Since this past November, when I interviewed the mother of Josie Ramon, the 12 year old Royal Oak Middle School student who taped classmates chanting “Build the wall” at her and other Hispanic students, I occasionally get notes from people, asking that I help get the word out about similar things taking place within Michigan’s […]
Tag Archives: getting fired
5th grade charter school teacher Mika Yamamoto, fired from Michigan’s Renaissance Public School Academy, where she was the only teacher of color, claims she was told by her principal, “The community is not ready for your voice.”
Andrew Clock, forced from his position as director of the Ypsi Heritage Festival, speaks out
Yesterday evening, Andrew Clock, the director of the Ypsilanti Heritage Festival, announced on Facebook that he’d been asked by his board to step down from the position which he’d held since January, 2012. As his tenure at the festival started with an interview on this site, I thought it only fitting that we’d speak again […]
It might be too early to announce the company’s death, but good riddance to Groupon
I’ve never liked Groupon. Rightly or wrongly, I’ve always thought that the company, and it’s well-known “daily deals,” were bad for small businesses. My sense, and I’ve had it verified by a few business owners, is that they gravitate toward Groupon when they’re desperate, offering deep, unsustainable discounts to Groupon users, who, for the most […]
Alan Haber on the origins of SDS, similarities to the Occupy movement, Ann Arbor at the height of McCarthyism, and why he never built that second bomb
I spent yesterday morning with my friend Jeff, at the home of Alan Haber, the first president of Students for Democratic Society (SDS). We talked about Ann Arbor at the height of McCarthyism, the circumstances which gave rise to SDS, the drafting of the Port Huron Statement 50 years ago, and the opportunity that may […]
Pontiac teacher, Brooke Harris, fired for helping 8th graders to raise money for the family of Trayvon Martin
The firing of Pontiac charter school teacher, Brooke Harris, is making the national news. As you may have heard, she was fired last week, after working with her students to establish a fundraiser for the family of Trayvon Martin. The following comes by way of the Southern Poverty Law Center. What do you do with […]