Public education is a cornerstone of democracy. There is a permanent caste system if children are born into ignorance at the same time they are born into poverty. What follows is an invitation to an event this weekend to stand in solidarity with children and the people who teach them.
Save Texas Schools, a grassroots nonpartisan coalition of parents, teachers, students and community members is holding a march and rally at the state capitol on Saturday, March 24 from 11 am to 2 pm. We need you to help spread the word to parents and schools in your network. Our goal is to make sure that kids have what they need to succeed, and that they spend more time learning and less time testing. We’ll be focusing at the rally on getting people involved in upcoming elections, as well as making support for public schools a key issue for candidates.
Since last year, when the STS brought together almost 13,000 concerned Texans, we’ve seen $5.4 billion cut from our schools. Class sizes are bigger, important programs like pre-K and dropout prevention have been cut, and some districts are even closing schools. In our area, Hutto ISD is looking to charge students $100 each semester to ride a school bus. It is likely that schools will face another round of cuts in 2013 without our intervention, dropping us to the bottom nationally in what we invest in children. Many of the cuts are landing most severely on our lowest-income children and communities.
This is not about politics. This is about ensuring that millions of Texas children are given the opportunities they deserve.
Hopefully, you can join us on the 24th! Spread the word far and wide.
Sincerely,
Allen Weeks
Allen Weeks
Executive Director
Austin Voices For Education and Youth
512-653-4935
Visit us on Facebook at Save Texas Schools Rally