Re: Oakland

[Marilyn Langlois <langlois-rine@comcast.net>]

Susan--
I trust you to use your good judgment and immense wisdom in speaking for
CalCARE.  GO FOR IT!!

thanks for speaking up,
Marilyn

> From: George Sheridan <learn@jps.net>
> Reply-To: ca-resisters@interversity.org
> Date: Tue, 11 Jul 2006 11:54:01 -0700
> To: ca-resisters@interversity.org
> Subject: Re: [ca-resisters] Oakland
> 
> At 08:09 PM 7/10/2006 -0700, Susan Harman wrote:
>> Oakland is engaged in a very serious struggle to regain local control of
>> its schools, having suffered through 3 years of state takeover. Our debt
>> has doubled (maybe tripled, if we cant stop the last draw down), over 20
>> schools have been closed, seasoned teachers have fled, etc.
>> Ive been going to the Ad Hoc Committees meetings and would like to say I
>> represent CalCARE. Anybody have any objections?
> 
> Dear Susan:
> 
> The Oakland Education Association represents the teachers of Oakland. It
> opposes the state takeover and school closings. OEA disrupted plans by the
> leadership of the California Teachers Association for an early endorsement
> of State Superintendent Jack O'Connell because of his support for Oakland
> Administrator Randall Ward, as well as O'Connell's role in California's
> testing and "accountability" system, particularly the High School Exit Exam.
> 
> I want CalCARE to be generally allied with the Oakland Education
> Association. I expect you to use your own judgment on each particular
> issue. But I don't want CalCARE to be identified with a broad-based attack
> on the union, which I believe would be a seriously flawed and
> self-defeating strategy. Some people on this list are critical of unions in
> general and of OEA in particular. I consider teacher unions to be among the
> most important institutions supporting liberty, democracy, and progressive
> causes. So if you speak for all of CalCARE, including me, I'd like you to
> keep my opinions in mind.
> 
> 
> George Sheridan
> 
> "The stakes are too high for government to be a spectator sport." - Barbara
> Jordan
> 
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> Thanks in advance!
> -Eric Crump