"These are approaches to the crisis that would help rebuild the real economy at a time when most of us have had it with speculative bubbles. They would create lasting jobs at a time when they are urgently needed. And they would strengthen our ties to one another and to our communities -- goals that, while abstract, can nonetheless save lives in a crisis. "

"About the New York Study Group The New York Study Group (NYSG) was a group of community organizers and activists who came together to study left organization, revolutionary change, socialism and political struggle. The group existed from 2006 to 2010. This website is now only an archive; we share here some of our past writings and readings to inspire future activists. As well, we are throwing in a bit about the left-unity project we worked with, Revolutionary Work In Our Times (RWIOT). NYSG had over 100 members, all organizers and activists from around New York City who were engaged in a range of exciting struggles rooted in working class communities and communities of color, from immigrant worker organizing and housing campaigns to public education and cultural work. We came together because we believe that - even though our work in these struggles to win reforms and change conditions in our communities is crucial - we also needed a space to reflect on that work as leftists, as people who believe in an end to capitalism and in the fundamental transformation of power relations in our society. If you have a story about your own involvement in the New York Study Group, have something to say about the group, or have old material (like reading lists!) from the group you are up for sharing for this online archive, please email them to rankandfilerblog at gmail. (This email address is maintained by a former member of the NYSG.) This archival version of this blog was set-up and last edited September, 2012."

When I graduated college last year, I was certain I wanted to make a real difference in the world. After 17 years of education, I felt an obligation to share my knowledge and skills with those who needed it most.

"Are charters really doing a better job educating the city's public school students than the traditional public schools? That was the question of the week, after state test scores came out on Tuesday showing not only far greater proficiency in English and math by third through eighth graders who attend the city's charters, but also far more improvement this year."

Unuted Nations Report on Child Labor in Uganda

economists in support of Occuppy Wall Street message

"Nearly two weeks after claiming that child labor laws are "truly stupid" and implying that poor children should be put to work as janitors in their schools, he now claims that poor children don't understand work unless they're doing something illegal. "

Who does this site serve? "Since 1998 we have helped thousands of families around the world to find the right schools for their children. We work with individual families and with corporations. We work with gifted children, kids with special needs, or any child whose parents want to make sure he or she is in the right educational environment. Our expert consultants are trained to look beyond the superficial aspects of a school - the pretty campus, the brand new gym, or how popular it is - and instead strive to understand a school's culture, atmosphere, values, and environment. Above all else, we are committed to the concept of "fit" so that your child can reach his or her full potential. "

Critics counter that, absent clear proof, schools are being motivated by a blind faith in technology and an overemphasis on digital skills - like using PowerPoint and multimedia tools - at the expense of math, reading and writing fundamentals. They say the technology advocates have it backward when they press to upgrade first and ask questions later. The spending push comes as schools face tough financial choices. In Kyrene, for example, even as technology spending has grown, the rest of the district's budget has shrunk, leading to bigger classes and fewer periods of music, art and physical education.

While producers of print-based curriculum and instructional materials are struggling, companies that are focused on technology-based instruction and tools for data collection and analysis are thriving in the K-12 market, says a new report by Berkery Noyes, an independent investment bank. An emphasis on accountability and data-driven decision-making in education is part of what's behind that trend, said Vivek Kamath, a managing director at the New York City-based bank who specializes in the education market. "Schools are realizing that they need to treat their schools like businesses," he said. "What they're looking for are enhanced analytics."

"The Shock Doctrine, as articulated by journalist Naomi Klein, describes the process by which corporate interests use catastrophes as instruments to maximize their profit. Sometimes the events they use are natural (earthquakes), sometimes they are human-created (the 9/11 attacks) and sometimes they are a bit of both (hurricanes made stronger by human-intensified global climate change). Regardless of the particular cataclysm, though, the Shock Doctrine suggests that in the aftermath of a calamity, there is always corporate method in the smoldering madness - a method based in Disaster Capitalism."

ducation Panel to start the program at 6PM on the issues ahead for this coming school year for parents/teachers/children - preserving and enhancing public education. * Yelena Siwinski (GEM/Grassroots Education Movement) * Mark Torres (PPM/Peoples Power Movement) * Brenda Walker (CPE/Coalition of Public Education) * Clarence Talyor (Recently released book - "Reds At The Blackboard") WBAI's Radio Building Bridges: Your Community & Labor Report

"For several decades, shortages of minority teachers have been a big issue for the nation's schools. Policy makers and recent presidents have agreed that our elementary and secondary teaching force "should look like America." But the conventional wisdom is that as the nation's population and students have grown more diverse, the teaching force has done the opposite-grown more white and less diverse."