11-19-12

Power of Ten Update

In this Issue:

  1. Advocates for Justice Fall Awards Ceremony
  2. Urgent: Your contribution is needed!
  3. How to stay informed
  4. Message from the editor

1) Advocates for Justice Fall Awards Ceremony Features East Ramapo Alumni, Honors Alumni Activist Group:

Monday, December 10, 7:30 pm – 9:30 pm

Symphony Space, 95th Street & Broadway, New York, NY

Parent Discount Tickets are available!!!

Advocates for Justice Board members Arthur Z. Schwartz (President), Hon. Major R. Owens, John Samuelsen, Mark Rosenthal, Hon. Peggy Shepard, Bertha Lewis, Matthew Chachere, Marvin Wasserman, Mike Kenny, Suzanne Mattei, Tom Shanahan and Cate Edwards invite you to a very special evening celebrating courageous community leaders and saluting public education.

SPECIAL PERFORMANCES:

Actor Geoffrey Owens (“Elvin,” The Cosby Show) performing “Shakespeare on Justice”

The Herve Alexandre Jazz Quartet (Ramapo HS Alumnus)

HONOREES:

A Lifetime of Leadership

Hon. Nydia Velazquez, Member, U.S. House of Representatives

Jon Kest, Executive Director, NY Communities for Change

Mike Kenny, 9/11 First Responder

Extraordinary Advocates for Our Children

Mona Davids, Founder/President, NYC Parents Union

Leonie Haimson, Founder/Executive Director, Class Size Matters

The PTO of Peninsula Preparatory Academy (Far Rockaway, Queens)

Save Our Schools – East Ramapo (Rockland County)

Southside Community Schools Coalition (Williamsburg, Brooklyn)

2) Please support the class action lawsuit:

Advocates for Justice, a New York based, non-profit, public interest law firm, has filed a class action civil rights lawsuit on behalf of East Ramapo School District parents, students, and taxpayers. Advocates for Justice is not charging us a fee for this action, but they are in need funds to continue this fight. They are asking us to contribute what we can. Monthly amounts are especially helpful (and easier on tight family budgets!) Be part of the solution, contribute online, or mail a check to:

Advocates for Justice

225 Broadway, Suite 1902

New York, NY 10007

3) How to stay informed:

The Journal News: www.lohud.com/eastramapo

Newsday: http://schools.newsday.com/new-york/districts/east-ramapo/

East Ramapo Underground: http://www.facebook.com/EastRamapoUnderground

Power of Ten www.poweroften.us

4) Message from the Editor:

We are now faced with a crumbling public school system, the board members of which seem intent on its complete decimation. We have no choice but to challenge the wrongs being inflicted on the public school children in East Ramapo. We are certain the board members would prefer we and our families go quietly into the night, as they close more and more public schools, so that we have no choice but to pack up and leave our homes. We refuse. We will fight for the schoolchildren of East Ramapo and their right to a sound basic public school education. The wrongful actions of the board members are violations of the law; they are violations of the Constitution and the civil rights it guarantees us. We have tried talking. They refused to listen. Litigation is the only avenue the board members have left us.

Tell your friends: “Justice is coming to East Ramapo!” … and WE can make it happen!

– Steve White, editor

 

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