SCAP SAT Tutoring In Full Effect!

Now that school's back in session students and parents have the SAT test back on their minds.

This year the SAT scores are more vital than they ever have been for students, especially those that don't have tons of money to cover college. Due to cuts in the HOPE scholarship students must now not only maintain a 3.7 GPA, they must score at least 1200 (combined verbal and math) on the SAT. SAT tutoring usually costs around $500. Youth through SCAP get it for free!


How do we provide this service? Well in a sense, you do it. Unpaid volunteers looking to step up for their communities provide this service, and we're always in need of folks that have a few hours to donate to this cause on Monday nights. Have you ever done tutoring for youth? Did you recently ace the SAT? Are you a teacher?

If you think you might be able to help us make this service continue to happen please contact Dell MacLean at delldot@gmail.com

Tim Franzen
American Friends Service Committee

SAT Tutoring In Full Swing, Can You Help?

In the midst of what seems to be the most radical defunding of public education in the history of Georgia, Dell MacLean suggested that Student Career Alternatives Program consider providing free SAT tutoring classes to students that couldn't afford the typical $500 SAT courses.

When everyone supported the idea Dell went beyond simply suggesting it and organized it. For the past few months we've been provided free SAT tutoring sessions to a dozen high school students from around the metro area. This past Saturday students participated in our first mock SAT test. While it's clear that all of the students that come out for our tutoring sessions are extremely bright, the SAT test has proven to be a real challenge. Not one student cracked a 1200 score.

For those of you that don't know 1200 is the new score requirement for eligibility for the HOPE scholarship. Now we already know that the SAT test is culturally bias, we know that only 2.7 percent of African Americans and 5.7 percent of Mexican Americans score a 1200 on the SAT test(as compared to 21.5 percent of whites).

Clearly the public education system in our state is, by design, more unjust than it's been in decades.

What can we do about it?

We obviously can't provide free SAT tutoring to everyone in the state that can't afford it. It's taken a ton of work just to start with a dozen. What we need is real reforms, a real revolution of values, a shift in spending priorities. Providing free SAT tutoring sessions to Atlanta youth might seem like such a drop in the bucket, but it means so much more to the students and parents that are receiving the sessions.

The direct services we've been providing to students and parents has also been another opportunity to start conversations with folks in the community about budget priorities. It's been, at times, a chance to not only share a vision of a more just education system but to share a vision on ways to get there.

We need help.

Right now we're in need of human and financial resources to keep the classes going. We need folks that are willing and able to provide SAT tutoring once a week. We also could really use some help in purchasing material for the session. Services like these are only possible if folks from the community step up and help us make them happen. Will you help us?


Tim Franzen
American Friends Service Committee
tfranzen@afsc.org

Take Action to Save HOPE!!!

This weekend is a crucial period for Georgia as a bill that would deliver massive blows to Georgia's public education system is going to be voted on in the senate. It has already passed in the House and passed through the Senate Higher Education Committee--it will most likely be voted on on Tuesday. We're calling on all Georgia residents to make a quick phone call to their state senator. This bill has been rushing through the legislature, and it's critical that the members of this committee hear the voices of the public as they consider which path to take.

This bill signifies the beginning of the end of the HOPE scholarship. The only people receiving full HOPE aid will be those who graduate from high school with at least a 3.7 GPA and 1200 SAT score. These changes would push tons of young people out of public colleges, particularly students of color and students from low income families. Our office has fielded dozens of calls, countless emails, and several personal visits for students and parents who will be priced out of an education if this bill passes.

CAN YOU HELP SAVE HOPE?

We need you to call your state senator and ask them to vote NO. To find your senator's contact info, you can go to congress.org and type your zip code into the box on the right. (If necessary, you can then enter your full address if there multiple senators for your zip code). If you click on the senator's name, you will see a tab that says "contact": this will have their phone number. Take a few minutes to call. All the talking points you need are included below.

An idea of what to say:
"Hi my name is ______________. I'm a constituent of Senator _______, and I'm a __________ (worker, student, parent, etc). I'm calling in opposition to HB 326, the bill to cut funds for the HOPE scholarship. This bill will price out working families who are already struggling. Students and young people did not cause the financial crisis, and they should not have to pay for it."

JOIN US AT THE CAPITOL
http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=171317916250013
Please also come to the press conference on Monday, March 7, from 4:00pm - 6:00pm. It's a the Georgia State Capitol, in the Senate Mezzanine room (3rd Floor across from the Secretary of Senate office). Elementary, Middle, and High school students will speak out against the defunding of their future, will you stand with them? We are delivering the failing report cards that people from all over the state have signed. Georgians demand that the legislature bring its grades up this legislative session by addressing the following demands:

1. Recognize that education is a human right.
2. No more fee hikes, tuition hikes, or budget cuts!
3. Reassess Georgia's budget priorities.
4. No more furloughs or layoffs!
5. Take local action for better education!

This is a crisis of priority, not resources. Several alternative solutions have been purposed but the Governor, and others in his party, seem dead-set on making public education the first thing on the chopping block.

When they need money for corporate welfare, war, new prisons, or wall street bailouts it always rains cash. Why is it that education and other programs of social uplift are always the first to have their budgets cut?

After the press conference there will be a candlelight vigil outside the capitol until 12am.

If you have any questions please feel free to contact Dell MacLean 404-939-7699 or Tim Franzen 404-414-5521.

Police Harassment of Food Not Bombs in Hurt Park

Georgia State University police told Food Not Bombs members that they were not allowed to serve food in Hurt Park.

Food Not Bombs, a group that says food is a human right, was serving a free meal in Hurt park on Wednesday, August 18 when a police officer ordered a nearby man to leave the park because he was lying down. Copwatch members who were present began filming the incident and followed the police officer and the man onto the sidewalk. The officer ordered copwatchers to go back into the park about 40 feet away, threatening to charge them with "obstruction", while other passers by were allowed to walk right by the officer. Soon, more officers arrived and began talking to the man who was being kicked out of the park.

When the cops were done speaking to the man, they came up to copwatchers and began questioning them about the Food Not Bombs meal. The police claimed that it is illegal to serve food in the park and demanded to see a permit. The police threatened to throw away FNB's food and dishes if the group did not leave the park. The meal was almost over anyway, so FNB members decided among themselves to take their supplies and leave.

Some speculated that the police attention on Food Not Bombs was retribution for the monitoring by Copwatch. According to Vincent Castillenti, the Copwatch cameraperson, "I don't think that they would have been concerned with Food Not Bombs if it hadn't been for us filming them."

This incident is not isolated; it comes in the midst of a campaign by the city to make the downtown area hostile to the homeless in an attempt to drive them away. Homeless people who frequent Hurt Park say that police harassment is a common event there. In 2000, Food Not Bombs won a lawsuit against the city after the group was prevented from serving serving food in public parks.

Food Not Bombs is likely to face harassment again from these and other police. As the GSU school year begins, police are likely to start cracking down on the homeless. Food Not Bombs is requesting that people come to Hurt Park on upcoming Wednesdays at 5:00 pm to partake of the meal and to bear witness if further harassment occurs.


For more information on what Copwatch is visit:
copwatchoea.org


Dell MacLean
Guest Writer