This is funny. I especially like their slogan “It’s not a cardboard house, it’s a cardboard home.”

The 2nd District PTA will be sponsoring “Closing the Achievement Gap” forum on Saturday, Nov. 3 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at John Muir ES, 380 Webster (Page).

Speakers will talk about successful efforts that SFUSD and several of our schools have made in closing the achievement gap of our African American and Latino students. The speakers will be Mark Sanchez, President of the SF Board of Education; Kim-Shree Maufas, member of the SF Board of Education; Dennis Kelly, president of the United Educators of San Francisco; Hoover Liddell, special assistant to the Superintendent; Vidrale Franklin, principal of Bret Harte Elementary School and Alene Wheaton, principal of John Muir ES.

1. Staples Foundation for Learning - Job Skills and/or Education Funding (national), foundationinfo@staples.com, www.staplesfoundation.org/foundapplication.html

Application: December 7, 2007

Award Amount: $5000 - $25,000

Eligible Applicants: Nonprofit organizations

Focus of Interest: The foundation provides funding to programs that support or provide job skills and/or education for all people, with a special emphasis on disadvantaged youth. Specific interest is in helping local groups with programs and services that will positively impact their communities.

2. Knowledge Adventure School - Schools in Need Competition (national), Knowledge Adventure School
(800) 871-2969, Kathleen@kehcomm.com, www.knowledgeadventure.com/school/schoolsinneed/default.aspx

Application Deadline: December 15, 2007

Had a work emergency and couldn’t go but will try and get a report from someone about it…

Ross Mirkarimi as well as leaders throughout the Hayes Valley neighborhood came to a great event for John Muir ES at Nickies, 466 Haight Street.

We had great music with Deborah Crook and Alex Walsch (musicians from the neighborhood), great food donated by Nickie’s (great space for benefits) and lots of laughter

Attendees included public school parents from other such schools as McKinley and Balboa (Alan Giest and Shellie Weiner).

But for me, a highlight was when Alex Walsch, one of our performers, says, “I know John Muir ES well. I had my wedding reception there.”

Brian Leubitz at Calitics has a great post about the ongoing privatization of California’s infrastructure. As Brian points out, the current fad for public private partnerships is the end result of years of conservative attacks against the very idea of taxes. If we can;t raise money to pay for things, the only way to finance them is to sell off things previous generations built.

Do you think that Pat Brown realized that there is no such thing as a free lunch? That corporations are not benevolent Gumdrop Fairies who rain down gifts upon the populace? No, the first Gov. Brown knew all too well that it is up to the state to provide for a long-term infrastructure that will keep the middle class thriving. Anybody who has driven the toll-clogged freeways of Orange County will tell you that all those tolls, and all that commuting aren’t cheap. So people move to where there is infrastructure that is provided (sans tolls). We sprawl, we make decisions which are short-sighted, just like these three governors.

STATEMENT OF ADMINISTRATION POLICY
H.R. 3685 – The Employment Non-Discrimination Act
(Rep. Frank (D) MA and 9 cosponsors)
H.R. 3685 would extend existing employment-discrimination provisions of Federal law, including those in Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, to establish “a comprehensive Federal prohibition of employment discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation.” The bill raises concerns on constitutional and policy grounds, and if H.R. 3685 were presented to the President, his senior advisors would recommend that he veto the bill.

A celebration is being thrown for John Muir Elementary School on Friday, Oct. 26 from 7-9 p.m. at Nickie’s, 466 Haight Street (Fillmore).

The celebration will include soulful music from Deborah Crook and Alex Walsch with free hors d’oeuvres and a cash bar. Suggested donation is $10, but parents of John Muir ES will get in free.

Laughter, music and a great time for a great school (SFUSD has 113 of them). For more information, contact kimberleyknox@hotmail.com

Employment Non-Discrimination Act Resolution
SFDCCC
October 24, 2007

Whereas, the President has pledged to veto the Employment Non Discrimination Act (ENDA) with or without gender identity inclusion and he and the Congressional Republican leadership are working to divide the LGBT community and undermine ENDA; and

Whereas, over 300 national, state, and local LGBT organizations have signed a letter stating that they support a fully inclusive ENDA and oppose any legislation that leaves some of us behind, and asking the Congressional leadership to only introduce a version of ENDA that includes gender identity; and

GENDER-IDENTITY INCLUSIVENESS IN ENDA — (House of Representatives - October 23, 2007)

[Page: H11911] GPO’s PDF

—

The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the gentleman from New York (Mr. Weiner) is recognized for 5 minutes.

Mr. WEINER. Mr. Speaker and my colleagues, later on this week or perhaps early next week, this House will embark on the latest chapter in our Nation’s history of extending the civil rights that all Americans should be entitled to to one other group. We will be considering the Employment Nondiscrimination Act. It is an effort to make sure that people are not discriminated against in their workplace because of their sexual orientation, because of their gender identity. It is something that is intuitive to so many Americans, and, frankly, the overwhelming number of Americans. And it is an example of how sometimes we in this House lead on civil rights issues and sometimes we follow.