Organizing for America | Teachers for Obama

Teachers for Obama

Teachers who care about educational reform will vote for Barack Obama.

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By http://groups.yahoo.com/group/SAVEourHOME/ - Nov 19th, 2009 at 8:47 pm EST

Also listed in: 6 groups

Dear friends,

Usually we write you with good news. This time it's much more mixed.

Help Plan a "Vigil For Survival"

Mid-way through the climate talks in Copenhagen, people around the world will
gather in solemn solidarity with the nations and peoples for whom delay on
climate action could mean extinction. Can you help plan a vigil?

What: A candlelight vigil.

Why: To send a clear message to world leaders deciding the fate of the planet's
future.

Where: Somewhere in your community that is iconic (beautiful and picturesque) or
strategic (like U.S. Senate offices, consulates, and embassies)

When: The night of Friday, December 11th or Saturday December 12th.

Who: You, your family, friends, neighbors and people all over the world.

Click here to get started and register your local vigil: www.350.org/vigil

Earlier this week Barack Obama and the leaders of some other large nations
announced that they weren't going to reach any kind of legally binding climate
agreement in Copenhagen--declaring that they need more time, despite the five
years of preparation they've already had.

That's sad and it's dangerous--the planet is running out of 'next years'. But it
does give all of us more time to organize a movement to make them respect the
science.

So it's time for the next big steps. The world needs your help once more.

There's a global mobilization coming together for the weekend in the middle of
the Copenhagen conference--Dec. 11-13. Our collective message? "The World Wants
a Real Deal" -- people all over the planet are demanding a binding global
climate agreement guided by the latest science and built upon principles of
justice and equity.

There will be big rallies on Saturday the 12th in many cities, and on Sunday the
13th communities of faith the world over will ring church bells, beat drums,
blow horns -- all 350 times.

Our main hope is that you will help organize a candlelight vigil at some iconic
or strategic place near you on Friday or Saturday night, December 11th or 12th?
Around the world people will gather to light lanterns or candles, in solemn
solidarity with the citizens of those nations who will be first to face the
challenges to their very survival.

Click here for details about staging a local vigil and to register one in your
community: www.350.org/vigil

Eventually all of us will be hard-pressed by rising seas, spreading drought, and
temperatures too hot for growing food. But right now--this year, this
decade--there are countries being pressed to the brink. They're at the forefront
of a fight for real change in Copenhagen, and need your help to amplify their
voices.

As Maldives President Mohammed Nasheed said last week at a summit of the most
vulnerable nations:

"We will not sign a global suicide pact, in Copenhagen or anywhere."

Instead, he and the other nations called for a "survival pact," for commitments
by the developed world to cut emissions enough to get the atmospheric
concentration of CO2 back to 350. They know the simple, mathematical truth of
global warming: 350=Survival.

Some of the planned candlelight vigils will take place at iconic places in
communities all over the world. Others will be outside American consulates and
embassies, and at senators' offices throughout the United States. Partly this is
because the US is, historically, the country most responsible for the carbon in
the world's atmosphere. But it's also because America, if it chose, could lead
the way to a sane global climate policy. The election of Barack Obama ended
America's automatic veto on progress--but the U.S. is still offering
insufficient actions, far short of what scientists say is necessary. And Obama
has yet to offer the leadership the crisis requires.

In a very real sense, the short-term survival of many nations, and the long-term
health of the whole planet, rests in the hands of Obama and the United States
Senate. Their positions, along with the level of leadership provided by the
European Union, China and a few other nations, can make or break a global
climate treaty. The decisions made by this small group of people will, in large
part, determine whether or not the world forges a real deal--not just any deal,
but one that is strong enough to pull us back from the brink of climate
catastrophe and put the planet on a path to 350. Their courage--or lack of
it--will help set the future of the planet for geologic time.

The candles we will light are candles of hope.

Onwards,

Bill McKibben for the whole 350.org Team

P.S. Can you share this call to action? Please take a few seconds to share the
message on Facebook, Twitter, and anywhere else you can. Read More »

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Within a brief moment of time

By i am rasa - Nov 10th, 2009 at 1:22 pm EST

Also listed in: 9 groups

Within a brief moment of time

I have been focusing on the greatest journey of my life.

That most amazing miraculous dream of one tiny little sperm carrying the worlds most heaviest load, the genetic information of generations and generations and generations....in order to enter into the dream world of a small egg awaiting for that wondrous moment to arrive. The greatest journey of my life. The greatest journey of my life, happening throughout the ages.

Here i am, the dream of a tiny minuscule sperm who has touched, entered and combined into the amazing dream of an egg. Generations of dreams combining in ONE brief moment of time. Two different distinctive dreams combining everything together to co-create a dream dreaming.

Within that brief small moment of synchronization of time and space. The combined wholeness of my dream was unified. Then began the second most amazing adventure of my life. From one miraculous cell to 100 trillion cells playing and dancing in a unified field of utopian nature.

Then from being focused inside the womb to looking outward to this.

We are all energy. Within a brief moment of time. The possibility of combining and integrating our individual unique miraculous creative genius energy TOGETHER to realize a totally new dream coming from the heart of reality seems so simple so easy.

The Mass Group. E=MC2. Peace, love, freedom...pelodom.

Within a brief moment of time is our ability to integrate our consciousness to form an amazing new creative dream unfolding. Within the empty space is the ability to integrate ALL our dreams simultaneously. By coming to the O table, by giving freely of our geniusness, our dreams shared, our consciousness expands. Our reality expands. Abundance is the dance.

Within a brief moment of time, creation of a new life.. a new dream is owakened.

Dream Big Dreams

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Open Letter to President Obama

By Anthony Cody - Nov 7th, 2009 at 12:19 pm EST

Also listed in: Teachers for Obama

Posted a few days ago on my blog here:

http://blogs.edweek.org/teachers/living-in-dialogue/2009/11/open_letter_to_president_obama.html

Dear President Obama,

I was one of the millions of teachers across the USA who actively supported your candidacy. I organized a fundraiser with fellow educators, and walked my neighborhood precinct during the primary. I used my blog on Teacher Magazine to share your vision. I took heart when I read on your campaign website:

Obama believes teachers should not be forced to spend the academic year preparing students to fill in bubbles on standardized tests. He will improve the assessments used to track student progress to measure readiness for college and the workplace and improve student learning in a timely, individualized manner. Obama will also improve NCLB's accountability system so that we are supporting schools that need improvement, rather than punishing them.

You have spoken eloquently of a new era of mutual responsibility for our schools, and have called on parents to take a greater role in their children's education. The provision of health care for families without it will be a tremendous help to our students, so this work is deeply appreciated. This year ARRA funds have saved many thousands of teachers' jobs, but we have a huge problem looming. State budgets, and the schools that depend on them, remain in dire straits. It appears that Race to the Top funding will not be used to save jobs or plug massive holes in state budgets, but instead will be used to "drive reforms." But these reforms do not enact the vision you have put forward.

As it stands now, Secretary Duncan has initiated policies to:

"Turn around" 5000 of the nation's "worst" schools (based on test scores) although recent reports from Chicago reveal that the 5,445 students displaced by his school closures there did not do any better than before.

Tie teacher pay to test scores, though research and common sense suggest this will result in even more narrowing of the curriculum and teaching to the test.

Insist, in spite of more and more research that questions their effectiveness, that charter schools should be dramatically expanded.

Rank teacher preparation programs - once again, by how well they increase student test scores

We have had eight long years of No Child Left Behind, which systematically assaulted our schools by establishing impossible to meet test score targets and Byzantine rules about subgroups. Your election a year ago was supposed to change all that. But thus far the policies we see are actually worse than before.

We can agree that teacher quality is critical for the success of our schools, but test scores are a wholly inadequate means to measure or improve quality. Furthermore, you have a Secretary of Education who is not listening to teachers. Teachers need to be active partners in school reform at every level, from the classroom up to the cabinet meeting. Right now our views are being shut out and ignored, and we are not represented. This is driving morale down at a time when our schools need to rally together for our students.

If teachers are demoralized and sidelined, we are lost as partners in the change process. We will remain the subjects of change rather than agents, and our creative vision will be missing. This is the biggest reason NCLB has failed, and will continue to fail under Secretary Duncan so long as he maintains this direction.

It does not have to be this way. Teachers are ready for change, ready for mutual responsibility, ready for better assessments of student learning that honor our classroom practice and our students' capacity for critical thinking. We are ready, but we are still waiting to see these things.

I urge you to take a closer look at the policies that are being implemented by the Department of Education.

Review the report recently offered by the National Academy of Sciences which points out many flaws in the Race to the Top guidelines.

Review research that reveals that charter schools are no better on average than their public school counterparts.

Pay attention to the continued narrowing of the curriculum that you decried as a candidate.

Listen to the deeply held concerns of this nation's classroom teachers.

Hold your Secretary of Education accountable for enacting the vision that you campaigned on, that gave so much hope to millions of teachers and students across this country.

Your supporter still,

Anthony Cody

What do you think? Will you join me in signing this letter? Or authoring your own? What would you tell Obama if he joined you for lunch today?

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"Dream BIG Dreams" ...Take ONE...scene one, act one

By i am rasa - Nov 1st, 2009 at 6:38 pm EST

Also listed in: 10 groups

WE...We the people, in order to form a more perfect union ....decided to make a movie.

So, "Dream Big Dreams" was conceived as a process of WE creating community for the ultimate well being of the i within the we and the we within the i .

So, here i sit within the echoing silence of Kelly's Room of the First Street Community Center Mount Vernon Iowa.....LISTENING.....Listening to the deep subtle depths of the heart of reality. Within THE SPACE where the Masters gather, a small flame of a winter green flame coats the twenty foot square empty space ....a warm rich glow of peaceful solitude.

Our community seeks a strong sound foundation in which to reach out in play of our game of forming a more perfect union. A warm, secure, peaceful, creative, healthy, engaging, blissful playing field suitable for meeting each and every individual unique relationship in pure possibilities of play.

THE SPACE of the room, of infinite and eternal playing field of Kelly's Room is suitably framed by the words, "Beautiful Pure Perfect Love" for the integral informative conceptual magical Utopian ways of growing and sustaining communities through the ages.

"Dream BIG Dreams" is a movie about a process WE all co-create and co-design. A simple easy blueprint of economic development taken seed within the heart of oneself and being connected and networked, shared and danced into the heart of family, community, state and nation and the heart of reality.

A time to remember, Black Hawk, and all our ancestors that brought US to this point in time, this magical miraculous perspective with the heart of the sweat lodge within the heart of Kelly's Room.

WE all bring our "Dream Big Dreams" of our individual unique miraculous creative genius to the O table of Michelle's Tea House.

From the magic of Craig Wilson's "Chalk the Walk" appearing on Main Street Mount Vernon, George Washington appears through a worm hole of time, heading homeward, he appeared in Mount Vernon where he befriended Makiah Miller and all his friends of the small Iowa town of Mount Vernon. Here during the process unfolding, George shares his 33 insightful ways of forming a more perfect union....in sharing his magical utopian vision of manifesting everyone's "Dream Big Dreams"

So, the process of WE...We the people making a movie to co-create a more perfect union is born. ...OUR vision OUR goal of playing the game whole heatedly together...to act as a blueprint integrating the nation, integrating the systems of dancing the ultimate health of oneself into the heart of reality.

The process of making the movie is beginning. Til Thanksgiving Day the process of you..."Dreaming Big Dreams" is unfolding....is being shared with all the friends manifesting for one another each and every dream coming home to the heart of reality.

Which character do you play?

CUT..........
Read More »

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Support the Public Option publicly, Mr. President!

By Roland Madore - Oct 17th, 2009 at 1:24 pm EDT

Also listed in: 10 groups

October 16, 2009

Dear Mr. President,

Please strongly support the Public Option publicly now! We need to hear your voice. The People are counting on you to back up the promises you made.

We don’t want the insurance and drug companies to win at our expense again because we’ll lose, and so will you. I’d like to continue to support you, but won’t if you sell your “soul to the company”, man. For all the work you do, thank you, and congratulations for winning the Nobel Peace Prize. Here’s where you can start earning it.

Respectfully,

Roland Madore

1725 C Spring Meadows Ct.

Fort Collins, CO 80525-1164

P. S. Hooray for Michael Moore!

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PLEASE READ THIS NOW AND ACT! WE STILL HAVE A CHANCE WITH HEALTHCARE!

By Marcia Riquelme - Sep 8th, 2009 at 4:31 pm EDT

Also listed in: 10 groups

URGENTLY Needed: Your calls Right away! to President and reps. in support of the HealthCare Reform Public Plan or even Single Payor: (see why this is critical in bottom segment of this notice) NO MATTER HOW MANY TIMES YOU HAVE CALLED OR WRITTEN PREVIOUSLY, PLEASE SEE REASON FOR THIS REQUEST AT END OF THIS EMAIL-- IT EXPLAINS WHY I'M MAKING THIS 'ASK'. Also please contact your whole emai list and get others working on this immediately! time is of the essence!

Please call :WhiteHouse Comment Switchboard: 1-202-456-1111
TAMMY BALDWIN:MADISON: 258-9800D.C. OFFICE: 202-225-2906tHERB KOHL:MADISON: 264-5338D.C. OFFICE: 202-224-5653
RUSS FEINGOLD:MADISON OFFICE: 828-1200D.C. OFFICE: 202-224-5323
REASON: TODAY CONGRESSIONAL FOLKS WILL BE 'COUNTING REQUESTS' FROM CONSTITUENTS TO DETERMINE IF THE SHOUTING ANTI-HEALTHCARE REFORM FOLKS REPRESENT A TRUE MOVEMENT OR ARE JUST SMALL but LOUD FRINGE GROUPS.They will be MEASURING THE NUMBERS OF SUPPORTERS, by CALLS, LETTERS, EMAILS, AND THIS MEASUREMENT has to INVALIDATE OR SHOW SIGNIFICANTLY LOWER 'HEFT' AND SHEER NUMBERS of the ANTI-REFORM GROUPS COMPARED TO US! IF THE ANTI-REFORM GROUPS HAVE 'CHIMED IN' WITH REALISTIC NUMERICAL CLOUT across the nation, in COMPARISON WITH THE POSITIVE SUPPORTERS, THEN THE CONGRESS AND SENATE WILL HAVE TO take them SERIOUSLY, but there is still a chance that our sheet numbers can PULL DOWN the IMPORTANCE OF THE RADICAL RIGHT --- WE CAN DERAIL THE ANTI-REFORM FOLKS BY OUT CALLING AND WRITING THEM!! --
THIS COMES FROM A DISCOVERY I LEARNED WHILE LISTENING ANALYSIS BY THE D.C. PRESS INSIDERS(in prep for President's Speech Weds. night) D.C. PRESS CORPS WHO HAVE ASKED RETURNING LEGISLATORS WHAT WILL DETERMINE THE CONGRESSIONAL RESPONSE TO THE More Progressive aspects of the HealthCare Reform Legislation.
So WE STILL HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO UNDERSCORE OUR REQUESTS AND SWING THINGS INTO OUR CORNER--- BUT WE NEED TO FLOOD THEIR SWITCHBOARDS WITH CALLS, FLOOD THEIR EMAIL, AND any other way we can communicate!

THIS COMES FROM AN ANALYSIS BY THE D.C. PRESS INSIDERS WHO HAVE ASKED WHAT WILL DETERMINE THE CONGRESSIONAL RESPONSE TO THE More Progressive aspects of the HealthCare Reform Legislation.

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The Labor Day Pledge

By i am rasa - Sep 7th, 2009 at 1:45 pm EDT

Also listed in: 7 groups

Labor Day contemplation of how to be of ultimate service to oneself.....

The I pledge video is going around and around and around....I pledge to be oneself.

Concerning my recent visit to The White House to http://chalkthewhitehouse.com and all things concerning 'Dream Big Dreams' ....

I haven't had health insurance forever....so i've had to learn the secrets of healing thyself. I've had to learn many new perspectives to live in poverty my entire life while living in a land of plenty. I am a workaholic. Yet my labor has no value. My life has been to study, know, and experience the creative life of an artist in pursuit of the ultimate health of oneself.

Peace is the key. Balance. When I saw the unfinished building of the Institute of Peace near the Kennedy Center for the Arts, I knew I wanted to work there...as artist in residence...sharing my perspective and vision on happiness, sharing my masterpeaces of the ultimate health of oneself.

WE have everything. EVERYTHING. What we need is to co-create systems of utopia...integrating the individual unique miraculous creative geniuses WE were all born as into systems that reflect our geniusness.

Today is Labor Day. Being artist in residence at the Institute of Peace is my way of being the ultimate service to the nation. Can anyone grant me that position. Can anyone deny me that position. It is my place in the world. As all that I have ever been and all that I will ever be is reflected in the need of that postion being full filled by being oneself.

I pledge to be oneself....to form relationships in forming a more perfect union..in co-creating and co-designing systems reflecting the ultimate health of oneself. The Key to knowing oneself is Peace. Is Balance. Is the ultimate health of oneself.

As Artist in Residence of the Institute of Peace. I Pledge to BE, DO and have....as oneself.

My "Dream Big Dreams" is that WE all find the perfect manifestation of our true Labor of Love, and each and every act of BEING ONESELF is an act of service to oneself, family, community, state and nation.

p.s. And my ten year old son Makiah wants to remind his friend Barack Obama to "Dream Big Dreams" as he plays basketball with ALL his Dream Team Players with the most passionate happy Labor of Love he knows.

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So where does this leave teachers of African Descent?

By Ms. BB - Sep 5th, 2009 at 8:12 am EDT

Also listed in: 4 groups

If schools are making it an "opt out" to hear the President speak directly to our nation's children; or as some are here in the grand old-still-shackled-by-ignorance South - "providing assurances" the broadcast will not be shown at all... where does that leave Black teachers?

We cannot for a moment pretend this is not due to the color of our President's skin. We cannot pretend... any of us any longer.

I am a teacher in the Cobb County School District in the state of Georgia and I will be embarrassed to provide these opt out forms to my students on Tuesday. Rest assured, this will not go quietly into the night...
The explicit message being delivered is this decision was made so that students are not taken away from classroom instructional time - yet the next email in my box that day was the pep rally schedule which takes a full block away.

The implicit message is we are still bound by the ignorance - of those who would still judge by the color of one's skin and not by the content of his character - and our own complacency if we bury our heads in the sand and feel that we have won by having elected our first Black president.
We have only just begun to fight... but fight is indeed what we must do.
Note: I do want to note that my Principal handled this situation passed on to our districts from some higher "authority" with great diplomacy and heart. He is trusting his teachers to do the right thing. We are still required to send the "opt out" forms home... but we can show the broadcast.

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The Patterns I See

By BENTON GRIMMETT - Aug 30th, 2009 at 3:34 pm EDT

Also listed in: 9 groups

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/244800-some-not-all-of-the-reasons-i-write-for-bleacher-report

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DREAM BIG DREAMS

By i am rasa - Aug 19th, 2009 at 1:16 pm EDT

Also listed in: 10 groups

WE came to Washington DC for http://chalkthewhitehouse.com, to celebrate the Presidents Birthday and to express our individual unique miraculous creative genius with the President in forming a more perfect union. The participants in this years events are planning on amazing things for celebrating 2010. We learned so much this trip. Thank YOU ALL for participating.

Makiah was hoping to realize his "Dream BIG Dreams" of playing some basketball hoops on the White House Basketball Court but was threatened by the secret service to have him talken away by child custody and have his father experience some very very unpleasant times. Still totally puzzeled how a ten year old special needs boy who adores the secret service can be a threat to them or anyone.... or me, who claims to be one of the most peaceful experts on peace on the planet...interesting learning experiences.

I am currnetly working on the book "dream big dreams" the summation of our celebrational journey to DC and the first annual ChalkTheWhiteHouse event. WE learned alot about national archetypes concerning the male and female counterparts ..thank you Mary Mother of God and all things Michelle Obama. We are looking forward to being SIM orchestrators with the Institue of Peace. Balancing all aspects of forming a more perfect union with "happy hands, happy feet, happy heart...happyplanetindex.org" ....WE feel that the simple easy educational and health shifts of experiencing the ultimate health of oneself is here and now...an integral part of our history and future coming together to cross paths on that most rewarding road of being oneself.

Hoping to share more with everyone when the book "Dream Big Dreams" is completed. Until then giving all your focus and support to Michelle Obama in all she does for the ultimate goal of THE CHILDREN is absolutely appreciated by ALL of us who are "Dreaming Big Dreams" .....

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Health Insurance Reform

By Jane Anne Jeffries Johnson - Aug 12th, 2009 at 11:40 am EDT

Also listed in: 10 groups

I retired from the Los Angeles Unified School District in February. I felt it was my civic duty to give up my job and live on my retirement, since the economy is struggling. I moved to Friday Harbor, Washington, where the economy is doing better than in California. I am able to keep abreast of the changes President Obama is making toward a more viable society and economy. I urge everyone who voted for him to continue to support him now. The sharks are swarming, and there is blood in the water. It's time to come together as a force for change.

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Sports - Entertain, Educate and Elevate Achievement in U.S.

By BENTON GRIMMETT - Jul 26th, 2009 at 4:30 am EDT

Also listed in: 10 groups

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/223998-sports-can-entertain-educate-and-elevate-achievement-in-us

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Single Payer HealthCare Reform still a wish in Wisconsin ...

By Marcia Riquelme - Jun 8th, 2009 at 1:08 am EDT

Also listed in: 5 groups

More than 30 still existing Obama Groups are networking to push for HealthCare Reform this spring and summer. We launched our first event over a month in advance of the kickoff date for the national push date of June 6th. By June 6th we had already hosted two events. We had a consensus at those meetings we were so strongly in favor of the Single Payer option that we would continue to voice our views even though President Obama was not placing it up for consideration this year. We feel if he knows how much support there is amongst citizens for the Single Payer plan, he will feel more certain the Congress will hear the same from their constituents. Many people are still learning what is contained in the various proposals. The array of proposals tends to confuse most citizens, so it takes time to look for the pros and cons of each and compare them. Whenever a group has that opportunity, they predictably realize the Single Payer option would be best for all concerned. Although we are uncertain if the option will make it to the Committees for consideration, we will hope for it while finding it a fair second to support any other construct coming out of committee. We will support a secondary option if that is all we can have.

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DANE GRASSROOTS NETWORK SUPPORTING OBAMA NEWS

By Marcia Riquelme - May 15th, 2009 at 10:55 pm EDT

Also listed in: 7 groups

MAY 7TH, at the Alicia Ashman Library in Middleton,WI, the coalition of Team Leaders and community leaders met again to continue organizing the structure of our on-going collaboration of the post-election network throughout Dane County, WI, as well as members from a few other adjoining counties. We identified the most important issues we wanted to focus on as an overall group, selected sub-groups based on interest on specific issues, and met in those smaller groups to express goals and stragegize our next steps, set sub-group focus meeting dates, and agreed to meet so we could then make reports back to the whole network.

The Sub-Groups attaining the highest membership were:

Obama Overall Agenda

HealthCare Reform

Education REform

Environment

Energy

Communications

Other groups on the list were, Economy and Jobs, Security, and Foreign Affairs.

The groups whose membership were the highest set subsequent meeting dates. The Network will convene shortly to examine the most pressing issues we must be active about in the next month or two. Meeting Time, Date, place, to be announced within a week from this posting.

Reminders extended regarding the upcoming Network hosted Forum on HealthCare Reform, May 12 at 7:30 in Mazomanie at the Old Feed Mill.

Anyone wishing to attend future Dane Grassroots Network meetings or be placed on the mailing list to receive announcements/reports of meetings, please contact nptimm@chorus.net

Note: There will be a website online soon with more detailed information and the ongoing dates of future forums, activities of the NetWork, and an interactive feature through which people may place themselves on the email list as well as make entries as comments or blog. We will provide a directory of affiliating grassroots groups in all the special interest areas appropriate to our network. It will be both a resource site, Bulletin board/calendar of events, and an interactive communication site.

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Take Action! It only requires 2 minutes to help college students!

By Marcia Riquelme - May 5th, 2009 at 10:09 am EDT

Also listed in: 8 groups

Many of you have seen this video by our President asking you to support his policy of eliminating the 'middle man' who rakes in fees for setting up student loans. This is an unnecessary cost when the loan can be directly set up with the Gov't. Student Loan department. It will save billions of dollars to stop this practice. Please take time to send a message to the committees in Congress who are considering this legislation right now. You will be helping many thousands of students receive more affordable loans for their college education and saving our tax dollars in the process. Please click on this link. It takes about 2 minutes to do this! It means so much to our youth! Thanks! -- Marcia HERE'S THE LINK" http://my.barackobama.com/page/s/studentloans

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GrassRoots OFA Team Leader's Coalition EVent Planning Committee

By Marcia Riquelme - May 4th, 2009 at 11:44 am EDT

Also listed in: 4 groups

Hi Everyone,

In the months after the WISCONSIN RIVER VALLEY GRASSROOTS CONFERENCE on Feb. 21st, a coalition of Team Leaders and active volunteers decided to meet and discuss how we could continue on with our network still on the ground post-election.

It is clear there is a great interest to strengthen and continue that network. Dan Grandone and J.D. Stier attended our second meeting and agreed it is a good thing they are enthusiastic to see continue.

There is now a third and fourth event on the calendar. Please consider attending if you can.

Tuesday, May 7th -- a collaborative meeting to set in motion a more 'formalized' sort of group description and establishing the group as an entity working within the goals of OFA but also working with many local and statewide community service issues and focus groups. We are expanding our invitation base to anyone who is interested in attending, and especially those who were part of the network that volunteered to elect Obama. Here is the agenda:

PLEASE NOTE: This meeting will move us from talking to walking. So come prepared to be in on the ground floor of developing an action agenda for Dane County.

Thanks

Dear Obama Team Leaders,

The anticipation of spring is upon us and with it the arrival of President Obama's first 100 days in office. It's difficult to determine which to be more excited about, but for most of us it probably is the 100 days.

Throughout the long winter we have continued to work with our teams, participate in the Grassroots Festival, and meet the OFA Wisconsin Coordinator, Dan Grandone). It seems clear that we will be stronger and more effective if we share our energy in some form of county wide network.

With this realization, it is time to take the next step in building the Dane County Grassroots Network. Join us at the Alicia Ashman Library (large meeting room), 733 N. High Point Rd.1 on Thursday evening May 7, at 6:30 pm. This meeting will be a work session with some heavy lifting for the future. We encourage you to bring one or two additional team members with you who are also committed to this project.

See the attached agenda for details.

We look forward to seeing you on May 7. If you have questions call any of the numbers below.

Ron Biendseil 836-1920

Bruce Green

Nate Timm 220-0139

Eric Sundquist

GRASSROOTS NETWORK AGENDA

MAY 7, 2009

6:30 p.m., Alicia Ashman Library, 733 N. High Point Rd. (Corner of High Point and Old Sauk, one block east of the Beltline)

WHO WILL KEEP US ON TIME??

6:30 WELCOME AND BRIEF HISTORY OF EFFORTS TO CREATE A GRASSROOTS NETWORK IN WISCONSIN. (Obama campaign experience, Grassroots Festival, Organizing for America listening sessions, Dual Rail Meeting, first meeting of grassroots teams at the Alicia Ashman Library
6:40 PURPOSE OF TONIGHTS MEETING:
1. Identify top priorities of issues people want to begin working on with other area teams
2. Develop preliminary work plans to address top priorities

NOTE: the underlying assumption is that you are here because you want to DO SOMETHING

6:50 WHO’S HERE Rapid fire -- Your name and community
7:00 MISSION STATEMENT:

The Dane County Grassroots Network consists of progressive groups, teams, and individuals committed to the civic betterment of the community and the nation.

The mission of the Dane County Grassroots Network is to:

Facilitate the exchange of ideas, information and skills among network members in order to promote the civic betterment of our community and nation
Identify issues of common interest to groups and facilitate shared activities and campaigns.

Is there anyone here who CANNOT live with this as the mission for this initiative??

7:10 Identify top priorities that the network will address
Who will join the Coordinating Team for Dane County? This group will support work groups, problem solve, trouble shoot, and plan follow up activities of this meeting
7:30 Break into Work Groups to begin developing action plans
8:15 Reconvene as large group to BRIEFLY report on highlights of work plans
8:30 We’re out of here.

Possible Priorities ( for further action by work groups)

Note: participants at previous meetings have endorsed the need to develop an electronic communications network to support our efforts. Marcia has agreed to coordinate this effort. If you’d be interested in being part of this work group STAND UP AND BE COUNTED NOW.

WORK TOGETHER TO:

(First, circle your top 5-6 priorities. Then check off your TOP 3)

___Influence state legislative priorities
___Support President Obama's political agenda
___Influence the national legislative agenda
___Support a national Health Care initiative: facilitate education, information

dissemination and action etc, on this issue

___Support a state Transportation initiative: RTA facilitate education, information

dissemination and action etc, on this issue

___Support a national Energy policy: facilitate education, information dissemination

and action etc, on this issue

___Support a national Education initiative: facilitate education, information

dissemination and action etc, on this issue

___Organize coordinated community service projects (short term and ongoing

projects)

___Develop and support youth involvement in a grassroots network
___Find and support a credible Dem. candidate to oppose Rep. Paul Ryan
___Establish Study/Discussion Groups (books, articles, issues, etc.)
___Establish a Grassroots Academy to help network members hone their political

skills, community organizing skills, communications skills, etc., and develop political, business and community linkages

Others??

1 The library is at the back of s small shopping center at the corner of High Point and Old Sauk Rd. Turn into the shopping center and head to the back corner. We’ll be there.

I will post the announcement of the HealthCare Reform forum announcement in my next posting. Please take a look and consider attending. We are and can still make a huge difference if we keep the network alive and functioning!

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Education Update

By Arizona Educators, Teachers, and Students - May 4th, 2009 at 12:31 am EDT

Also listed in: 10 groups

Thanks Dan for all the HARD work you have been doing! We will see you over the next few Monday's downtown!

-Matt

FWEA Political Action Team --1) Usual Bad News The news from the State Capitol this week is that the Republicans in the Senate and House announced at new "Joint Draft Budget Proposal". It might seem like good news since they hadn't produced one since January. However, it is so chock full of bad ideas that they didn't even have a press conference to announce it. Right away members of their own party and the governor pointed out some of the bad ideas. Here are a few regarding education funding: - continue the cuts from FY09 - no 2% increase from Prop 301 - cut more soft capital (books, computers, etc) - no building renewal $ (to fix buildings) - phase out Career Ladder over 11 years - "sweep" (a legislative term that means steal) any money that districts had saved -- $300 millionKyrsten Sinema, a leading Democrat, said the Republicans have put out “another incomplete, unrealistic, irresponsible budget proposal.” The head of the House Education Committee, Rich Crandall, a Republican said the same thing only in nicer terms.More of the legislators are expecting it to go to the deadline at the end of June. 2) Good NewsA statewide poll, done by the Cronkite Center/Channel 8, showed that 69% of voters oppose more cuts to education.69% supported a temporary sales tax increase.So the voters seem to be more aligned with the Democrats who have drafted a proposal that doesn't cut education but raises funds by rolling back tax cuts, eliminating tax credits, and allowing the state property equalization tax to return. The Dem's ideas are being paid a bit more attention, but not much.What to Do1) Come out a picket the Governor's office. Monday May 4 -- FWEA DAY -- 4:00 - 5:30 -- last week we had 20 people including some from Sunnyside. COME ON OUT! We need FWEA members from EVERY site. *** Bonus Day -- Tuesday May 5 TEA (TUSD teacher's association) 4:00 - 5:30 -- so if you can't make it Monday, you can join TEA Tuesday2) Call the Governor 800- 253-0883 The Republicans in the Legislature are stuck and need clear leadership from the governor. So far she has only offered general guidelines and has kept her distance from the process. Tell her: 1) It's time for her to step up and lead 2) The voters want NO CUTS to education 3) Allow the State Property Equalization Tax to returnLet's keep it up ! Public opinion seems to be shifting our way!Dan

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Photo Review of the first 100 Days

By Ailene - May 1st, 2009 at 6:37 pm EDT

Also listed in: 9 groups

Enjoy! The photos of President Obama's first 100 Days are awesome.

Photo's taken by Callie Shell.
http://www.time.com/time/photogallery/0,29307,1893255,00.html

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Keeping Them Honest

By Ailene - May 1st, 2009 at 5:13 pm EDT

Also listed in: 9 groups

Fact-Checking Obama on That Job Count

By Mosi Secret

In President Barack Obama’s news conference on Wednesday night, he said the $787 billion economic stimulus bill has already created or saved over 150,000 jobs. We decided to find out how the president arrived at that figure. The simple answer: guesswork. It turns out the feds don’t have a way to measure exactly how many jobs have been created or saved, so they use projections instead, and it’s all rather academic. Read the full article.

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The State of Public Education

By Arizona Educators, Teachers, and Students - Apr 29th, 2009 at 6:32 pm EDT

Also listed in: 10 groups

Help support education in Arizona by holding signs outside the Governor’s Education Building every Monday afternoon from 4:00-5:30 on the NW corner of Congress and Granada in downtown Tucson. United we stand, divided we fall. Stand together for those who have received a pink slip or RIF. Show support to improve the entire education environment. There are signs there, but you are welcome to bring one you made. If you need a chair, please bring your own, as well as water to drink. Thanks for helping change education for the better!! There is free parking in the garage on the west of Granada on the north side of Congress.

http://speakupnowaz.org/

http://vodpod.com/watch/1349208-lost-generation

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