The movement is growing.
Please be a part of it.
We invite you to join us and tens of thousands of educators, students, parents and community allies on Wednesday, May 4, as we mobilize across the country for the Public Schools All Our Students Deserve.
You don’t need us to tell you that our union and public education have been attacked and attacked. The Alliance to Reclaim Our Schools (AROS) is a forward-facing fight-back movement, linking together parents, students, educators, school staff and community members in dozens of cities across the country.
On May 4, we expect to have more than 50 cities participate in the walk-ins and other public actions to demonstrate support for high-quality public schools for ALL students, no matter their ZIP code, the color of their skin or their family’s income.
Will you join us and help build the movement for educational justice?
Our goal for May 4 is to show educators, parents and students, together, walking in to reclaim our schools and advocate for the public education all children deserve.
Together we will gather in front of our schools and engage the community in dialogue. And then, we will all walk in together. For more information on the walk-ins, click here.
The walk-in is a positive action that shows we’re ready to fight for our schools and our communities. Walk-ins build solidarity among our members; they will feel the power of collective action without risking retaliation, and they’ll feel the support of the community standing beside them. Walk-ins build relationships. Walk-ins build power. Walk-ins build hope.
Show your solidarity. Join us for the May 4 walk-ins.
Each city will have its own local focus too. In Los Angeles, people are fighting for sustainable community schools and against the attempt by billionaires to take over and charter 50 percent of their schools. In Boston, they’re advocating for adequate and equitable funding for their schools and opposing charter expansion that will drain money from public schools. In your city, your local and community partners will tailor your walk-in to the issue that is right for you.
AROS is not stopping after May 4. It will continue to organize, including an even larger, nationally coordinated mobilization in late September/early October to ensure our vision for public education is part of the 2016 election season. Stay tuned for information.
At this moment in history, it is our duty to fight back against privatizing our schools and our profession, but we must also fight forward for the Public Schools All Our Students Deserve.
For more information about the May 4 walk-ins, click here. Or contact Eric Zachary, director of the AFT human rights and community relations department, at ezachary@aft.org, or go to www.reclaimourschools.org.
In solidarity,
Randi Weingarten
AFT President
Lorretta Johnson
AFT Secretary-Treasurer
Mary Cathryn Ricker
AFT Executive Vice President
Affiliate Leaders:
AFT Connecticut, Jan Hochadel, President
AFT Massachusetts, Tom Gosnell, President
AFT Michigan, David Hecker, President
AFT Pennsylvania, Ted Kirsch, President
AFT New Mexico, Stephanie Ly, President
St. Lucie Classroom Teachers Association, Vicki Carr-Rodriguez, President
Albuquerque Educational Assistants Association, Kathy Chavez, President
Albuquerque Teachers Federation, Ellen Bernstein, President
Alliance/AFT, Rena Honea, President
Bloomington Federation of Teachers (MN), Wendy Marczak, President
Boston Teachers Union, Richard Stutman, President
California Federation of Teachers, Josh Pechthalt, President
Cincinnati Federation of Teachers, Julie Sellers, President
Corpus Christi AFT, Nancy Vera, President
State Vocational Federation of Teachers (CT), Ed Leavy, President
Chicago Teachers Union, Karen Lewis, President
Detroit Association of Educational Office Employees, Ruby Newbold, President
Detroit Federation of Paraprofessionals, Donna Jackson, President
Detroit Federation of Teachers, Ivy Bailey, Acting President
Education Minnesota, Denise Specht, President
Eastern Michigan University Federation of Teachers, Lisa Laverty, President
Houston Federation of Teachers, Zeph Capo, President
Illinois Federation of Teachers, Dan Montgomery, President
Lynn Teachers Union, Brant Duncan, President
Massena Federation of Teachers, Erin Covell, President
McHenry County Federation of Teachers (IL), Duane Peiffer, President
Newark Teachers Union, John Abeigon, President
New York State United Teachers, Karen Magee, President
Ohio Federation of Teachers, Melissa Cropper, President
Peoria Federation of Teachers, Jeff Adkins Dutro, President
Philadelphia Federation of Teachers, Jerry Jordan, President
Salem Teachers Union, Beth Kontos, President
Texas AFT, Louis Malfaro, President
Toledo Federation of Teachers, Kevin Dalton, President
United Educators of San Francisco, Lita Blanc, President
United School Employees of Pasco, Kenny Blankenship, President
United Teachers of Los Angeles, Alex Caputo Pearl, President
United Teachers of Lowell, Paul Georges, President
Volusia Teachers Organization, Andrew Spar, President
West Haven Federation of Paraprofessionals, Georgianal Dini and Marilyn Halligan, co-Presidents
West Haven Federation of Teachers, Kristen Mallory Scanlon, President
West Haven Federation of Teachers, School Nurses Chapter, Saundra McCauley, Chapter President
Wayne State University AAUP/AFT Faculty, Charlie Parrish, President
Yonkers Federation of Teachers, Patricia Puleo, President