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<P><FONT SIZE=2>Hi All,<BR>
<BR>
I hope everyone has had a fantastic, restful and revivifying weekend!<BR>
<BR>
I'm sorry Jim and I had to leave Friday's meeting early--I know we missed a great deal. I've gotten some reports, so it sounds like though it was a long and stressful meeting, it was ultimately pretty productive in moving things closer to some solidified--and very powerful--events on March 4th. As Arnie notes below, coalitions are always tricky since there are often so many different perspectives and strategies. That you all have come this far is incredible and I think that's what we should focus on for now. For the meeting after March 4th when it's time to debrief, Arnie's suggestion of a discussion about organizing and coalitional politics is a great one. <BR>
<BR>
Since this will be the LAST big meeting before the Day of Action, I proposed to the coordinating committee that for ONCE--just once--the education portion of the meeting be suspended. That way all the time can be spent on nailing everything down for the huge events taking place on March 4th. As faculty advisor, I want to make sure EFA's efforts are hugely successful and supported. This is an amazing coalition of groups and events and the issue at hand is the cuts to education and social services that are affecting everyone so tremendously. This is an impressive state-wide, student-driven event that should really start waking people up. I, for one, am fired up. And very invested in the success of these efforts.<BR>
<BR>
SO...in the interest of solidarity-building, I'm going to bring a bunch of food in on Friday so we can eat together and not let our blood sugar get so low. And I'm asking that the coordinating committee share the agenda with me ASAP so it can get out to you all early this week, and that it includes all the committees people signed up for so everyone can come to the meeting prepared to present what they worked on so the group can approve it. The committees need to either meet or be in email contact with each other to get their work done. This is especially important for the group working on speakers. From what I've seen, there are now way too many speakers for the Teach-Out, but it looks like a lot of the additions could be moved to the 4:30 rally at the Governor's office.<BR>
<BR>
Thank you everyone for your work. Only 11 more days until MARCH 4th!<BR>
<BR>
Kelly<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
-----Original Message-----<BR>
From: Arnie [<A HREF="mailto:arnieds@cox.net">mailto:arnieds@cox.net</A>]<BR>
Sent: Sat 2/20/2010 11:02 AM<BR>
To: educationforall@lists.aktivix.org<BR>
Subject: Re: [Educationforall] EDUCATION and the EFA proposed agendafor fridays meeting 12:00pm R-115<BR>
<BR>
Yeah, there was alot of tension surrounding the meeting, some I understood,<BR>
most went over my head. Maybe for the next meeting we can devote the<BR>
educational part to a discussion of general techniques of organizing a<BR>
democratic coalition, how to have a good meeting, the personal is political,<BR>
consensus decision making, Robert's Rules of Order, something that will give<BR>
us a chance to air some gripes in a way that seeks general solutions for the<BR>
future. Coalitions are always tricky because you end up standing together<BR>
with people you can't stand. And I kinda doubt the problems are going to<BR>
suddenly go away on March 5th, so we're stuck with each other, and need to<BR>
make the best of it.<BR>
In any case, let's get a draft of the next agenda now, so there are no last<BR>
minute surprises.<BR>
<BR>
Here's a Group Dynamics blurb I helped write for an activist drummers group<BR>
a few years ago:<BR>
<A HREF="http://puppetista.org/drums/dynamics.html">http://puppetista.org/drums/dynamics.html</A><BR>
<BR>
<BR>
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