Department of Education: #Occupied

Mic check!

Mic check!

Who’s schools?

Our schools!

The audience was alive last night at a special meeting of the Panel for Educational Puppetry. On the agenda: a Conversation with the Chancellor about the Common Core Standards, a Gates-funded initiative to remove any remaining local control from the development of classroom curriculum in NYC. Even the “architect” of the program, David Coleman, was in attendance – among an army of suits – delivering his take-it-or-leave-it monologue. Usually, a Blackberry or well-hidden netbook would suffice to insulate the panel members from the long hours of public comment. But this time, it was the audience that wasn’t listening.

Mic check! Mic check!

Tonight, the agenda has changed. White-shirt cops stand confused watching each other and the ignited crowd. Chancellor Wolcott tries hopelessly to rein in the “conversation”. Panel members whisper to each other hurriedly, slightly bemused that the long-silenced parents and teachers have finally found a way to speak over the DOE’s booming microphone.

This is the People’s Microphone.

This is an Occupied meeting.

Anyone who’s ever been to a PEP meeting has left with that same lingering frustration. Hours of public comment, dramatic appeals to reason and human decency fall on deaf ears. Young children read touching statements. Elected officials and single mothers alike muster immense courage to confront the educational inequities of our times. Then the panel votes. And everyone bows their head and goes home.

Not tonight. Tonight the People’s Microphone won over. Tonight, everyone’s voice was heard, and everyone (who cared to) listened. No questions on comment cards. No faked empathy. Tonight the People’s grievances were aired, and live-streamed to the world.

The suits, the 1%, dismissed to small classrooms for “breakout sessions.” According to some reports a small group of parents joined them, though the public schoolparents I know don’t wear JoS. A. Banks. The hundreds that remained in the auditorium became participants in a real democratic meeting. Open. Participative. Inclusive. Like a classroom.

Will the People’s Mic return to the next PEP meeting? I don’t know, but I wouldn’t discount the possibility. And the Occupy Wall Street Public Education committee already has plans for a People’s General Assembly on Public Education on Nov. 7th at DOE headquarters.

So, for now at least, the People’s Mic appears to be winning over an unaccountable, unelected beaurocracy.