Recess in Seattle: How We Won the Right to Play

By Jesse Hagopian -- Originally Published by The Progressive Photos by Sarah Lang --- It was May of 2014. I had just picked up my son from his wonderful play-based preschool, and, as we headed home, I turned on the radio. Usually, my son would demand that I “turn off the boring news” and put …

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Education Secretary Duncan Steps Down!: Raise a toast with me this evening, and let’s drink to downfall of the whole testocracy

Arne Duncan has been one of the most destructive forces to public education in the history of our country. Duncan was appointed by President Obama as the Secretary of Education, but his real role has been "testocracy tsar"--as his signature policies of Race to the Top and Common Core have been singularly focused on promoting …

Continue reading Education Secretary Duncan Steps Down!: Raise a toast with me this evening, and let’s drink to downfall of the whole testocracy

The Education of Jesse Hagopian

Erin Middlewood, writing for The Progressive magazine, flew out to Seattle just before the end of the last school year. She spent an afternoon with me in my classroom and then accompanied me that evening to our Black Student Union senior awards banquet that my students had organized to honor our graduating black leaders. Below …

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The Seattle Educators’ Strike for Social Justice: Groundbreaking victories and so much more to fight for

The Seattle Educators’ Strike for Social Justice On Sunday evening, thousands of Seattle Education Association members gathered in a general membership meeting and voted to approve a new contract with the Seattle Public Schools. This vote officially ended the strike by Seattle educators, which began on September 10, 2015, and interrupted the first five days …

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Seattle Black Lives Matter Organizers: “We are in full support” of the Seattle educator strike!

Below is a stunning statement issued by many Seattle area Black Lives Matter organizers in support of the striking educators. Our movement has clear lesson: The power of labor, fused with movements for Black liberation, can even defeat the will of the nation's billionaires.