Tonight: Education and Capitalism: Struggles for Learning and Liberation

Come meet two of the authors from a new book on capitalism and education, Gillian Russom and Sarah Knopp. The book traces Marxist theories of education under capitalism; outlines the educational experiences of emergent bilingual and African American students historically; recaps the theory and history of teachers’ unions; analyzes the neoliberal attack on public schools under Obama; critically appraises Paolo Freire’s legacy; and makes the link between social revolution and struggles for literacy.

United Teachers Los Angeles building (Room 816)
3303 Wilshire Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90010
Wednesday, May 30, 2012 5:00PM

haymarketbooks.org

Tonight: Education and Capitalism: Struggles for Learning and Liberation

EDUCATION AND CAPITALISM: Struggles for Learning and Liberation

"This book is a breath of fresh air! The chapters take on central issues in education with a clear vision of what could be. Class, race, language and culture become not just educational 'problems,' but tools with which to rethink the future. A stellar addition to books in our field." — Jean Anyon, author of Marx and Education

"At a time when the capitalist class and their corporate allies in the media have waged an all-out assault on teachers, students, and public education, Education and Capitalismr esponds by speaking truth to power.... Drawing from the lived experiences of the editors and their students, and informed by cutting edge sociopolitical critique, Education and Capitalism clears the path for new understanding of the current assault on public schooling and points towards important directions if we are to save it." — Peter McLaren, author of Che Guevara, Paulo Freire, and the Pedagogy of Revolution


EDUCATION AND CAPITALISM: Struggles for Learning and Liberation

EDITED BY JEFF BALE AND SARAH KNOPP

In the first decade of the twenty-first century, a conservative, bipartisan consensus dominates about what's wrong with our schools and how to fix them. In each case, those solutions scapegoat teachers, vilify our unions, and promise more private control and market mentality as the answer. In each case, students lose--especially students of color and the children of the working class and the poor.

This book, written by teacher activists, speaks back to that elite consensus. It draws on the ideas and experiences of social justice educators concerned with fighting against racism and for equality, and those of activists oriented on recapturing the radical roots of the labor movement. Informed by a revolutionary vision of pedagogy, schools, and education, it paints a radical critique of education in Corporate America, past and present, and contributes to a vision of alternatives for education and liberation. Inside are essays that trace Marxist theories of education under capitalism; outline the historical educational experiences of emergent bilingual and African American students; recap the history of teachers' unions; analyze the neoliberal attack on public schools under Obama; critically appraise Paolo Freire's legacy; and make the historical link between social revolution and struggles for literacy.

Sarah Knopp is a public high school teacher in Los Angeles and an activist with United Teachers Los Angeles.

Jeff Bale is assistant professor of second language education at Michigan State University. Their work has appeared in Rethinking Schools, International Socialist Review, and CounterPunch.


Available Fall 2011 | Trade paper | $17.00 | 220 pages | ISBN: 9781608461646
Published by Haymarket Books | www.haymarketbooks.org | info@haymarketbooks.org | 773-583-7884
For review or desk copies, contact Sarah Macaraeg, sarah@haymarketbooks.org

EDUCATION AND CAPITALISM: Struggles for Learning and Liberation

UTLA May 1st Teachers Press Conference! Teachers, we need you!!

"I have seen UTLA representation at these type of events, coalition meetings, and other such organizing for over a decade. I've NEVER seen an Alliance for a Better Community, LAPU/Parent Revolution, or Families in Schools banner at any immigrant rights event." — Robert D. Skeels (Social Justice Candidate for District 2 Seat, LAUSD)


United Teachers Los Angeles (UTLA) is holding a press conference at the UTLA building tomorrow to announce their support for the Southern California Immigration Coalition May 1st march!!

We need as many UTLA members as possible to show up to this Press Conference and please bring your RED UTLA gear!! Community members are welcomed!!

Wednesday, April 27th at 4:00pm!
UTLA Building
3303 Wilshire Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90010
Corner of Wilshire and Berendo

UTLA teachers and community supporters! EVERYone is welcomed!!

This is a great chance for teachers to show their solidarity with the labor movement on International Workers Day and also for the Immigrant Rights Movement!

Remember to wear your UTLA Red!

Ron Gochez
Social Justice Educator/Community Organizer
Union del Barrio
Southern California Immigration Coalition

UTLA May 1st Teachers Press Conference! Teachers, we need you!!

¡Marcha a Primero de Mayo! May Day 2011 March

¡La Marcha esta para derrechos de todos trabajadores. Ven con nosotros a Primero de Mayo!

As a social justice candidate for the District 2 Board seat of Los Angeles Unified School District, I'll be marching in support of teachers and communities with the Educators Contingent. See you there.

Sunday, May 1, 2011 from 10:00am — 1:00pm
Starting at Olympic and Broadway, Los Angeles, CA 90015



ARE-LA Endorsement of SCIC May Day March

Dear Members of the Southern California Immigration Coalition,


The Association of Raza Educators, Los Angeles chapter stands in solidarity with the SCIC and its work to organize for our peoples' rights. Below is a statement of solidarity and endorsement of the SCIC's May Day march that we are sending out to our listservs. On May 1st, we march with the SCIC and stand with our communities!

Venceremos! Karen Salazar Chairperson Association of Raza Educators, Los Angeles

ARE Los Angeles Endorsement of May 1st Action:

Full Legalization Now! No Guest Worker Program!

The Association of Raza Educators (ARE), Los Angeles chapter believes in community self-determination. Because education is the cornerstone of our struggle for self-determination, reclaiming education often involves fighting against the oppressive system that seeks to deny the human rights and dignity of our students and their families.

ARE Los Angeles stands in solidarity with the Southern California Immigration Coalition! As educators and community organizers, we will march on May 1st as a sign of protest against Immigration and Custom Enforcement raids, which we view as an attack on im/migrant communities. On May 1st, we will march alongside our students, sisters, brothers, and families, in solidarity with im/migrant communities throughout the United States.

Association of Raza Educators, Los Angeles

www.ARELosAngeles.com

CALL TO ACTION!

What: May Day mobilization, immigrant's rights are worker's rights
When: May 1st Time: 8:30am
Where: 2100 Maple Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90011 (Centro Cultural Francisco Villa)

¡Marcha a Primero de Mayo! May Day 2011 March

¡La Marcha Unido! Ven con nosotros a Primero de Mayo

Given the scale and viciousness of attacks on immigrants in particular under Janet Napolitano, and attacks in general on workers under the current administration, making this the largest International Workers Day march is beyond imperative. May Day is our day! Workers' rights and immigrant rights are one and the same! We demand full legalization for all, an end to the racist I.C.E. raids under Napolitano, no exploitative and racist "guest worker/bracero" programs to make the bosses richer, and for the right to organize at every workplace (ie. EFCA).

The SCIC has joined with other immigrant rights groups to announce the unified march this year. Here's footage of the press conference in which this historic announcement occured.



[Click if you can't view the video]



[Click if you can't view the video]

¡La Marcha Unido! Ven con nosotros a Primero de Mayo

Justice for Nativo Lopez and Overhill Farms Workers

Fact Sheet

"An injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere." -- Martin Luther King, Jr.

INTRODUCTION. Nativo Lopez is known nationally for his organizing and support of immigrants, workers, and students. As president of the Mexican American Political Association and national director of the Hermandad Mexicana Latinoamericana, Nativo is a vocal advocate for the rights of undocumented immigrants who face persecution because of their status: be it at their workplace, school, or communities. Most recently he founded a new independent union, the General Brotherhood of Workers International Union, and has been working closely with terminated employees from the company Overhill Farms and assisting in their fight against unjust firings. Overhill Farms is the largest food processing and manufacturing company in California with between 800 and 1,000 employees, based in the city of Vernon, and supplies packaged food product to companies such as Jenny Craig, Panda Express, El Pollo Loco, American Airlines, Northwest Airlines, Safeway, and many other super-market chain stores.

• Nativo faces eight felony charges by the Los Angeles District Attorney, Steve Cooley, that include: fraudulent voter registration, fraudulent document filing, perjury, and fraudulent voting. On July 8th, 2009, Nativo declared himself "NOT GUILTY" to a judge during his arraignment. These charges are based on allegations that he used a business address (of his organization) to register to vote and vote in an election, while allegedly residing at a different location. The period in question was January 2006 to March 2008. He voted on one single occasion, and never in multiple jurisdictions. The California Secretary of State investigated the case for one-and-a-half years, while the department could have decided to take administrative action, instead turned it over to the Los Angeles County District Attorney for prosecution.
• These charges could have been resolved administratively due to their technical nature. Instead, they are being pursued as felony charges. It is a clear example of selective prosecution. Where others have never been prosecuted for similar infractions, Nativo has been targeted at a time that he has been vocal against the broken immigration system and stood up in defense of the workers at Overhill Farms, and the 1,800 workers terminated recently at American Apparel.
• An arrest warrant was issued on June 22, 2009, however, false reports of his arrest have painted a flawed image of the actual nature of these charges and the events that followed. Nativo in fact presented himself to a judge at the Los Angeles Superior Court on June 24, 2009, the day before reports were made, and allowed to leave on his own recognizance.
• The workers at Overhill Farms that stood up against their unfair boss have also been targeted by a lawsuit of the company. On July 1, 2009, a civil lawsuit was filed against Nativo Lopez and six worker leaders - charged with extortion, defamation and intentional interference with the company's customers, employees, and the union, which represents the majority of the employees. The company claims that they are being pressured to rehire the terminated employees but fails to mention anything about the procedure it took to select the almost 300 employees who were accused of a discrepancy in their social security numbers and given only 30 days to clear up the matter. These 300 employees had worked for the company between 5 and 20 years and had established their seniority and benefits under their union contract. When the employees questioned the company about their discriminatory practices, the company changed their story a few times and terminated them. Overhill Farms was not under any obligation by the Social Security Administration, the Internal Revenue Service, or any other government entity to fire the employees. The company also chose to terminate workers who presented evidence to correct the discrepancy. Overhill Farms turned around and hired part-time employees (so classified), but works them 50 to 60 hours weekly, at minimum wage and provides them absolutely no benefits. This was clearly the scheme of the company to eliminate seniority employees and replace them with lower wage part-time workers.
• The charges (both the felonies and civil charges) against Nativo and the workers are a clear attempt to distract them from their call for a national boycott against Overhill Farms until the company rehires the dismissed workers. The charges are aimed at distracting the public from the real issue at hand.
• Nativo's preliminary hearing will be on December 17, 2009 at 9:00 a.m. at the Los Angeles Superior Court at 210 W. Temple St., Los Angeles, 90012, Dept. 36 on the 3rd Floor.

For more information on assisting in the Justice for Nativo and Overhill Farms Workers Defense Committee please contact Taina Reyes at treyes@hermandadmexicana.org or call (323) 269-1575.

Justice for Nativo Lopez and Overhill Farms Workers

ISO's Sherry Wolf on Gay Rights at Busboy's

I'm proud to be one of Sherry's comrades. In all the years I've known her, she's never failed to give the most moving, powerful, and principled speeches. Those of us who missed this one are fortunate that it was recorded for posterity. Check out her latest book Sexuality and Socialism: History, Politics, and Theory of LGBT Liberation.

ISO's Sherry Wolf on Gay Rights at Busboy's

Los Angeles Immigrant Workers March for Immigration Reform

September 5, 2009. Roughly 700 workers and supporters braved 96 degree temperatures in the late summer sun during their march through downtown Los Angeles. Workers from Overhill Farms, American Apparel, and Farmer Johns called the action under the banner of "Marcha para Reforma Migratoria" (March for Immigration Reform), to demand President Obama stop both sanctions to employers, and employee verification, which have led to the mass firing of people.

Marchers carried signs demanding a halt to the firings, and chanted in unison along the route. A popular chant was "¡Obama escucha, estamos en la lucha!" (Listen Obama, we're engaged in struggle). Spirits were exceptionally high, in part due to palpable anger workers feel over what have become clear enforcement only policies stemming from Department of Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano's office.

The slightly over a half mile route ended at Los Angeles' historic Pershing Square where a range speakers addressed the rally. The speakers were primarily workers from the effected workplaces. They addressed several issues including the fact that their employers were under no obligation from the government to fire their workers. They told of how employers often used this tactic to eliminate experienced workers, and replace them with lower paid workers with no benefits.

One woman's sentiments were particularly powerful:

"Many of us supported President Obama because he promised us hope, change, and immigration reform. Instead we all lost our jobs, and many of us may be deported. What sort of hope is that? I have children to feed, and now I have no job."

Nativo Lopez called on Obama and Napolitano to end punitive enforcement measures including 287(g), E-Verify, and Secure Communities immediately. Many speakers demanded the administration stop pushing talk of comprehensive immigration reform into the future and to embrace the tenets of the "Legalize America" campaign.

Another rally is planned for this October. Given the rampant increase of DHS/ICE enforcement policies as of late, there's an urgent need to continue this push back and demand legalization for all immigrants now!

Los Angeles Immigrant Workers March for Immigration Reform

Upcoming Social Justice Events

Marcha for Reforma Migratoria - March for Immigration Reform!
Stand up against increasingly stricter enforcement policies

Corner of Olympic and Broadway
Saturday, September 5, 2009 @ 11:00am - 1:00pm
S Broadway & W Olympic Blvd Los Angeles, CA 90015

Los Trabajadores de Overhill Farms, American Apparel, Farmers Johns y otros llaman a todas las organizaciones de Derechos Humanos e Immigrantes y otras a Demandar que Presidente Obama Pare las multas a Patrones y verificacion de documentos que resultan en despidos masivos.

The workers of Overhill Farms, American Apparel, Farmers Johns and others are calling to all the organizations of Human Rights and Immigrantes and others to Demand Obama to Stop Sanctions to employers, and employee verification due to the mass firing of people.

SOCIALISM
What It Is And Why We Need It

USC Leavey Library Auditorium
Wednesday, September 9, 2009 @ 7:00pm - 8:30pm
651 West 35th Street, Los Angeles, CA 90007

The word "socialism" has returned to the mainstream of American political debate. But there are widespread misconceptions of what socialism is-and what it isn't.

Republicans fret that the U.S. is fast becoming a socialist country-with government spending on bank bailouts and Barack Obama's proposed health care reform.

But the genuine tradition of "socialism from below" means something more than state intervention in the economy. Socialism is really about the struggle to oppose discrimination in all its forms and to put the needs of working people before corporate profits.

Come to this meeting to discuss the idea of socialism-and socialist strategies for changing the world.

Upcoming Social Justice Events

When laws are immoral, and serve to perpetuate racism

The following was written in response to a Facebook discussion board on the "ABC: Take "Homeland Security USA" reality show OFF the air!!" group. An individual posts a seemingly innocuous question entitled "What is the root of the concern about this show?" There is some banter back and forth, but the person initially posing the question eventually makes their point. They argue this is "a society based on rule of law." This threadbare argument, used by reactionaries and liberals alike, is premised on the notion that the state is somehow a neutral entity. The reality is the state was created as a means of maintaining class inequality and enforcing the rule of the few over the vast majority of us. Rather than an impartial arbiter, the capitalist state, along with its laws, serve the interests of those who rule. Very often the laws under the most "enlightened" bourgeois representative democracies are quite horrible. He further goes on to argue that just showing the factual accounts of DHS personnel outside the context of who they serve, and to what purpose they serve isn't intended to try and polish a tarnished DHS/ICE image. He then argues that the function of this show is utterly apolitical, and serves no propagandistic purposes whatsoever. Any immigrant rights activist knows from experience that DHS/ICE is not an apolitical department full of hardworking people safeguarding us from the other (read brown people). I think my following post really drives this home. -- Robert D. Skeels

Mr. [name withheld] has won me over with his verbosity and convoluted logic. Indeed, this is a country based on rule of law, and by extension, those paid to uphold such laws are heroes! In light of this we should beg Mr. Arnold Shapiro to produce the following shows as pitched below (obviously historical reenactments, but in spirit, identical in context to Homeland Security USA).

Defenders of Democracy - U.S.A. Against the Victimizing Vote
This Arnold Shapiro produced made for TV movie follows the travails of brave U. S. Attorney Richard Crowley doing his job to make sure those who would threaten our democracy by voting illegally pay for their crimes. When undesirables turn up to flout the law and vote in violation of the 1870's Enforcement Act, Richard Crowley does his prosaic and apolitical duty of prosecuting.

Separate, but Equal U.S.A.
If safeguarding Americans from the nefarious other from without constitutes brave and selfless service, how about from within? Just a few decades ago, before interference with States' Rights, certain folk knew their place. In fact, their place was inshrined in law. "Separate, but Equal U.S.A." is Arnold Shapiro's attempt to show how southern law enforcement protected our communities from those that would illegally cross lines they weren't supposed to cross, and committing dangerous acts like sitting on the wrong part of the bus and leering at our womenfolk. "This isn't political or about whether Jim Crow was morally wrong." said a Shapiro spokesperson. "This is about average men on the front lines upholding the laws at that time."

U.S.A. Marshals: Breaking the Contraband Network
Our democracy has always been a nation of laws, and any law or law enforcement agency protecting the sanctity of private property should be afforded the highest honors of all. This series follows ordinary U.S. Marshals performing their sacred duty of tracking down those stealing plantation property. These brave men also investigate a wide underground network of conspirators and lawbreakers aiding and abetted these fugitives. While critics of this Arnold Shapiro produced series see it as a defense of chattel slavery, they need to understand these brave marshals didn't write the "Fugitive Slave Law of 1850," they merely did their jobs.

Shall I go on?

When laws are immoral, and serve to perpetuate racism

Paul Krugman Schools George Will On The Great Depression

I think people are misunderstanding Krugman on the effect of the war. He isn't repeating the reactionary dribble that the war saved the economy, but stating the economy recovered. What he doesn't discuss here is important. The only way to prevent the "tendency of the rate of profit to fall" is to destroy capital (mostly means of production in this case). When WWII is considered in a context of every competing country's (allies and opponents), means of production was essentially wiped out, we have the real reason for the United States' economic recovery after the war. The right wing can never admit this since there are too many ideological penalties the come with it. If war really was a easy way to fix economies, why the slumps after Viet Nam, Gulf War I, the current occupations?
Read the Article at HuffingtonPost

Paul Krugman Schools George Will On The Great Depression

Paul Krugman Schools George Will On The Great Depression

Austrian school economics, brought to you by the same kooks that deify Ayn Rand, and actually think there is a way for markets to expand infinitely. For those unfamiliar with this discredited school of economics, they actually do consider Greenspan and Friedman as being left, since anything that hints of regulating the monstrosities of capital is considered left of Austrian School. Free markets always have and always will fail miserably, the contradictions inherent in the profit system insure this, and history has proven it time and time again.

A little hint for acudoc, you've misidentified the so called producers in your pro ruling class diatribe, and it sure isn't the greedy captains of industry you worship. There are producers in society, and they do create all the wealth. They are called the workers.
Read the Article at HuffingtonPost

Paul Krugman Schools George Will On The Great Depression

Blaming the victims of the crisis

Recently I was arguing the same point this article makes with some petty bourgeois acquaintances, one a hopeless reactionary, the other a closet libertarian. They were making Wall Street's case that the entire financial crises is due to the government forcing innocent institutions like Countrywide to lend to brown (read Latino) and black people. I said "even if they did, and loans were made to every single black and brown person in the country, that still only accounts for roughly 20% of the loans. How do you account for the other 80%?" They were unable to answer it, and just reiterated the right wing 'talking points.'

Blaming the victims of the crisis

Called the Congressperson!

I have very little faith in bourgeois representative democracy, but there are times when you can get a little bit of input. While we all know struggle is far more important than voting, the looming danger of HR 3997, the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act was worth the quick phone call to voice my opposition. Representative Xavier Becerra, had the good sense (or at least political acumen) to vote against the first version of the bill. I called his office today to thank him for that and to strongly state my opposition to the Senate revisions. Lets hope the House rejects the "Bankster Bailout" again. While Bush and all the other ruling class representatives are trying so hard to convince us we are all in the same boat, we always need to remember -- "the working class and the employing class have nothing in common."

Called the Congressperson!

Care to try again, Dick?

"The fact is, the markets work, and they are working," said Cheney in an interview in his White House office. "And people - some of the big companies obviously - have taken risks. Risk means risk. And there's an upside as well as a downside in some of the choices they've made. We have to be careful not to have this set of developments lead us to significantly expand the role of government in ways that may do damage long-term for the economy."

The same goes for Democratic efforts to curb the predatory lending practices that left naive homeowners in trouble, says Cheney: "We don't want to interfere with the basic, fundamental working of the markets."

Your markets are working alright! Thanks Dick, for making our case for socialism even more compelling and easier to win people over to. While the real solution to the crisis is a socialist revolution, here are some stopgap reforms to carry us through the year.

• Use the newly nationalized Fannie Mae and Freddy Mac to refinance all troubled mortgage holders with 30 year fixed rate notes on a fair and realistic valuation of their homes, not the over-inflated housing bubble prices. Let the investment banking industry take the losses on all refinanced price differences.


• Institute an immediate and progressive wealth tax with severe penalties for capital flight.


• Institute a immediate windfall tax for record profit making petroleum corporations, in fact, let's extend that to all the non-bid contract war profiteers as well.


• Repeal the Bush tax cuts for the obscenely rich, create a much more progressive tax structure, and remove all tax loopholes and subsidies for corporations.


• End the brutal occupations of Afghanistan and Iraq (with half of that 2.1B a week being used for reparations).


• National single payer healthcare.


• Take the 700B and rebuild inner cities, create a national public transportation system, and invest the rest in public research and development of alternative energy sources.

Care to try again, Dick?

Black September article compilation

Black September article compilation

Worst Crisis Since '30s, With No End Yet in Sight

The folks at the Wall Street Journal Online finally being honest about the inherent failure of free markets? Important how they don't mention the contradiction of privatization of profit, but socialization of losses, but it is the WSJ after all. A glimpse of how they view us:

...to the discomfort of workers -- companies are quicker to adjust wages, hiring and work hours when the economy softens.

In other words, the working class always bears the burden--during boom or slump. Our task is to organize against them placing this on us! Times like this expose their proffered excuse for sucking surplus value out of us, "because we [the capitalists] take all the risks," for the lie it always is.

Worst Crisis Since '30s, With No End Yet in Sight

Crisis in Capitalism (a redundant phrase, really)

When I gave my sub-prime mortgage crisis talk in 2007, skeptics were saying it was no big deal. "The economy will rebound," "deregulation is always a good thing," trust the market," etc. Armed with Marxist analysis of economics and recognition of the fundamental principles of a crisis of overproduction, allowed us to see the sub-prime mess was just a precursor of a much larger catastrophe. A good time to re-read Rosa Luxemburg, to understand how credit eventually exacerbates crisis. This is playing out exactly the way she explains in "Reform of Revolution."

The bi-partisan neoliberal project is now bearing fruit. While the Bush gang certainly helped to accelerate this with their murderous 2.1 billion dollar a week occupations, the chicken were going to come home to roost eventually. It is going to take serious struggle on the ground to keep this entire thing from being placed on our backs.

A system out of control
Crucial analysis of the scope of the crisis, and addresses how there isn't any quick fix using their usual tools. This article is a must read!

Working harder and falling behind
The ruling class wants someone to pay to get them out of their latest crisis. Guess who they want that to be?

US Economy: Rudderless and Reeling from Direct Hits
When fiscal conservatives like Paul Craig Roberts agree with us on deregulation being a prime cause, you know the system is in crises.

Crisis in Capitalism (a redundant phrase, really)

JOHN MOLYNEUX

JOHN MOLYNEUX

Awesome Labor Victory Readings!

If you haven't read Shaun's UPS article, please do now: When Big Brown was shut down. Afterwards, check out this inspirational piece on the YouTube America's Victory: The 1997 UPS Strike

More importantly, Todd covers a contemporary example of how our most powerful weapon--the strike--remains the most important component in working class struggle.

1. Locked out by the “Wal-Mart of garbage


2. Solidarity defeats the garbage bosses

Awesome Labor Victory Readings!