Brian Jones writes frequently for
SocialistWorker.org.
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A dream of education
equality
The
occasion of a day to honor Dr. King is an annual
opportunity to remind ourselves that equity in
education--and elsewhere--is possible. January 16,
2012
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Unraveling the myths about
teachers
One
year after NBC's "Education Nation" summit on public
schools, the "reformers" have had a bad year--but they're
still pushing their agenda. October 10,
2011
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A stand to save our
schools
The
Save Our Schools march drew thousands of educators and
activists to Washington, D.C., to talk about real education
reform. August 2,
2011
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Beyond the legend of Malcolm
X
A
controversial biography by the late Manning Marable
provides a fascinating account of Malcolm X's life story
and political development. May 24,
2011
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Obama's real
constituency
Barack
Obama is back on the campaign trail, but he needs some new
slogans--because "hope" and "change" have been emptied of
any content. April 26,
2011
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"Egypt moment" for
education
Make
no mistake about it--for those of us who are determined to
defend public education, this is our Egypt moment.
February 24,
2011
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The other name for school
"reform"
Education
"reform" has been referred to by various terms:
privatization, deregulation, neoliberalism. Karl Marx had
another name for it: capitalism. February 2,
2011
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The unclosed achievement
gap
More
than 40 years after the civil rights movement shined a
spotlight on it, the racial achievement gap is alive and
well. January 13,
2011
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Privatizing war and
education
Once
you get past the hype, the war on public education is
motivated by the same imperatives--power and
profit--driving U.S. wars abroad. November 10,
2010
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A Harlem charter
takeover
Thousands
of people in Harlem are about to lose their green space--to
the construction of yet another charter school.
October 22,
2010
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Civil rights struggle or
sham?
Supporters
of charter schools claim they are fighting a "civil rights"
struggle, but would Martin Luther King sign up for such a
"movement"? October 19,
2010
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What I learned at the education
summit
The
sacrificial teacher on a televised panel discussion packed
with advocates of anti-union school "reform" has a few more
points to make. October 8,
2010
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Answer No. 1: Stop scapegoating
teachers
A
SocialistWorker.org columnist explains what he wants to
say--if he gets the chance--at a televised panel discussion
on the future of teaching. September 27,
2010
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A Washington scandal in
perspective
Two
leading Black members of Congress are accused of violating
ethical standards--but the biggest scandals in national
politics are perfectly legal. August 18,
2010
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Anti-racist victim of a racist smear
job
What
happened to Shirley Sherrod highlights the explosive nature
of the politics of race and racism in the U.S.
today. July 26,
2010
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A rebel for a better
world
Anyone
who spent any time with Howard Zinn knows of his tremendous
generosity of spirit, and of course, his legendary
humor. February 5,
2010
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Who's afraid of the big, bad
Zinn?
A
conservative Web site accused the "people's historian" of
perpetrating a distorted "version" of history, but it's the
truth that they're scared of. December 16,
2009
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The charter school
charade
At
a fancy gala thrown by the Harlem Success Academy, I heard
charter school supporters use the legacy of civil rights
struggles to sell privatization. November 13,
2009
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Why the free market can't cure health
care
If
there's any idea worth rethinking, it's Whole Foods CEO
John Mackey's claim that our needs are best met through the
unfettered free market. September 3,
2009
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Who does Obama answer
to?
There
may be differences within the limits of "mainstream"
ruling-class thinking, but figures like Obama would never
challenge those limits themselves. July 29,
2009
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The voice of Harlem
radicalism
Hubert
Harrison, the Black socialist from the turn of the 20th
century, was many things: author, editor, public speaker,
educator and activist. July 6,
2009
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Using "civil rights" to sell charter
schools
Wealthy
proponents of charter schools claim they want to advance
racial justice--even as public schools become more
segregated. April 30,
2009
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Marx's vision of
socialism
They're
often called utopians, but Marx and Engels were the first
to bring socialism down from the clouds and explain how it
could be established in the real world. March 4,
2009
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Marx becomes a
Marxist
Marx's
Marxism is the theoretical product of his practical efforts
to build a movement for change, and his observations of
struggles taking place around him. February 25,
2009
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The return of Marx
In
the last 150 years of U.S. history, you can't point to a
generation whose most active, radical layers have
not
been drawn to the ideas of Karl Marx. February 16,
2009
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The King they won't
celebrate
In
the final years of his life, Martin Luther King presented a
radical critique of U.S. society and campaigned for
fundamental and far-reaching change. January 19,
2009
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Squeaky wheels get a victory
Public housing residents in New York City scored a small
but significant win because of their determination to speak
out. January 12,
2009
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Making kids pay for the
crisis
The
plan to balance New York City's budget includes closing 19
community centers in public housing projects in all five
boroughs. December 19,
2008
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Election Day in
Harlem
In
the dense crowd on 125th Street celebrating Barack Obama's
election, I heard three words repeated, like a mantra, "WE
did this! WE did this!" November 6,
2008
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Is the racist smear campaign
working?
The
Republicans may be galvanizing a hard-core racist base, but
the attacks on Barack Obama are causing a backlash among
wider numbers of people. October 21,
2008
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Script change for
neoliberalism
After
decades of railing about "personal responsibility," U.S.
officials are seeking $700 billion for a handout--er,
sorry, a "bailout" for Wall Street. September 23,
2008
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A life and death
struggle
A
victory in the courts might send strikers at the
Kingsbridge Heights Rehabilitation Center back to work. But
one striker, Audrey Smith-Campbell, will never return to
that nursing home or any other. August 19,
2008
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Whose
responsibility?
The
idea that Blacks need to focus on
personal
responsibility, echoed by Barack Obama, distracts from the
question of
social
responsibility. July 18,
2008
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The fable of the
super-teacher
A
closer look at a "small school" success story in New York
City reveals the need for more staff, more funding and
higher teachers' salaries. July 9,
2008
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Still separate and
unequal
Half
a century after the Supreme Court ruled segregated schools
unconstitutional, they still exist--not on the fringe, but
as the normal, accepted mode in U.S. schools.
June
17, 2008
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The image and the reality of
change
Barack
Obama's success shows the American population has become
more progressive, but it won't mean the end of racism and
discrimination. May 21,
2008
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Fifty shots and found not
guilty
According
to Judge Arthur Cooperman, the three New York City police
officers who killed Sean Bell weren't guilty of
anything. May 2,
2008