I happy to introduce Saulo Colon as our next guest blogger. Saulo is a former union and community organizer, a current community college instructor and independent researcher, a parent, and an activist in the Puerto Rican diaspora. I have worked with him closely over the last couple of years and his ideas, insight and analysis never fails to inspire me. Please welcome Saulo and join the March 1st Occupy event.
March 1st, 2012 National Day of Action For Education | Occupy Education
By Saulo Colon
Greg, thank you for inviting me to guest blog. I send you this info because it may impact the discussions around education reform that have been dominated by the corporate reformers. March 1st will be the beginning of the Occupy movement’s nationally coordinated spring offensive on education and inequality in America. Below, is the Call for a National Day of Action. I, and many other lecturers, adjuncts, teachers, and professors, will be out there with our students. They are the leadership of this, but this is also our fight if we care about education. The California State University faculty have already decided to strike to attempt to stop the decline of their state college system, and the AAUP, Assoc of American University Professors, has expressed support for March 1.
In the tradition of American democracy, let’s “Agitate, Educate, Organize”!
We refuse to pay for the crisis created by the 1%. We refuse to accept the dismantling of our schools and universities, while the banks and corporations make record profits. We refuse to accept educational re-segregation, massive tuition increases, outrageous student debt, and increasing privatization and corporatization.
They got bailed out and we got sold out. But through nationally coordinated mass action we can and will turn back the tide of austerity.
We call on all students, teachers, workers, and parents from all levels of education -pre-K-12 through higher education in public and private institutions- and all Occupy assemblies, labor unions, and organizations of oppressed communities, to mobilize on March 1st, 2012 across the country to tell those in power: The resources exist for high-quality education for all. If we make the rich and the corporations pay we can reverse the budget cuts, tuition hikes, and attacks on job security, and fully fund public education and social services.
This is a call to work together, but it is up to each school and organization to determine what local and regional actions-such as strikes, walkouts, occupations, marches, etc.-they will take to say no to business as usual.
We have the momentum, the numbers, and the determination to win.
Education is not for sale. Let’s take back our schools. Let’s make history.
Major Actions
New York City: March from the DOE (52 Chambers St) to Ft. Greene Park.
March begins at 2pm. Rally at Ft. Greene at 4 p.m.
Oakland: Rally at Oscar Grant Plaza at 5 p.m.
San Francisco: Teach-in and occupation at the California State Office Building (455 Golden Gate Avenue) from 3-4 p.m. Mass rally at San Francisco Civic Center from 4 to 6 p.m.
Washington, D.C.: March from McPherson Sq. (15th and K St.) to the DOE at 3 p.m.
Boston: Citywide walkout and rally at Dewey Sq starting at 1 p.m. The march will be a “tour of our oppressors” around Boston and concludes with a speak-out at the State House at 4 p.m.
Seattle: Demonstration at the Gates Foundation. March to begin at 2:45 at Westlake Park.
Philadelphia: Citywide walkout and march. Rallies at Temple/Penn Universities at 1 p.m. Gathering at Governor Corbett’s Office (200 S.
Broad St.) at 3pm to march to the Board of Ed (440 N. Broad St.)
More: http://www.occupyed.org/actions
Saulo Colon is a former union and community organizer, a current community college instructor and independent researcher, a parent, and an activist in the Puerto Rican diaspora.