Woke – adjective
/wōk/
informal•US
1. alert to injustice in society, especially racism.
Example: Early Christians and other adherents to the teachings of Jesus were woke.
Synonyms: caring, empathetic, charitable
Antonyms: hateful, prejudiced, Republican
There is a belief among Republicans that concern for one’s fellow human beings is an attribute worthy of disdain. Their latest pursuit is a page entitled “Gender/Gender Identity Creating Gender-Inclusive Schools and Classrooms” that they want removed on the PA Department of Education website. A survey of the page reveals a rather benign set of topics such as definitions of various gender categories, teaching tolerance, taking pride in who you are, as well as various strategies for teaching gender equality in the classroom.
That has not stopped 21 House Republicans from turning lemonade back into lemons. This past Monday, they accused Acting Education Secretary Eric Hagarty of promoting “gender theory indoctrination” on the Gender Identity webpage. Rep. David Rowe, R-Union County, said that Wolf should stop “wasting our tax dollars pedaling nonsensical, woke rhetoric to impressionable third-graders.” Rowe’s solution is to hand those tax dollars over to private schools, that provide no audit trail of the recipients of these tax dollars or how well they perform academically.
While Rowe is willing to shell out hundreds of millions of dollars to promote educational programs with no accountability, Andrew Lewis, R-Dauphin County, bemoaned the governor for vetoing his curriculum transparency legislation, which would have required curriculum information to be posted online. Since parents and guardians already have access to such information, it is difficult to understand what problem this solution is addressing.
The most interesting criticism came from Rep. Barb Gleim, R-Cumberland County,who remarked that “The secular worldview that there are more than two genders is faulty in and of itself, and can’t be proven, and the source and provided resources for this teaching should be removed from the classroom and the website immediately.”
By opposing this “secular worldview”, Gleim is therefore suggesting that only religious ideologies are allowed in the classroom, which, again, is reinforcing Rowe’s belief that more tax money should go toward the teaching of doctrine in the state’s religious private schools.
While we are on the subject of tax dollars going to private schools, it boggles the mind that The Pennsylvania State Education Association (PSEA) continues to back Todd Stephens despite his support of charter schools and educational tax credits (which are simply a way of funding school vouchers). The PSEA has derided both of these programs, yet continues to endorse Stephens and fund his campaign.
Well, Stephens’s opponent is Melissa Cerrato, and below you will see campaign activities for her and a number of other great candidates that are running this fall. Please take the time to participate in one or more of these activities.
THINGS TO DO
CANVASSING
Wednesday, August 10, from 3:45-5:45 PM at 2 Walnut Grove Dr., Suite 107, Horsham, PA 19044 for Melissa Cerrato for State Rep. SIGN UP HERE.
If you would like to carpool from High Point Allen Lane, please also email geomstern@gmail.com.
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Saturday, August 13
Ann Marie Mitchell for Senate and Laurie Smith for State Rep in Bucks County at 10 AM: SIGN UP HERE. Please email andreakoplove@gmail.com to carpool.
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Sunday, August 14
Joint Canvass for State Rep Jenn O’Mara (and Jenn’s new Baby Katherine!) and Lisa Borowski for State Rep in Delaware County at 11 AM: SIGN UP HERE. Please email andreakoplove@gmail.com to carpool.
PHONE BANKING
Sundays from anywhere (virtual phone bank) for Josh Shapiro and John Fetterman. SIGN UP HERE
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Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays, 6 – 8 PM from anywhere (virtual phone bank) for Bucks County candidates. SIGN UP HERE
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Tuesdays from anywhere (virtual phone bank), 5:30 – 9 PM for Chester County candidates. SIGN UP HERE
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Fridays from anywhere (virtual phone bank), 4 – 6 PM for Western Montco candidates. SIGN UP HERE
TEXTING
Help to send voter registration info to unregistered voters in PA. through texting. Field Team 6 is holding weekly voter registration boot camps. The next one is this Thursday August 11th and once you register, they will send you an email with instructions for getting your computer setup to run their system.
Please see the SIGN UP HERE.
POST-CARDS
We expect a fresh batch of postcards soon, but in the meantime, please consider:
TUESDAYS FROM 10 AM-12 PM. Join us outside to write postcards together for our state legislative candidates. Postcard stamp donations are always appreciated!
VOTER REGISTRATION
Thursday (August 11), Friday (August 12), Monday (August 15), Tuesday (August 16), at the USCIS Office, 30 North 41st Street, Philadelphia, PA
The New Pennsylvania Project (NPP) continues to register new American citizens at naturalization ceremonies at the USCIS Philadelphia office. Three volunteers per shift each date are requested. Shifts begin at 9am, 11am, and 2pm. Shifts last an hour. Volunteers are urged to arrive 15 minutes before the start of a shift. A NPP staff person will be there to welcome you and to give you the materials you will need to register folks to vote. If you arrive and nobody is outside, make sure you go inside to attend the ceremony and register voters after they finish. Please be aware that you have to go through security to enter the building and you must bring a photo ID with you. Please check availability and sign up here.