Re: Texas Rally Agenda

[Carol Holst <kceh@airmail.net>]

Joe,

If you can find *one* person to carry a sign with you, do it. The first 
time I ever used a sign to speak out I took a piece of computer paper 
and scribbled "Kids, not Test Scores" with a black crayon (hey, it was 
all I could find) and taped it to the back of my squeaky old SUV (which 
I still have, got it at an estate sale, it is used to haul kids, things 
for my other half's job, camping equipment, beachcombing stuff, etc.). I 
drove around like this all day, every testing day. I made some cheesy 
business cards, cut them apart, and took them with me to get my son at 
school. The car rider line was very long and didn't move for a while, so 
I jumped out of the still running belt-squealing Explorer and handed 
cards to everybody who would take them. Of course by the time I got to 
the school building the car line began to move, so I had to run back as 
fast as I could. Okay, it was more like lumbering back as fast as I 
could, but I tried my best. Really. I did.

One person called me just to let me know that disliking the taas testing 
system was the most idiotic thing anybody could ever do, and hung up on 
me. But many people who got my cards nodded their heads and said "Yes! I 
totally agree with you!"

I'm not a good organizer either. I was born painfully shy, and this 
little glitch in my wiring still plagues me from time to time. It's an 
enormous relief that so many other Texans are stepping up now because I 
also prefer to work behind the scenes. And I've had my hands full with a 
difficult medical situation for a year now, so my role as a rally and 
local organizer has been very small lately. But I don't have to feel 
left out of things because I did what I could when I could with what I 
had at the time.

The original Gabby Mom's Club of Alvin and Galena Park isn't coming with 
me to the rally because of work scheduling and activism burnout (there 
have been many tears and much fatigue in Alvin, Texas),  so I'll drive 
the same old Explorer I had almost three years ago for three hours, 
until I get to Austin. But this year I won't have to get a hotel room or 
drive home during the wee hours because I have a terrific Resister 
friend to stay with. And I get to meet Susan Ohanian, after all of this 
time! And I get to meet friends that I didn't know I had. Who knows, I 
may even find another possible distant relative, from this list! That 
happened two or so years ago. What a small, wonderful world this is.

Well, I I I, me me me, enough about me, let's talk about me some more. 
Nah.

Joe, don't wait for others to do it for you. Too many Texans have done 
that for too many years. The results have been disastrous. You've 
mentioned that you have time and energy. I know you have at least one 
friend in New York who, like you, knows that high-stakes testing is 
wrong. So call him/her/them up and get busy.

And let us know what happens.

In Solidarity,

Carol

On Tuesday, January 7, 2003, at 08:59 AM, JP Bottini wrote:

> Susan:
> All we need is a good leader and organizer.  I am not either of those at
> this time.  I do know that I can be a good assistant to one who is a 
> good
> leader/organizer.
> I have time and energy for this cause.  All I need is a worthy person 
> to tap
> into this interest and lead the fray.
> Who, from NY, of all the ARNers will step forward and fill the need?
> Please do it now and call/e-mail me immediately.  Please do it now.
> Joe Bo
>
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