Reclaim Our Schools': Cities Rally Nationwide to Save Public Education

http://www.commondreams.org/news/2016/02/17/reclaim-our-schools-cities-rally-nationwide-save-public-education

Thousands of people are taking part in the first-ever nationwide "school walk-in" action on Wednesday, rallying at more than 800 public schools in 30 cities to protest budget cuts, state takeovers of education, and high-stakes standardized testing.

Walk-ins are expected to take place in at least 100 schools in Chicago alone, where the Chicago Teachers Union (CTU) is embroiled in tense negotiations with the district over fair contracts and budget cuts and is poised to hold a massive citywide strike in the coming weeks if a deal is not reached. Rallies are also expected to take place in Boston, Los Angeles, Milwaukee, Seattle, and San Diego, among other cities.

Teachers, students, and community members are gathering in front of their schools for half-hour rallies to picket, talk about the issues facing their schools, and share stories of how budget cuts have impacted them, and then "all walk in to their schools together." On Twitter, the actions are being updated under the hashtag #ReclaimOurSchools.

The movement is being organized by the Alliance to Reclaim Our Schools, a coalition that includes the American Federation of Teachers, the Journey for Justice Alliance, and the Center for Popular Democracy, among other organizations and unions.