Have you heard about the “National Day of Action to Reclaim the Promise of Public Education” on December 9th? Here in Boston, there will be a town hall meeting hosted by students, families, educators, labor and community members. This is part of a national event and is evidence of the growing voice of resistance to the current trends of corporate-driven education reform. From the press release:”On December 9th parents, students, educators and community leaders across the country will raise their hands and demand more for America’s children. On the National Day of Action: Raise Your Hand for our Schools and our Solutions communities will demand that those who know students best devise and implement community-driven solutions to tackle the opportunity gaps in American education.
The day of action is an outgrowth of ongoing collaboration among the National Education Association, the American Federation of Teachers, and several key community partners to mobilize support for public education, pushing back against the corporate takeover of our public schools and lifting up the voices of practitioners and communities about what is best for our students.
Together, the groups have developed “The Principles that Unite Us” ( PDF, 898 KB, 4 pgs.)—a common vision for public education. It stands in sharp contrast to the corporate agenda for public schools, market driven reform that attempts to impose a system of winners and losers. More than 100 community groups and unions ( PDF, 23 KB, 1 pg.) have already endorsed the principles.
The National Day of Action—coordinated public actions organized by community and union partners in cities across the country— will be followed by multicity and multistate campaigns and larger actions in the spring.”
On the Education Votes website, there is a toolkit for organizing, and many other resources. This day of action is just a week away – and an excellent chance to join in local actions that are connected to a national movement. Education Votes says:
- We are saying YES to teaching kids to be critical thinkers; NO to teaching them to fill bubble tests.
- We are saying YES to reducing class sizes; NO to cutting school budgets and allowing kids to fall through the cracks.
- We are saying YES to investing in our children’s future; NO to corporate tax breaks and underfunded schools.
- We are saying YES to ensuring every child has a quality teacher; NO to replacing teachers with computer screens and ESPs with private companies.
Find out how you can get involved – and for more information about the Day of Action, check out Education Votes.