Rouge Forum Update--3-15-09--from Rich

Dear Friends,

The Rouge Forum Conference, May 15-17, in Ypsilanti, Michigan, is lining up to be a terrific event. Come meet friends, hear keynoters like Staughton Lynd ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Staughton_Lynd) and get ready for a falling sky.

The RF conference link is here:http://web.mac.com/wayne.ross/Rouge_Forum_Conference_2009/Welcome.html Please help spread the word about the conference. It looks like our best yet. The lineup of presentations is terrific. You will have a hard time picking which ones you want to attend. The conference will set the north star for education resistance for yet another year. This is our eleventh conference. Time flies.

The Seattle special ed teachers who were suspended for refusing to give their students high-stakes exams that would invariably fail them are back in the classroom and working with a lawyer on their appeal. A note of encouragement would be more than appropriate---solidarity with the notion that an injury to one just goes before an injury to all. Juli Griffith mrjulig@gmail.com ,Lenora Stahl lenorastahl3@gmail.com

It was a loud and busy week in education. The One, who we dubbed The Obamagogue, in somewhat good humor, came out in favor of merit pay and a series of regressive educational measures (more regimented curricula, more sophisticated testing) summed up herehttp://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5iT--F725ypsNTaNrulnuCGd8vt0QD96RAIQ00

The bosses of the National Education Association (paid upwards of $450,000 a year aside from expense accounts) joined their favorite bedfellows, the US Chambers of Commerce and the National Association of manufactures, to promote, among other things, a national curriculum. http://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2009/03/10/25nea.h28.html?tkn=QSBFnpGMU6Tfz%2B90MDHbx3VHgcuRaEAiouMd

The group hug of business profiteers, labor bosses, and government hacks went on to support what many people feel is the utterly out of date, pre-sky-falling, litany of what's been called the Tough-Tough Project http://www.skillscommission.org/executive.htm

Then Tim Geithner and Arne Duncan went on the road to promote The One's projects. Here is a report on The Obamagogue's Liars and Our Future http://susanohanian.org/show_commentary.php?id=649

Let us be clear. The education budget is a war budget. The core issue of our times is booming color-coded inequality challenged by the potential of rising mass class conscious resistance, in schools and out. There is continuing debate about the Employee Free Choice Act, now pending before congress and drawing about $200 million in lobbying money---both sides, labor and management combined--in a struggle that may not be exactly about the best interests of workers or the nation, though all the big players say otherwise. Here is a link to the discussion in the Historians Against the Warhttps://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=36687254&postID=5819545599056544064&pli=1

There are many demonstrations coming this week around the US and the world. This week marks the sixth year of the US invasion of Iraq, a failed adventure propelled by hubris, oil, regional control, and deception--a mix that could spell tyranny. All who can should be on the march, not only to raise a peace sign, a fist, or a finger, against this travesty, but to test our own strength and resolve.

Remember to spread the word about the conference in Ypsi!.

Want to explain Madoff and a Ponzi scheme to your kids? http://ukhousebubble.blogspot.com/2009/03/bernie-madoff-is-cookie-monster.html

$9.7 trillion to the banksters and still counting. Here are some good Great Depression Songs to get us through the week. http://www.fortunecity.com/tinpan/parton/2/depress.html

Good luck to us every one.

Thanks to Joe B and C, Greg and K, The Bill's, Bob A and D, Erica, Donna, Shelly, Ann Arbor Ann, Candace, Niki N, Sharon A, Amber, Wayne, Perry, Kev, Curry, M...Y...,Hanna and Cal, Kelly, Elaine, Dominique, Luis, Tanya, Summer, Paul and Mary, Alex and Jeff, Gil G, Kirk, Jimmy B and G, Kathy Young, and Z's.

All the best,

r