Jan. 30 in Minneapolis, in a Local Parent’s Words→

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Jan. 30 in Minneapolis, in a Local Parent’s Words

Rise Up for Students stands in solidarity with the people of Minnesota as they are besieged by violent ICE stormtroopers and a violent ideology. We stand with immigrants and refugees, and with all people resisting oppression around the world. Today we heed the call from Minneapolis for a National Shutdown. Here’s an audio clip of ICY horrors, and an interview with an organizer in Minneapolis. All power to the people.

Donate to support mutual aid in Minnesota: StandWithMinnesota.org.

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It’s time to get creative as COVID-19 homeschool parents

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It’s time to get creative as COVID-19 homeschool parents

It’s been 10 days since my kids were last in school here in Seattle, and as the COVID-19 pandemic continues its systematic shutdown of, well, the entire system, it’s time for us parents to get creative. That’s why I’m glad to be helping my son and his buddies produce a sports-talk podcast about their own youth baseball league.

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From the Seattle Times: "Demand ‘transparent, inclusive process’ for Seattle School Board appointment," by Matt Halvorson→

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From the Seattle Times: "Demand ‘transparent, inclusive process’ for Seattle School Board appointment," by Matt Halvorson

I had a letter to the editor published in the Seattle Times on July 5, 2019, about the school board appointing Betty Patu’s successor.

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Dear Leslie Harris... I wrote you a song.→

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Dear Leslie Harris... I wrote you a song.

Leslie Harris is the president of the Seattle School Board, and she will preside over an important decision this summer as the board appoints a new representative for District 7 in southeast Seattle. Here Matt Halvorson asks for a transparent, inclusive process... in song!

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A quick thought about the Seattle School Board

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A quick thought about the Seattle School Board

This is the year, if there ever was one, to really change Seattle Public Schools. In addition to the four seats up for election this fall, two additional school board members in Seattle (Betty Patu and Zachary DeWolf) have announced their desire to resign this year and vacate their seats early.

The school board only has seven members to begin with. By the end of this year, we could essentially have a completely new school board.

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A Parable on Whiteness (from a Four-Year-Old)

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A Parable on Whiteness (from a Four-Year-Old)

One evening, sitting on the floor in our hotel room in Oakland, Zeke started drumming on a plastic cup.

“This song is about a town where everything is white,” he told me after a few minutes. “White, white, white. Everything used to be rainbow colored, but something happened to turn it all white. Now they can’t tell what house is theirs. Everything looks the same.”

Then he sang for a while as he drummed.

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A call to live out your principles more fully than ever

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A call to live out your principles more fully than ever

Don’t forget that it’s up to us, all of it. All of this. If we don’t upend the current state of affairs, who will? If we don’t fight oppression, who will?

We know what we know. I hope that if nothing else, this might inspire you to think hard. If you saw a movie with yourself as the main character, knowing what you know, what you would expect that character to do? What would that character find him or herself doing in the name of living out your principles?

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