Portside

Reports from the world of tech and mass media, closing out the year from hell

“We’ve got to be able to pass Schools and Communities First, as one measure, and then come back with another measure, and another, so that we make the rich pay their fair share.”

I expect to watch with terror as many of our nation’s schools, woefully unprepared, open in the midst of a pandemic. Exhausted and heartbroken, I will worry nonstop about the students and teachers walking through those doors.

The Proposition 15 ballot measure aims to hike commercial tax rates and potentially raise billions to support funding for schools and other public infrastructure.

The anger, pain, and determination of the Black community, the Latinx community, and all people of goodwill cannot be denied. There will be other votes and our movement is on the case. Victory is closer every day. No Police in the LAUSD Schools Now.

Policymakers in the 1960s had the answers - give political and economic power to the people - but walked away. Instead, policymakers blamed black people for the instability, ignoring the buildup of centuries of racial oppression.

"The public health and economic emergencies resulting from the Covid-19 pandemic have only made public education more vulnerable. It is no exaggeration to say that the future of public education itself is at stake."

"If you're looking for a bold new idea for New York public schools," wrote congressional candidate Jamaal Bowman, "how about you just try fully funding them for once?"

I’m an art teacher. Mike’s policies gutted my school. During those years, I was lucky to have enough copy paper for my students to draw on. Bloomberg’s harmful education policies are today being papered over as his money cascades through the media.

Reader Comments: 2020 - Nevada, Medicare 4 All, Campaign to Stop Bernie, Culinary Workers, Pittsburgh AFL-CIO; Economy a Bust; NYC School Segregation, Corporate Schooling; Black History; Civil War, Reconstruction; Labor Notes; lots of announcements;