My daughter's high school is asking that no kid participate in the General Strike planned for November 2, 2011. This is the email [redacted] sent:
(school) Parents/Guardians-
It has recently come to our attention that this Wednesday, 11/2/11, a group is organizing a walkout from (local community college) classes to protest the reductions in state funding. This group will be leaving campus in the early afternoon to join the Occupy Oakland Protest in Downtown Oakland.
While we at (high school) support all forms of non-violent political action, we are NOT sanctioning this event and expect all our students to be present in class on Wednesday. Our teachers will be finding their own ways of discussing this event and the larger issues involved during classes. We are also willing and interested in helping students to find a variety of ways to express their political frustrations, desires, and ideas. However, as a school we have a responsibility to ensure our students are safe and supervised during the school day.
Any student missing school on Wednesday (and any other day) for walkout-related reasons will not have their absence excused and be held academically responsible for their truancy in each of their courses. While many of us (staff, parents, guardians) might personally support the ideals of the walkout, we are obligated to the safety of students first. Further, through holding students accountable for their actions, we give their actions meaning.
If we hear of specific students who are planning on participating in the walkout, we will be contacting individual parents/guardians.
Thank you for your understanding as we help our students express themselves in positive and safe ways. I welcome you to contact me (us) with questions, comments, and concerns.
XXXXXX XXXXXXXX
Principal
(High School)
My reaction under the squiggly:
At first, I was pretty annoyed. I can understand their worries about safety. After all, a young vet was shot in the head with a tear gas canister and many arrests were made and injuries were had by peaceful protesters. That said, the march and rallies will likely be quite peaceful until night when the cops (or "provocateurs") decide to use violence under cover of the darkness.
Furthermore, implying that the kids would not take responsibility for their actions really pissed me off. Isn't demanding equal rights and opportunities and democracy a responsible action? Was it responsible for Wall Street and the enabling politicians to destroy our economy and our schools? Was it responsible for President (gag) Bush to enable the corporate enrichment (test prep, books, etc.) through No Child Left Behind? Was it responsible for our country to blame the poor, the immigrants, the gays, the minorities, the sick, etc. for our woes? Just what kind of responsibility are we teaching our children?!?
I say, this is a moment of history. This is a moment where we all are coming together, where we must come together, and execute our rights under the constitution to peacefully gather and express our opinions. This is a learning experience for each and every one of these kids and young adults. Sitting in a classroom discussing revolution is a not like being in a revolution.
Then I had a moment of clarity. Perhaps between the lines, the writer is encouraging the kids to protest knowing full well that there will be consequences (to give actions meaning). It's kind of like "We want to support this, but for reasons we cannot discuss publicly, we must act as if this was a terribly irresponsible thing to do", but secretly support. They have to appear against it, and hard-lined, but these are liberal East Bay teachers. They know the deal. It is like the longshoreman who said, we can't condone nor encourage a strike, but if there is a picket line, we will not cross it. I have a strong feeling that most, if not all, of the high school teachers would overlook a missed assignment from someone who was really protesting and not someone who just took advantage of the situation.
My daughter is lucky. She has no high school classes that day, only college classes. Her Biology Professor has already decided to join the strike and moved an independent study day that was scheduled for later to November 2. Her remaining class, Mandarin, is a morning class and in downtown Oakland, so she can walk to the rally after class. Yeah, my kid's schooling is complicated, but completely public.
I have to commend Occupy Oakland for the amazing amount of grassroots efforts that have gone into organizing this day of protest. I will be there and so will my daughter and so will thousands of others who are sick of getting the short end of the stick.