Boston School Committee approves in-district charter schools

[Hannah Bell]

An offensive is under way in the city of Boston to close schools and establish in-district charter schools. The Boston School Committee, which oversees the supervision of the city’s public school system, voted unanimously at a meeting November 3 to convert a middle school and a high school into in-district charter schools.

In a series of public hearings since the proposed changes were first announced in October, parents, teachers and students have voiced their overwhelming opposition to the other school closures and reconfigurations. In an effort to defuse this public anger, the School Committee has postponed a final vote on these features of the plan. According to a press release posted on the School Committee web site, the vote on the balance of the proposals has been postponed to “no earlier than Wednesday, December 8.”

The November 3 meeting was the latest in a series in which speakers from the audience have made passionate appeals to reason and expressed their anger over a lack of consultation in the process and the failure of Superintendent Carol Johnson to take the feelings of parents, students and staff into consideration. What is lacking thus far, however, is any program or perspective for taking forward a fight to prevent the closures.

The Boston Teachers Union has limited itself to reports of the public protests and formal opposition to the plan, engaging in private discussions with the School Committee WHILE DOING NOTHING TO MOBILIZE TEACHERS AND OTHER WORKERS AGAINST THE PLAN...

http://www.wsws.org/articles/2010/nov2010/bost-n15.shtml

[proud2BlibKansan]

1. What would be the purpose of NOT mobilizing teachers?

Which part of we are under attack does this local union not understand?

[Hannah Bell]

2. To ask the question is to answer it. Same for political parties or groups.

when organizations *don't* mobilize their membership, regularly, something is rotten in denmark. and even more so when the organization is under threat.