten hablar con un director spiritual por una hora todos los días. Yo fui súper bendecido, mi director, un joven Jesuita, el Padre Mark Rivazza, fue increíblemente conmovedor, lleno de inspiración y revolucionario. Oficialmente el es profesor de filosofía en la Universidad Santa Clara, pero ha pasado muchos años en las Pilipinas y El Salvador. El era buen amigo del gran Jesuita teólogo de liberación el Padre Jon Sobrino y del Padre Dean Brackley.

El me conto historias sobre cuán humildes, libres y espirituales ellos fueron en sus vidas diarias. ¡Esto me inspiro a tratar de tener una visión sobre cómo podría ser un nuevo estilo de liderazgo!

Casi me caigo cuando el Padre Mark me dijo que Dean Brackley había escrito un libro sobre los Ejercicios Espirituales de San Ignacio. Obtuvimos el libro y fue como si yo hubiera seguido los Ejercicios Espirituales siendo guiado por el Padre Mark y Dean Brackley, el cual recientemente falleció de cáncer.

Dean fue un organizador comunitario en Nueva York antes de moverse a El Salvador para remplazar al Jesuita que fue masacrado por los grupos de la muerte Estadounidenses a principios de los 90.

No hace falta decirlo, su libro nos trae los Ejercicios (y el Evangelio) fuera de las nubes, y fuerza una respuesta concreta a la pobreza masiva y al sufrimiento humano en el mundo. Incluso, el es muy claro sobre quien causa esto: los Estados Unidos. Pero lo dice de una manera muy sutil, graciosa, y compasiva, y con un espíritu sin prejuicios.

Ahora estoy más convencido que nunca que la lucha por la justicia y la dignidad de las personas debe infligirse a sí mismo en las conciencias de todos los Cristianos Católicos. Los creyentes deben deshacerse de las escusas, aceptar la realidad (pobreza y sufrimiento) y seguir a Jesús para que modelen integridad en vez de hipocresía.

Fui inspirado por el Padre Dean Brackley, el Padre Mark Rivazza, San Ignacio, los Jesuitas incluyendo al Santo Padre, pero más que todo por ni novia, Jesús. ¡He experimentado su amor y su profunda ternura, estoy alegremente sosteniéndome a ello, y no tengo nada que temer!

*¡Agradecimiento especial al Msgr. Tom Cahalane por empujarme a hacer esto!

STRATEGIC PLAN FOR TUSD AND THE ROLE OF LOW-INCOME PARENTS

by Cesar Aguirre

It is just after 9pm, the girls are finally settled in bed and my eyes are heavy from a long day. I know I should have gone to the board meeting but after cleaning, finishing the laundry and cooking dinner, the last thing I want to do is drag my girls to a board meeting. Once there I would have to deal with their moaning and complaining about how boring it is and then carry one while dragging the other to the car afterwards, getting home way past their bedtime.

I yawn deep and long as I rewind to the beginning of the meeting. Dr. Sanchez is presenting the Five Year Strategic Plan for TUSD to the board and public. Since Dr. Sanchez has been at TUSD I have seen the district make great progress towards involving the community in the planning and decision making process. I was at the first meeting of the Planning Committee where over 200 people came together to start these conversations. Though I commend these efforts, I do not believe the District has done all it can to actively involve the most important stake holders, THE PARENTS!

Over the summer I attended Boundary Committee meetings and was on the Strategic Planning Committee, both meant to engage the community and provide a forum to give our recommendations to the district. As a single parent I found it very difficult to attend all of these meetings over the summer. The girls hated it and we were not able to hang all summer long. What I noticed when I did attend was the lack of parents. Many of the parents that were there were also employees of TUSD. The few others that were there represented middle and upper-middle class neighborhoods. I know TUSD is trying to reach out for help from the community, but I worry that if the District does not do more to reach out to parents of minorities in low income families our voices will not be heard.

The population of the district is not being properly represented when the only ones able to attend all of these meetings are those with privilege. The reality of the families living in poverty, of the working poor, is that we strongly care about our children’s education and have hopes and dreams for our children but are so often fighting to survive, to keep the rent paid, the lights on and food on the table, that we rarely have the energy to do much else.

There are numerous ways of engaging all parents across TUSD. The Planning Committee originally consisted of over 200 parents, teachers, students and community members. If our community was able to bring together nearly 250 parents and community members from South Tucson and other TUSD neighborhoods to the John Valenzuela Youth center to welcome Dr. Sanchez last summer and was able to bring together over 700 parents and community members for a candidate forum the year before, then I’m sure TUSD can do a better job of reaching parents, especially those of minorities and low income households. To Dr. Sanchez and the TUSD School board I challenge you to work on truly engaging the larger population of TUSD parents, those struggling daily to survive in the eighth poorest city in the country, by making sure they are included in the conversation of a better TUSD for all.

Call to Action at the Streetcar Grand Opening July 25th 9am!

Please join the Tucson Bus Riders Union and their supporters at the Streetcar Grand Opening!

Day: July 25th

Time: 9am 

Location: Congress Street and 5th Avenue

Wear your yellow shirts and remind the City that Bus Money is NOT for the maintenance and operation of the Streetcar!

/No bus money for the streetcar

For more information on Streetcar Grand Opening Events: http://sunlinkstreetcar.com/

Thoughts of a TBRU Supporter

This piece was sent in by a friend and supporter of the Bus Riders Union. Thanks for your thoughts M!

By M.

The City of Tucson has been irresponsible throughout the entire Streetcar project. Initial negotiations regarding the Streetcar included major contributions from the University of Arizona, yet when the UofA changed their mind the City plowed on with little regard for the impact the streetcar would have on the budget or the community.

The primary purpose of the Streetcar, which has a price tag of over $190 million, will be to take intoxicated college students from bar to bar and will not help increase business for many merchants along the route or help the general public with their transportation needs.

Initially, potential contribution from the UofA made the Streetcar project appear viable, but the project should have been scrapped as soon as the University money was no longer on the table. Financial decisions such as this are no surprise from the University, given the institutions history of balancing their budget on the backs of students while paying Athletics Coaches close to $2 million per year plus allowing $6 million in gifted stocks.

While the streetcar will cost $3-5 million a year to run along the 3.9 mile route, the city has tried to save at least $2 million by cutting bus routes in parts of town where residents rely on the bus as their only mode of transportation to basic needs such as accessing food and medical care.

Blog 3

The Civil Rights Act of 1964 states that governments cannot use funds in a racially discriminatory manner, and if a public agency does, all federal funding can be cut off. Yet the city will be using $69 million in federal funds for a streetcar project that serves a small, increasingly gentrified area and primarily privileged population while potentially cutting bus routes elsewhere. Cutting bus routes, mostly on the City’s south and west sides of town, and raising fares is transit racism and would disproportionately impact people of color and could put the City at risk of violating the Civil Rights Act.

For the majority of working class people that ride the bus, the proposed bus fare increases cause a hardship and represent financial exploitation of already marginalized communities, making the classist mentality of City leaders clear as they propose to balance the budget on the backs of poor people while providing a Streetcar for the transportation of an elite few.

PUT THE “PUBLIC” BACK IN PUBLIC SCHOOLS

by Cesar Aguirre

As the end of the school year winded down and summer break couldn’t come soon enough I received a call from my daughters’ grandmother, their mom’s mom, to give me the news that my step-son Boogie would be going back to live with them. Knowing that I am very involved with public education she asked me to look into a summer school program for him because he is behind in school.

Jesus, or Boogie as I call him, just turned 16 last month and will start this coming school year as a second year freshman. When his mother and I met he was only a year old. He has always known his biological father but they weren’t very close. Being the parent I am now, many would think that he was lucky to have me raising him. The truth is, back then I wasn’t half the parent I have evolved into. He has had a very rough childhood. He witnessed and experienced much of the destruction and pain caused by my addiction and the lifestyle my ex and I lived. When his mom and I split up he was about 9. About 3 years later he was removed from his mom’s home by cps and forced to live with his father. Though his father’s might have been the better place to be, he had been ripped out of his home, torn away from all that he ever knew, and forced to live with his father which he had a limited relationship with. Since his mother and I split up he has done more and more poorly in school. Now that his mom is staying clean and on her meds his father has sent him back to live with her and her mom. He seems very excited and optimistic.

In looking for a summer program for Boogie, to make up some of his credits and get a better start to the new school year, I found it very expensive. They live in the Sunnyside District and summer high school classes are over $200. I then looked into TUSD and the cost was very similar. There was no way his grandmother could afford it. I was unable to find anything at little or no cost. The only other option he has to graduate on time, or even a year late, would be to enroll him into a charter school. I don’t think it would be the best education for him and am against private companies making a profit off our children through public funds.

Equity in Public Schools

We all know the word “equal,” and hear it time and time again. “Created equal,” “equal rights,” “equal Opportunity,” but are we really equal and do we, as a society, treat each other as equals? American History classes tend to imply that racism is a thing of the past. Inequality throughout history has been based mostly on race, and though I believe it is still an issue, today’s division, oppression, and inequality is no longer based so much on race as it is on class.

In most public schools students are treated equally, meaning that they all receive the same instruction, supplies, materials, etc. That’s all fine and dandy but it only works if all the students are at the same level on all subjects, have the same financial means, educated parents and stability at home. What is really needed in public schools is equity, not equality.

Public Schools are meant to level the playing field, and serve all children to insure that they have equal opportunity while creating innovative, critical thinkers, involved citizens, and serve as the foundation of democracy. Now it’s all about passing tests and making loads of money, tax dollars, off of our kids. The data is out there and it shows that poverty has a direct impact on the achievement of students.

The Economic Divide in Public Schools

There is a huge divide between the haves and have-nots in public schools. When I was a child it was most apparent by the clothes kids wore, toys they owned and the cars their parents drove, but now it’s so much more than that. Now public schools are doing more and more to strengthen that divide.

This year I heard teachers and staff tell elementary students that if they did not have money to pay for their pictures, they had to come in uniform and could not dress up like the other students. As soon as you walk into the school on picture day you can clearly see who has and who does not.

Due to the emphasis on standardized testing, curriculum has narrowed its focus to reading, writing, and math which means that if your child is attending a school that scores poorly on testing (usually schools in poor neighborhoods) then the chances of your child having access to music, art, P.E./sports, and even meaningful science activities and experiments are slim to none. Unless you can afford it as an extra-curricular activity after school, they won’t receive that as part of their educational experience. High school sports charge fees. There are vouchers available, but not every poor child that wants to play gets a voucher, plus they still need to be able to purchase equipment like cleats, mouthpieces, gloves, etc. Because most families in poverty cannot afford to pay for Pop Warner or Little League many of the poor kids that are able to play are many years behind their peers and end up getting discouraged or see very little playing time and are never able to build up their skills. Parents who want to join their children on field trips cannot do so if they cannot afford to pay for themselves on the trip. The price for prom tickets is outrageous so only those who can afford it can go. High School graduates have to purchase their own cap and gown, and if they can’t afford it they can choose to either go without or borrow them, meaning they wouldn’t be able to save it to show their children when they get older or keep it for the memories. Poor kids in poor schools are not counseled to go to college after graduation unless they are financially able or already have scholarships lined up. Instead they are counseled to prepare for the work force, which nowadays pays near poverty wages, continuing the cycle of poverty.

private vs. public

As bad as things are getting in public schools, taking our kids out of them and placing them in private/charter schools is not the answer. In fact, that’s what is wanted so that more money can be made at the expense of leaving behind more and more children. I believe the answer is to put the public back into public education. We parents should not only be more involved, we need to take OUR schools back, support GREAT teachers, and change the system to focus less on numbers, scores and data, and focus more on the individual child and what is needed for their success.  Hopefully Boogie receives what he needs in order to be successful.

This video might help you understand what has happened to our public education system over the years: