Science Park High School, room 203
5:30-8:15
Brandon Rippey, brippey@nps.k12.nj.us
This class was absolutely phenomenal - as an econ major and liberal, this was right up my alley. I learned so much about the history and development of capitalism and the free market versus government control that really made my undergrad learning relevant and relatable to history and issues in the present day (which are terrifyingly similar). I knew that private businesses hated government control and wanted absolutely none and think that they could totally keep everything under control without any intervention, and let's face it here- we all are living in the aftershock of deregulation. However, I had NO IDEA the lengths that these private business owners take in order to get their way and keep to the status quo and avoid necessary change. Rippey said it best: "These men just throw money at a problem and it magically gets fixed." SCARY.
Rippey is an ocean of knowledge, and he continuously referred us books and movies to watch. I felt like a fake economics person because he kept on referring to Marx's Capital and I've never read it. I know his theory, but I never truly studied it - just memorized it for exams (ugh). One movie I am really interested in watching that he referred to was "The Inside Job."
Throughout the class, we continuously discussed corporate education reform - it was great to be able to learn about the historical development while relating it to present-day happenings. One brilliant English teacher said it best: "They don't see the issue being the poverty (and lack of resources), it's about the teachers." The private businesses see schooling as this untapped resource that is rank with possible profit, and they want in. Capitalists/conservatives want to be able to control everything, especially what children are taught - if they can successfully train a bunch of "middle class" drones who don't question or want anything to change, clearly nothing will change, and that is just how they like it. Conservatives are intentionally misdirecting the public opinion away from the real issues and pointing the finger at an easy alternative target. They are OBFUSCATING education reform to fit their personal benefit.
So what do our unions have to do with this? I am sad I missed his talk about unions (well, all of his talks - he says he plans on doing more in the spring so I'm def hopping on that.) but he directly related everything that conservatives have been doing to attack teachers to what the responsibility of the Newark teachers union SHOULD be (but isn't doing).
"The unions should be movements for social justice...we shouldn't just be protecting our members, or as they call it, "the bread and butter"...the union should represent ALL of the people of the (middle) class."
I am not even a hired Newark teacher yet, and I want this guy as my union rep (if I had a choice). The bourgeoisie is forcing our gaze away from the real issues (which is their goal).
OBFUSCATE.
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