Project Description
New Jersey Students Boycott Christie Education Policies, November 4, 2013
New Jersey youth expressed their distress over Governor Christie’s education policies months ago, and once again, the Monday before the polls open on Tuesday, November 5th Newark, New Jersey students will speak.
Protest Christie’s Control Of Newark Public Schools
Unable to Vote, Newark Students to Rally Against Chris Christie’s Public Education Record the Day Before Gubernatorial Election
Newark, NJ- The Newark Students Union (NSU), who organized the massive 1,000 student walkout in April, is planning a mass boycott of school to demand local control over Newark Public Schools, safer conditions in schools, greater funding, the power to enact local education policies and other issues public school students believe Gov. Chris Christie has failed to address.
The NSU has already launched a promotional video highlighting Christie’s record on public education in Newark, drawing specific attention to the “puppets” he has appointed to lead his efforts.
WHAT: Boycott & Rally to Protest Governor Christie’s Control of Newark Public Schools
WHEN: November 4th, 2013 at 9:00 AM
WHERE: 30 Clinton St., Newark, NJ
“The boycott and protest will demonstrate that the youth in Newark Public Schools care deeply about our education”, says Luis Marquez, a senior and active member of the Newark Students Union. “We’re putting our hormones to use and we’re rebelling against the politicians that don’t care about us — specifically Chris Christie who taunted public school advocates a few months ago by boasting that he ‘doesn’t care what the community thinks.'”
“The education of Newark’s students directly affects the future of the city. Superintendent Cami Anderson, Governor Christie’s state appointed superintendent, is purposely ignoring the cries echoing across the city, thus condemning Newark into a cycle of ignorance and poverty. If the government won’t support its own students, then together we’ll take the fate of NPS into our own hands,” says Davian Rodriguez, a senior at Science Park High School.
“Students of the Newark Public Schools stand together and speak in a clear voice. These students deserve a seat at the table in the decisions that shape our future”, says Josephine Stewart, a grandparent of an NPS student. “This should not be condemned in Trenton, boardrooms, corporate headquarters, or by so called reformers. It should be determined in the kitchens, living rooms, and communities in which we live. Nineteen years of Democratic and Republican meddling from Trenton is far too much. Students are not corporate playthings and they deserve the respect afforded to the rest of the citizens in our state.”
Newark Students Union
NJ Communities United