Los Angeles students and teachers need your help fighting Green Dot Charter Schools
from Dailycensored.com by Danny Weil
I have written extensively about Green Dot Charter Schools, an educational retail charter chain that gained a foothold in Los Angeles and a step-ladder into the public consciousness due to favorable publicity by the charter charlatans and their corporate allies. You can read about the detestable Green Dot and its takeover of some of Los Angeles schools, with the help of the political coordinating class that comprises what can only be called corrupt politics, in an article I wrote back in 2010 at: (http://www.dailycensored.com/2010/06/26/green-dot-model-homes-for-sale-education-r-us/).
Los Angeles educator, writer and activist Robert Skeels has done a better job than I have in covering the corruption that is endemic to the Green Dot syndicate and you can find his scathing look at the retail charter racket at: Political Patronage for Green Dot Public Schools’ Chief Propagandist.
Now, Green Dot, the retail chain that poses as an institution of education is facing new charges of gross
ANÍMO Leadership & Community Rally.
Defend Free Speech.
Stop the firing of Science Department Chair, Mr. Friedman
When: Tuesday, June 19, Meet @ 10am. Hawthorne/111th St. Park & Ride Metro station (free T-shirts for the first 60 students. Free transportation money for those in need)
Where: Green Dot HQ at 12th and Hill. Downtown Los Angeles
Why: Students, parents, staff & teachers are engaged in a campaign to protest the planned firing of Science Department Chair Mr. Friedman. Friedman is well respected and a “fabulous teacher” according to GD Human Resources Director Kelly Hurley. He has brought many science programs, scholarships to Anímo and has helped hundreds succeed and go on to college.
Anímo Leadership students’ Constitutional Rights were violated by the on campus seizure in early May (by Principal Murcia) of student petitions collected outside school to protest the firing of History Department chair Sonia Del Pino. Students were called into the office, intimidated, forced to sign statements & petitions confiscated. This violated CA Education Codes 48907 & 48950, US Supreme Court Decision Tinker vs. Des Moines and the US constitution. In response, Mr. Friedman called the American Civil Liberties Union & National Lawyers Guild to help protect students’ free speech rights. He helped organize a student/parent/ staff committee to defend their rights, the teachers’ contract & fight the Del Pino firing.
Of course for all this he became a Green Dot target for termination. Both organizations are defending Friedman & the students. A June 8 ACLU letter to Green Dot CEO Petruzzi said:
“Given the recent illegal interference with students’ expressive activity, and Mr. Friedman’s support for those students’ expression, the school may be engaged in impermissible retaliation against Friedman.”
Parents! Students! You have a right to know the facts and you can help determine the future of Leadership this High School. Students have a right to participate in and decide upon their education & those teachers who are important role models. This is our school, our children, our students, our teachers according to Green Dot’s Mission. Let’s make this a reality!
We need your help. We need community involvement. JOIN this united effort for justice.
Our Demands: RESTORE FREE SPEECH & CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHTS FOR STUDENTS/ Green Dot must send a bi-lingual apology to all Leadership students, parents, staff & pledge no more free speech violations!!!
STOP THE INTERROGATIONS OF TEACHERS & STUDENT HARASSMENT. DROP THE PHONY CHARGES AGAINST FRIEDMAN.
NO REPRISALS AGAINST ANY STUDENTS OR TEACHERS!!
STOP THE FRIEDMAN FIRING! Support FREE SPEECH!!
Sponsored by: Committee to Defend Students’ Free Speech, Teacher/Staff Rights & the Teachers’ Union Contract.
For more information please call/para mas informacion llamar al: Abigail: 310.872.6711 Alejandro: 310.990.9674 Brenda:310.648.0618 Jossy:310.590.8322
