Bill de Blasio, the mayor, and Gov. Cuomo were at what could be described as dueling rallies.
Eva Moskowitz, the queen of charters with Success Academy, claims their rally was not meant to compete with Mayor de Blasio’s. Um-hmmm…
You might remember Success Academy with this post.
Meanwhile, support came far away for the Saucedo teachers in Chicago…from the big ole’ state of Texas.
Dispatches from the Underclass has an interesting post up on what is happening in Venezuela.
Ukraine, revisited, it would seem…if the allegations about being funded by a conservative, elite network including Americans, is true.
I have no illusions about how greedy oil corporations and others are and what lengths they will go to in order to get what they perceive as theirs…
…but I have to plead ignorance about the situation there and who is telling the truth–situations can be manipulated by the media, as well as helping shed light.
Here is an article with the opposite stance on the protesters. It is so lopsided and devoid of facts that I have to wonder about the author’s financial connections to those that stand to gain from Maduro’s overthrow.
Global News has this up on Russia blocking websites that favored the ouster of the Russia – leaning president. More here on Ukrainian-Montrealers protesting outside Russian consulate.
This is another example of why we need Freedom of Speech and Freedom of the Press and how easily those in power can block them with the claim of national security.
As I listen to and read about the uprising/civil war/revolution in Ukraine, the words I hear the most are about economic factors and standing in the world. The message is framed to turn the viewers’ gaze on how this is going to effect economic status.
And the sharks are circling…waiting to capitalize on the fallout.
Democracy seems to be an afterthought.
I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: most folks around the world just want peace; to take care of their families; be healthy; have a purpose in life. They want a government they elect to represent their wishes…not their economic benefactors.
Pando Daily had posted this a few days ago. A billionaire funnels money to the opposition in Ukraine. Ugh…
My first thought that this is wrong, wrong, wrong.
And then I thought of the dark money of the Kochs and Bill Gates, et al, and my second thought was “is it wrong to fund the underdog when up against dark money…?”
But I don’t know that the underdogs in Ukraine are for democracy or for authoritarianism a la Russia. Reports have been that at first the original protesters were for democratic society, and then the conservatives, leaning towards authoritarianism, had taken over.
So that begs the question of who is Omidyar supporting? Does he care, as long as he can capitalize on whomever wins?
Comments section is lively and make the point that Pando is also supported by billionaires.
They responded with this article. They make the claim the Omidyar is hands-on involved in the process, while their contributors cannot touch them with a 30-foot pole.
But back to the main theme of billionaires behind upheaval…
I come back to this is wrong, wrong, wrong in that however good intentions are…somebody always seems to twist things around to the opposite. The dark ones always seem to manage to quash the emerging light.
If only politicians were put on poverty-level wages…then we would be governed by those truly serving out of duty instead of out of their own self-serving interests. You’d see a mass exodus from government positions…
**A side note~ one of the links provided was to Glenn Greenwald’s behavior.
Wow. This old post by School Finance 101 really drives home the utter madness of school “reform” and draws a correlation between the pitting of kids against each other that Race to the Bottom and Common Core demand in order to receive tax dollars and falsely rate students, teachers, and schools…..and The Hunger Games.
I haven’t seen the movie, but I have seen examples of the pitting of people against one another to “increase production”. Personally, I have always felt that this was just a sick game by dark ones who enjoy seeing people beat each other up or use underhanded tactics to win. Kind of like the show “Survivor” put on by “devout Christian” Mark Burnett. Tell me, Burnett, would Jesus approve of pitting people against one another to win?? Didn’t I read that he fed everyone loaves and fishes…not feeding just a few after making them fight for it??
But, I digress…
I have never understood why business models were held up as some sort of panacea. If the business model is an elaborate pyramid scheme, how can it possibly be sustainable? It all depends on making a profit–make that bigger profit. Greed is the goal instead of sustainability. It just doesn’t make sense.
Phrase of the day: cannibalistic management practices.
As I’m reading this, I’m thinking of that gym teacher that used to punish the group that lost when we played sports games. It was punitive and counter-productive–I hated gym class because of it. It certainly didn’t make me want to exercise more or win more games. Even if one is good at a particular game, if you have folks on your team who are not, you still lose. His thinking was that you would shame or bully your teammates to perform better, but that was a stupid, thoughtless gesture that created a negative atmosphere. It did not allow for some folks being more coordinated and therefore better at sports. It totally missed the point that it was about getting exercise and making that enjoyable instead of competitive.
It is important to note Microsoft’s copying this insanity…with predictable results.
This from Fred Klonsky’s blog.
Very powerful. People have the power to change things.
The Tyendinaga Mohawks of Canada are protesting the lack of action on the part of the authorities for the missing and murdered First Nations women. It has been decades of inaction for these cases.
Fred Klonsky has this up on the heavy handed Barbara Byrd-Bennett.
We must plan for the event that some teachers will be insubordinate and refuse to administer the test. If the teacher regularly assigned to the classroom has refused that assignment, another teacher or an administrator should be assigned to administer the test. The teacher who has refused the assignment should be given the option of going home without pay on all testing days or supervising the students who are not taking the test in silent reading activities. If there are special concerns about a teacher’s conduct, principals should immediately consult with their Talent Generalist at 773-535-2800.
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This is just unreal. This reads like a handbook for Nazi Germany and Hitler. What’s next…the police called in to administer the tests?!
Jan Resseger has a blog up on the report of the Chicago Teachers Union strike in September 2012. This, my friends, is what a democratically run union looks like. Other unions TAKE HEED.
The teacher’s and counselor’s passion is evident in this report. They care about these kids and what the profiteers are doing to them. Note how the police, fire, parents, and community stepped up and supported them. Good for them.
Here’s the background on the rally today at Saucedo Elementary in Chicago.
It’s pretty serious when a teacher is threatened with termination if she/he refuses to subject the kids to this form of bullying.
Fred Klonsky has this up on a rally for Chicago Teachers Union and parents against the testing, testing, testing mentality of the education profiteers and their toadies.
Rally is at 3:30 p.m. at Saucedo Elementary at 2850 W. 24th Blvd. Wear red in support!
Eagle 
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