Wow! National Day of Action to Reclaim the Promise

Yesterday’s National Day of Action was the largest coordinated action to reclaim the promise of public education in recent memory. Parents, teachers, students and community members took part in the Day of Action because they know that the market-based ideologies of privatization, austerity, division and competition are failing our children. They want to reclaim our schools and improve public education for all.

And yesterday’s Day of Action was truly nationwide. Thousands participated in over 100 events across the country, and hundreds of thousands more showed their support online.

The numbers don’t lie. Share this infographic from yesterday’s day of action on your Facebook page.

Communities from coast to coast are experiencing injustices in public education that have become all too common—scarce funding and resources, deep-rooted inequities, hyper-testing, school closings and lack of local control. But while ALEC (the American Legislative Exchange Council) and others are trying to diminish public education, parents, teachers, students and community groups are taking their schools back.

We couldn’t have done it without you. Share the Day of Action highlights with your social networks!

Yesterday, thousands of you called upon your leaders to listen to those closest to the classroom about what’s best for our children. While we agree on the overall goal to prepare students for life, career and college, we also must be clear that the market-based approach has failed. We need a new path paved with early childhood education, project-based learning, wraparound services, teacher autonomy, professional development, parent and student voices, fair funding formulas and more.

Yesterday was just the start. We must reclaim the promise of public education. Start by sharing highlights from the Day of Action with your social networks and ask them to join us in this movement.

In unity.
Kris Havens
AFT Assistant to the President for Special Projects

Our public schools represent our nation’s commitment to helping all children dream their dreams and achieve them. A high-quality public education for all children is an economic necessity, an anchor of democracy, a moral imperative and a fundamental civil right, without which none of our other rights can be fully realized.

I will reclaim the promise of public education —not as it is today or as it was in the past, but as we imagine it for our children—to fulfill our collective obligation to help all children succeed.

I will reclaim the promise to fight for neighborhood public schools that are safe, welcoming places for teaching and learning.

I will reclaim the promise to ensure that teachers and school staff are well-prepared, are supported, have small class sizes, and have time to collaborate so they can meet the individual needs of every child.

I will reclaim the promise to make sure our children have an engaging curriculum that includes art, music and physical education.

I will reclaim the promise to ensure that children have access to wraparound services to meet their emotional, social and health needs.

I will reclaim the promise of public education for all children.