Real School Reform

Here is an updated version of the OEA PowerPoint history with pictures from the one-day strike 4/29/2010 and the general membership meeting 5/3/2010.  Click here to view or download the presentation.

I recently updated PowerPoint slide show showing some highlights in the efforts of Oakland teachers since 1995  to win decent compensation, lower class size, and other improvements in teaching and learning conditions. We showed it at the January 20 general membership meeting of the Oakland Education Association. You can download or view the presentation by [...]

My recent posts have focused on the California Teachers Association’s failure to fight the slash-and-burn cuts to  public schools and other services and on potential allies in a real fight back. At the Socialism 2009 conference in San Francisco, July 2-5, authors Mike Davis and David Bacon critiqued the overall paralysis of labor “leaders” tied [...]

The economic crisis and rank-and-file pressure may be forcing a shift inside of the California Teachers Association leadership on the question of Proposition 13, split roll, or other tax and budget reforms. But given the history of timidity and false starts in 2004 and 2005, we can’t rely on CTA’s bureaucracy to rouse itself, let [...]

Proposition 13 is not the only problem with California’s tax system, and split roll is not the only needed fix. The California Tax Reform Association (CTRA) proposes dozens of ways (nearly all progressive ones) for California to tap $13-17 billion of new revenue annually, or double that amount when federal matching grants are factored in.

We’re about to begin the third day of the NEA’s Representative Assembly(RA) And meetings for each of the state caucuses began earlier on July 1, so it’s a little late to be putting up Post #1.  I’ve been very busy getting support for a motion —   here called a New Business Item — qualified [...]