WHAT IS THE NATIONAL DEBT?

http://www.bravenewfoundation.org/americandream/

Defend the American Dream!

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Dear Friend, In Wisconsin and around our country, the American Dream is under attack. Instead of creating much needed jobs, Conservatives are giving tax breaks to corporations and the very rich all while cutting funding for education, police, emergency response, and vital human services. This is unacceptable. Wisconsin is proof of what happens when billionaires, like the Koch brothers, are able to buy out democracy for their own gain. This is only the first battle in the right wing's attempts to destroy the American Dream. We must stop it before it spreads to other states. On Saturday, February 26, at noon local time, rallies will be organized in front of every statehouse and in every major city to stand in solidarity with the people of Wisconsin. Show Solidarity with Wisconsin! Join the Saturday rally to save the American Dream. Yours, Robert Greenwald and the Brave New Foundation team

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Providence city officials’ sudden announcement firing every single Providence teacher

WASHINGTON—Providence city officials’ sudden announcement firing every single Providence teacher—close to 2,000 people—without apparent regard to its effect or even consideration of the teachers’ performance, is shocking. What makes this even more stunning is that the district and the Providence Teachers Union have been working collaboratively on a groundbreaking, nationally recognized school transformation model. A mass firing, announced in the middle of a school year, does not help solve a  budget problem—the purported reason—but, rather, disrupts the education of all students and the entire community. The mayor claims he needs flexibility. We looked up “flexibility” in the dictionary, and it does not mean destabilizing education for all students in Providence or taking away workers’ voice or rights.

Mass firings, whether in one school or an entire district, are not fiscally or educationally sound. The mayor and school superintendent owe it to the community and to the students and teachers in Providence to resolve whatever problem they’re dealing with, not by fiat, but by working in a collaborative way. For the past two years, that’s what they have been doing when it comes to work on improving low-performing schools, developing an innovative hiring process and revamping the teacher evaluation system.

HUNGER IN CLASSROOM

February 22, 2011

65 PERCENT OF TEACHERS SEE HUNGER IN CLASSROOM;

PROBLEM HAS INCREASED IN PAST YEAR

‘Hunger in Our Schools: Share Our Strength’s Teachers Report’ Finds
Connecting Kids to Breakfast Is Vital for Academic Achievement
Washington—Two-thirds of teachers across the United States say they have children in their
classrooms who regularly come to school too hungry to learn because they are not getting
enough to eat at home, according to a new national survey released today. More than 60
percent of the teachers surveyed for “Hunger in Our Schools: Share Our Strength’s Teachers
Report” say that the problem has increased in the past year, and many find that breakfast
programs are a key link to students’ ability to succeed academically.
The survey, conducted by Lake Research Partners, contains highlights of a public opinion survey
of 638 kindergarten through eighth-grade public school teachers in urban, suburban and rural
communities nationwide. The study reveals that 65 percent of teachers report that most or a
lot of their students rely on school meals as their primary source of nutrition. This reliance is
widespread geographically, but particularly strong in urban and rural areas.
More than 40 percent of teachers say they believe it is a serious problem that children are
coming to school hungry because they have not had enough to eat at home. In fact, 61 percent
of teachers purchase food for their classrooms out of their own pockets, spending an average
of $25 a month.
“I’ve had lots of students come to school—not just one or two—who put their heads down and
cry because they haven't eaten since lunch yesterday,” said Stacey Frakes, an elementary
teacher at Greenville Elementary School in Madison County, Fla.
However, teachers agree nearly unanimously (96 percent) that there is a strong connection
between eating a healthy breakfast and a student’s ability to concentrate, behave well and
perform academically.

Contact:

Dave Slater 202/649-4332 dslater@strength.org

Theresa Burton 202/478-6522 tburton@strength.org