MONDAY’s Day of Action – a day when parents, students, educators and community leaders held events in more than 30 cities throughout America to support public schools – got an early start in Austin, Texas, last Friday with a rally outside the state Capitol building, said the National Education Association.
More than 300 supporters gathered together to hear speakers address the most pressing issues in Texas schools, including education equity and comprehensive immigration reform.
While the rally was mostly comprised of local supporters, many travelled from out of state to show their support.
‘I think it’s important for all of us to come and stand together,’ said Terri Jackson, a sixth grade teacher in California who joined the rally.
‘I know we’re here in Austin away from California, but these same issues about immigration, about voters’ rights, about great public schools, those are themes that are in California and across this nation.’
While the events across the country have many different causes – whether its smaller classrooms, high-stakes testing, or corporate ‘reform’ draining school budgets – activists all gathered behind the idea that providing great public schools is a civic duty and that reform strategies should come from the people who know our students best: parents, educators, community members and the students themselves.
Nick Mitchell, a medical student and activist, came out to show his support for the Day of Action.
‘I just know that public education is what got me where I am today, and it’s changed my life in a lot of really great ways. I just want people from the next generation and the next generation after that to have the same experiences and opportunities I had,’ said Mitchell last Friday.
‘Public education should be every single person’s concern.’
Sheridan Lagunas, a Texas DREAMer, attended last Friday’s rally to show support for students and families that are struggling with a broken immigration system.
Lagunas said: ‘For me, it’s very important to find a way to have a pathway to citizenship in order to secure protections for myself and my family and to stand alongside our educators who inspire us to pursue education and not fear our undocumented status.’
Lagunas also attributes much of his success to great public schools and encourages all Americans to support them.
‘Even now, not everybody has the same opportunities for access to higher education, but nearly everyone goes through public education. That’s where a lot of the dreams are instilled and that’s where the fear begins to slowly become erased and where the power to voice one’s self becomes inspired.’
Events on Monday, in cities from coast to coast, included:
In Des Moines, Iowa, parents, educators and community organisation were holding a coat drive for students in need. Arizona teacher and NEA President Dennis Van Roekel and many other leaders helped with the drive and discussed the need for equity in education funding.
In New Mexico, there was a multi-city bus tour, ‘Reclaim the Promise: Our Community’s Vision for Public Education.’ People were encouraged to sign a resolution developed from town halls where thousands of New Mexicans from different regions, backgrounds and cultures agreed on one common goal: see public education in New Mexico thrive.
In Milwaukee – home to the first voucher school programme where taxpayer money is taken from community schools and given to unaccountable, for-profit schools – parents and educators gathered for holiday caroling and delivered a giant holiday card to let elected leaders know it’s not too late to get off the naughty list and do what’s right for Milwaukee students by not supporting public school privatisation.
In Lake Charles, Louisiana, educators hosted a public forum, ‘Our Community, Our Schools.’ Five legislators were in attendance to listen to the concerns of parents, teachers and administrators from across Louisiana as they discussed the implementation of Common Core.
In Minneapolis/St. Paul, activists organised for school safety legislation to protect Minnesota students. Participants collected signatures in Minneapolis and St. Paul high schools to support a Safe Schools bill in 2014, and then they held a press conference with community groups calling on public officials and organisations to rally behind school safety.
The American Federation of Teachers called for mass support for the ‘National Day of Action to Reclaim the Promise of Public Education – Our Schools, Our Solutions.’
The AFT said: ‘Over the last year, community groups and teachers unions have taken unprecedented steps to forge an alliance to work together to reclaim the promise of public education as our nation’s gateway to democracy and racial and economic justice.
‘The National Day of Action on December 9th is our next step. Teachers, parents, students and communities have been facing unprecedented attacks on their public schools, jobs and civil rights.
‘These attacks raise fundamental questions: Will public education continue as a truly public institution that aspires to provide all students with an equal opportunity to learn?
‘Will the labour movement survive as a strong voice for economic justice? Teachers unions and community groups organising for educational justice are uniquely situated to help lead the fight for the future direction of our country.
‘But neither the union nor the community can win the battle alone. The promise lies in uniting as genuine partners to develop and organise around a shared vision for improving our schools and creating a more equitable society.
‘The National Day of Action builds upon the alliances that have been established over the last few years among union, community, youth and parent groups on a range of educational and social justice campaigns.
‘Examples of joint work include:
• Fighting back against school closings that adversely affect students of colour and their communities;
• Community support of the teachers’ strike in Chicago;
• Organising against the excessive use of standardized testing;
• Organising to ensure there are just laws to protect the rights of immigrants; and
• Organising community union town hall meetings in cities focused on developing grass-roots solutions for our struggling schools, involving more than 3,000 people and 60 community organisations.
‘Most recently, more than 100 community groups and teachers unions developed and endorsed a statement that articulates those principles, “The Principles that Unite Us”, our common vision for public education – a vision distinct from a corporate agenda that rests on a system of winners and losers.
‘Now, these partners are transforming the principles into the seeds of a national movement.
‘It begins on December 9th with our National Day of Action to Reclaim the Promise of Public Education: Our Schools, Our Solutions.
‘We will be saying YES to “The Principles that Unite Us”, and NO to the corporate agenda for our schools; YES to great neighbourhood public schools for all students, and NO to privatisation, school closings and overtesting of students.’
