By Any Means Necessary

sisters and brothers,

By any means necessary...as long as it educates, agitates

and mobilizes people into action,

and it constructively empowers the people.

our group, the coalition for public education/coalicion por la educacion publica, is made up of different groups and individuals, with different talents and passions, that have come together to create a potent force against the bloomberg-klein corporate dictatorship. that's why our group can address the people's work using different, yet complementary, tactics.

1. on the legal front we have prepared and served legal documentation challenging the re-appointment of chancellor joel klein (please read and distribute the above attachments).

2. on the legislative front we want everyone to call his/her state senator and assembly-person and post a very brief notice of your call on this list so that we can keep a tally of calls.

you can say,

a. vote no on the silver/padovan bill (this bill gives bloomberg control of our schools)

b. this bill, even with amendments, does not have sufficient checks and balances to put parents, students and school staff in decision making positions.

c. the bill, even with the amendments, does not address instruction, we want more teaching and less test prep.

d. legislators from outside of new york city should stand aside and let the representative from the city vote on this bill.

e. we want local school control not mayoral dictatorship. stand up to bloomberg, don't be scared. he already has too much power.

f. non-educators should not be running our school system.

g. education is a human right, keep the wall street-corporate model out of our public schools.

additionally, sister jamillah recommends that we:

a. ask for an outside agency monitor the board of ed for corruption

b. ask for an outside agency monitor board of ed test scores and budgets

c. ask that board of ed members have fixed terms

d. ask that we have more parent and community involvement

e. ask that the chancellor be an educator

f. ask that parents and educators need to be on the board

g. ask that the board of education must comply with city and state laws

h. ask that we have a better assessment system for our children

i. ask that the mayor not be allowed to use no-bid contracts

j. think about the phrase "don't be scared" because it might alienate the state representatives

3. on the direct action front, yesterday, we participated in an energetic, militant and spirited picket line, in front of tweed, against the invasion of charter schools into our public schools.

-we also ask that all of you speak out and support the parents, students and staff at one of the charter school "hearings" that will take place on monday august 3. one hearing is on staten island (district 31) and the other is in brooklyn (district 18). tonight i will post the details concerning these two "hearings."

-we are also asking all of you to attend our founding convention on saturday august 29th, 12pm-5pm, at dc-37, so that we can strengthen our movement for better public schools in nyc.

-we will have an assembly, 1 keynote speaker, and set up parent, student and labor caucuses to write demands and develop plans of action for the fall and spring.

-we will also make a call to establish a people's board of education.

4. on the media front, yesterday, sam anderson spoke forcefully and courageously on wbai against charter schools and was supported by angel, khem and others who called in.

5. on the internal organizing front, our coalition will meet on thursday august 6th, from 6pm-8pm, at dc-37, and will establish a coordinating committee and sub-committees to better organize our work.

-we will also vote on our points of unity.

thank you,

Mark A. Torres
Member of People Power
"Independent Politics for Independent People."