Our Schools, We Decide
• No State Takeover! Education is a Right!
Our Schools, We Decide
No State Takeover! Education is a Right!
A militant protest was held in front of Bennett High School March 26 demanding that there be no state takeover of schools and that the government uphold its responsibility to provide the equal right to education for all. Teachers, students, staff, parents and community organizers stood together to affirm the public’s right to decide matters of education. Whose Schools? Our Schools, Who Decides? We Decide! was heard throughout the action as people stood firm against efforts by Governor Cuomo to eliminate local governance of the public schools. Parents and teachers from the suburbs joined those from Buffalo in demanding No State Takeover! Public Control of Public Schools!
The action was held at Bennett to reaffirm the stand of the public to defend the Bennett redesign plan and continue demanding that it be implemented. Development of the plan involved teachers, staff, parents, students, alumni and the public in general and reflected the public demand for similar efforts on all matters of education.
The action was organized by a group of Buffalo teachers from various schools who are fighting to increase democracy by extending and expanding the role of the public. This was evident in the press conference held inside Bennett. Teachers and parents spoke, from Buffalo and the suburbs. Those from Bennett had their place, as did union representatives and Dr. Nevergold from the school board. Students were present in sizeable numbers and vocal through out the action. Various speakers emphasized that Cuomo’s plans have nothing to do with raising the quality of education but rather with removing the public from governance and turning education into a private business serving private interests. The stand of participants instead was to loudly affirm, Education is a Right! Our Schools, We Decide!
Teachers also spoke out against the state standardized tests coming up in April, joining parents in urging all to Refuse the Tests! Doing so is a way to reject efforts by Cuomo to marginalize and intimidate parents and teachers a like. It is a means to affirm the public right to decide and reject the testing regime as anti-education and harmful to students. The public, as seen in Ken-Ton, West Seneca and Buffalo has made clear that they oppose the Common Core testing regime and increasing the numbers who refuse is another means to say, We Decide!
The hundreds present at the action made clear that whatever decision is taken by Cuomo and the legislature, organizing to strengthen the unity and fighting actions of the public demanding their right to decide will continue. One form organizing is taking is on-going pickets at schools in Buffalo and the region. Another is the work to expand efforts to Refuse the Tests. A third is strengthening organizing among the students through efforts to build a student union. A fourth is continuing to speak out and defend the equal right to education for all at school board meetings. A fifth is initial discussions for a joint project over the summer for developing our own school, with our own alternative for curriculum, teaching, assessment — where we all learn together through collective work and organizing based on the content, We Decide! Everyone is urged to join in and make your contribution.
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