Thursday, July 2, 2009

PRESS RELEASE Aurora Ponce college books Fundraiser for Valedictorian punished for protest (South L.A.)

SUMMARY:
CutsHurtKids.org launches college books fundraiser for Aurora Ponce, valedictorian in South-Central Los Angeles. Raza Education Fund is the fiscal sponsor. Ms. Ponce is being punished by her school for peacefully protesting school class-size increases & teacher layoffs.

Among other things, her school took away her summer job.
Donations for her college books/supplies are being accepted at www.RazaEducationFund.org 

I'm going to college, I'm going to be broke," she said. "I was going to save that money for books. It's going to be hard,”latimes.com/news/education/la-me-valedictorian25-2009jun25,0,7536793.story?track=rss

We're asking people to consider donations of $5, $10, $20, $50, $100 or whatever they can afford to give this student-warrior, whose bravery we want to reward & encourage. 

For those who would like to give, but can't until a paycheck arrives, we are asking that pledges be sent to cutshurtkids@gmail.com or proyectos@razaeducationfund.org . So far we have managed to raise just over 50% of $1590 needed for books/supplies at UC Davis. But $790 is still needed.

F O R    I M M E D I A T E    R E L E A S E


LOS ANGELES, CA - July 1, 2009

WHAT:  CutsHurtKids.org announces the launch of a college books fundraiser for Aurora Ponce, valedictorian in South-Central Los Angeles, punished by her school for peacefully protesting school budget cuts, class-size increases & teacher layoffs. Raza Education Fund (REF) is the fiscal sponsor.


WHERE:  Donations are being accepted at www.RazaEducationFund.org (securely, via Paypal)

WHEN: Starts today, July 1st  and ongoing through August, 2009.


Ms. Ponce's school, Annenberg High School (one of The Accelerated Schools) located on the corner of Main street and Martin Luther King Boulevard, have punished this stellar student leader for her participation in a non-violent, peaceful student sit-in.


We roundly condemn the actions and inactions of Patrick Judd, Jonathan Williams, Elizabeth Oberreiter and Sandra Phillips in the public punishment of Aurora Ponce, by suspending her for 2 days, not allowing her to participate in the senior class trip, taking away her summer tutor job and barring her from giving her graduation address (until public outrage forced school officials to relent minutes before the ceremony June 27).

 

I'm going to college, I'm going to be broke," she said. "I was going to save that money for books. It's going to be hard,” says Ms. Ponce in a June 25 LATimes article

  

This pattern of administrators silencing dissent  is unacceptable. Ms. Ponce's case comes on the heels of the June 18 Liechty school diplomas scandal in which 65 brave students were denied their diplomas for turning their backs on graduation speaker Monica Garcia (L.A. Unified School Board President) who has supported drastic budget cuts. The Annenberg High School, a charter school, is also located in Monica Garcia's District 2, according to LAUSD.net


On the 20 anniversary of Spike Lee's film “Do The Right Thing”, released in June, 1989, we are reminded of the consequences of justice denied and pent up anger.  The film was prophetic: three years later, in South-Central Los Angeles the 1992 riots took place.  Let this serve as a wake up call.


Aurora Ponce, a solid A average student, needs to be commended for her bravery.  She honors the spirit of Martin Luther King Jr., for which the boulevard where her alma mater is located is named.


We stand in support of this Los Angeles hero and are collecting funds toward her college books and supplies. Donations can be made online at www.RazaEducationFund.org (securely, via Paypal).


Ms. Ponce who will be attending UC Davis in the Fall needs $1,590 (according to UC Davis website) for books and supplies for her freshman year.


MEDIA CONTACTS:  

Raza Education Fund EMAIL: proyectos@RazaEducationFund.org 

CutsHurtKids.org EMAIL: cutshurtkids@gmail.com 


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P A R A   D I F U S I Ó N   I N M E D I A T A


LOS ANGELES, CA - 1 de julio, 2009 

QUÉ: CutsHurtKids.org anuncia el lanzamiento de recaudación de fondos para Aurora Ponce, la Valedictoriana en el Centro-sur de Los Ángeles, castigada por su escuela por protestar pacíficamente los recortes presupuestarios, la alta proporcion estudiante-maestro y los despidos de maestros. Raza Education Fund es el patrocinador fiscal.


DÓNDE: Las donaciones se aceptan en www.RazaEducationFund.org 

(a través de un vínculo seguro de Paypal) 

CUÁNDO: Comienza hoy, 1 de julio y continurá hasta el fin de agosto, 2009. 


La Srta. Ponce de la High School Annenberg (una de “The Accelerated Schools”), que se ubica en la esquina de Martin Luther King Boulevard y la calle Main, ha sido castigada por su participación en una protesta no-violenta dirigido por los estudiantes.


Condenamos rotundamente las acciones y falta de acciones por parte de Patrick Judd, Jonathan Williams, Elizabeth Oberreiter y Sandra Phillips en el castigo público de Aurora Ponce, incluyendo: su suspensión de por 2 días, el no permitir su participación en el viaje de la “senior class”, quitarle su empleo de verano y la denegación de permitir su discurso como valedictoriana en su graduación (hasta que la indignación pública obligó a la administracion de ceder y permitirlo, minutos antes de la ceremonia de 27 de junio). 

  

"Voy a la universidad, voy sin dinero,” dijo. "Yo iba a ahorrar ese dinero para libros. Va a ser difícil,” dice la Srta. Ponce en un artículo de LATimes (25 de junio)

   

Este patrón en Los Angeles por parte de los administradores de silenciar el disenso es inaceptable. 


El caso de la Srta. Ponce viene justo despues del escándalo en la escuela Liechty el 18 de junio en el que 65 estudiantes se les negarón sus diplomas por darle la espalda a Mónica García (Presidente de la junta de educación del distrito escolar unificado de Los Angeles), quien ha apoyada a drásticos recortes presupuestarios. La Annenberg High School, una escuela charter, también se encuentra en el Distrito 2 de Mónica García, según LAUSD.net.


En el vigésimo aniversario de la película de Spike Lee "Do the Right Thing", de 1989, se nos recuerda de las consecuencias de la denegación de la justicia combinada con la ira. La película fue profética: tres años más tarde, en el Centro-sur de Los Angeles tuvieron lugar los disturbios del 1992. Que este sirva de llamada de atención. 


Aurora Ponce, con promedio de resultados de “A”, debe ser elogiada por su valentía. Ella honra el espíritu de Martin Luther King Jr., para quien el bulevar donde su escuela se encuentra fue nombrado. 


Apoyamos a esta héroe de Los Angeles con una recaudación de fondos para los libros y materiales que necesitará en la universidad. Las donaciones se pueden hacer por internet en www.RazaEducationFund.org (con seguridad, a través de Paypal). 


Srta. Ponce, quien asistira a la UC Davis en el otoño, necesita $1590 para libros y materiales para su primer año (según el sitio web de UC Davis).


CONTACTOS PARA LOS MEDIOS:  

Raza Education Fund – EMAIL: proyectos@RazaEducationFund.org

CutsHurtKids.org – EMAIL: cutshurtkids@gmail.com 

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1 comment:

  1. A great cause for someone unjustly punished. If it helps, I would recommend looking at cheapesttextbooks.com for college books . They helped me out a lot when I needed to save money.

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