On Blast

From several students point of view education is stil not equal. Othella stanback(freshman) and Shaniyra Curry-Scott(senior) from University high school were  interviewed on what they think of their classes. Many logical and emotional points were made and discussed .This piece was produced by KETURAH BAILEY  with help from Zakia Royster.

Tune in to On Blast every Wednesday from 6-7pm on WPEB 88.1FM in West Philadelphia!

A year and a half after our launch, On Blast is still going strong as the only youth-produced radio show in Philly that's focused on making positive changes in our public schools. Learn more about Philadelphia Student Union's youth-led campaigns at our website: www.phillystudentunion.org. Thanks for listening and subscribing!

This promo was created by Dylan Washington & Greg Jordan-Detamore.

On this month's show we hear a report from students' confrontation of Education Secretary Arne Duncan and Rev. Al Sharpton; an interview with long-time organizer Willie Baptist; a conversation with Heidi Ramirez of the Philadelphia School Reform Commission. We'll also hear a story about the history of coal miners' organizing and how it relates to students' struggle -- which was recorded while we were in West Virgina for a Leadership School. Plus, music and other news.

This show was hosted by Keturah Bailey & Dylan Washington, and produced by Dan Jones.

Azeem Hill's piece on "The Listening and Learning Tour" led by Arnie Duncan, Al Sharpton and Newt Gingrinch that kicked off in Philly. This happened on Tuesday, September 29th. The community and the students were concerned and wanted to talk about what national education reform should look like. The only time we got to talk to Arnie Duncan and Al Sharpton was when they were separated from the community by a gate. This piece tells the story.

Willie Baptist, a leader in the movement to end poverty, shares some of his experiences working with the Kensington Welfare Rights Union in Philadelphia. Much of the work that the KWRU did relied on its being a cross-racial movement, and Mr. Baptist explains how deep racial divisions are overcome when the focus is put on people's common struggles.

This piece was produced by Dan Jones.

This past summer students from the Philadelphia Student Union and other organizing groups went to West Virginia and participated in many workshops and took many trips. One trip in particular included a visit to Matewan, West Virginia which was a site for previous coal mining strikes. There, a man named Wes Harris explained the situation in which many coal miners of the time experienced, and in which some are still experiencing today. He also explained the need for unionizing, and the power it can bring.

This piece was edited by Matt Johnson & produced by Kimora Lamonte.

During BAYM (Building a Youth Movement), PSU's summer program, we had media training time where students were in several different media groups. Among other things, the groups interviewed different people, including Heidi Ramirez, a member of the Philadelphia School Reform Commission who recently announced her resignation. We talked about subjects such as teacher quality and the school district's strategic plan.

This is a short version that includes only some of the interview. For the rest, listen to the long version, soon to be published on this podcast.

This piece was produced by Gregory Jordan-Detamore.

This show has several segments, plus news headlines and music. One segment is from the B'more Fair in Baltimore, a march for the rights of workers in the Inner Harbor, organized by the United Workers Association. Another story is about the community struggle to keep William Penn High School from being closed. There is also a piece about how we are taught in school versus how we learn best. Finally, there is a segment (which includes Khalif Dobson's testimony from a School Reform Commission meeting) about the struggle to stop our schools from being privatized.

This show was hosted by Azeem, Amber, Simone, Matt, Cherelle, Candace & Dan.

In this piece, several PSU members were interviewed about how they learn best, and about how that is different from how they are taught in school. Their answers are very insightful, and clearly show why so many students dislike school and do not find it to be very educational. This piece also offers clues as to how we can improve things.

This piece was produced by Gregory Jordan-Detamore.

Months ago, when the school district first announced that it would be closing William Penn HS, almost no one doubted that that would be the case. However, thanks to the quick and effective organizing of the community around William Penn, the school is going to remain open and there is a new plan to turn it into a cutting edge career and technical school.

The building, located on Broad and Master Sts., is on prime real estate for developers, and there was a lot of pressure to close it so it could be put up for sale. However, the strong and organized messages put forth by the Committee to Revitalize William Penn made it clear that the district could not get away with ignoring the school's problems for decades and then saying that is was too much to fix.

Congratulations to everyone involved in the campaign to reinvest in William Penn High School!

This piece was narrated by Candace Carter and recorded by Dan Jones for On Blast Radio with the Philly Student Union.