Photo: H/T Jed Brandt. Occupy Atlanta.
I woke up to this news from Glen Brown: The proposed overhaul of Illinois’ pension system could cost the state $62 billion more than the current system over the next three decades, according to a report prepared for the Teacher Retirement System.
Bank Transfer Day was yesterday. You can still transfer your money out of a big bank to a credit union on Monday. Or Tuesday.
The Tea Party has already targeted my school board. My brother reports that corporate money is funding a campaign against local school boards all over the place.
Mark Naison says that teachers have to be community organizers and justice fighters. It’s not in the job description, but neither is half the worthless crap they have us do. Half? Most.
Like a lot of the young protesters who have flocked to Occupy Wall Street, Joe had thought that hard work and education would bring, if not class mobility, at least a measure of security (indeed, a master’s degree can boost a New York City teacher’s salary by $10,000 or more). But the past decade of stagnant wages for the 99 percent and million-dollar bonuses for the 1 percent has awakened the kids of the middle class to a national nightmare: the dream that coaxed their parents to meet the demands of work, school, mortgage payments and tuition bills is shattered. Down is the new up. Richard Kim
Fred Klonsky 