not like we didn't see this one coming. The Portland Public School District do not want their students being taught about one of the most galvanizing social movements of this generation.
They have refused to let actual Occupy Participants explain to students what the movement is about. Perhaps they prefer these students get their Occupy information from the Faux Lite News station we have in Portland-Yes even Faux has to tone it down here.
Press Release: Portland Public Schools shut down Occupy Portland Panel
December 7th, 2011 · occupypdxer · Communications, Media, News Comments Off
12/07/11
PRESS RELEASE
Contact: press@occupyportland.org
PORTLAND, ORE — The Occupy Portland Panel, invited as guests to a 6th grade current events class at the Astor School, were interrupted Wednesday afternoon just as students began naming off important world issues. The guests were told by the teacher, “The school district is not comfortable with us having this conversation.” The Portland Public Schools’ Board of Education includes this passage in their 6.20.010-P Academic Freedom policy document:
“In a public school system in a democratic society, academic freedom includes the freedom of the teacher to teach about controversial issues and to make available to the students a wide range of instructional materials and community resources.”
Public schools face some of their most severe budget cuts while Wall Street collects trillions in bailouts. Today, communities collect less and less in property taxes, the major funding source for public schools. As more homes are foreclosed on due to predatory lending practices by Wall Street banks, the property tax pool continues drying up for public schools. The public deserves to know the current events that are contributing factors.Students should understand why their classrooms are becoming overfilled and their teachers underpaid, why there are no more arts programs. Understanding that the wealthiest Americans pay less in taxes than ever before, they would know where to lay blame for their schools being in disrepair. Using the First Amendment, Occupy Portland speaks out against this economic injustice that affects every public school’s students, employees, and families.
Learning the importance of the First Amendment—why the forefathers chose to make that the very first Right—is crucial to teaching good citizenship. Occupy Portland demonstrates the importance of the First Amendment every day. If US citizens are not allowed to speak up when they see that something very wrong is happening in America, then they have lost that Right and they have lost their Freedom.
Educating children about their rights is an important part of teaching good citizenship. The non-partisan message of the Occupy Movement does not represent lobbying activity or endorse candidates. Occupy seeks social and economic justice to address these well documented inequalities.
As Occupy Portland seeks to share this knowledge with students around Portland, the Portland Public School District seeks to silence us against their very interests. The trillions of dollars in bailouts that Wall Street has received does nothing to invest in our future. Educating young Portlanders to be engaged, thoughtful citizens is the safe investment that can be made.
To contact the Board to voice your complaint that the Portland Public School District is suppressing good-citizenship education, contact:
Caren Huson, Board Office, 503-916-3741
Email: chusonqu@pps.net