The Picket
Offensive for the Winter! (POW!)
At MACE, we do not like to see teachers languish, trying to teach in conditions which are not conducive to both teaching
and learning. We believe that you cannot have good learning conditions until you first have good teaching
conditions. These two are inextricably linked. You cannot have the former (good learning
conditions) until you first establish the latter (good teaching conditions). We believe that top-down,
heavy-handed management is counte-rproductive to the schooling process. Often times, administrators act
as if they have never heard of Abraham Maslow, Kurt Lewin, Carl Rogers, et al. Their management style is
simply ineffective, out-dated (years ago), and, quite frankly, often abusive toward not only teachers, but toward fellow human
beings.
When MACE feels, in its
collective opinion, that conditions exist at certain schools or in certain school systems (often, it is systemic to a school
district) that impedes the learning processes at that school or school system, then MACE feels compelled to shed light on
the conditions at a certain locations. MACE also feels compelled to warn its members to shy away from these
locations. Furthermore, if a school system or a local administrator fails to process a grievance filed
by a teacher within the parameters of the State grievance law (O.C.G.A. 20-2-989.5 et seq.),
then MACE feels that it has no choice but to picket concerning this matter. At MACE, we give the school
systems an offer that we feel they cannot refuse: Either process and conduct a grievance which is generally
held is rather private conditions or earn a very public picket. We think that this is only fair.
In the Fall, MACE picketed, for various reasons,
at the Central Office of the Atlanta Public Schools (mainly for the lackadaisical manner in which APS responded to the alleged
attack of both a student and her mother on a teacher); at the Central Office of the Gwinnett Public School System (for the
arrogance and heavy-handed management of Superintendent Alvin Wilbanks); at Dunbar Elementary School (APS); at Therrell High
School (APS); at Babb Middle School (Clayton County); at Therrell High School (APS); at Randolph Elementary School (Fulton
County); at Bryant Elementary School (Cobb County); and at Douglass High School (APS). Beginning The Picket
Offensive for the Winter (POW), MACE launched a picket at McNair Middle School (Fulton County). Next came
a picket at Grove Park Elementary School (APS).
Yesterday saw the MACE Picket
Squad in Downtown Griffin, Georgia in front of the Central Office for the Griffin-Spalding School System. There’s
probably never been that much excitement in Downtown Griffin since Wyomia Tyus (of Griffin) won several gold medals in track
at the 1964 Olympics in Track & Field. Police were swarming the place. Central Office
administrators were furious. The newspaper came as well as the radio station. Why the
big excite? The administrators were offended at the MACE signs, especially Dr. Trotter’s which read:
“Jesse [JesseBradley, the Superintendent]: Candy Ass? Afraid of the Grievance Law?”
As usual, with his tattered Constitution in hand, quoting Constitutional Law to the Police Officers along with a camera
and a video recorders in pickers hands, the Police backed down (even after having called for a Paddy Wagon). Dr.
Trotter observed: “It’s funny how the Police Officers get quiet as church mice when the media
arrives. Usually, they run like roaches when the light comes on.” Operation Angst
continued today in front of the DeKalb Central Office where the administration tried again to get lax about promptly processing
grievances. It was another very juicy picket with Crawford Lewis drawing the sting of the MACE Picket Squad.
This picket also caused much anguish and angst. Dr. Trotter stated: “We
live in a great country where people can lawfully engage in peaceful but confrontational protests against governmental bodies.
The bright line standard for this is the Bill of Rights. Georgia would not even ratify the U. S.
Constitution until the Bill of Rights was included. Darn good country we live in! The
Court is vigorous about protecting these basic rights, despite the fact that local school officials and police officers apparently
disdain these rights. May they would be better off moving to Russia.”
On the White Board at the MACE
Office, there are about fifteen (15) to twenty (20) school names for future pickets during the Winter. The
Winter months seem to be the time for many pickets. Perhaps it is the “winter of discontent.”
Hold on, teachers! MACE is coming! Pickets are generally very effective.
Every now and then, a principal or superintendent “learns dumber” (as we call it around the MACE Office).
Then, MACE has to crank it up…and pour it on! Besides the hundreds of weekly calls, hearings,
interventions, letters and rebuttals written for teachers, and grievances filed for teachers and the subsequent representations
for teachers in these hearings, perhaps the most popular service for MACE’s members are the pickets. Sometimes
in the steaming and scorching sun, sometimes in the blistering wintry winds, and sometimes even in the rain, the MACE Picket
Squad marches on. The teachers are happy. They feel vindicated. They
feel that their voices have finally been heard. POW! Here comes The Picket Offensive
for the Winter! It’s now steamrolling ahead! February 25, 2009.
MACE
Picket Causes Angst in Griffin...MACE Stands Firm!
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| Police trying to get Dr. T. off picket line. |
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| Police called for paddy wagon. |
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| A sight never scene in Griffin? |
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| More police vehicles showed up. |
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| "Superintendent Bradley Must Go!" |
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| Picket attracting attention. |
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| Superintendent Jessie Bradley in hard hat. |
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| Newspaper and radio come to picket. |
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Fulton's
McNair Middle School: "Taylor Must Go!"
Baptism
In Newton County!
MACE Pickets!
MACE Street.
Teacher Advocacy
To say that the MACE pickets are popular would be a tremendous understatement!
The MACE staff and friends cannot oblige all the requests for pickets and, because of the MACE
staff's busy schedule, must turn down many more than it can honor. Although pickets are a time-honored expression of
free speech protected by the U.S. Constitution, they are fairly unusual in today's society,
and they therefore cause quite a stir among each school's community when they are staged.
Why does MACE picket? MACE pickets when it feels that the teaching conditions
arre so egregious at the school that the quickest and most effective method -- after other attempts at resolution
have failed -- to bring about improvement is the dramatic exposure of the conditions at the school.
After past MACE pickets (some covered by television, radio, and newspapers), some administrators have been
transferred, one principal shortly retired, some have panicked
and/or cried, and many have "gotten religion" -- if only for a short while. The pickets
are effective and hugely popular among members; however, MACE will not be prostituted over pickets!
MACE will not accept any remuneration whatsoever for a picket. And, the MACE staff
members are not bellhops who will jumpt at any "demand" for a picket. MACE will entertain requests
and will listen to the rationale for the picket, but will not be coerced to picket.
It is
always fun for the MACE cavalry to picket! Teachers enjoy observing their administrators
when they are not in control. Some paranoid school systems nearly always send out the cops to drive MACE
away. The cops can do nothing to MACE because the U.S. Supreme Court has clearly
established that parks and sidewalks are category one free speech forums. In Grayned v. Rockford
(1972), Justice Thurgood Marshall, in the majority opinion, wrote that "(w)ithout interferring with
normal school activities, daytime picketing and handbilling on public grounds near a school can effectively publicize those
grievances." In 1997, the U.S. Supreme Court struck down floating
buffer zones around people entering and leaving abortion clinics. The Court wrote: "Leafletting and commenting
on matters of public concern are classic forms of speech that lie at the heart of the First
Amendment, and speech in public areas is at its most protected on public sidewalks, a prototypical example
of a traditional public forum" (Schenck et al. v. Pro-Choice Network of Western New York et al.,
1997).
Atlanta Public!
Click Here To See More Atlanta Pickets!
Another Atlanta Picket
Harper-Archer's
Frances Thompson Must Go!
Monster Picket
At Atlanta's Mays High: "Tyronne Smith Must Go!"
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| Tyronne Smith Must Go! |
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| Blue feelings at Mays High. |
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| Buses galore on Benjamin Mays Drive. |
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| "Hey Beverly Hall, do something about Mays High!" |
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"Hey
Superintendent Hall: Do Something About A. D. Williams!"
Mary Harris Must Go!
Clayton County!
Click Here To See More Clayton Pickets!
Hey Drill Sergeant Heatley: Pointe South Middle Has Some Issues!
Did MACE Picket Spoil Clayton Picnic?
Clayton County School Board: Dumber & Dumber!
Picks California "Reject" over Dr. Valya Lee and Dr. Sam King.
(Did They Meet Edmond Heatley At "Hotel California"?)
Cobb County!
Click Here To See More Cobb Pickets!
Day One At Cobbs's Hayes Intermediate School
Hey
Teressa Watson: What's Wrong With Creativity!
Day Two At Cobb's Hayes Intermediate School
MACE
Continues Picket In Rain Next Day!
Teressa Watson Must Go!
MACE's
Third Picket At Hayes Intermediate School In
Two Weeks!
DeKalb County!
Click Here To See More Dekalb Pickets!
This Time At
Dekalb's Towers High Skip
Nelloms Picketed Again!
MACE Pours It On DeKalb!
Dekalb Still Violates State Statute On Grievances
Hey, Crawford Lewis, Do Something About Flat Rock Elementary School.
Principal Shelton Wright Must Go!
MACE Pickets At DeKalb's
Bethune Middle!
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| Superintendent "Candy Ass" Lewis hates it when MACE shows up at the BOE! |
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| You don't even have to see the front of the signs to know about MLK's Principal Nelloms! |
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Fulton County!
Click Here To See More Fulton Pickets!
Brenda Cloud
Must Go! MACE Pickets
Clayton's Lake Ridge Elementary!
Parents Appear
To Be Unanimous in Support of Picket MACE Pickets Fulton's Randolph Elementary Again!
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| Randolph ES Teachers & Students Deserve Better! |
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| Christopher Askew and Deanna Rogers Must Go! |
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| "Smiley" Making His Stand! |
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| Superintendent Cindy Loe: Do Something! |
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Gretchen Thornton Must Go!
Confirmed Cases Of Swine Flu At College Park Elementary?
Fulton's Principal
Sara Glynn Loses Her Cool At MACE Picket Line!
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| At Randolph Elementary: "Glynn Must Go!" |
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| Bus windows reflect MACE picket signs. |
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| Principal Sara Glynn grabs picket sign...as well as Dr. Trotter's hand. |
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| Dr. Trotter is informing principal Glynn about the Constitution and law. |
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| Does the Fulton County School Board care about conditions in South Fulton? |
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| This MACE picket at Tri-Cities High stirred passions on heels of popular teacher's firing! |
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Ronald Taylor Must Go!
Principal Taylor Still Afraid Of MACE?
Greene County!
Click Here To See More Greene County Pickets!
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| "Deputy Dawg" Superintendent needs to go or needs to stop "dawging" teachers out! |
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| The MACE crew made a long trek from Atlanta to picket Carson MS Principal Askew! |
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Gwinnett County!
Click Here to See More Gwinnett Pickets!
MACE Pickets In
Gwinnett Again! Rockbridge's
Jones, Brown, and Kellum Must Go!
Shock
& Awe at Gwinnett's Trickum Middle School!
Second MACE Picket
Against Gwinnett's Alvin Wilbanks!
State's Most Arrogant Superintendent!
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| Wilbanks: Arrogant & Insensitve! |
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| WSB-TV Interviewing Dr. Trotter. |
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| Wilbanks Is A Joke! |
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| "Great" Gwinnett Not So "Great"! |
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| Thousands Saw This Picket! |
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| Aztech America TV Interviewing Rafael Garcia. |
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Henry County!
Click Here To See More Henry Pickets!
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| Henry County BOE administrators must be tired of having to deal with MACE at Austin Road MS! |
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| Kiss-up types show up for a MACE picket, but Principal Waldon won't attend formal hearing! |
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State of Georgia! Click Here
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| That's not the banjo player from "Deliverance" left of Norreese's head! It's an Ellijay reporter! |
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| MACE's appearance in Columbus created a tsunami of flashing red lights...to no avail! |
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