I do greatly respect Faith’s contribution and long term support for DC Statehood, but after speaking to many of our members, I think we need a candidate on the ballot for November 2 who has been active in struggles around education and affordable housing. Zein is a leading activist on education issues, see his statement below. I believe he would make an outstanding Mayor and deserves our support. But again it shall be our voters’ choice to determine who will best represent us in November.
Zein AEl-Amine’s Mayoral Candidacy Statement
At the heart of this upcoming election is the issue of education. Fenty has betting his political fortunes on this issue because he has failed , in every other sector, to serve the working people of DC. His policies on education that have been spearheaded by his chosen Chancellor of Education, Michelle Rhee are ones that run roughshod over communities. They are punitive policies that are being sold as reform. It has become open season for arbitrary teacher firings, the slandering of educators without consequence, and the persistent efforts at convincing the people of DC and the nation that the interests of the students and the interests of the community are mutually exclusive. This has allowed the disdainful, irresponsible and racist treatment of students, parents and teachers.
Furthermore, both Rhee and Fenty have dismissed the role of poverty, unemployment, affordable housing and childcare as issues that influence education. In other words, the project of rampant gentrification does not calculate in the formula for their so called reforms. The education reform is exasperating the shredding of the long standing DC communities that gentrification is effecting. Parents and teachers and their children are now more harried, have less time for community involvement and are not allowed the opportunity to think critically about what is happening around them. While this is happening, the project of privatization of education, the last frontier of outside corporate interest, is no longer a secret, as private monies and the private influence that comes with, is creeping into public education. Millions of dollars of private money have been brought in by Rhee into public education with conditions placed by ideologically charged foundations intent on imposing a corporate, undemocratic model of education.
At stake here is not just the state of education in DC, but that of the nation as this short sighted model is being exported to the rest of the nation. It is not enough to gain statehood and representation for DC if that project does not entail gaining control of our basic social services such as education, job security, and affordable housing.
