Occupy Your High School movement an (bad) Idea

[RedMarxist]

I just thought of the worst idea. Look, before I began, I'm being serious here.


Ever since the occupy X City movement began nationwide, I've had this dumb idea that would most likely get me expelled/suspended.

To organize an "Occupy Your High School movement."


I thought about trying to get enough people to create a 'Student's Assembly'

I'm just sick of how the administration tramples over the students, as if 'they' know better. I wish to help jump start a true democratic experiment in the school.

To make the students, including me, truly free, if only for a time.

We could join in solidarity with our local occupy X city movement.

Again, I'm not trolling this forum.

to not disrupt classes, we could meet later in the day?

Maybe, to simply lessen the consequences, I could authorize the creation of a 'true democracy school group' with permission from the school?

[Aspiring Humanist]

Wait a minute
What

[Matty_UK]

I just thought of the worst idea. Look, before I began, I'm being serious here.


Ever since the occupy X City movement began nationwide, I've had this dumb idea that would most likely get me expelled/suspended.

To organize an "Occupy Your High School movement."


I thought about trying to get enough people to create a 'Student's Assembly'

I'm just sick of how the administration tramples over the students, as if 'they' know better. I wish to help jump start a true democratic experiment in the school.

To make the students, including me, truly free, if only for a time.

We could join in solidarity with our local occupy X city movement.

Again, I'm not trolling this forum.

to not disrupt classes, we could meet later in the day?

Maybe, to simply lessen the consequences, I could authorize the creation of a 'true democracy school group' with permission from the school?

I don't think it's that bad an idea, but it would be better if it engaged with relevant issues like youth unemployment, difficulty of access to higher education, or even cutbacks to public schools rather than just fighting against the administration. During the tuition fees protests in the UK, we managed to organise walkouts in a number of colleges (in the UK, a college is what you attend between 16-18 rather than a university) in the area and these often had tacit support from a lot of the staff. You could try something along these lines.

[HEAD ICE]

I don't think this is a bad idea at all.

[Arlekino]

Absolutely is good idea, but what about who are not students, middle or older age struggles. It would be separate action?

[bricolage]

I think this is a good idea. I'm trying to write something on the occupy movements but basically my thought is not to give up on occupation as a tactic but to not have it as a complete strategy. To shift occupation away from its spectacular form in city centres and squares and to work on occupying, for example, workplaces, unemployment offices, temp agencies, universities, schools, public services at risk of being closed. Tahrir square happened after a backdrop of years of, often wildcat, strikes, Syntagma after countless general strikes but there isn't going to be a global intifada solely based on the re-appropriation of public squares and it certainly isn't going to happen out of the activist ether. In contrast the last (maybe) five years in the UK has seen relatively 'successful' occupations of schools at risk of being closed in Glasgow and Lewisham, Visteon and Vestas workplaces and 30/40/50 (I'm just guessing at numbers here) universities at the end of last year. This kind of stuff or even using occupation as a form of economic blockade as opposed to a supposed new way of living (which is just not going to happen) seems a lot more constructive.

[Zealot]

If you could get enough support it might be a good idea, even better if the teachers helped, but 10 students trying to occupy a school are just going to get kicked out. Furthermore, how is that going to go down with parents...

The school group idea is good though, if you could establish chapters around the country and make another May 68 Paris, then even better. To create mass mobilization you would need the guys at the "Occupy" websites to advertise the idea.

[RedMarxist]

I was thinking more to get permission to hold an assembly in a large open space(a gym or someplace large and open with a lot of chairs/bleachers), yet small enough for easier organization purposes(at first)

If I could get permission to hold one after school(we need to get good grades too!), At first it would most likely incorporate the students. Possibly overtime the teachers(a Student's and Teachers Popular Assembly) could/would join in?

If I got permission and tried to be careful with what our demands/actions were(such as NOT offending the administration), then I doubt they would kick us out, even if it was just 10 people at first. One could argue we are teaching American democratic principles.

I was thinking about making a few posters/brochures and either taping them (with permission) to the wall or handing them out during the day.

I'm serious. I had this idea a while back before shit got real in the states. My parents thought it was a shitty idea and that nobody cares about democracy/freedom/school/community issues.

I think it is a great idea.

I could bring sweets and snack food or something for the first meeting.

[RedMarxist]

I have already made the poster.

[tfb]

What are your problems with how high schools (and/or your school specifically) are run? Could you make a list? I hated my school and everything it did, but it's hard to remember a lot of it, except the really really bad stuff, and it was a Catholic school, so things might be different elsewhere.

Almost everything a student could possibly do other than follow every single direction and act like an impossibly meek and rational lamb is considered either bullying or a sign of a learning disability, which gives the school and excuse to do whatever it wants and look good for it. And if a teacher/principal doesn't do anything about those things, they're evil.

When you're being trained as a teacher, you have to go to different schools and teach for a bit, and whether you pass or fail teachers' college is dependent on whether you get a good mark from the teacher whose class you're in. You have to teach their way, and if you "lose control of the classroom", you're kicked out. I imagine I'm going to have to be sending kids to the office for drawing in class and other bullshit like that. It's like having to be a cop or something: I don't know if it's possible to be a "good" one (at least outside of an anarchist or Sudbury school or something).

My professors talk about making schools more democratic, but what they really mean is making them *feel* more democratic to the students. They say "let your students democratically decide on what the classroom rules should be", but that's only if they happen to hit on all the things you would have wanted anyway.

They even justify "teaching to the test" by saying "Now, I *hate* standardized testing and think it's bad for students... but if you don't teach to the test, the students will be all flustered and cry for the 3 days during which they have to write the test! Surely it's worth ruining their entire education to avoid that! If you don't teach to the test, you are a heartless monster." When I took a standardized test in highschool, I just wrote "poo" over and over for a full page.

And by the way, at least here, all the (many) recent changes in teaching (mostly in grade schools so far, since high schools are always way behind on any changes) *coincidentally* make teaching cheaper, but they say it's for the good of the students. It's disgusting. Also, I think half or something of all supposedly public schools here charge fees, even though it's illegal, but no one does anything about it. And students pay the school for dress-down days, and the money doesn't even go to charity or anything. We don't even have free breakfasts for all poor students here. Conservatives cut funding to schools, liberals make bullshit justifications for the changes they have to make to the way schools are run because of it.

:reda: KILL PEOPLE BURN SHIT FUCK SCHOOL :reda:

[tir1944]

Good luck.
Hope you don't get expelled.

[Rafiq]

You're right, it is a dumb idea.


Next.

[RedMarxist]

What are your problems with how high schools (and/or your school specifically) are run? Could you make a list? I hated my school and everything it did, but it's hard to remember a lot of it, except the really really bad stuff, and it was a Catholic school, so things might be different elsewhere.

Almost everything a student could possibly do other than follow every single direction and act like an impossibly meek and rational lamb is considered either bullying or a sign of a learning disability, which gives the school and excuse to do whatever it wants and look good for it. And if a teacher/principal doesn't do anything about those things, they're evil.

When you're being trained as a teacher, you have to go to different schools and teach for a bit, and whether you pass or fail teachers' college is dependent on whether you get a good mark from the teacher whose class you're in. You have to teach their way, and if you "lose control of the classroom", you're kicked out. I imagine I'm going to have to be sending kids to the office for drawing in class and other bullshit like that. It's like having to be a cop or something: I don't know if it's possible to be a "good" one (at least outside of an anarchist or Sudbury school or something).

My professors talk about making schools more democratic, but what they really mean is making them *feel* more democratic to the students. They say "let your students democratically decide on what the classroom rules should be", but that's only if they happen to hit on all the things you would have wanted anyway.

They even justify "teaching to the test" by saying "Now, I *hate* standardized testing and think it's bad for students... but if you don't teach to the test, the students will be all flustered and cry for the 3 days during which they have to write the test! Surely it's worth ruining their entire education to avoid that! If you don't teach to the test, you are a heartless monster." When I took a standardized test in highschool, I just wrote "poo" over and over for a full page.

And by the way, at least here, all the (many) recent changes in teaching (mostly in grade schools so far, since high schools are always way behind on any changes) *coincidentally* make teaching cheaper, but they say it's for the good of the students. It's disgusting. Also, I think half or something of all supposedly public schools here charge fees, even though it's illegal, but no one does anything about it. And students pay the school for dress-down days, and the money doesn't even go to charity or anything. We don't even have free breakfasts for all poor students here. Conservatives cut funding to schools, liberals make bullshit justifications for the changes they have to make to the way schools are run because of it.

Wow, that is a lot of things to address. I already made the packet for distribution to hang up/pass out in school.

I want to put the power in the hands of the students for real. It will not be just some rubber stamp group.

We can start with a simple allowing of backpacks in class. ;)

Just because some a holes got shit stolen from them all backpacks are against school policy to bring to class.

just another stupid rule that NO STUDENTS get a say in. We just have to sit down and take it.

We will fight against homophobia, racism, lack of democracy in the school decision making process, etc. We will give the students a voice. By we I mean everybody.


You're right, it is a dumb idea.


Next.

Next Dumb troll comment.


Hope you don't get expelled.

Which is why I will try to get authorization first. I'm not a moron.

[ColonelCossack]

That would never happen in my school. The students are all too thick. The'd just bunk off school. They don't care about socialism or democracy. They're lumpen.

[RedMarxist]

That would never happen in my school. The students are all too thick. The'd just bunk off school. They don't care about socialism or democracy. They're lumpen.

Well, specifically speaking to get more people to join, I will not simply call it 'Socialist.' I need to get a group going, right?

Same, a lot of students are lumpen. But many of those lumpen feel powerless to do anything. I hear people complain about the backpacks all the time. But no one has a unifying voice to do anything about it with.

Its a decision made from above. That has to change. Decisions should be made from below.

The rallying slogan I created is "All Power To The Popular Assembly of [My School]"

[ВАЛТЕР]

You watch "The Trotsky" one time too many?

Although I admire your zest, organizing high school students can be quite the hassle. When I was in High School I didn't give a shit about how the school was run and whatnot. I wanted my grades, I wanted to graduate, and I wanted to party on the weekends. Even though in HS I was quite political, I never once saw the student body as an effective means of raising consciousness. At least not in a large movement. Speaking to them individually is more effective.

[Jennifer]

This would be great for my school, too. But I agree with ColonelCossak. See, problem is: the students don't care enough. Sure, they hate being "bossed around" by those "dumb teachers"; but in the bigger scheme of things, they don't give a flying fuck. The only ones to have ever remember hearing the words "socialism" or "communism" are mostly a few dross seniors getting their economics/gov classes out of the way. Many kids are just so disgustingly passive, and it's no accident. Of course there's always exceptions, obviously, but not enough.

But if you have the support in your school, go for it!

[tir1944]

So you'll try to get authorization from the school to "occupy" your own school?
Sounds cool.

[RedMarxist]

You watch "The Trotsky" one time too many?

Although I admire your zest, organizing high school students can be quite the hassle. When I was in High School I didn't give a shit about how the school was run and whatnot. I wanted my grades, I wanted to graduate, and I wanted to party on the weekends. Even though in HS I was quite political, I never once saw the student body as an effective means of raising consciousness. At least not in a large movement. Speaking to them individually is more effective.

I want to do all those things too. Its called "lets hold our meets once or twice every week after school."

Why is it not an effective way to raise consciousness, esp. now with what is going on nationwide/worldwide?

There are no free breakfasts/lunches for poor students. No backpacks in class. Rampant racism and homophobia, unjust administration rules, etc.

Speaking to individuals won't affect much. You may get through to one person, but doesn't it make more sense to get around to ALL students?

One thing that bothers me is rampant cynicism about changing high school. It can be done.

And no, I have heard of but have never seen The Trotsky. I heard it is a good movie though.

[pax et aequalitas]

I find this quite interesting. However I also think it will be difficult. I can imagine lots of students see you just as a dirty communists. I know many see me as such over here. It always makes it difficult for me to speak and get listened to about anything vaguely related to politics.

[RedMarxist]

So you'll try to get authorization from the school to "occupy" your own school?
Sounds cool.

Jesus, Can I get a mod to change the title? I'm not "occupying the school" initially. We will hold meets authorized by the school to "discuss and combat" societal(school society) ills, create a system of true democracy free of fear(as anyone can speak their mind), and try to usher in total equality.

[RedMarxist]

I find this quite interesting. However I also think it will be difficult. I can imagine lots of students see you just as a dirty communists. I know many see me as such over here. It always makes it difficult for me to speak and get listened to about anything vaguely related to politics.

equality and freedom makes you a Communist? Why would they see me as such? at the very least I'd be viewed as a Socialist, but who cares? I think the issues I plan to discuss will really speak to people.

[pax et aequalitas]

equality and freedom makes you a Communist? Why would they see me as such? at the very least I'd be viewed as a Socialist, but who cares? I think the issues I plan to discuss will really speak to people.

Eh well, I dunno about you, but with me it is no secret what my political views are.

edit: And who care: Those who are brainwashed to see all commies and socialists as evil

[ВАЛТЕР]

I want to do all those things too. Its called "lets hold our meets once or twice every week after school."

Why is it not an effective way to raise consciousness, esp. now with what is going on nationwide/worldwide?

There are no free breakfasts/lunches for poor students. No backpacks in class. Rampant racism and homophobia, unjust administration rules, etc.

Speaking to individuals won't affect much. You may get through to one person, but doesn't it make more sense to get around to ALL students?

One thing that bothers me is rampant cynicism about changing high school. It can be done.

And no, I have heard of but have never seen The Trotsky. I heard it is a good movie though.

Well, if you really want to do this you are going to need the student council on your side. Along with all of the students who help the school organize assemblies and whatnot. Your first step should be to go through them, then when you've got their support you can then mobilize the student population.
However, getting the students to think about this in the grand scheme of things is going to be difficult. Unless this is a school with a student body that generally comes from a working class background it will be difficult to rally them. Not to mention the fact that much of the students fear being suspended over such actions.

I suggest you watch "The Trotsky" it's a pretty cool film.

[tir1944]

Ok,i see.
Well,good luck.

[RedMarxist]

This is why no one 'rises up against injustices.' They are ashamed of being Communists, so they hide in their little corner hope that people's opinion of Communism will change eventually.

I want to change that. I want to allow ALL students to speak their mind. For All Students, from illegal immigrants the middle classes, to have a voice in school policy and issues affecting everyone.

I will really attempt to do this. I have never been a believer in backing down.

Well, time for my parents to give me the "no one cares" speech

UPDATE: My school has a huge income disparity gap. "Illegal" immigrants, Inner city kids, etc. I think I can speak to them.

[AmericanCommie421]

I thought High Schools were already being occupied seven hours, five days a week.

[RedMarxist]

I have to get permission from my school, but I think if it does not come off as antagonistic and seems to serve the purpose of empowering/encouraging students than It will most likely be allowed.

If I don't do this, than I don't know who will. Are Communists not the most advanced section of the population, after all? Should it not be my goal to spread true democratic ideals and empower all students? To help people?

An experience I had with a good friend of mine(who is not here now because of those damned illegal immigration laws) made part of me want to do this for a year. If only they had a means, an outlet, to express themselves in a safe and encouraging environment. To challenge binding authority.

In short, I want to revolutionize my school.

No one should have to deal with homophobia, deportation, unfair school rules, and lack of democratic say in all of those things.

I want to change that. I'm making preparations right now to form the group by getting the principal's permission, have made a packet information sheet to pass out, and plan to meet soon.

EDIT: I will let you know if it is approved and will continue to make updates on the group's status

[Tim Cornelis]

I wish I had a reason to organise a school occupation and thereby get people active. (school occupation is much better than tolerated after school assembly, though American schools are much more strict than over here, so...).

[Lenina Rosenweg]

Thia could be a good idea. A lot might depend on what your school is like. What is the political awareness of your fellow students? Are there sympathetic teachers? Could you hold the event off campus? Could you get a speaker?

The Trotsky would be a good film to show, it could serve as an icebreaker to start discussion.

[RedMarxist]

One thing that this will allow me to do is do away with the dictatorial "vice president and president" model that most groups tend to rely on. This way everyone will have a purpose besides being good listeners/speakers.

the people's assembly will be organized as follows(from bottom to top):

The assembly body
^
The assembly speaker
^
The assembly organizers
^
the assembly "leader"(to be elected and serve same purpose of organizers only with some more authority)



What is the political awareness of your fellow students? Are there sympathetic teachers? Could you hold the event off campus? Could you get a speaker?

Political awareness. Dunno. Teachers. Some I know may help. Speaker. Everyone is a speaker in direct democracy.

[Rafiq]

I doubt schools will be run 'democratically'. Ever.

As a Child you shouldn't be campaigning blindly for changes in the School when the School is a direct reflection of the material surroundings.

What you should be doing is defending your "Class" interest as a child. That of which is directly the same interest as the proletariat as a whole.

[RedMarxist]

I'm fighting for class and changes in the school decision making process. I'm fighting for true democracy. I'm standing in solidarity with Occupy Wall Street as well as my own local occupy movement.

And I want to sweep the school by storm. They say 'children' are the future. They say it in referral to only economics. I say: Should not our children be defending democracy and trying to fight for what we believe in?

This goes beyond simply saying the pledge of allegiance and complaining about a few rules. This could be a bigger movement then you think.


EDIT: any pointers for spreading awareness of the group besides posters/or handouts?

[RedMarxist]

UPDATE: I was outright denied the ability to form the group. Either the principle thought it was the dumbest idea in the world, or he saw it as a threat.

I just said I sought to organize students around true democracy and discuss issues surrounding local, world, and school issues.

what should I do now comrades?

[Decolonize The Left]

I just thought of the worst idea. Look, before I began, I'm being serious here.


Ever since the occupy X City movement began nationwide, I've had this dumb idea that would most likely get me expelled/suspended.

To organize an "Occupy Your High School movement."


I thought about trying to get enough people to create a 'Student's Assembly'

I'm just sick of how the administration tramples over the students, as if 'they' know better. I wish to help jump start a true democratic experiment in the school.

To make the students, including me, truly free, if only for a time.

We could join in solidarity with our local occupy X city movement.

Again, I'm not trolling this forum.

to not disrupt classes, we could meet later in the day?

Maybe, to simply lessen the consequences, I could authorize the creation of a 'true democracy school group' with permission from the school?

A student assembly is a great idea.

You will need the following:
1) Massive student support. A petition is the idea here. If you can get enough signatures, you can get it started.
2) Teacher support. Many teachers will probably be on board if you insist that this is a peaceful thing. Get a separate petition for teachers and get as many to sign it as possible.
3) A statement of goals/plans. You want to be prepared. So have the statement of goals be on both petitions so people know what they're signing. The goals should be simple and straight-forward.

If you can get these three things, you'll get your assembly.

DO NOT introduce communist politics into the statement of goals. In fact, it's best to avoid the words 'communism/anarchism/revolution/leftism/etc..' all-together.

DO NOT try and organize a school occupation without first having established some sort of student group from which you can plan an occupation. If you just try and occupy the school your bound for suspension/expulsion. But if you're already organized, it will be harder for them to single you out and punish you as an example to others.

Good luck.

- August

[Nox]

Socialism in One High School

[tfb]

I urge you to commit yourself instead to Intramural Socialism.

[RedMarxist]

I badly want to do this. I guess I have to get a petition/resort to grassroots promotion(in the form of handouts), seeing as how I got denied the ability to from the group.

Obviously the principal did not take it seriously. He seemed to think it was some sort of joke-giving me a one line reply back telling me to join a different group "similar to it".

I'm pretty good with Gimp(its like Photoshop), so I could make some neat posters and petitions.

[thefinalmarch]

Socialism in One High School
I believe I already went over this in chit chat months ago.

I disagree with socialism in one high school, comrade -- the revolution must be exported to the wider school district, otherwise it faces the risks of stagnation and development of the bureaucracy.

[RedMarxist]

the revolution must be exported to the wider school district, otherwise it faces the risks of stagnation and development of the bureaucracy.

I guess it could be organized through Facebook then? Indeed, it would stagnate over time if it did not spread, in an eerie parallel to the USSR.

The only bureaucracy is the school system-and it must be smashed by the students.


A petition is the idea here. If you can get enough signatures, you can get it started.

Got the petition, now all I need is the signatures.

[tir1944]

inb4:school-purges

[RedMarxist]

inb4:school-purges

um, something like that... :confused:

Just curious, has anyone tried something similar to what I plan to do?

[thefinalmarch]

I guess it could be organized through Facebook then? Indeed, it would stagnate over time if it did not spread, in an eerie parallel to the USSR.

The only bureaucracy is the school system-and it must be smashed by the students.
haha, oh god. you thought I was being serious.

[RedMarxist]

No, I was actually joking. Oh God, you thought I was being serious. :)

[thefinalmarch]

No, I was actually joking. Oh God, you thought I was being serious. :)
to be fair, you are prone to adopting some really objectionable and generally silly views. it wouldn't have surprised me if you were speaking genuinely.

[GatesofLenin]

You watch "The Trotsky" one time too many?


Hehe, OP's idea came from that movie. :laugh:

[RedMarxist]

to be fair, you are prone to adopting some really objectionable and generally silly views. it wouldn't have surprised me if you were speaking genuinely.

I never saw The Trotsky.

So it's a bad idea? how so?

[ExUnoDisceOmnes]

Just give the administration the Robespierre treatment... problem solved

[Le Libérer]

You're right, it is a dumb idea.


Next.

Why do you think its a bad idea? One of the local colleges is successfully organizing one.

[RedMarxist]

Why do you think its a bad idea? One of the local colleges is successfully organizing one.

I don't think it is a completely bad idea-it will just be hard to get high school students to form one, that is all.

And plus I don't want to get expelled for doing a good thing for my fellow students.

My idea for tomorrow is to, in each of my classes, pass out my petition sheet/info sheet and try to get people to sign it.

If I get enough signatures, I can present it to the principal.

[GatesofLenin]

I never saw The Trotsky.

So it's a bad idea? how so?

You have to see it, it's basically your idea on a dvd!

[Nox]

inb4:school-purges

Yes! Send all the Counter-Revolutionaries to the Gulag! (detention)

[RedMarxist]

So should I go ahead with it?

[Binh]

^- Yes. Stuyvesant High School in NYC has a "99% club" not officially affiliated with OWS but they use the OWS initials and make creative slogans out of it so people get the hint. There are 20-40 kids regularly involved.

[NewLeft]

There were a few points that I suggested to a student union:
1. Make youth wages on par with adult wages.
2. Ban all uniforms.
3. Make the voting age 16.

[Aloysius]

I've had an idea that's almost similar to yours. There aren't any (high school)students' unions to protect students' rights in the US. The student governments don't do anything except organize the prom and hold silly-ass fundraisers for the grades, but all the money goes to the school and nothing happens.
I've been seeing a lot of bullshit in the school system around here, too. It's mostly teachers not, well, teaching, and not caring. There's also loads of discrimination, especially against African-Americans. when a teacher gets locked out of a room, it's always the black guy that gets sent to administration. I've thought about somehow radicalizing the school and forming a union, but it's a high school, and it's inhabited by apathetic assbags, so that's a no-go.

[Aloysius]

There were a few points that I suggested to a student union:
1. Make youth wages on par with adult wages.
2. Ban all uniforms.
3. Make the voting age 16.

1. I don't know about Canada, but the pay in the US is about the same, it's just that hours are reduced, as per the various Child Protection laws.

2. There's nothing wrong with uniforms, unless their really fucking expensive and some students' families cant afford them.

3. The 16-year-olds at my school are, well, 16-year-olds: uninformed.

[NewLeft]

1. I don't know about Canada, but the pay in the US is about the same, it's just that hours are reduced, as per the various Child Protection laws.

2. There's nothing wrong with uniforms, unless their really fucking expensive and some students' families cant afford them.

3. The 16-year-olds at my school are, well, 16-year-olds: uninformed.

The 'ban uniforms' suggestion was just thrown in there, but I do think that youth wages should be on par so being 'about the same' is not good enough. They abolished youth wages in New Zealand I think and there was no impact on employment...

When I was 16, I would say that I was pretty informed. It was the age when I started reading Marx, so I already had a good understanding..

[Ostrinski]

Just give the administration the Robespierre treatment... problem solvedThis.

But in all seriousness, this is silly. Who do you do you think you are? Some kind of messiah? This can't be done without widespread pre-existing consciousness among the students. You're not leading them to the promise land. How many posts are you going to make about your "vision to revolutionize" society, a vision wherein you always seem to place yourself at the center of.

[Chambered Word]

Why is everyone telling this guy it's a silly idea, I reckon it's great. My sister and her friends have been trying to arrange meetings on left-wing issues at their school and aim to set up a student union. I don't see why it's impossible for the OP to arrange a high school occupation, it's not like it's never been done before.


As a Child you shouldn't be campaigning blindly for changes in the School when the School is a direct reflection of the material surroundings.

What you should be doing is defending your "Class" interest as a child. That of which is directly the same interest as the proletariat as a whole.

How are high school students going to do that if you don't think they should occupy their schools?

[X5N]

Doesn't seem like a bad idea to me. Public (high) schools have some of the worst restrictions to freedom, all justified because schools supposedly need to teach social norms and such.

[The Dark Side of the Moon]

Great idea, except there are 2 communists in my school, and the other one is acting communist

[Misanthrope]

Deans(school disciplinarians) are pigs in their one right. They continually manipulate students emotionally and psychologically bully them. They get kids arrested daily and violate our civil rights. These assholes are parasites to the education system.

Good luck OP.

[Art Vandelay]

Deans(school disciplinarians) are pigs in their one right. They continually manipulate students emotionally and psychologically bully them. They get kids arrested daily and violate our civil rights. These assholes are parasites to the education system.

Good luck OP.

OP is banned.

[The Garbage Disposal Unit]

OP is banned? Hillarity. I missed RevLeft.
ANYWHOM.
I think if there's a lesson to be learned from the limit of the first wave of park occupations, it's that we should focus on taking spaces that have some greater strategic use. In the case of occupying a high school, I think it makes sense to take over a space that offers some sort of resource - a room with a photocopier, a woodshop, a cafeteria - something that could then be put to use broadening social struggle (by putting out a newspaper, redistributing food, building . . . uh . . . materials). This also creates a basis for broader participation - by having a concrete goal (make 10000 copies before getting chased out, distribute 500 pizza slices, whatever), people are able to participate at some level beyond being-bodies-in-a-space, and thereby, experience the thrill of concrete activity (which is the best way, imho, of begining to create revolutionary consciousness).

[marl]

I'd like to do something similar but there's 0 consciousness in a petite-bourgeoisie suburbia like mine. There's one communist in my grade, an anti-Zionist left-wing Jew and a progressive left guy, but they wouldn't dare do shit. I already got suspended for putting up a 'freedom to Palestine' note and defacing an Israeli flag, so any idea of mine would be shot down. A Left-wing and liberal center-left (urgh) club would go nowhere.

[El Louton]

What are you campaigning for?

[Binh]

A Left-wing and liberal center-left (urgh) club would go nowhere.

You know the Viet Nam anti-war movement started out by asking State Department officials mild questions at college campuses about U.S. policy in 1965 right?

[marl]

You know the Viet Nam anti-war movement started out by asking State Department officials mild questions at college campuses about U.S. policy in 1965 right?

Believe me, my town is unwinnable. Imagine every stereotype about rich White people and suburbs, now imagine it's true.