by David Safier I smell a whiff of hypocrisy emanating from Intel's ex-CEO. Craig Barrett, Gov. Brewer's education point man, wrote a letter to California's Governor Brown begging him not to cut funding for high school science. "I am writing to express dismay about your proposed budget’s reduction of California’s high school graduation course requirements … Read more
by David Safier
I'm going to start at the end of this story, then I'll begin again at the beginning.
Matt de la Peña, author of "Mexican White Boy" and other books geared toward adolescents, spoke to groups of students at TUSD over the past few days. He used his entire speaking fee to buy copies of "Mexican White Boy" and give them to the students.
I guarantee de la Peña is not a wealthy man. He could have found plenty of ways to put the speaking fee to good personal use. Here's the story behind his generosity, which I learned tonight when he was the featured guest at the Save Ethnic Studies fundraiser.
Mexican White Boy is one of the books which had been taught in some Mexican American Studies courses but can no longer be used. I read it last week. It's a gripping, complex novel set in a San Diego-area barrio where all the characters, young and old, are flawed, often deeply, and the environment they inhabit is flawed as well. Yet most of them have wonderful qualities, as does the world they inhabit. Until the end — and even after the last page — there's no way of telling where the young people who are at the center of the story will end up. The characters and their stories resonated with this old retired Anglo English teacher. I'm sure they resonate far more with students who can relate directly to the experiences of the characters.
The book became part of the MAS curriculum when a student, a reluctant reader, brought a copy to one of the teachers to read. The teacher saw its value, especially viewing it through the eyes of the student who gave it to her, and decided it would be a valuable addition to her class.
When de la Peña heard his book was banned at TUSD . . .
by David Safier
Houston, Tucson has a problem. Books have been banned from use in TUSD.
Tony Diaz, a literature professor at Houston Community College, wants to help.
A professor and 30 of his supporters began a bus tour Monday from Houston, hauling hundreds of books they will deliver to Tucson in a demonstration against the recent elimination of Tucson Unified School District's Mexican-American studies program.
Tony Diaz, a literature professor at Houston Community College, said he is leading the "librotraficante caravan,"or the book-smuggler caravan, to Tucson.
The bus will stop in San Antonio, El Paso, Albuquerque and Mesilla, N.M., to load more books and supporters bound for Tucson, he said.
Here's a map of the caravan's route:
More information about scheduled events here.
As you await the caravan's arrival in Tucson Friday, you can do something today: Attend a Save Ethnic Studies happy hour fundraiser 5:30 this evening (Tuesday). Margaritas and finger food will be provided.
Learn more about the fundraiser, and watch Tony Diaz's Librotraficante video (worth a watch) below the fold.
by David Safier A suit An amicus brief filed by the Vince Rabago Law Office states the law designed to make MAS courses illegal is unconstitutional because it is "impermissibly vague" and therefore "violates both Fourteenth and First Amendment constitutional protections for public school students and teachers." [Note: I revealed my vast legal ignorance by … Read more
by David Safier According to the 2010 tax return for Steve Yarbrough's Arizona Christian School Tuition Organization (ACSTO), it gave away $44,492 in contributions. First question: does that make sense? A nonprofit whose funding comes entirely from money that otherwise would have gone into the state coffers giving money away to charities of its choice? … Read more