A shadow and a candle
by Arjun Janah, July 2013 As the long, dread shadow of Detroit falls over the cities, a flickering candle is lit in Bridgeport, Connecticut.Will we allow it to be blown out, as Arne Duncan and so many who have power, wealth and access to the media would wish? The requirement that a school superinte
Speak The Truth!
by Arjun Janah, Brooklyn, March 9, 2011 In Wisconsin, teachers stood For weeks in snow, misunderstood. And other workers stood beside. They said, “The truth, you cannot hide!” So in the states, the people rise, But in the center, there’s surprise. Obama, like the Clintons, eyes The
So Freedom’s Flame Can Burn
by Babui / Arjun Workers, disunited, to predators, are prey. They’re easiest to capture, when caught in disarray. Workers, when united, are forceful and escape The fate of those that singly dare to masters disobey. The snake engulfs the frog, the spotted leopard stalks the deer. Who’s pr
The Long Road to Madison, Wisconsin
by Arjun Janah, Brooklyn, February 26th, 2011 In 1959, Wisconsin became the first U.S. state to grant municipal employees and teachers the right to bargain collectively for wages and benefits. In 1967, this was extended to all state employees. It is perhaps worth noting that the first law was pass
Faust in Gotham
Faust in Gotham You never taught inside a school, While dabbling in the classics, And yet, you do o’er teachers rule, Who teach the children basics. From Marcy Mount to Brooklyn and From Buffalo to sea, You rule o’er K-12, and more, In all your majesty. And yet, when Bloomberg roars, you