Yes I am proud that students and city of Oakland were able to accomplish a day of peaceful protest against some very important issues. “My” day of action is every day. I show up to this Oakland high school and actually work to teach somebody how to behave like an actual student. When I hear someone cursing and guffawing in class like a mental patient, I have to take a stand and say something. When I see private parts, underwear and exposed bellies hanging out of clothes, I have to say something. When I find backpacks are full of nothing but music players and other non school related items, I have to say something.

Yes, I agree with the teachers, not always doing their part. But I have to believe that by high school students should have some sense of personal responsibility in regards to their education. When I see teachers just nonchalantly going about their business of teaching amongst all of this raucous behavior… it is all I can do to contain myself from going OFF! I personally try so hard… but on days like today I wonder why bother. If they don’t care enough about themselves to want more for themselves, then why try to force better upon them. They seem happy with the destiny that has been laid out for them.

I am here everyday… and I get paid to be here… and I still feel like I want to drop out! I am an adult, and it is hard for me to retain information in these walls, so it is no surprise to me that the students are not actually learning anything. I feel more and more like I work in a prison everyday. I actually became nauseous when I entered the school cafeteria. All I could think of was prison (based on what I have seen on tv and movies of course). So, I understand how a teacher, especially one not from an impoverished community, would have a very hard time staying in this type of environment for an entire school year. It is very hard on a bright spirit. A definite downer.

I have been in many different high schools in various places, and Oakland schools are the worst by far. I came here because I didn’t want to believe that the students were lost causes unworthy of time or attention of qualified teachers… but I will admit that these students are a true test of my patience. It is as thought the students have given up on themselves, yet they still expect the teachers and admin and state and government to give there all? I don’t understand it.

So yes, I was happy to see the students get excited and move to take action on something. The following day after the march, one particularly annoying student actually was offering help to other students in math class. I wondered if the protest rally helped to influence her change of attitude.

Students need to wake up and understand that times are changing. Our national and state government is moving further and further away from giving anything away for free: education, jobs, welfare money… It is a new day, and people are going to have to step up to the challenge and stop complaining and waiting for someone to give them something. I always hear the young people talking about “gettin’ mines”. Well, the time has come to take action, and practice what is preached.

When is the public school bailout coming?

I predict a large mass movement on the public education issue this spring/summer!

Alas, the left has long been more concerned with feeling morally superior than with being politically effective. Hence, “days of action” rather than actual action.

Especially that part about the white liberals getting their self-esteem through feeling good about saving us.

The problem is they aren’t saving anyone. Least of all the black folks.

Check out this new study about the “Gap” in wealth.

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/10068/1041225-28.stm

Wealth is related to things including early adolescent training for career. We train urban blacks how to be unemployable – by this I mean at age 18 (regardless of graduation status) they are typically so unschooled they don’t know the most basic things about employment and employability, and they can’t read either so it’s not as if they were too busy studying anything else to not attend lectures on how to apply for, qualify and get anything.

We have to tell them to take their hats and sunglasses off in a courtroom or any other indoor setting. I doubt they’d know a salad fork either.

In 1960 they would. OUSD taught all of this.

You seem very proud of your “day of action”. I am in college. I love my high school. Although, I was not prepared by Skyline High School with great academic skills.

Some of our teachers would take trips to Europe after the summer break was over. I had subs all the time. Over 90% of my 10th, 11th and 12th grade classmates failed General math and Algebra. No acdemics action for students.

It’s said that so many white liberals get their self-esteem through protest and feeling good about saving us. This is the same philosophy of the priest who came over 400 year ago into Mexico.

In my community , we don’t need your “commpassionate action” there is a need for math, science, reading, and English. This will allow us to get a job and have a better life.

You seem very proud of your “day of action”. I am in college. I love my high school. Although, I was not prepared by Skyline High School with great academic skills.

Some of our teachers would take trips to Europe after the summer break was over. I had subs all the time. Over 90% of my 10th, 11th and 12th grade classmates failed General math and Algebra. No acdemics action for students.

It’s said that so many white liberals get their self-esteem by through protest and feeling good about saving us. This is the same philosophy of the priest who came over 400 year ago into Mexico.

In my community , we don’t need your “commpassionate action” there is a need for math, science, reading, and English. This will allow us to get a job and have a better life.

I actually marched with a group of high school students into downtown Oakland, and attended the protest there from start to finish. We passed an elementary school that brought there children out to the the sidewalk with signs to show there support of the march. We passed many community members that applauded the students and supported their actions. We joined forces with other high schools, Laney college, and later UC Berkeley. In my opinion, it was all a very beautiful thing. If you ask me, the example of Unity and Solidarity on an issue was a more powerful lesson than any of the (high school) students would have gotten in school.

It is interesting to me how so many people have an issue with the children missing a day of school and “costing” the school district money, or “using” the children during this protest. I have a issue with a school district that uses it’s students to make money while holding them in uncomfortable, unfit, unproductive holding tanks they dare to call schools.

I appreciate how the phrase “day of action” was added to this protest. I appreciate that the students where able to take a stand and actually do something about an issue that they felt passionate about. They may not have understood all of the political jargon associated with the issues, but they knew that things were not right, and they were willing to take a stand and do something about it. I was not at the freeway, and no one I know was at the freeway incident. I don’t even know all of the details of what went on there. The protest I attended in Oakland was peaceful and powerful. Why powerful? Because unity is always a powerful thing. I hope some of the children learned that.

I think what this day of action showed is that people will not just accept changes that are forced upon them without putting up a fight. Why does it always have to take a riot, bloodshed and a magnitude of deaths for us to actually do the right (compassionate actions for ALL people) thing?

We’re doing a charity bike ride from Oakland to Sacramento to raise money for the PTA for both Claremont Middle School and Oakland Tech.

http://rideforareason.dojiggy.com/index.cfm?PageID=63986

We think it stinks that California state funding for public education is as low as it is. We spend less per student than 44 other states in the nation. Nice. Let’s try to fix that. Come ride with us. Come say hello when we leave for Sacramento on May 8. Give us some money for the PTA. You know the schools need it. Claremont Middle School, after long years of drought, finally was able to re-open the library for students for a place to study, to check out books, to do research. Be part of the solution. Get with the neighbors and parents. Raise some dough. Help kids.

This is much of what they learn from leftist leaning teachers in the schools-especially urban schools, where liberalism and excuses mix to make the perfect stew of failure now called the Achievement Gap.

Get with it Oakland, no student protests in Marin, Orinda, nor Pleasanton right?
I also appreciate Ms. Spearman’s comments. Pet projects of those community people or special interest groups should not exist anyways.