All Is Good Here: Quick News Flash

What's not to like? It's hard to find anything wrong with this news item - there's just too much that's right. As per today's New York Times: New York City Prosecutor Using Millions Taken From Banks for Rape-Kit Testing The crib sheet on this one: Apparently Cyrus R. Vance, the Manhattan district attorney, is sitting on millions of dollars available for, well, worthy stuff. About $800 million. The money came from settlements with large banks when they violated US laws. Think HSBC, Standard Chartered, BNP Paribas. The cases are brought in NY, but they're banks with national and international reach.…

  • Post category:MusingsWomenWriting
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Alpha Montessori Update

It was a total delight to visit Alpha Montessori this past April. The first class of nine students just graduated in an emotional and inspiring ceremony. (See photos below or watch the ceremony here.) Many of these children started in the very early days of the school when Alpha Montessori was not much more than a concept, a vision of what education could bring. Yet all have now been accepted into English medium upper schools, a fantastic accomplishment. They are stunning examples of how confident, competent, self-directed, and articulate Montessori children can become, regardless of background. The students presented individually chosen and…

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High School Graduation Circa 2015

For the record, I am a big fan of alternative education programs. I’m opposed to the thrust and consequences of both No Child Left Behind and Race to the Top, especially their emphases on extensive standardized testing and connecting teacher assessments to student test scores. The Montessorian in me fully recognizes that all students learn differently, that there are many paths to success, and that there are multiple measures of knowledge. I want to see students encouraged to develop individual strengths and not penalized by failure on narrow, inappropriate skill assessments. But are there limits here, folks? Are there NO…

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End Campus Rape

Annie E. Clark and Andrea Pino are the inspiring forces behind the Department of Education's investigation into over 55 US colleges and universities for violations of Title IX, which bans discrimination based on gender in schools receiving federal funds. The schools are being investigated for their handling - mishandling? - of rape cases on campus. Clark and Pino are also featured in the excellent documentary, The Hunting Ground, and founders of endcampusrape.com. If you can see the movie anywhere, go. You will think differently about colleges, campus security, fraternities, and college athletics as well. And you'll feel inspired by what…

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WSLR Interview

Redressing gender imbalances, life in India, CEDAW, the making of the play SPOILED, and many other topics were covered on the WSLR program "On the Red Couch." Listen here. Rachel and I would love to know your thoughts. Contact me at scott@elizabethscottosborne.com or Rachel through On the Red Couch.  

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La Violencia – Justice in Guatemala?

  The civil war in Guatemala officially ended in 1996, but like many deeply rooted disputes about power, land, and control, this one seems not to have really ended. Reconciliation, justice, and reparations are slow to come, and a violent life is still the norm for many in Guatemala. At the always-wonderful Through Women's Eyes Film Festival in Sarasota this weekend I saw La Violencia, directed by Til Frohlich and Pia Janning, a documentary about the toll of the civil war on the Mayans of Guatemala. Many women bravely spoke up uring the trial of former dictator Efraín Ríos Montt. They detailed…

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News Flash!

SPOILED on Screen   A video of SPOILED will be shown TONIGHT - Friday, March 6 - in New York at the International Conference on Masculinities. We are thrilled to be a part of this large gathering of social scientists, policy makers, practitioners, researchers, and activists, all working together to enhance gender justice. Here's some of the info from our program to put the performance in context. Violence, Masculinity, and the Making of SPOILED All the stories in SPOILED are based on recent incidents in India and the USA. Two girls, living in a home with no toilet, were raped and…

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SPOILED – Staged Performances

Thanks to the wonderful support from many colleagues, family, and friends, SPOILED will be on the stage in workshop performances In New York this February. We received great comments at the reading this month and rehearsals are beginning now. Will you be in New York on February 15, 16, or 17? Come to Stage Left Studio! Tickets for the February shows can be purchased through Stage Left Studio, here: Tickets: SPOILED Still interested in supporting the play - and the cause - but can't make it to the show? We need donations NOW to bring SPOILED to conferences later this spring. We…

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SPOILED: Backer’s Reading January 14

SPOILED, the theatrical performance I've been working on for over a year, is on the way to the stage.  Read on and please, help us produce this work! Performance and Tax-deductible Donations: See Stage Left Studio (Contributions to Cheryl King, our Producer. Note "Spoiled" in the Artist line.) The issue: We know that rigid gender roles contribute greatly to violence against women. But we’ve found that rigid and distorted gender roles really damage both sexes – so we need to understand and involve men in conversations about the roots of this violence. By looking at events in the world’s two…

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A Mighty Girl

      Does A Mighty Girl (www.amightygirl.com) really have the world's largest collection of books, toys, music, and movies for "smart, confident, and courageous girls"? Well, I can't prove that 'world' claim, but it's the best compilation I've seen in a long, long time. For those of you who go nuts at the still prevalent stereotypical female roles in movies and wonder why entirely pink aisles in toy stores persist or wish there were more books about girls doing interesting things - and not just forced pedantic bios of Marie Curie - this website is a godsend. In addition to all those books, toys,…

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