A new education advocacy group FaithActs for Education, featuring supporters of charter schools and several local clergy members, kicked off its plan Monday to “educate, equip, and organize parents and citizens of this city around the shared belief that all children can succeed” at 11 a.m. at Cathedral of Faith, 2319 Fairfield Avenue. Mayor Bill Finch attended the event.
The organization’s Executive Director Jamilah Prince-Stewart recently worked at the Connecticut Coalition for Achievement Now, the education reform group focused on closing Connecticut’s achievement gap. ConnCAN has been a high-profile public education advocate pushing policies to further more school choice such as charter schools and classroom accountability.
“FaithAct for Education was created to help faith leaders and their congregations step outside their place of worship and advocate for improved educational opportunities for Bridgeport’s children,” according to event organizers.
Speakers will include
● Rev. William McCullough, Pastor, Russell Temple CME Church and Board Chair, FaithActs for Education
● Bishop John P. Diamond, Senior Pastor, Cathedral of Faith
● Rev. Janene Hawkins, Pastor, Walters Memorial A.M.E. Zion Church
● Rev. Carl McCluster, Pastor, Shiloh Baptist Church
● Rev. Cass Shaw, President & CEO, Council of Churches of Greater Bridgeport
● Rev. Jeremy L. Williams, Pastor, West End Tabernacle CME Church
● Parents and children
● Rev. Carl McCluster, Pastor, Shylock Baptist Church!
He’s a moneychanger!!!
These reform artists are relentless. Go away! And please, take Moales and McCluster with you.
Well, this has the mark of a sideshow exploitation of the already floundering Bridgeport Education System for the sole purpose of winning an election and nothing more. This flaccid strategy also bears the signature of that self-celebrated political strategy guru Kirk Wesley who undoubtedly teamed up with the FinchWood duo. Well it’s a good thing Wesley, FinchWood and Moales believe their own press because the rest of us are nonplussed.
Next shit show, please? This one is boring as all get out.
Will this group have more contracts for Wesley?
Lotsa churches got lotsa grass to mow. Not to mention the residential reach the names on this list bring. In a word, yes.
When our newest member of the BBOE testified before the SBOE in support of additional charter schools in April 2014, Ms. Stewart sat next to her and held her infant for her. She also pleaded with the SBOE to let Kadisha Coates speak because she had missed her speaking slot. This woman has repeatedly attended BBOE meetings with other ConnCAN staff, she has also been present at Families for Ex$ellent Shysters’ press events and rallies wearing their t-shirts. This group is clearly tied to ConnCAN and is a pro-charter school advocacy group. In checking the CT Secretary of the State’s website, she is listed as the “agent” for this organization on Fairfield Avenue with all correspondence to be sent to Commerce Park in Bridgeport.
Guest Speakers:
William McCullough–Governing Council of Dr. Perry’s new charter school located in Bridgeport.
Carl McCluster–Governing Council of Dr. Perry’s new charter school in Bridgeport.
Kenneth Moales–he is not listed as a speaker because of his campaign, but he is clearly a member and is also slated to serve on the Governing Council of Dr. Perry’s new charter school.
Just plain disgusting. Under the guise of these BULLSHIT religious artist. Just plain BULLSHIT. Taking advantage of the ignorant for sure. I’ll bet you will not find one Jew in these schools because their parents are not stupid enough to buy into this next wave of Bridgeport corruption. BULLSHIT religions and education and state just do not mix and just add layers and layers of thievery. Yup that pretty much covers it. Religion, education and politics do not mix. So just cut the shit already.
I sent Lennie a photo of these charlatans they recently took with Malloy. You will see Moales and Bishop Ricardo Griffith in the photo. Both were closely aligned with the disgraced and defunct FUSE that took over Dunbar School. In fact, Griffith’s wife worked for FUSE at Dunbar.
I took it from the Moales for State Senate Facebook page.
What happened to separation of church and state (my turn to ask)?
If these ‘reverends’ are so concerned about education, perhaps they should create parochial schools the way the Catholic parishes did for 100 years. Oh, they expect taxpayers to cover the cost. They have ‘bishops’ and ‘cathedrals.’ Don’t they have nuns?
Maria, thank you for educating us on these charlatans.
Ditto, Tom White!
I just heard from a reliable source Mayor Finch will be attending this press conference this morning.
Their office is listed as 285 Fairfield Avenue, which is the B-Hive. This is the same location Educators 4 Excellence utilizes. This group was created in NY by two former Teach for America recruits. It has significant donors including Bill Gates. In other words, charter school and privatization supporters.
If you recall, Families for Ex$ellent Shysters also utilized the B-Hive when they had that bogus petition drive this past summer where they mislead Bridgeport residents into signing their petition by indicating they were pro-Bridgeport public schools and never informed signers they were a pro-charter school organization.
Sounds like the B-Hive is the perfect location for everything involved in the “deform” movement.
Who are all these ministers, bishops and such who are listed in this article? Are they seminary graduates or are they ministers because they answered an ad on a matchbook?
Where the hell have they been all these years? Nowhere, that’s where! Now that there is potentially a lot of money on the table they are coming out of the woodwork. Charlatans, each and every one of them.
Linda Lambeck just tweeted they are now singing about Jesus at the press conference.
Mayor Finch shouts out acknowledgement that BBOE member Joe Larcheveque is present. Larcheveque’s son attends Park City Prep Charter School in Bridgeport. No other BPS or Charter School in Bridgeport underserves impoverished children more than this school does.
Linda Lambeck just tweeted Carl McCluster just mentioned Kevin Johnson. If you recall, Kevin Johnson is former NBA star and Mayor of Sacramento. He is the husband of Michelle Rhee who was the founder of Students First. He made an appearance here with Mayor Finch at Tisdale School in support of taking away our right to vote for our BBOE members even though his BBOE members in Sacramento were elected.
These charlatans contribute nothing to the taxes of Bridgeport. They have everything they can think of tax exempt but here they are trying to secure education money for their own betterment and not that of the kids. They can sing and praise Jesus all they want but they are still charlatans.
Linda Lambeck also tweeted that Jennifer Alexander, the $200,000 per year CEO of ConnCAN and Alex Johnston the former $200,000 per year of CEO of ConnCAN were in attendance.
What else needs to be said?