Tentative schedule subject to revision (download shortened version here)
Occupy the DOE in DC, Friday, March 30th: Take Our Message to Capitol Hil
10:00 a.m. Welcome Rally at the DOE!!!! United Opt Out Administrators speak up: Morna McDermott McNulty, Laurie Murphy, Peggy Robertson, Tim Slekar and Ceresta Smith. Why we are here and what we hope to accomplish – we plan to create a greater awareness of the negative effects of corporate education reform and share tools for action. We opt out of corporate education reform.
11:00 a.m. Mic-check: Share our stories, our dreams for public education and more.
Noon: ALEC (American Legislative Exchange Council) awareness session by United Opt Out Administrators (Morna McDermott McNulty, Peggy Robertson, Tim Slekar)
1:30 p.m. March to Capitol Hill to share our demands. Route/guidelines/permit for march to Capitol Hill can be found here. Map can be found here. We will share a copy of the Parental Rights Opt Out Bill (currently going to committee to allow a parent the right to opt a child out of the state test with no punitive consequences to the child, school or district) from Colorado – we suggest this bill become a model for opt out bills in every state. This is a proclamation for issuing bills across the land; opting out needs to be protected in all fifty states. We will share our concerns regarding ALEC legislation, NCLB, RTTT and our demands for a public education system that provides a whole and equitable education for all children – without high stakes testing and punitive consequences for students, teachers, schools, communities and our democracy.
3:00 p.m. Appointment with Senator Sanders educational counsel, Meagan Reed with UOO team. Mic-check at Capitol Hill to share bills that could end high stakes testing as well as an opportunity for people to create an awareness about ALEC bills in their particular states!
4:00 p.m. Return to the DOE to continue our occupation.
9:30 p.m. at Saint Stephens with Bill Moyer of Backbone Campaign: Strategy, Conflict, & Creativity – Tools for Harmonizing Grassroots Power
In the wake of a tumultuous Fall and in anticipation of a vibrant Spring how will the populist uprising manifest and draw new members to the cause? How can we build movement identity that is sympathetic and inviting? Overcoming obstacles, misconceptions, and confusion about the nature of conflict, the activist-organizer’s role in building movement power, and understanding grand strategic principles are essential if we are to deliver meaningful victories.
Occupy the DOE in DC, Saturday, March 31st: We OCCUPY the DOE
10:00 a.m. Wake Up Call – Join us in the morning to rally and mic-check at the DOE. We want to hear your voice!!
11:00 a.m. Liza Campbell, teacher and education organizer in NYC and Brian Jones, teacher and co-narrator for the Inconvenient Truth about Waiting for Superman: Building a Grassroots Movement to Defend Public Education
NYC public school teachers Liza Campbell and Brian Jones will describe their experiences fighting privatization, charter school co-locations, school closings and high-stakes standardized testing. These activists will share lessons from the struggle in New York, and discuss the challenges facing our movement today.