July 31, 2013: GPS Pittsburgh action meeting – come help plan two upcoming actions in our community and be a part of this exciting new coalition! We will also be rolling out our new community survey and need your help. 6:30PM at the PFT (19th St., South Side).
August 7, 14, 21, 2013: GPS Pittsburgh strategic leadership development. Calling all student, parent, and community leaders! We need you at one of these sessions and we work to hit the the school year running. Evenings: time and location TBD. If you are interested, please send us a message.
August 26, 2013: Back to School action! GPS Pittsburgh is planning a major action to demonstrate how much our communities love and need their public schools. This will be your chance to “hug a school”. Maybe we can set a world record?
September 16, 2013: We are hosting education historian Diane Ravitch! She will be here in Pittsburgh on the day that her new book is released: “Reign of Error: The Hoax of the Privatization Movement and the Danger to America’s Public Schools.” 6PM. Location TBD. This is a HUGE opportunity to hear Dr. Ravitch and to build our movement. Hosted by Yinzercation, SEIU, Pittsburgh Federation of Teachers, PIIN, One Pittsburgh, and Action United. Co-sponsored by University of Pittsburgh School of Education and the PSEA.
Past Dates
May 21, 2013: Election day! You WILL be voting, won’t you?
May 19, 2013: PIIN education action – focus on school closures – with a bus tour of Pittsburgh! Stay tuned for details.
May 8, 2013: Bellevue/Avalon school board candidate forum. 6:30-8:30PM.
May 8, 2013: Pittsburgh School board candidate forum. Kauffman Center at Hill House, Hill District, 6-8PM.
May 7, 2013: state wide Call Your Legislator day! Organized by EdVoters PA.
May 1, 2013: Highlands School District rally for public education.
April 23, 2013: Education: A Human Right, a documentary exploring a key issue of our time: education, resources and race, as seen through the eyes of those most affected, the students. 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at Carlow University, in the Kresge Theatre of the Grace Library building.
April 20, 2013: Last day to register to vote in the primaries.
April 10, 2013: EdVoters state-wide call-in day. Time to call your legislators!
April 10, 2013: Pittsburgh School Board race press conference, sponsored by A+ Schools. 9:30AM Hill House, 2nd floor conference room.
April 4-7, 2013: Occupy the Department of Education. Yinzercation is going to Washington, D.C. to be a part of this second annual event, which will have grassroots activists just like us converging from all across the country. Fantastic speakers will present back to back, all day, every day for four days on the sidewalk outside the DOE to demand an end to corporate-style-reforms and high-stakes-testing that are hurting our schools, our teachers, and our kids.
March 11, 2013: PIIN Town Hall Meeting: a forum on the school board elections. Be sure to save the date for this important conversation!
February 23, 2013: Are you thinking about running for school board? Go to this! Education Policy and Leadership Center (EPLC) 2013 Regional Workshop for School Board Candidates. In cooperation with the Pennsylvania School Boards Association (PSBA) and Pennsylvania Association of School Business Officials (PASBO), will conduct a series of regional full-day workshops for 2013 Pennsylvania school board candidates. Registration is $45 and includes coffee/donuts, lunch, and materials. Doubletree Hotel Pittsburgh/Monroeville, 101 Mall Blvd., Monroeville, PA 15146, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
February 21, 2013: 2013 Pennsylvania Budget Summit: Join the Pennsylvania Budget and Policy Center for an in-depth look at the Governor’s proposal and an update on the federal budget. 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Hilton Harrisburg, 1 North Second Street, Harrisburg, PA. Registration is free and lunch is included.
February 20, 2013: Rally for early childhood education. If Congress does nothing drastic cuts — called the “sequestration” — go into effect in March. At stake are vital programs like Head Start, which not only gives our kids a fair chance at a solid future but also employs over 1,000 people in our state. 8:30 am, Brightside Academy 415 Smithfield, downtown Pittsburgh 15222.
February 14, 2013: Pennsylvania Education Policy Forum on the Proposed Budget sponsored by the Education Policy and Leadership Center. Breakfast 8AM, program 8:30-10AM. Holiday Inn Pittsburgh University Center, Oakland. Register here.
February 10, 2013: Rally for Public Education! 3PM Kelly Strayhorn Theater, Penn Avenue, East Liberty. Details and RSVP here.
February 7, 2013: Allegheny County Legislative Meeting. Join the Pennsylvania School Board Association’s “Stand up for Public Education” project as it brings together our legislators to discuss the budget and our public schools. Allegheny Intermediate Unit, Central Office (475 East Waterfront Drive, Homestead, PA 15210), 7PM with refreshments.
February 5, 2013: Gov. Corbett will announce his budget proposal. OnePittsburgh is taking a bus to Harrisburg if you are interested in being in the capitol that day. RSVP here.
February 4, 2013: OnePittsburgh Pre Budget Address in Pittsburgh. Action Time 12:30 PM in front of EQT Corporate Headquarters (625 Liberty Ave Pittsburgh), and march to Governor Corbett’s Pittsburgh Office (301 5th Ave Pittsburgh, PA 15222).
January 22 and 23, 2013: The Heinz Endowments and Annenberg Institute for School Reform (a pro-public education center at Brown University) invite you to participate in an important conversation about parent engagement in school reform in Pittsburgh. This is a great opportunity to offer suggestions and ideas to a major education donor in town, and possibly even shape REAL reform here. Two sessions: Tuesday – January 22, 2013 – 6:00-8:00pm – Kingsley Community Center: 6435 Frankstown Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15206 — 412-661-8751. OR Wednesday -January 23, 2013 – 6:00-8:00pm – Hill House Kaufmann Center: 1825 Center Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15219 — 412-392-3149. RSVP here.
January 7, 2013: National Opt Out Day. Do something to think about how high-stakes-testing is affecting our schools and our children. Ask teachers to do no test-prep this day, focus just on learning.
December 19, 2012: Press conference to insist that Rivers Casino pay its fair share of property tax to our schools. Come speak on behalf of public education and help delivery over 1,000 petition signatures to Rivers Casino. 2:30 pm. Meet on the (public) River Walk in between the Carnegie Science Center & Rivers Casino (closer to the Science Center).
December 16, 2012: Jessie Ramey will talk about Yinzercation at the FORUM Speaker’s Series. First Unitarian Church, Shadyside. 9:30AM. Free and open to the public.
December 5, 2012: Jessie Ramey will testify before County Council on the impact of non-profits such as UPMC on public school revenues and our kids.
November 29, 2012: PIIN education town hall meeting with the Pittsburgh Federation of Teachers. 7PM-8:30PM. Light supper available at 6:30PM; childcare available. Pittsburgh Theological Seminary (616 North Highland Avenue / 15206). RSVP to office@ PIIN.org
November 20, 2012: Opportunity to Learn, sponsored by the Education Law Center and Ed Voters PA. This free community event will focus on issues of school climate in Allegheny County, the impact of exclusionary school discipline on the entire school community, and racial disparities in school suspensions. Participants will brainstorm strategies to expand opportunities to learn for all students, particularly for the most at-risk student populations, while working to dismantle the school-to- prison pipeline. 6:30pm to 8:00pm, Union Project Center (801 North Negley Avenue / 15206). RSVP by November 15.
November 15, 2012: Pennsylvania School Library Project information session at the Allegheny Intermediate Unit in Homestead at 5PM. (More information and registration here.)
November 6, 2012: Election Day. You are voting, aren’t you?
October 26, 2012: “Someone Must Be Left Behind: Economic Insecurity in the Age of Education Reform”. Presentation by Dr. John Marsh, Assistant Professor of English at Pennsylvania State University. He is the author of Class Dismissed: Why We Cannot Teach or Learn Our Way out of Inequality (Monthly Review 2011) among others. 3:00 P.M. in 324 Cathedral of Learning, University of Pittsburgh.
October 18, 2012: PIIN (PA Interfaith Impact Network) community meeting. Education is a key part of the platform this year and PIIN is bringing together the major stakeholders. Yinzer Nation is invited to be a part of this important meeting with will have around 2,000 in attendance. This is real grassroots stuff that makes a difference. 7PM, Rodef Shalom, Shadyside.
October 11, 2012: Education Policy and Leadership Center’s 2012 Arts and Education Symposium, in Harrisburg
October 8, 2012: Jessie Ramey will be speaking about Yinzercation at Pittsburgh Public Theater’s “Town Hall Project.” Free and open to the public. 7PM, O’Reilly Theater, downtown.
October 3, 2012: Private screening of “Won’t Back Down” hosted by Pittsburgh Public Schools, Pittsburgh Federation of Teachers, and A+ Schools, with a panel discussion afterwards moderated by PIIN. 6PM. RSVP here.
September 28, 2012: Press conference to protest the new movie, Won’t Back Down (see “We Won’t Back Down, Either“) on its opening day here in Pittsburgh. Organized by PIIN. 3:30PM outside Colfax K-8 in Squirrel Hill (NOTE VENUE CHANGE – this is the second change, and PIIN tells us the final location). Bring the kids right after school! This should only last 25 minutes and we need a good group to demonstrate what real parent engagement in public education looks like (not parent-tricker laws).
September 22, 2012: Education Voters Advocate Summit bringing together people from across the state to learn about key issues affecting education policy and develop successful advocacy techniques and strategies to influence public policy. Harrisburg, PA 8:30am – 4:30pm. Registration is $25 and includes continental breakfast and boxed lunch and all training materials.
September 14, 2012: Occupy Your Mind! (an ongoing series) looks at “Student Activism and the Global Fight for Public Education.” Students have been a key part of the protests emerging around the world. In London, Mexico, Chile, Quebec, Australia, Bangladesh, and elsewhere, student protests against tuition hikes and against political repression have disrupted business as usual. This month’s OYM event will feature student protesters from Montreal, who are embroiled in a massive strike that has generated popular support from residents around the province and provoked an extreme reaction from the government. We’ll also learn how students in Pittsburgh are responding to the financial pressures they face with rising tuition and education cuts. 7pm. William Pitt Union, Room 548 (Pitt campus).
September 3, 2012: Join Pittsburgh teachers for the Labor Day parade behind a “Save Our Schools” banner: the group has been moved UP in the parade and will now gather on Centre Avenue. Meet by 9:30AM Monday morning. For more information, or to register and get a t-shirt, contact Kipp Dawson <kippmdawson@yahoo.com>.
June 13, 2012: Candlelight vigil for the 285 teachers Pittsburgh is being forced to furlough due to these devastating state budget cuts. 6-7PM, Bellefield Ave., Oakland.
May 23, 2012: Harrisburg School District, “Fight for Our Future” Rally. Join Harrisburg parents, students and community members as they rally at the Capitol for increased funding for education. 10AM – 12PM, Main Capitol Bldg Steps/Rotunda (3rd Street Entrance).
May 23, 2o12: Education Voters PA state-wide call-in day. Plan to call your legislators and the Governor on this day to tell them we must reverse the budget cuts to public education.
May 22, 2012: PIIN Rally in Harrisburg. We will be teaming with the PIIN Task Force on Education to sponsor a bus to the Rally. Contact Kathy Newman <knewman4@gmail.com> for more information.
May 21, 2012: Deliver children’s letters to Gov. Corbett’s Pittsburgh office. Contact Jodi Hirsch <jhirsh@justactionllc.com> for more information.
May 12, 2012: An “Operatic Rally” organized by our friends at OnePittsburgh to greet Gov. Corbett when the Opera presents him with a lifetime achievement award for his “contributions” to education. This will be a super fun event with people dressed in opera costumes, activities for kids, hot dogs (including veggie) and cotton candy. Outside the Opera’s headquarters in the Strip District (2425 Liberty Avenue), 6PM.
May 1, 2012: Pittsburgh Association for the Education of Young Children (PAEYC) Rally in Harrisburg. Come help protest the $100 million proposed cuts to public education – that’s the Accountability Block Grant that Gov. Corbett wants to eliminate which most school districts use for Kindergarten programs. There are buses leaving from Homestead and Homewood that day. Lunches are available and they can accommodate groups. For more information, email Molly Mickinak Loggins (mollym@paeyc.org) or call 412-421-3889.
April 17, 2012: Yinzer Nation will be participating in the state-wide Mock Bake Sale in partnership with groups working through EdVoters PA. Instead of a typical tax day protest, we will send a message that we are united in using tax dollars to support our public schools. We will have signs under the “Cookies for Corporations, Crumbs for Children” theme including, “I’m happy to pay my taxes to support my public school” and “Why aren’t corporations paying their fair share today?” We plan to hand out cookies with a little note explaining what we’re doing and why. 4-5:30PM, outside the Squirrel Hill Post Office.
April 16, 2012: Munhall Mock Bake Sale, Munhall Vol. Fire Company, Main Street (across from CoGos), 3PM-6PM
April 14, 2012: “Write Now! Education Matters” Education Advocacy Day at the Pittsburgh Children’s Museum. Opportunities all day for children and families to contact their legislators about the importance of public education. 10AM-2PM.
April 12, 2012 POSTPONED: North Hills Public Education Forum, North Hills High School auditorium, 7PM. This event is being sponsored by the North Hills School Directors Association (a consortium of 9 school districts) and Education Voters PA. This is in Rep. Mike Turzai’s district — he is a crucial legislator in this budget battle. Spread the word to everyone you know in the North Hills, North Allegheny, Shaler, Fox Chapel, Pine Richland, Northgate, Avonworth, Hampton, etc.
March 30-April 2, 2012: Occupy the Department of Education. Americans from across the nation will gather in Washington D.C. to demand an end to the legislative reforms and mandates that threaten the quality and existence of the American public educational system. This is aimed at the federal level, but addresses the important issue of the corporatization of public education: “For more than a decade, the reform narrative in education has been dominated by three major concepts: test-based accountability, competition, and punishment. Ignoring the findings of a broad base of research studies, a handful of powerful corporate entities and foundations have declared that schools work best when treated as a business. Using their financial and political weight, they have spent the last decade propagating market-based principles like school choice, pay-for-performance, and for- profit management of schools.”
March 5, 2012: next state-wide call-your-legislator day organized by Ed Voters PA. Yinzer Nation will be participating. How can you help? Get in touch and let us know.
March 5, 2012: PA House Appropriations Committee hearing for Pennsylvania Department of education (PDE). 10:00 AM. Harrisburg: Room 140 Main Capitol. You can also watch it streamed live online.
March 3, 2012: We Are One Education Action. Program includes Rick Adams, former Pittsburgh School Board member; Nina Esposito-Visgitis, PFT President; and Ron Cowell, Education Policy and Leadership Center (EPLC). Allen Kukovich, former PA Senator, will talk about where the money could come from to fund education. 10AM. Obama IB World (formerly Reizenstein Middle School).
March 1, 2012: The Last Lunch: Cutting into the “Lean” PA Budget. The Civil Action Movement is hosting a lunch seminar at the University of Pittsburgh breaking down what Gov. Corbett’s proposed budget means for education, transportation and human services – and to plan how we can organize to make a difference! State Senator Jay Costa and State Representative Jake Wheatley will join with nonprofit leaders to discuss the biggest impacts this proposal will have and the most effective strategies advocates can use from a legislator’s perspective. Local advocates and activists including CAM members will lead breakout sessions to plan the next steps of this campaign. A few ideas in the works include legislative visits and phone banking, letters to the editor and op-eds, and public actions such as street theater and rallies. 11:30am-1:30pm, 20th floor of the Cathedral of Learning. Refreshments provided, please RSVP.
February 29, 2012: South Fayette High School will be kicking off a partnership with the Pennsylvania State Education Association called Partners for Public Education. “State Senator Wayne Fontana, State Representative Jesse White, PSEA President Mike Crossey, along with members of the SFEA Representative Council, SF School Board, SF Administration, and SF Student Government will stand together to … add their voices to the chorus of those who care about public education.” 6PM. South Fayette High School Theater.
February 27, 2012: PA Senate Appropriations Committee budget hearing for the Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE). 9 :30 AM. Harrisburg: Hearing Room 1, North Office Bldg. You can also watch it streamed live online.
February 15, 2o12: We Are One Coalition Western Pennsylvania rally against the budget cuts. This group is concerned about public education as well as transportation, healthcare, and other services experiencing similar, devastating cuts. 4:30PM. EQT/Dominion 6th and Liberty in Downtown.
February 14, 2012: Teen Bloc students from A+ Schools will be traveling to Harrisburg for an event advocating funding for public education.
February 11, 2012: Rally for Public Education, 11AM-12PM, Schenley Plaza, Oakland (between the Carnegie main Library and Hillman Library). Organized by Yinzer Nation: parents, students, and community members concerned about public schools in Southwest PA.February 7, 2012: The Governor’s Budget message will be presented.
February 7, 2012: One Pittsburgh and One Campus are taking the public education fight to Harrisburg as part of the larger response to Gov. Corbett’s budget address, joining activists from across the state. Bus transportation is available from Pittsburgh. For additional information please email calvin_at_onepittsburgh.org.
February 5, 2012: Planning meeting for our Rally for Public Education. 11AM, Kathy Newman’s house (Oakland). Please come help plan this event! Email to RSVP and details: knewman4_at_gmail.com.
February 1, 2012: Linden letter writing party. 4-8PM. Linden school library. Come write letters to our legislators!
January 31, 2012: Planning meeting to coordinate a response to Gov. Corbett’s budget announcement next week. 7:30PM, Oakland. For details, please contact Kathy Newman (knewman4_at_gmail.com).
January 25, 2012: EdVoters PA statewide call-in day. Call your legislator!
January 19, 2012: PA House Education Committee informational meeting with Secretary of Education Ronald Tomalis to brief members on the Corbett administration’s education initiatives for the coming year. 9:30 AM, Harrisburg: Room G50 Irvis Office. You can also watch the live web stream.
January 11, 2012: Meeting with EdVoters PA. 7PM. Hamburg Hall, Carnegie Mellon Campus.
Yinzercation 