truthout--2020-07-11--Public Sector’s Right to Strike Is Left Behind in Biden-Bernie Task Force

This week ’ s release of the recommendations of the “ Unity Task Force ” made up of delegates from both the Bernie Sanders and Joe Biden camps marked an unprecedented attempt to formally unite the centrist and progressive wings of the Democratic Party .
But it also crystallized the depth of their ideological disagreement , including within the world of organized labor .
The task force , made up of 49 surrogates from both Sanders and Biden , produced a report of more than 100 pages , intended to influence both the Democratic Party ’ s platform and Biden @ @ @ @ @ @ @ eight members of the economy section of the task force included two labor leaders : Lee Saunders , head of the 1.6 million-member public sector union AFSCME , a Biden delegate ; and Sara Nelson , head of the Association of Flight Attendants , a Sanders delegate .
Their experiences crafting the labor policy recommendations are a microcosm of the larger divide between the more establishment and radical wings of American unions .
The task force ’ s labor and worker rights platform includes several items that are standard on most unions ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ right to work ” laws that make it more difficult to organize ; “ card check ” recognition that makes it easier to put new unions in place ; a ban on anti-union “ captive audience meetings ” and harsher penalties for employers that violate labor laws ; and passage of the PRO Act , a strong pro-labor bill that passed the House earlier this year .
Perhaps the most notable part of the platform , however , is an omission .
It asks to “ ensure that all private-sector workers ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ But for public sector workers , it asks only to “ Provide a federal guarantee for public sector employees to bargain for better pay and benefits and the working conditions they deserve.
” In other words , despite the fact that the public sector is much more heavily unionized than the private sector , and has been under legal attack from the right for decades , there is no demand that public sector workers be granted the right to strike—the single most potent weapon in any union ’ s toolbox .
More remarkable @ @ @ @ @ @ @ one of America ’ s most powerful public sector union leaders and an Obama confidante , represents the faction that was not seeking to give his own members the right to strike .
“ In the public sector , AFSCME has taken the position that… in order to come to a conclusion if there are difficult negotiations , we should have binding arbitration in place of the right to strike , ” Saunders told In These Times .
“ Public sector unions believe binding arbitration is better because we provide valuable public services.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ the public sector ’ s right to strike was discussed in the task force ’ s negotiations , but his view , unsurprisingly , carried the day .
Sara Nelson , a leftist in the labor movement who is often mentioned as a future candidate to lead the AFL-CIO , pushed unsuccessfully for public workers to have the same right to strike as their counterparts in the private sector .
“ My mind wasn ’ t changed during this process on any issue we brought forward .
I fundamentally believe in the right @ @ @ @ @ @ @ necessary component of collective bargaining , ” she told In These Times .
“ If federal workers had the right to strike , there would never be a government shutdown ever again.
” There is no question that the function of the task force was to pull Biden to the left .
It was meant to function as a consolation prize for the Sanders wing of the party—which , to be fair , is more than most losing primary candidates get .
How successful it was in that task is a matter of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the process , and believes that its platform should help all of organized labor feel satisfied that Biden is a candidate who will genuinely pursue their agenda .
“ The importance of unions was front and center throughout the entire discussions , ” he said .
“ He understands the importance of workers… it will be a priority for him , I ’ m convinced of that.
” For Nelson , the benefits of the task force are more nuanced .
She noted significant policy wins , like a $ 15 per @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for all federal contractors .
More broadly , she says , implementation of the entire platform would revolutionize American labor law for the better .
On a practical level , she thinks that the personal relationships forged between members of the task force will help open doors for more left wing policy experts in a Biden administration .
But she acknowledged that progressives did not get everything they wanted in the platform , pointing in particular to the lack of a jobs guarantee .
“ What ’ s missing is the approach to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and that it is cruel and dishonest that we would center it around the idea that a certain percentage of people who want to work should remain unemployed to stave off inflation .
That ’ s absurd , ” she said .
“ That approach undermines labor ’ s place at the table , and labor ’ s place in our democracy.
” Just as it lacked a jobs guarantee , the task force ’ s recommendations did not include Medicare for All or the Green New Deal .
These omissions were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Biden and not Sanders is the nominee .
The left wing of the labor movement can take heart in the existence of the task force , and in some moderate wins at the negotiating table .
Its outcome , however , is also proof that progress towards radical reforms is made outside , not inside , of the rooms where the power players huddle .
“ We can ’ t look at this as an election .
We have to organize every single day to build our power .
We have to be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ We have to be willing to move to a general strike for these issues , ” Nelson said .
When the left makes policy demands , “ we have to back that up with what we do in the streets .
”

This week’s release of the recommendations of the “Unity Task Force” made up of delegates from both the Bernie Sanders and Joe Biden camps marked an unprecedented attempt to formally unite the centrist and progressive wings of the Democratic Party. But it also crystallized the depth of their ideological disagreement, including within the world of organized labor.
The task force, made up of 49 surrogates from both Sanders and Biden, produced a report of more than 100 pages, intended to influence both the Democratic Party’s platform and Biden’s own policy priorities. The eight members of the economy section of the task force included two labor leaders: Lee Saunders, head of the 1.6 million-member public sector union AFSCME, a Biden delegate; and Sara Nelson, head of the Association of Flight Attendants, a Sanders delegate. Their experiences crafting the labor policy recommendations are a microcosm of the larger divide between the more establishment and radical wings of American unions.
The task force’s labor and worker rights platform includes several items that are standard on most unions’ political wish list: a repeal of “right to work” laws that make it more difficult to organize; “card check” recognition that makes it easier to put new unions in place; a ban on anti-union “captive audience meetings” and harsher penalties for employers that violate labor laws; and passage of the PRO Act, a strong pro-labor bill that passed the House earlier this year.
Perhaps the most notable part of the platform, however, is an omission. It asks to “ensure that all private-sector workers’ right to strike… is vigorously protected.” But for public sector workers, it asks only to “Provide a federal guarantee for public sector employees to bargain for better pay and benefits and the working conditions they deserve.” In other words, despite the fact that the public sector is much more heavily unionized than the private sector, and has been under legal attack from the right for decades, there is no demand that public sector workers be granted the right to strike—the single most potent weapon in any union’s toolbox.
More remarkable is the fact that Lee Saunders, one of America’s most powerful public sector union leaders and an Obama confidante, represents the faction that was not seeking to give his own members the right to strike. “In the public sector, AFSCME has taken the position that… in order to come to a conclusion if there are difficult negotiations, we should have binding arbitration in place of the right to strike,” Saunders told In These Times. “Public sector unions believe binding arbitration is better because we provide valuable public services.”
Saunders acknowledged that the issue of the public sector’s right to strike was discussed in the task force’s negotiations, but his view, unsurprisingly, carried the day. Sara Nelson, a leftist in the labor movement who is often mentioned as a future candidate to lead the AFL-CIO, pushed unsuccessfully for public workers to have the same right to strike as their counterparts in the private sector. “My mind wasn’t changed during this process on any issue we brought forward. I fundamentally believe in the right to strike. The strike is a necessary component of collective bargaining,” she told In These Times. “If federal workers had the right to strike, there would never be a government shutdown ever again.”
There is no question that the function of the task force was to pull Biden to the left. It was meant to function as a consolation prize for the Sanders wing of the party—which, to be fair, is more than most losing primary candidates get. How successful it was in that task is a matter of perspective. Saunders emphasizes the unity aspect of the process, and believes that its platform should help all of organized labor feel satisfied that Biden is a candidate who will genuinely pursue their agenda. “The importance of unions was front and center throughout the entire discussions,” he said. “He understands the importance of workers… it will be a priority for him, I’m convinced of that.”
For Nelson, the benefits of the task force are more nuanced. She noted significant policy wins, like a $15 per hour minimum wage and union neutrality requirement for all federal contractors. More broadly, she says, implementation of the entire platform would revolutionize American labor law for the better. On a practical level, she thinks that the personal relationships forged between members of the task force will help open doors for more left wing policy experts in a Biden administration. But she acknowledged that progressives did not get everything they wanted in the platform, pointing in particular to the lack of a jobs guarantee.
“What’s missing is the approach to the economy that all work is essential, and that it is cruel and dishonest that we would center it around the idea that a certain percentage of people who want to work should remain unemployed to stave off inflation. That’s absurd,” she said. “That approach undermines labor’s place at the table, and labor’s place in our democracy.”
Just as it lacked a jobs guarantee, the task force’s recommendations did not include Medicare for All or the Green New Deal. These omissions were probably inevitable, given the fact that Biden and not Sanders is the nominee. The left wing of the labor movement can take heart in the existence of the task force, and in some moderate wins at the negotiating table. Its outcome, however, is also proof that progress towards radical reforms is made outside, not inside, of the rooms where the power players huddle.
“We can’t look at this as an election. We have to organize every single day to build our power. We have to be willing to strike for these issues. We have to be willing to move to a general strike for these issues,” Nelson said. When the left makes policy demands, “we have to back that up with what we do in the streets.”
Tired of reading the same old news from the same old sources? So are we! That’s why we’re on a mission to shake things up and bring you the stories and perspectives that often go untold in mainstream media. But being a radically, unapologetically independent news site isn’t easy (or cheap), and we rely on reader support to keep the lights on.
If you like what you’re reading, please consider making a tax-deductible donation today. We’re not asking for a handout, we’re asking for an investment: Invest in a nonprofit news site that’s not afraid to ruffle a few feathers, not afraid to stand up for what’s right, and not afraid to tell it like it is.
Originally published at In These Times.


truthout--2020-07-11--Global Electronic Waste Up 21 Percent in Five Years — Little of It Is Recycled

Each year , the total amount of electric and electronic equipment the world uses grows by 2.5 million tonnes .
Phones , radios , toys , laptops – if it has a power or battery supply it ’ s likely to join a growing mountain of “ e-waste ” after use .
In 2019 alone , the world generated 53.6 million tonnes of e-waste .
That ’ s about 7.3 kilograms per person and equivalent in weight to 350 cruise ships .
Asia produced the lion ’ s share – 24.9 million tonnes – followed by the Americas ( 13.1 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ million tonnes ) , while Africa and Oceania generated 2.9 and 0.7 million tonnes respectively .
By 2030 , the global total is likely to swell to 74.7 million tonnes , almost a doubling of the annual amount of new e-waste in just 16 years .
This makes it the world ’ s fastest growing domestic waste stream , fuelled mainly by more people buying electronic products with shorter life cycles and fewer options for repair .
These products can help improve living standards , and it ’ s good that more and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ growing global demand is outpacing our capacity to recycle or dispose of electronic products safely .
Once they ’ re obsolete and discarded , these products can end up accumulating in the environment , polluting habitats and harming people and wildlife .
Only 17.4 % of 2019 ’ s e-waste was formally collected and recycled .
Since 2014 , the amount of recycled e-waste has only grown by 1.8 million tonnes each year .
The total amount of e-waste generated increased by 9.2 million tonnes over the same period .
At the same @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is increasing .
In new research , we found that Europe has the highest collection and recycling rate , covering about 42.5 % of the total e-waste generated in 2019 .
Asia ranked second at 11.7 % , the Americas and Oceania were similar at 9.4 % and 8.8 % , and Africa had the lowest rate at 0.9 % .
What happened with the rest ( 82.6 % ) of the world ’ s e-waste generated in 2019 isn ’ t clear .
In high income countries , around 8 % of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ waste bins , while 7 % -20 % is exported .
In lower income countries , the picture is less clear , as e-waste is mostly managed informally .
Without a reliable system of waste management , toxic substances contained in e-waste , such as mercury , brominated flame retardants , chlorofluorocarbons and hydrochlorofluorocarbons , are more likely to be released into the environment and harm the people who live , work and play in e-waste scrapyards .
Mercury is used in computer monitors and fluorescent lighting , but exposure to it can @ @ @ @ @ @ @ about 50 tonnes of mercury is contained in these undocumented flows of e-waste that end up in the environment each year .
E-waste doesn ’ t just pose a health risk though .
It also contributes directly to global warming .
Dumped temperature-exchange equipment , found in fridges and air conditioners , can slowly release greenhouse gases .
About 98 million tonnes are thought to leak from scrapyards each year , equivalent to 0.3 % of global emissions from the energy sector .
Aside from toxins , e-waste also contains precious metals and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , silver , copper and platinum .
The total value of all this discarded as e-waste in 2019 has been conservatively valued at US $ 57 billion ( £45 billion ) – a sum greater than the GDP of most countries .
But since only 17.4 % of 2019 ’ s e-waste was collected and recycled , just US $ 10 billion of this was recovered in an environmentally responsible way .
Only 4 million tonnes of raw materials was made available for recycling .
Thankfully , the world is slowly waking up @ @ @ @ @ @ @ As of the end of 2019 , 78 countries , covering 71 % of the world ’ s population , either had a policy for managing e-waste or were putting regulation in place – an increase of 5 % from 2017 .
But in many of these countries , policies still aren ’ t legally binding and regulation isn ’ t enforced .
As researchers , we ’ ll continue to monitor the world ’ s e-waste to support the creation of a circular economy and sustainable societies .
We hope that our @ @ @ @ @ @ @ spur governments to act with an urgency that reflects the scale of the challenge , with laws and enforcement that can drastically increase the proportion of e-waste that ’ s recycled safely .

Each year, the total amount of electric and electronic equipment the world uses grows by 2.5 million tonnes. Phones, radios, toys, laptops – if it has a power or battery supply it’s likely to join a growing mountain of “e-waste” after use.
In 2019 alone, the world generated 53.6 million tonnes of e-waste. That’s about 7.3 kilograms per person and equivalent in weight to 350 cruise ships. Asia produced the lion’s share – 24.9 million tonnes – followed by the Americas (13.1 million tonnes) and Europe (12 million tonnes), while Africa and Oceania generated 2.9 and 0.7 million tonnes respectively.
By 2030, the global total is likely to swell to 74.7 million tonnes, almost a doubling of the annual amount of new e-waste in just 16 years. This makes it the world’s fastest growing domestic waste stream, fuelled mainly by more people buying electronic products with shorter life cycles and fewer options for repair.
These products can help improve living standards, and it’s good that more and more people can afford them. But growing global demand is outpacing our capacity to recycle or dispose of electronic products safely. Once they’re obsolete and discarded, these products can end up accumulating in the environment, polluting habitats and harming people and wildlife.
E-Waste Recycling
Only 17.4% of 2019’s e-waste was formally collected and recycled. Since 2014, the amount of recycled e-waste has only grown by 1.8 million tonnes each year. The total amount of e-waste generated increased by 9.2 million tonnes over the same period. At the same time, the amount of undocumented e-waste is increasing.
In new research, we found that Europe has the highest collection and recycling rate, covering about 42.5% of the total e-waste generated in 2019. Asia ranked second at 11.7%, the Americas and Oceania were similar at 9.4% and 8.8%, and Africa had the lowest rate at 0.9%. What happened with the rest (82.6%) of the world’s e-waste generated in 2019 isn’t clear.
In high income countries, around 8% of e-waste is thought to be discarded in waste bins, while 7%-20% is exported. In lower income countries, the picture is less clear, as e-waste is mostly managed informally.
Without a reliable system of waste management, toxic substances contained in e-waste, such as mercury, brominated flame retardants, chlorofluorocarbons and hydrochlorofluorocarbons, are more likely to be released into the environment and harm the people who live, work and play in e-waste scrapyards.
Mercury is used in computer monitors and fluorescent lighting, but exposure to it can cause brain damage. We estimated that about 50 tonnes of mercury is contained in these undocumented flows of e-waste that end up in the environment each year.
E-waste doesn’t just pose a health risk though. It also contributes directly to global warming. Dumped temperature-exchange equipment, found in fridges and air conditioners, can slowly release greenhouse gases. About 98 million tonnes are thought to leak from scrapyards each year, equivalent to 0.3% of global emissions from the energy sector.
Aside from toxins, e-waste also contains precious metals and useful raw materials, such as gold, silver, copper and platinum. The total value of all this discarded as e-waste in 2019 has been conservatively valued at US$57 billion (£45 billion) – a sum greater than the GDP of most countries.
But since only 17.4% of 2019’s e-waste was collected and recycled, just US$10 billion of this was recovered in an environmentally responsible way. Only 4 million tonnes of raw materials was made available for recycling.
Thankfully, the world is slowly waking up to the scale of this problem. As of the end of 2019, 78 countries, covering 71% of the world’s population, either had a policy for managing e-waste or were putting regulation in place – an increase of 5% from 2017. But in many of these countries, policies still aren’t legally binding and regulation isn’t enforced.
As researchers, we’ll continue to monitor the world’s e-waste to support the creation of a circular economy and sustainable societies. We hope that our efforts to track this growing problem can spur governments to act with an urgency that reflects the scale of the challenge, with laws and enforcement that can drastically increase the proportion of e-waste that’s recycled safely.
Tired of reading the same old news from the same old sources? So are we! That’s why we’re on a mission to shake things up and bring you the stories and perspectives that often go untold in mainstream media. But being a radically, unapologetically independent news site isn’t easy (or cheap), and we rely on reader support to keep the lights on.
If you like what you’re reading, please consider making a tax-deductible donation today. We’re not asking for a handout, we’re asking for an investment: Invest in a nonprofit news site that’s not afraid to ruffle a few feathers, not afraid to stand up for what’s right, and not afraid to tell it like it is.
This piece was reprinted by Truthout with permission or license. It may not be reproduced in any form without permission or license from the source.


truthout--2020-07-11--Trump DOJ Worked Secretly to Obtain Drugs to Resume Federal Executions

An explosive Reuters investigation revealed Friday that a series of executions the Trump administration has planned for next week “ will mark the culmination of a three-year campaign to line up a secret supply chain to make and test lethal injection drugs.
” The U.S. Supreme Court on June 29 cleared the way for federal executions to resume when it denied to hear an appeal from death row prisoners challenging the Trump administration ’ s lethal injection protocol .
Inmates Daniel Lewis Lee , Wesley Ira Purkey , and Dustin Lee Honken are set to be killed at a federal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on July 13 , followed by Keith Dwayne Nelson on August 28 .
Although it wasn ’ t until July 2019 when U.S. Attorney General William Barr publicly directed the Bureau of Prisons to resume capital punishment using only the drug pentobarbital—in lieu of a three-drug protocol that had been hampered by supply issues—Reuters reported that “ President Donald Trump ’ s Department of Justice had started building the network of contractors it would need by May 2017.
” Based on government records and court filings , Reuters detailed steps the administration took @ @ @ @ @ @ @ federal executions .
In May 2017 , the Justice Department reportedly hired the Arizona consulting firm Elite Medical Experts LLC to find “ physicians and scientists who could assess whether pentobarbital was a humane method of execution that could replace the three-drug lethal injection protocol used in the last federal execution in 2003.
” According to the news agency : Since then , [ the administration ] has pursued a new drug protocol that could survive legal challenges through firms whose identities it has fought to keep hidden .
Without the secrecy , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , its ability to procure the drugs would be “ severely impaired ” because the companies are not willing to supply or test execution drugs if they are publicly identified .
The government documents showed that by March 2018 , the Justice Department found a compounding pharmacy to make an injectable pentobarbital .
By October 2018 , the department found a manufacturer of pentobarbital powder , and by February 2019 , the manufacturer was producing powder that “ passed purity tests , ” after initially failing such assessments .
Representatives for all three @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pentobarbital testing said they were hired by a compounding pharmacy rather than the Justice Department .
DynaLabs in St. Louis and ARL Bio Pharma Inc in Oklahoma City also told the news agency they did not know the intended use of the drugs while Eagle Analytical Services Inc. in Houston declined to comment .
A department spokesperson declined to disclose to Reuters any details related to the administration ’ s efforts to secure drugs for lethal injections .
Although the last execution of a federal inmate was in 2003 , states that still @ @ @ @ @ @ @ inmates the past 17 years , despite also facing barriers to accessing the necessary drugs .
Texas , which leads all states in executions , has used pentobarbital alone to kill prisoners in recent years .
As the Associated Press reported in November 2018 : Some past executions have raised questions about the use of pentobarbital .
In Texas , an inmate put to death in July cursed twice and said the drug burned his throat .
An inmate executed in June started taking quick breaths as the sedative started to take effect @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was “ burning ” and that it “ hurt.
” Before that , a Texas inmate said the drug burned .
“ Oooh-ee !
I can feel that , ” he said before slipping into unconsciousness .
Since Barr ’ s July 2019 announcement , critics have raised concerns about the Trump administration using the drug .
As Sam Spital , director of litigation for the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund , told TIME a few days after the attorney general ’ s order : “ Nobody knows if the pentobarbital that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ serious risks that individuals across the country are facing of being tortured to death through lethal injection .
”

For the last three years, the Department of Justice has been quietly building a supply chain of execution drugs.
An explosive Reuters investigation revealed Friday that a series of executions the Trump administration has planned for next week “will mark the culmination of a three-year campaign to line up a secret supply chain to make and test lethal injection drugs.”
The U.S. Supreme Court on June 29 cleared the way for federal executions to resume when it denied to hear an appeal from death row prisoners challenging the Trump administration’s lethal injection protocol. Inmates Daniel Lewis Lee, Wesley Ira Purkey, and Dustin Lee Honken are set to be killed at a federal facility in Indiana just days apart beginning on July 13, followed by Keith Dwayne Nelson on August 28.
Although it wasn’t until July 2019 when U.S. Attorney General William Barr publicly directed the Bureau of Prisons to resume capital punishment using only the drug pentobarbital—in lieu of a three-drug protocol that had been hampered by supply issues—Reuters reported that “President Donald Trump’s Department of Justice had started building the network of contractors it would need by May 2017.”
Based on government records and court filings, Reuters detailed steps the administration took before Barr’s announcement to resume federal executions.
In May 2017, the Justice Department reportedly hired the Arizona consulting firm Elite Medical Experts LLC to find “physicians and scientists who could assess whether pentobarbital was a humane method of execution that could replace the three-drug lethal injection protocol used in the last federal execution in 2003.”
According to the news agency:
Since then, [the administration] has pursued a new drug protocol that could survive legal challenges through firms whose identities it has fought to keep hidden. Without the secrecy, the government has argued in court filings, its ability to procure the drugs would be “severely impaired” because the companies are not willing to supply or test execution drugs if they are publicly identified.
The government documents showed that by March 2018, the Justice Department found a compounding pharmacy to make an injectable pentobarbital. By October 2018, the department found a manufacturer of pentobarbital powder, and by February 2019, the manufacturer was producing powder that “passed purity tests,” after initially failing such assessments.
Representatives for all three laboratories that Reuters identified as involved in pentobarbital testing said they were hired by a compounding pharmacy rather than the Justice Department. DynaLabs in St. Louis and ARL Bio Pharma Inc in Oklahoma City also told the news agency they did not know the intended use of the drugs while Eagle Analytical Services Inc. in Houston declined to comment.
A department spokesperson declined to disclose to Reuters any details related to the administration’s efforts to secure drugs for lethal injections.
The death penalty has no place in the United States. Our federal and state justice systems should not kill anyone for any reason. https://t.co/J0PKY0DWHb — The Leadership Conference (@civilrightsorg) July 10, 2020
Although the last execution of a federal inmate was in 2003, states that still allow capital punishment have continued to kill inmates the past 17 years, despite also facing barriers to accessing the necessary drugs. Texas, which leads all states in executions, has used pentobarbital alone to kill prisoners in recent years.
As the Associated Press reported in November 2018:
Some past executions have raised questions about the use of pentobarbital. In Texas, an inmate put to death in July cursed twice and said the drug burned his throat. An inmate executed in June started taking quick breaths as the sedative started to take effect, muttering at one point that it was “burning” and that it “hurt.” Before that, a Texas inmate said the drug burned. “Oooh-ee! I can feel that,” he said before slipping into unconsciousness.
Since Barr’s July 2019 announcement, critics have raised concerns about the Trump administration using the drug. As Sam Spital, director of litigation for the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, told TIME a few days after the attorney general’s order: “Nobody knows if the pentobarbital that the government has obtained will address the serious risks that individuals across the country are facing of being tortured to death through lethal injection.”
Tired of reading the same old news from the same old sources? So are we! That’s why we’re on a mission to shake things up and bring you the stories and perspectives that often go untold in mainstream media. But being a radically, unapologetically independent news site isn’t easy (or cheap), and we rely on reader support to keep the lights on.
If you like what you’re reading, please consider making a tax-deductible donation today. We’re not asking for a handout, we’re asking for an investment: Invest in a nonprofit news site that’s not afraid to ruffle a few feathers, not afraid to stand up for what’s right, and not afraid to tell it like it is.
This piece was reprinted by Truthout with permission or license. It may not be reproduced in any form without permission or license from the source.


truthout--2020-07-11--Racism of Policing Resulted in the Torture and 18-Year Incarceration of My Son

When I first started sharing the story of my son ’ s unjust 18-year incarceration , I felt confident that many people – particularly white people and people with political power – would not care at all about the situation of a Black woman and her son .
I still fear this will be the case over the long term .
But in this moment , following the horrific police killings of George Floyd , Breonna Taylor , Tony McDade and others , people across the country seem to be listening as never before and open to the possibility that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are fundamentally flawed , or else “ working ” for the purpose they were designed for : to incarcerate Black people .
I would hope that any mother could understand the agony of seeing her grown child denied his rights and wrongfully accused by the police and then imprisoned by a racist system rooted in slavery and the exploitation of Black people .
In Chicago , trust in police is so low that many Black mothers worry the police will falsely incriminate their children .
White people may see police as there to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ others , but this is not the reality for many Black parents , grandparents and anyone who participates in parenting .
Such concerns led directly to calls to defund the police and consideration of how we can better spend our tax dollars for the benefit of the community .
Antonio Porter , my son , has endured the violence of the policing and prison systems for much of his life .
It ’ s unlikely that any white man would have been sent to prison on the basis of the flimsy evidence secured @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , my son was not promptly read his Miranda rights and was not properly provided with an attorney .
Second , and probably the most upsetting factor in his case , is that the Chicago Police Department ’ s main witness was a 16-year-old child who was physically coerced by the police into identifying my son as the murderer .
We later learned that while physically torturing the child , the police would incessantly place a photo of my son in his face until he broke down and told the police what they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ badly injured , and at my son ’ s court hearing , he showed up wearing a sling to support his arm .
Third , there is no DNA evidence tying my son to the crime .
Fourth , eyewitnesses who were coerced into testifying against Antonio have recanted their testimony .
He is by no means an exception .
Over 100 other men have leveled credible claims of torture against Chicago police .
Stanley Howard , Johnny Plummer , Gerald Reed , Tamon Russell , Matthew Manuel Echevarria , George Anderson and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ caused by severe police abuse .
In my son ’ s case , he was held in the Area 2 violent crime unit for more than three days , while his requests for the assistance of an attorney were ignored by the arresting officers .
Like me , many mothers in Chicago have heard from their children how they were tortured — and then watched the “ justice system ” chew up and spit out their children behind bars , often in for-profit prisons .
Meanwhile , crooked cops climb the career ladder @ @ @ @ @ @ @ planting their knee on a Black man ’ s neck thinking they have impunity .
With anti-Black police crimes being caught on video as never before , Americans seem more aware that police and detectives are capable of terrible deeds .
We must , however , extend the current criticism of abusive policing on the streets of our cities to include abusive interrogation tactics behind closed doors and the corrupt courts and judges that are also responsible for keeping so many Black people caged up .
Sadly , judges are far more apt @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the men they charge .
What happens when we routinely empower police officers who abuse their power ?
Is it possible to completely rework a thoroughly corrupted process that was never meant to work for some of us in the first place ?
And how , during the current pandemic , do we ensure that early releases are not done on the basis of systemic racism and bias that work against Black people ?
Currently , paperwork , backlog and bureaucracy play a part in delaying access to release for my son and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , systems such as the Torture Inquiry and Relief Commission ( TIRC ) , which are meant to hold Chicago ’ s cops accountable for coercive violence and torture , lack funding .
Even this structure – designed to address previous wrongdoing — works far too slowly .
Now mothers like me have to contend with how the pandemic has further slowed the wheels of supposed justice .
Many mothers I know advocate collectively for our children .
We are uniformly terrified by the reports of prison deaths and hospitalizations related to COVID-19 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lives nearly destroyed by corrupt detectives .
We carry with us the knowledge that it ’ s not just a few “ bad apples , ” but an entire system where police cover for one another and too few are willing to blow the whistle on the most corrupt among them .
When the system looks the other way , it is complicit .
The mothers I know understand that the problem of policing doesn ’ t only impact those imprisoned .
It impacts our entire families and communities .
Many of our @ @ @ @ @ @ @ children ’ s lives and our adult sons have been expelled from the lives of their parents .
Then there is the financial harm so many Black mothers I know have endured as a result of police violence and torture .
We have spent our life savings on lawyers , travel expenses for visits and other expenses to care for loved ones .
Extended family and friends have been asked to step in to help .
This is not to mention the physical and mental health impacts on all the mothers of police @ @ @ @ @ @ @ learn a great deal from interacting with mothers like us who have been asserting for years that , rather than investing 40 percent of Chicago ’ s tax dollars in police , why not invest in our communities ?
Police and prisons have gotten away with targeting Black communities with impunity for far too long .
There ’ s no turning back now .
It has to stop .
We can not go back .
This is why I urge Illinois Gov .
J.B. Pritzker and anyone who believes that no human being @ @ @ @ @ @ @ police torture to first , issue pardons and free all survivors of police torture in the state of Illinois who remain behind bars , including necessary support for their successful re-entry into society ; second , I would like to see Governor Pritzker use his power to fix the problems with the TIRC in Chicago , including its lack of funding .
The TIRC is a necessary administrative agency that is in place to provide torture survivors with an avenue to have their claims heard in court .
For decades , the courts @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Cook County — dismissed survivors ’ allegations of torture routinely disbelieving them and dismissing their claims .
That has resulted in scores of torture survivors remaining wrongfully convicted and incarcerated .
Yet even though we now have TIRC , its purpose has remained largely unfulfilled .
It lacks the necessary financial resources and human power to meet its mission and mandate .
It ’ s time for Governor Pritzker to use his power toward ending the harm inflicted upon police torture survivors and their loved ones .
Ending this harm is essential @ @ @ @ @ @ @ racism and police violence .
And it ’ s time to put all the funding going to the Chicago Police Department back into the very communities that are both disproportionately harmed by policing and prisons and facing severe unemployment , hunger and massive crises as a result of economic policies prioritizing profit over people .
Across the country , people are finally understanding what many Black people have been saying all along — that the problem of police violence is systemic .
Yet police killings aren ’ t the only ways in which @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the country , police are arresting and incarcerating people and sentencing them to death by incarceration en masse .
My demand that Governor Pritzier pardon all survivors of police torture is just one step towards achieving justice for all individuals and communities harmed by policing and prisons .

Part of the Series The Road to Abolition
When I first started sharing the story of my son’s unjust 18-year incarceration, I felt confident that many people – particularly white people and people with political power – would not care at all about the situation of a Black woman and her son.
I still fear this will be the case over the long term.
But in this moment, following the horrific police killings of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Tony McDade and others, people across the country seem to be listening as never before and open to the possibility that our police forces and criminal legal systems are fundamentally flawed, or else “working” for the purpose they were designed for: to incarcerate Black people.
I would hope that any mother could understand the agony of seeing her grown child denied his rights and wrongfully accused by the police and then imprisoned by a racist system rooted in slavery and the exploitation of Black people. In Chicago, trust in police is so low that many Black mothers worry the police will falsely incriminate their children. White people may see police as there to help apprehend those who’ve harmed others, but this is not the reality for many Black parents, grandparents and anyone who participates in parenting. Such concerns led directly to calls to defund the police and consideration of how we can better spend our tax dollars for the benefit of the community.
Antonio Porter, my son, has endured the violence of the policing and prison systems for much of his life. It’s unlikely that any white man would have been sent to prison on the basis of the flimsy evidence secured against Antonio through illegal means. First, my son was not promptly read his Miranda rights and was not properly provided with an attorney. Second, and probably the most upsetting factor in his case, is that the Chicago Police Department’s main witness was a 16-year-old child who was physically coerced by the police into identifying my son as the murderer. We later learned that while physically torturing the child, the police would incessantly place a photo of my son in his face until he broke down and told the police what they wanted to hear. The child was badly injured, and at my son’s court hearing, he showed up wearing a sling to support his arm. Third, there is no DNA evidence tying my son to the crime. Fourth, eyewitnesses who were coerced into testifying against Antonio have recanted their testimony.
He is by no means an exception. Over 100 other men have leveled credible claims of torture against Chicago police. Stanley Howard, Johnny Plummer, Gerald Reed, Tamon Russell, Matthew Manuel Echevarria, George Anderson and Tony Anderson are in a similar predicament caused by severe police abuse. In my son’s case, he was held in the Area 2 violent crime unit for more than three days, while his requests for the assistance of an attorney were ignored by the arresting officers.
I would hope that any mother could understand the agony of seeing her grown child denied his rights and wrongfully accused by the police and then imprisoned by a racist system rooted in slavery.
Like me, many mothers in Chicago have heard from their children how they were tortured — and then watched the “justice system” chew up and spit out their children behind bars, often in for-profit prisons. Meanwhile, crooked cops climb the career ladder making arrests based on false information or planting their knee on a Black man’s neck thinking they have impunity.
With anti-Black police crimes being caught on video as never before, Americans seem more aware that police and detectives are capable of terrible deeds. We must, however, extend the current criticism of abusive policing on the streets of our cities to include abusive interrogation tactics behind closed doors and the corrupt courts and judges that are also responsible for keeping so many Black people caged up.
Sadly, judges are far more apt to see the police as credible than the men they charge. What happens when we routinely empower police officers who abuse their power? Is it possible to completely rework a thoroughly corrupted process that was never meant to work for some of us in the first place? And how, during the current pandemic, do we ensure that early releases are not done on the basis of systemic racism and bias that work against Black people?
We must extend the current criticism of abusive policing on the streets of our cities to include abusive interrogation tactics behind closed doors.
Currently, paperwork, backlog and bureaucracy play a part in delaying access to release for my son and so many incarcerated Black people. Meanwhile, systems such as the Torture Inquiry and Relief Commission (TIRC), which are meant to hold Chicago’s cops accountable for coercive violence and torture, lack funding. Even this structure – designed to address previous wrongdoing — works far too slowly.
Now mothers like me have to contend with how the pandemic has further slowed the wheels of supposed justice. Many mothers I know advocate collectively for our children. We are uniformly terrified by the reports of prison deaths and hospitalizations related to COVID-19. Many of us have had our lives nearly destroyed by corrupt detectives. We carry with us the knowledge that it’s not just a few “bad apples,” but an entire system where police cover for one another and too few are willing to blow the whistle on the most corrupt among them. When the system looks the other way, it is complicit.
The mothers I know understand that the problem of policing doesn’t only impact those imprisoned. It impacts our entire families and communities. Many of our children have been expelled from their own children’s lives and our adult sons have been expelled from the lives of their parents.
Then there is the financial harm so many Black mothers I know have endured as a result of police violence and torture. We have spent our life savings on lawyers, travel expenses for visits and other expenses to care for loved ones. Extended family and friends have been asked to step in to help. This is not to mention the physical and mental health impacts on all the mothers of police torture victims.
Politicians and advocates could learn a great deal from mothers like us who have been asserting for years, rather than investing 40 percent of Chicago’s tax dollars in police, why not invest in our communities?
Politicians and advocates could learn a great deal from interacting with mothers like us who have been asserting for years that, rather than investing 40 percent of Chicago’s tax dollars in police, why not invest in our communities? Police and prisons have gotten away with targeting Black communities with impunity for far too long. There’s no turning back now. It has to stop. We cannot go back.
This is why I urge Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker and anyone who believes that no human being should have to suffer the realities of police torture to first, issue pardons and free all survivors of police torture in the state of Illinois who remain behind bars, including necessary support for their successful re-entry into society; second, I would like to see Governor Pritzker use his power to fix the problems with the TIRC in Chicago, including its lack of funding. The TIRC is a necessary administrative agency that is in place to provide torture survivors with an avenue to have their claims heard in court. For decades, the courts in Illinois — particularly the Circuit Court of Cook County — dismissed survivors’ allegations of torture routinely disbelieving them and dismissing their claims. That has resulted in scores of torture survivors remaining wrongfully convicted and incarcerated. Yet even though we now have TIRC, its purpose has remained largely unfulfilled. It lacks the necessary financial resources and human power to meet its mission and mandate.
It’s time for Governor Pritzker to use his power toward ending the harm inflicted upon police torture survivors and their loved ones. Ending this harm is essential to anyone proclaiming to stand against anti-Black racism and police violence. And it’s time to put all the funding going to the Chicago Police Department back into the very communities that are both disproportionately harmed by policing and prisons and facing severe unemployment, hunger and massive crises as a result of economic policies prioritizing profit over people.
Across the country, people are finally understanding what many Black people have been saying all along — that the problem of police violence is systemic. Yet police killings aren’t the only ways in which police are destroying Black lives. Across the country, police are arresting and incarcerating people and sentencing them to death by incarceration en masse. My demand that Governor Pritzier pardon all survivors of police torture is just one step towards achieving justice for all individuals and communities harmed by policing and prisons.
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truthout--2020-07-11--Schools Are Struggling to Avoid Worsening Inequity When They Reopen

When Denmark became the first of 22 European countries to reopen schools on April 15 , students were told that wearing face masks was optional .
But not everything went back to the way it had been before COVID-19 .
Recess for Danish children now requires social distancing , and elementary school-aged students have been divided into groups of five to limit interactions .
Games include “ shadow tag ” instead of actual touching and ball games are prohibited .
Students stay in one room for the entire day ; pre-packaged lunches are eaten at desks ; and there are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fountains have been turned off , but students and staff can replenish their water bottles at designated filling sites .
Lastly , bus service to and from school has been suspended : Students now need to walk , bicycle or be driven to class .
In the Australian state of New South Wales , the set-up is different .
There , classes meet in person once a week ; the four remaining school days involve remote instruction .
Schools , however , have latitude : Some schedule different grades on different days while @ @ @ @ @ @ @ them to limit attendance to 15 students at once .
Arrival and departure times are staggered and cafeterias are closed .
Cleaning of high-touch surfaces has ramped up , but like Denmark , face masks are not required .
Conversely , newly returned students in Taiwan must cover their faces and sit at least five feet from one another when indoors .
And then there ’ s the U.S. How , or if , schools will reopen this fall is currently a front-burner issue and the debate involves not only the health and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , but also veers into how best to meet the needs of students living in communities that have been devastated by the pandemic , the majority of whom attend schools that have been under-resourced for decades .
On top of this , educators , parents and activists note that some students have fallen behind and are now on shaky academic ground .
What ’ s more , an anticipated spike in child abuse and domestic violence during quarantine will need to be addressed .
President Trump , meanwhile , has threatened to cut @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not reopen fully , announcing his intention to put the kibosh on plans to offer hybrid or online-only instruction .
For its part , the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ( CDC ) has issued vague recommendations urging facilities planning to reopen to encourage frequent handwashing with soap and water ; install no-touch hand sanitizer dispensers ; repeatedly clean and disinfect frequently touched surfaces , including playground equipment , drinking fountains , and door and sink handles ; ventilate rooms whenever possible ; avoid sharing electronic devices , toys , books , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on school buses to ensure social distancing ; put up sneeze guards and partitions when spacing is impossible ; use disposable utensils at mealtime ; and restrict visitors and volunteers from coming in-and-out of school buildings .
The CDC also recommends canceling all field trips .
On the stickier issue of whether schools should fully reopen , remain online , or offer a hybrid of in-person and remote instruction , the CDC is silent , deferring to local boards of education .
Students May Have Taken Jobs In rural American Falls , Idaho @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and Homeless Liaison Angie Harker told Truthout that a dominant concern is reengaging with students who began working full-time after schools closed .
“ The reason they went to work in the first place is economic need , poverty , and their income is often critical to their families , ” she says .
Most work in agriculture , tending potatoes , sugar beets and other crops .
“ Before COVID-19 , these kids — many of them immigrants from Central and South America or residents of the Shoshone-Bannock reservation — might have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fields part-time .
Now that ’ s reversed and they ’ re trying to fit school in after work , on weekends or during their lunch breaks .
Agricultural jobs pay a decent wage — $ 13 to $ 20 an hour — and since kids as young as 14 can legally work in Idaho , keeping them in school is going to be a challenge.
” But Harker ’ s concerns extend beyond employment .
Kids who have been indoors for months may have become fearful of going outside and worry about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ school .
Trained counselors , she says , will be essential in making sure that student mental health needs are addressed .
State Coordinator for Homeless Education in the Montana Office of Public Instruction Heather Denny highlights an issue that her state is grappling with : “ The coronavirus feels like something that ’ s happening somewhere else , ” she says .
“ It doesn ’ t feel real to most of us since we ’ ve had so few cases.
” At the same time , Montana ’ s public schools @ @ @ @ @ @ @ remains tenuous .
“ So much depends on things we don ’ t yet know , ” she says .
“ We ’ re planning to make sure kids wash their hands more and have custodians clean everything more thoroughly.
” Since Montana has such a small population , she continues , it has been relatively easy to stay in touch with students and their families , but in some cases , people have moved , gone to live with family members , or returned to one of the state ’ s seven @ @ @ @ @ @ @ regularly reaching out to see what people need , ” Denny says .
“ Sometimes this means shipping a computer to a new place of residence , or mailing packets of assignments out to them.
” Nonetheless , Denny acknowledges that some students have vanished .
“ I ’ d say we ’ ve had contact with 75 or 80 percent of our students .
They ’ re not always up to date with their schoolwork , but we ’ ve made contact with them when we ’ ve delivered meals , grocery @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ ll do with kids who have not kept up with assignments when they return to school is being discussed.
” Students ’ social and emotional needs are also a concern .
“ We have to assess the impact of the school closure on each kid , ” Denny says .
Other big concerns , she adds , include domestic violence , child abuse and child neglect .
“ There is a certain amount of protection that comes from seeing kids every day , ” she tells Truthout .
“ In many cases @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on these kids in months , so if abuse has happened , we haven ’ t known about it and have not intervened.
” Denny also anticipates an increased homeless population once the state ’ s moratorium on evictions ends late July — something that is likely to repeat in at least 30 states throughout the U.S. as eviction moratoriums expire .
“ It is likely to be messy when school starts back up , and we need to be prepared to assist students and their families while keeping them on track academically.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ , there are some overlapping concerns facing urban and rural educators , but the magnitude of the pandemic has hit city residents extremely hard .
“ We need to look at death differently than we did before the virus , ” teacher Wayne White , president of the Bellport Teachers Association in Bellport , New York , told Truthout .
“ We all know someone who has lost someone .
Social workers and guidance counselors are usually the first people to lose their jobs when there are budget shortfalls , but even though @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , we ’ re going to need more professional counselors and social workers than ever.
” White also worries that because the pandemic has disproportionately impacted Black and Brown communities , it has widened the achievement gap between white students and students of color .
This also troubles Rann Miller , editor of the four-year-old Urban Education Mixtape Blog .
“ We were already seeing an enormous opportunity gap for Latinx and Black students before the pandemic , ” Miller says .
“ My fear is that by the time we come back @ @ @ @ @ @ @ schools that push rigor and standards on students who have historically been frustrated by racist instructions will see these issues compounded .
School will have to not just get kids back on track academically , but find new , anti-racist ways to educate them .
Going back to school as usual is not an option.
” Empowering parents is essential , he says .
Tafshier Cosby-Thomas is the CEO of Parent Impact in Newark , New Jersey , a group dedicated to helping families become more effective advocates for students .
“ Parents @ @ @ @ @ @ @ before final determinations are made about reopening , whether to weigh in on the use of personal protective equipment , or to debate allowable gym activities , the availability of after-school programming , or the scheduling of in-person classes , ” she told Truthout .
Cosby-Thomas says different families in her community have experienced COVID-19 differently .
“ Some parents are working at home and they are typically able to help their children use electronic devices and access the internet .
Other households don ’ t have computers or the parents aren ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ t speak or read English , and they can ’ t help their children at all .
Some students have had to rely on paper packets of assignments.
” Still , she says , despite Parent Impact ’ s efforts , about a third of the kids attending public schools in Newark have fallen through the cracks to some extent .
“ The schools have reached out ; teachers have called , texted , and even made home visits to try and keep the kids connected.
” Chicago primary school teacher Mariama Cosey @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be partners in their children ’ s education .
“ The parent piece is central in moving forward with remote instruction , ” she says .
“ We need face-to-face workshops and meetings for parents to work out the kinks and learn how technology works so they can meet us halfway and help their children learn.
” What they learn is also critically important , says English and special education teacher Monique Lee .
As an instructor at the High School for Construction Trades , Engineering and Architecture in Ozone Park , New @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to make assignments socially relevant .
“ There are moments in history that make us uncomfortable , ” she tells Truthout .
The current support for Black Lives Matter , she says , challenged some of her students .
“ I ’ ve focused on having them write about why social activism is important during COVID-19 and why … protests have been so large and so successful at this particular time.
” Lee also highlighted the intersections between all forms of oppression – racism , discrimination against those with intellectual limitations , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ immigrants .
“ I asked them if these conditions should be a reason someone experiences discrimination and stressed that if Black lives were treated the same as other lives , there would be no issue.
” Ricardo Colon is an instructional coach , guiding teachers at Public School/Intermediate School 30 in Brooklyn , New York .
Although he recognizes the importance of relevant curricula , he says that increasing everyone ’ s comfort level with technology is also vital to educational achievement .
“ Before we went remote , New York City public @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
There was no time to create a level baseline for every student — even when we gave out Chromebooks so every family had one , ” he says .
As the months passed , teachers increasingly developed ways to build online community .
“ They created ‘ dress up ’ days , ‘ picture days ’ and found other ways for the kids to interact with each other .
Once this began , the students began to be more engaged .
They realized that school is still school and you still have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ t get to see them in person .
We also realized that we also need a shared language to talk about instruction.
” Initially , when administrators , educators and parents spoke about devices , many assumed that this included phones and iPads , Colon explains .
But when assignments were created , they were typically designed for a laptop .
“ We have to say clearly what devices , what technology , we ’ re talking about , otherwise we unwittingly exacerbate the digital divide , ” he explains .
“ This @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mind when we return to school in the fall or whenever .
This will be true no matter what form the return takes , whether we ’ re back in class , meeting online or doing a hybrid combination.
” For 9-year-old Juliette Keenan , a rising fifth grader at Clinton Elementary School in Maplewood , New Jersey , there ’ s no question that the hybrid model is best .
“ I don ’ t like remote learning , ” Keenan admits .
“ But I also want to stay healthy and @ @ @

Part of the Series Despair and Disparity: The Uneven Burdens of COVID-19
When Denmark became the first of 22 European countries to reopen schools on April 15, students were told that wearing face masks was optional. But not everything went back to the way it had been before COVID-19.
Recess for Danish children now requires social distancing, and elementary school-aged students have been divided into groups of five to limit interactions. Games include “shadow tag” instead of actual touching and ball games are prohibited. Students stay in one room for the entire day; pre-packaged lunches are eaten at desks; and there are hand-sanitizing stations at every door. Water fountains have been turned off, but students and staff can replenish their water bottles at designated filling sites. Lastly, bus service to and from school has been suspended: Students now need to walk, bicycle or be driven to class.
In the Australian state of New South Wales, the set-up is different. There, classes meet in person once a week; the four remaining school days involve remote instruction. Schools, however, have latitude: Some schedule different grades on different days while others have divided students alphabetically, grouping them to limit attendance to 15 students at once. Arrival and departure times are staggered and cafeterias are closed. Cleaning of high-touch surfaces has ramped up, but like Denmark, face masks are not required.
Conversely, newly returned students in Taiwan must cover their faces and sit at least five feet from one another when indoors.
And then there’s the U.S. How, or if, schools will reopen this fall is currently a front-burner issue and the debate involves not only the health and safety of students, teachers and staff, but also veers into how best to meet the needs of students living in communities that have been devastated by the pandemic, the majority of whom attend schools that have been under-resourced for decades. On top of this, educators, parents and activists note that some students have fallen behind and are now on shaky academic ground. What’s more, an anticipated spike in child abuse and domestic violence during quarantine will need to be addressed.
President Trump, meanwhile, has threatened to cut off funding to any school that does not reopen fully, announcing his intention to put the kibosh on plans to offer hybrid or online-only instruction.
A dominant concern is reengaging with students who began working full-time after schools closed.
For its part, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has issued vague recommendations urging facilities planning to reopen to encourage frequent handwashing with soap and water; install no-touch hand sanitizer dispensers; repeatedly clean and disinfect frequently touched surfaces, including playground equipment, drinking fountains, and door and sink handles; ventilate rooms whenever possible; avoid sharing electronic devices, toys, books, games and learning aids; alternate seats on school buses to ensure social distancing; put up sneeze guards and partitions when spacing is impossible; use disposable utensils at mealtime; and restrict visitors and volunteers from coming in-and-out of school buildings. The CDC also recommends canceling all field trips.
On the stickier issue of whether schools should fully reopen, remain online, or offer a hybrid of in-person and remote instruction, the CDC is silent, deferring to local boards of education.
Students May Have Taken Jobs
In rural American Falls, Idaho, Family Development/Engagement Specialist and Foster Care and Homeless Liaison Angie Harker told Truthout that a dominant concern is reengaging with students who began working full-time after schools closed. “The reason they went to work in the first place is economic need, poverty, and their income is often critical to their families,” she says. Most work in agriculture, tending potatoes, sugar beets and other crops. “Before COVID-19, these kids — many of them immigrants from Central and South America or residents of the Shoshone-Bannock reservation — might have attended school full-time and worked in the fields part-time. Now that’s reversed and they’re trying to fit school in after work, on weekends or during their lunch breaks. Agricultural jobs pay a decent wage — $13 to $20 an hour — and since kids as young as 14 can legally work in Idaho, keeping them in school is going to be a challenge.”
But Harker’s concerns extend beyond employment. Kids who have been indoors for months may have become fearful of going outside and worry about contracting the virus if they return to school. Trained counselors, she says, will be essential in making sure that student mental health needs are addressed.
State Coordinator for Homeless Education in the Montana Office of Public Instruction Heather Denny highlights an issue that her state is grappling with: “The coronavirus feels like something that’s happening somewhere else,” she says. “It doesn’t feel real to most of us since we’ve had so few cases.” At the same time, Montana’s public schools have been closed since March and reopening remains tenuous. “So much depends on things we don’t yet know,” she says. “We’re planning to make sure kids wash their hands more and have custodians clean everything more thoroughly.”
Since Montana has such a small population, she continues, it has been relatively easy to stay in touch with students and their families, but in some cases, people have moved, gone to live with family members, or returned to one of the state’s seven tribal reservations.
“We’re regularly reaching out to see what people need,” Denny says. “Sometimes this means shipping a computer to a new place of residence, or mailing packets of assignments out to them.” Nonetheless, Denny acknowledges that some students have vanished. “I’d say we’ve had contact with 75 or 80 percent of our students. They’re not always up to date with their schoolwork, but we’ve made contact with them when we’ve delivered meals, grocery cards or phone minutes. What we’ll do with kids who have not kept up with assignments when they return to school is being discussed.”
“School will have to not just get kids back on track academically, but find new, anti-racist ways to educate them. Going back to school as usual is not an option.”
Students’ social and emotional needs are also a concern. “We have to assess the impact of the school closure on each kid,” Denny says. Other big concerns, she adds, include domestic violence, child abuse and child neglect. “There is a certain amount of protection that comes from seeing kids every day,” she tells Truthout. “In many cases, we haven’t laid eyes on these kids in months, so if abuse has happened, we haven’t known about it and have not intervened.”
Denny also anticipates an increased homeless population once the state’s moratorium on evictions ends late July — something that is likely to repeat in at least 30 states throughout the U.S. as eviction moratoriums expire. “It is likely to be messy when school starts back up, and we need to be prepared to assist students and their families while keeping them on track academically.”
Urban Schools Face Different Issues
When it comes to reopening schools, there are some overlapping concerns facing urban and rural educators, but the magnitude of the pandemic has hit city residents extremely hard.
“We need to look at death differently than we did before the virus,” teacher Wayne White, president of the Bellport Teachers Association in Bellport, New York, told Truthout. “We all know someone who has lost someone. Social workers and guidance counselors are usually the first people to lose their jobs when there are budget shortfalls, but even though our state is facing a huge deficit, we’re going to need more professional counselors and social workers than ever.”
White also worries that because the pandemic has disproportionately impacted Black and Brown communities, it has widened the achievement gap between white students and students of color.
This also troubles Rann Miller, editor of the four-year-old Urban Education Mixtape Blog. “We were already seeing an enormous opportunity gap for Latinx and Black students before the pandemic,” Miller says. “My fear is that by the time we come back, some students will be behind and schools that push rigor and standards on students who have historically been frustrated by racist instructions will see these issues compounded. School will have to not just get kids back on track academically, but find new, anti-racist ways to educate them. Going back to school as usual is not an option.”
Empowering parents is essential, he says.
Tafshier Cosby-Thomas is the CEO of Parent Impact in Newark, New Jersey, a group dedicated to helping families become more effective advocates for students. “Parents need to be part of the conversation before final determinations are made about reopening, whether to weigh in on the use of personal protective equipment, or to debate allowable gym activities, the availability of after-school programming, or the scheduling of in-person classes,” she told Truthout.
Cosby-Thomas says different families in her community have experienced COVID-19 differently. “Some parents are working at home and they are typically able to help their children use electronic devices and access the internet. Other households don’t have computers or the parents aren’t computer proficient, or don’t speak or read English, and they can’t help their children at all. Some students have had to rely on paper packets of assignments.” Still, she says, despite Parent Impact’s efforts, about a third of the kids attending public schools in Newark have fallen through the cracks to some extent. “The schools have reached out; teachers have called, texted, and even made home visits to try and keep the kids connected.”
Initially, when administrators, educators and parents spoke about devices, many assumed that this included phones and iPads. But when assignments were created, they were typically designed for a laptop.
Chicago primary school teacher Mariama Cosey is similarly adamant that parents need to be partners in their children’s education. “The parent piece is central in moving forward with remote instruction,” she says. “We need face-to-face workshops and meetings for parents to work out the kinks and learn how technology works so they can meet us halfway and help their children learn.”
What they learn is also critically important, says English and special education teacher Monique Lee. As an instructor at the High School for Construction Trades, Engineering and Architecture in Ozone Park, New York, she says that she tries to make assignments socially relevant. “There are moments in history that make us uncomfortable,” she tells Truthout. The current support for Black Lives Matter, she says, challenged some of her students. “I’ve focused on having them write about why social activism is important during COVID-19 and why … protests have been so large and so successful at this particular time.” Lee also highlighted the intersections between all forms of oppression – racism, discrimination against those with intellectual limitations, and against women, the LGBT community and immigrants. “I asked them if these conditions should be a reason someone experiences discrimination and stressed that if Black lives were treated the same as other lives, there would be no issue.”
Ricardo Colon is an instructional coach, guiding teachers at Public School/Intermediate School 30 in Brooklyn, New York. Although he recognizes the importance of relevant curricula, he says that increasing everyone’s comfort level with technology is also vital to educational achievement.
“Before we went remote, New York City public school teachers had three days to prepare. There was no time to create a level baseline for every student — even when we gave out Chromebooks so every family had one,” he says. As the months passed, teachers increasingly developed ways to build online community. “They created ‘dress up’ days, ‘picture days’ and found other ways for the kids to interact with each other. Once this began, the students began to be more engaged. They realized that school is still school and you still have your friends even if you don’t get to see them in person. We also realized that we also need a shared language to talk about instruction.”
Initially, when administrators, educators and parents spoke about devices, many assumed that this included phones and iPads, Colon explains. But when assignments were created, they were typically designed for a laptop.
“We have to say clearly what devices, what technology, we’re talking about, otherwise we unwittingly exacerbate the digital divide,” he explains. “This is something we need to keep in mind when we return to school in the fall or whenever. This will be true no matter what form the return takes, whether we’re back in class, meeting online or doing a hybrid combination.”
For 9-year-old Juliette Keenan, a rising fifth grader at Clinton Elementary School in Maplewood, New Jersey, there’s no question that the hybrid model is best.
“I don’t like remote learning,” Keenan admits. “But I also want to stay healthy and safe.”
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