What is a WAI?

The Working Action Issue is decided every year by the Youth Caucus at General Assembly. Youth work for the subsequent year to raise awareness on the Issue, ultimately with the aim of promoting it as a Study Action Issue at the next General Assembly.

The SWAT PoAT (pronounced “swat pot”), or Super Working Action Team Packet of Activist Tools, is a new resource for youth and youth allies who want to learn more about, or organize around, YRUU’s Working Action Issue, Education Reform and Multiculturalism. It includes resource lists, possible workshops you can put on in your youth group, information about YRUU’s social justice structure, and much, much more! Print it out, and share it with your friends, fellow students, and youth group members – be sure to tell us how you use it, and what you’d like us to add! Click here to download an electronic version (large download!) For a print copy, contact the Youth Office. You can also check out these web sites, which have material related to the WAI.

Why this WAI?

WHY EDUCATION REFORM???

• In 1995 the United States federal government spent $16 billion on education and over $20 billion on prisons.
• 39% of children in public education are children of color while only 11% of teachers are teachers are teachers of color. Source
• No Child Left Behind gives every student’s name, address, and GPA to the army, but if you get your name taken off that list, they won’t send your name to college either. Source
• 79.2% of seniors have had a military presenter in their classroom. Over 80% NEVER met with their counselor to discuss college requirements. Source
• 30% of your taxes go to the military while only 3% goes to education. Source
• Schools with 50% or more students of color are four times as likely to be overcrowded than schools with 5% or less students of color.
• On average students taking the sat will score an extra 30 points for every $10,000 in their parents income. Source
• 9 of the 10 states with the highest dropout rates used standardized tests in decisions about graduation. Source
• In texas, 25% of minority high school freshman are retained and 98% of those retained drop out before their senior year. Source
• 98% of schools in Virginia flunked the new SOL state test, Kirk Schroeder, president of the state board of education calls their testing program "a national model of excellence in measuring student achievement." Source
• Between 1990 and 1994, only seven states increased higher education spending while thirty-six states increased the share of spending on devoted to correctional programs. Source
• Despite what "english only" proponents say the overwhelming majority of scientific research studies clearly show that bilingual education is effective. In fact, not only do children in well-designed bilingual programs acquire academic English as well or better than children in English-Only programs (Willig, 1985; Cummins, 1989; Krashen, 1996; Greene, 1997) they do much better in academic content subjects such as Math and Science. Source

What Can I Do?

These are recommendations that the Continental Social Action Coordinator (C*SAC) and the Working Action Manager (WAM) have come up with for the Super Working Action Team (SWAT)... but these are things that anyone can do!

So you've heard some general information on the SWAT and social justice in YRUU. Now you're wondering, "What can I do? What specific things can I do to help the YRUU working action issue of Education Reform and Multiculturalism get moving?" Well, the AMAZING youth office and Working Action Manager have put together a super hot way of getting involved in this stuff:

Research the WAI

• Go to the Education Reform and Multiculturalism section of our amazing Social Justice Links page!
• get information at large for the United States and Canada dealing with Education Reform and Multiculturalism
• get information specific to your area dealing with Education Reform and Multiculturalism
• read books from book list-start a SWAT book club

Educate People on WAI

• have a "School Con"
• rite articles for Synapse
• make a zine
• make handouts for local community (UU and non-UU)
• talk to church board/give presentation to them
• make informational flyers/posters for GA
• lead workshops on local/district/continental level on:
• standardized testing
• sex ed
• bilingual education
• Gay/Straight Alliances
• panel discussions of students and educators
• alternative education
• home schooling
• unschooling
• active anti-racist education
• military budget v. educational budget
• school segregation
• affirmative action

Support the WAM

• go to YSJT
• find congregations to support WAI
• tell youth office about other WAI resources to put online
• go to GA
• talk to people about WAI at GA
• go to plenary

What Does the WAM Do?

(Note: If you have questions about some of the vocabulary or terminology used here, see these definitions.)

The Working Action Manager (WAM) is elected on odd-numbered years at General Assembly's Youth Caucus and serves a two-year term. She/he/ze is the primary person who works around the Working Action Issue (WAI), Education Reform and Multiculturalism. The WAM's job has three main components:

1. coordinating the Super Working Action Team (SWAT) and developing Super Working Action Team Packet of Activist Tools (SWAT PoATs)
   
2. helping to organize the annual YRUU Social Justice Conference and
   
3. trying to pass the YRUU WAI as a Study Action Issue (SAI) at General Assembly.

Other important but less key parts of hir job are that she/he/ze attends Youth Council as a social justice representative (along with the C*SAC) and is also on GA Youth Caucus Staff. The WAM consistently networks with UU social justice organizations and non-UU organizations related to the WAI. Moreover, the WAM is in continuous communication with the C*SAC on how to make YRUU's social justice structures more effective and accountable. In the current structure of the Youth Office the WAM works primarily with the June YPS.

Youth Council Resolutions related to the WAM are:

• Making Education Reform and Multiculturalism the Long-Term Working Action Issue of YRUU (YC 2004)
  
• Resolution to Restructure the YRUU Social Justice Conference (YC 2001)
  
• Resolution to Create Cohesive Social Justice Structures in YRUU (YC 2000)

For more information contact the Youth Office.