F O R I M M E D I A T E R E L E A S E
LOS ANGELES, CA - August 10, 2009
WHAT: A scholarship of over $ 1680 will be delivered to Ms. Aurora Ponce as the result of a successful fundraiser on Twitter and Facebook led by the CutsHurtKids.org Team.
WHEN: Tomorrow, Tuesday August 11 at 10AM.
WHERE: Entrance to The Accelerated School, 4000 S. Main Street, Los Angeles (corner of King Blvd and Main St) MAP: http://tinyurl.com/ntzab2
PRESS CONTACT: Jose Lara, Teacher at Santee, cell: 714-864-0543
Tomorrow a check of over $1680 will be presented to Aurora Ponce for her courageous work in defense of education. The event is organized by Parent Leaders of The Accelerated School and ACORN.
Jose Lara, Teacher at Santee Educational Complex (one of the Leaders of the recent hunger strike, "Hungry For A Better Education") will represent CutsHurtKids.org for the presentation of the check.
Ms. Ponce was punished by The Accelerated School (where she was class Valedictorian) for protesting peacefully against the budget cuts, increased class sizes and teacher layoffs.
Among other punishments, they took away her summer job, which she needed to buy books for her freshman year in college, which she is starting this Fall at UC Davis.
86% of the scholarship donations come from Public School Teachers. This is a powerful statement that our teachers care deeply about our students.
Aurora Ponce was punished publicly, and in response, teachers and community members have stood up publicly in her defense. In this effort CutsHurtKids.org hopes to counter any chilling effect on student activists.
We also hope the message is heard loud and clear: if a student dares to defend what is just or criticize what is unjust, the community will stand with her.
www.CutsHurtKids.org
http://twitter.com/CutsHurtKids
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This is great news. Thanks for publicizing it from the beginning, and thanks for soliciting our help in the fundraising. We wish Ms. Ponce the best with her academic future.
ReplyDeleteWe also hope people will see this as an example of how charter schools are unaccountable and unresponsive to our communities. There isn't anyone who felt Ms. Ponce should have been attacked by The Accelerated School's schools representatives for taking the principled stand she did. In the CMO world of unelected boards, and hired gun principles, we'll see a lot more of corporate values being pushed in schools. Critical thinking, resistance, and struggle will be stifled.