#Occupy The Public Schools? Will #OccupyWallStreet Trigger Movement to Reclaim Our Schools?

#Occupy ThePublic Schools?  Will #OccupyWallStreet Trigger Movement to Reclaim OurSchools? byMark Naison | special to NewBlackMan
Yesterday'sGlobal Day of Protest was a milestone in modern history.  Demonstrationsin support of Occupy Wall Street took place in more than 950 cities around theworld, with more than 300,000 coming out in Madrid, and 100,000 in Rome. In the US, demonstrations and marches took place in more than 240 cities. Youngpeople in the US,  watching the news, listening to the radio, or evenseeing first hand  what was going on in their neighborhood, or theircity's downtown business district, couldn't help but be aware that there was aprotest movement taking place that involved many people their age and that themood of these protests was alternately defiant, festive and joyful.
Butwhen Monday comes around, will there be any discussion of these events in ourpublic schools?  The Occupation movement would be a perfect subject for classesin History or Social Studies.  It could involve discussion of the globaleconomic system, the impact of the current recession on  employmentprospects for young people, the history of social justice movements, the roleof young people in movements for social change  and many other importantissues.   It could allow students to connect what is going on intheir own lives to historical events, something which any teachers knows is agreat way to get students excited about studying history.
Butgiven the pressure put on students teachers and principals to register highscores on standardized tests, there is little chance of this happening unlessthese constituencies join together in a mini-revolt. The way current socialstudies curricula are set up in most public schools, virtually every day isdevoted to some form of test prep, and since teachers and administrators jobprospects are increasingly determined  by results on those tests, littlerisk taking can be expected in opening up classes to free discussion .
Orcan it?  Could this be the moment that teachers say ENOUGH IS ENOUGH andactually teach about something that students are interested in, and which openup avenues for students to become critical thinkers and  social activistswho think they have the power to make history.
Wehave seen hundreds of thousands of people in the US, during these past weeks,overcome their fears and apathy, to step forward and protest against aneconomic system that has left large portions of the nation's population withoutemployment, without security, without hope.   They have marched, theyhave chanted, they have camped out in the cold and rain to make their point.And they have prevailed in the face of police violence, and threats of evictionfrom the spaces they have gathered, to build a movement that grows larger everyday.
Perhapsthe same thing can happen in our schools. Perhaps teachers, students andparents can step forward and demand that schools make standardized testssecondary, that they set aside time for students to discuss issues of the day,that they give students outlets to express their thoughts, and over time realinfluence over what goes on in their schools.
The#OccupyWallStreet movement has marked a new phase in US and WorldHistory.  The Global Economic system is broken and those of us ineducation must adapt to the times. This is the moment to begin transforming ourschools from centers of obedience into center of critical thought and actionthat will allow young people to participate in the greatest change movement ofthe 21st Century.  They have little to lose  The tests that are beingshoved down their throats prepare them for jobs that no longer exist. It's time to tell them the truth, let them draw their own conclusions, and takeactions they deem appropriate
Isn'tthat what education is supposed to be about. To give students confidence inthemselves and the power to make positive changes, not only in their own lives,but in the lives of those around them.
TheRevolution in our nation's classrooms can begin Monday.  It's time to"Occupy Our Public Schools"
Teachers,students, and parents, are you ready?
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Mark Naison is a Professor of African-American Studies andHistory at Fordham University and Director of Fordham's Urban Studies Program.He is the author of two books, Communistsin Harlem During the Depression and WhiteBoy: A Memoir. Naison is also co-director of the BronxAfrican American History Project (BAAHP). Research from the BAAHP will bepublished in a forthcoming collection of oral histories Before the Fires: An Oral History of African American Life From the1930's to the 1960's.