Introducing the Progressive Strategy Handbook

[Iwillnevergiveup]

by Joe Brewer

http://www.truth-out.org/introducing-progressive-strategy-handbook67700

As massive demonstrations occur in Yemen, Algeria, Bahrain, Jordan and Syria, some interesting ideas here on how the U.S. can set and reach our own democratic/progressive goals.

[Iwillnevergiveup]

1. Preview

##snip## "Are you ready to build the progressive movement that America desperately needs? This is the moment you’ve been waiting for. We’ve finished writing the Progressive Strategy Handbook that you — the community — paid for last fall through a crowdfunding campaign.

"So you want to be part of a real progressive movement? You’ve come to the right place.
We are tired of sitting idly by hoping that our elected officials will set a bold and visionary agenda for progressive change. We know that our political system is fundamentally broken and that swapping out one corporate-sponsored politician for another is only going to preserve, if not strengthen, the status quo.

"And we’re tired of waiting for wealthy progressives to get the message that they need to fund a movement, not just another election cycle. Since they have shown an inability to put money into progressive infrastructure for the long haul, we’re going to have to do it ourselves. And with the power of social media tools, we believe it is now possible for us to come together and do this.
After years calling for investments in long-term capacity for the movement, we’ve grown tired of waiting for someone else to step up to the plate. So we’re doing something radical: We’re bypassing the elites, going straight to the crowd, and getting down to work." ##snip

[Iwillnevergiveup]

3. It makes sense to me

that any group or person in a position of power would be totally freaked out by massive, massive sustained demonstrations. And perhaps more responsive to what average citizens need and want. The "99ers" alone could be an enormous show of force.

[glinda]

2. Thanks & Kick

[xchrom]

4. recommend

the pre-order print price is only 15 bucks. if i understood that right.
but whatever - it's very affordable.

[swilton]

5. Although I K&R'd this

I did it for the concept and effort. I was disappointed in that the referenced handbook lacked any concrete steps or milestones..... rhetoric w/o action.

[Iwillnevergiveup]

7. Looks to be a work in progress

When you get into the document, you can input ideas.

We have a great opportunity to kick this whole thing into high gear with Madison, WI as a focal point. NJ could use some help big time with that regressive governor, too. Ridding ourselves of collective bargaining? Really?

[Iwillnevergiveup]

6. Framing

Education, for example:

##snip##

"As an example, consider the Industrial Education Frame that is setting the scope of education policy in America today. This frame places emphasis on a core set of ideas about schools as places that can be run like factories, where knowledgeable students are products to be produced like widgets and built on the assembly line (thus the emphasis on developing technology-based “teacher proof” standardized lessons), and responsibility is understood through the lens of top-down authoritarianism (e.g., quality control is molding all students to pass the same state or national standards, which are measured with standardized tests, and teachers with students who make low scores are punished). The conservative agenda for public education is understood through this web of concepts that collectively represents a conceptual model for education reform.

13 0 As a progressive you probably recoil at the thought of schools set up as factories. Your values beckon a different understanding of education based on an intuitive sense that children are individuals who blossom, not machines that are can be built to order. You probably prefer to think of schools as a place to cultivate young minds, where teachers nurture the learning process and all children grow smarter and more engaged in civic affairs.

14 0 This understanding stems from the Garden School Frame that allows us to think about children as living beings who need proper nourishment and guidance to grow into healthy adults. It also provides a context for seeing teachers as valued professionals with a responsibility to both the children they teach and the larger communities those children will join as they become adults. Teachers are seen as both gardeners sharing the fruits of knowledge and stewards of the education landscape. (Learn more about the framing of education here.)"

##snip##

[rhett o rick]

8. this is important nm