Pat Crowley
‘Unions Buy Local’ Campaign Set to Launch
Two of Rhode Island’s largest unions, NEARI and the RI Federation of Teachers and Health Professionals, are launching a new Unions Buy Local campaign just prior to this Mother’s Day weekend. Shopping locally makes sense as we try to work with our neighbors to help grow our local – and state – economies. Rhode Island union [...]
Remember Seth Luther
Today is the anniversary of the death of Seth Luther. He died on April 29, 1863. Who? Seth Luther*: Rhode Island Heritage Hall of Fame inductee; Union Organizer; leader of the Dorr Rebellion and radical of the worst sort. On the weekend that we celebrate the 100th anniversary of the Bread and Roses strike in [...]
Remember Saylesville: The Long Memory is the most radical idea in America
“The long memory is the memory radical idea in the country.” — Utah Phillips On Monday, September 5 there will be a Labor Day rally at the Saylesville Massacre Monument at 11:00 AM. Jim Riley, Secretary-Treasurer of Local 328, the United Food and Commercial Workers Union, the RI AFL-CIO’s largest organization, will speak about our [...]
Achievement First Secret #4 – Nothing Says 21st Century Education Like Segregation
Do charter schools have to teach all kids in the community equally? As they find them, as they are? This blog post from Wait, What in Connecticut, looking at the enrollment data of several charter schools, including Achievement First schools, argues no. Perhaps most disturbing of all is the fact that despite Connecticut’s urban areas [...]
Achievement First Secret # 3 – Treat kids like scholars?
According to the Achievement First website, this person is part of their leadership team: Chi Tschang - Regional Superintendent Mr. Tschang is responsible for driving high student achievement by overseeing a portfolio of schools and supporting Achievement First principals in developing and implementing rigorous academic programs and positive school cultures. Previously, Mr. Tschang founded KIPP Academy [...]
Why do Big Banks care about Charter Schools?
Why Does JP MORGAN CHASE want to create a $325 million fund to invest in charter schools? Because they can make money off of them silly. JPMorgan Chase Creates $325 Million Funding Initiative For High-Performing Charter Schools$50 Million in Grants Crucial Amidst Challenging Credit Markets New York, May 4, 2010 – JPMorgan Chase announced today [...]
Achievement First Secret #2 – Just Don’t Deal With Kids. Lock them up and force them Out
Teaching kids is tough work. Achievement First seems to have found a short cut through the hard stuff though – Here is another story about their track record on New York City from NYDAILYNEWS.COM: She has served detention for slouching, humming and failing to look her teachers in the eye. It’s no surprise that former honors [...]
Achievement First Secret #1 – Pick on kids with Autism
Much has been made of the (mostly by themselves) of the untested results of Achievement First schools. AF is the Charter school operator that wants to run the Mayoral Academy in Cranston. But where has the scutiny been? I will give the beat reporters in the Providence Journal credit – I think they have done [...]
Because donating to the Bruins and the Celtics matters to the pension issue….how?
I know the right wing loves to miss the little things…and the big things…and the inbetween things….that get reported in the media, but this one is perplexing. The lede in Projo reporter Mark Reynold’s story about Johnston’s potential decision to turn over management of local pension funds to TD Bank contains an interesting resume builder: [...]
Creating Boss Culture: These are Dangerous Days
Update from Sunday Morning. Seems even the epitome of mainstream media, The Washington Post, is asking the very same question about why American’s aren’t protesting. Join David S. Meyer as he chats about his latest Outlook piece, “Americans are angry. Why aren’t they protesting?” Monday, Aug. 15 at 1 p.m. ET. In his piece, Meyer writes, [...]
“…but there’s no money” or other lies the business community and conservatives want …
Have you ever heard this one from people? “But there is just no money. How are we going to spend tax dollars on (insert name of needed program here) when there is just no money?” Now sadly I hear this from just as many Democrats as Republicans, but that is another story. Of course there [...]
Libertarian Fairy Dust: AKA Its Only Class War When Workers Fight Back
Two interesting things of note. First, this gragh from the AFL-CIO: Then this story from the NYTIMES by Steven Greenhouse: Labor’s Decline and Wage Inequality By STEVEN GREENHOUSE The decline in organized labor’s power and membership has played a larger role in fostering increased wage inequality in the United States than is generally thought, according [...]
Its a day that ends in Y. You know what that means…
That’s right! Its time for another “Flight of the Earls” story in the Rhode Island media! This time it is from Eddie Achorn Junior, AKA, Stephen Beale of GuLP (that’s GOLOCALPROV for those of you who don’t know. You really have to GuLP it down when you read something Beale writes). Anyway, EJ hits the Rhode [...]
Rhode Island Public Sector Unions Form New Coalition
Rhode Island Retirement Security Coalition Website www.RhodeIslandRetirementSecurity.org Rhode Island Public Sector Unions Form New Coalition Group to Study and Advocate for Public Employees in Pension Change Debate Providence, RI — A new coalition of public sector unions was announced today to advocate for public employees in the ongoing pension change debate. The Rhode Island Retirement [...]
Caught on Tape: South Kingstown School Committee Shows What Happens when you follow the East Providence Model
The Dan Kinder Circus comes to another community, this time it is South Kingstown. Kinder is the attorney who represented the East Providence School Committee during their strife in 2009, earning over a million dollars in payments for himself while throwing the school department into turmoil. The above video captured the voices of school committee [...]
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