Thousands will be raising their voices on behalf of public education at the Once Voice United rally this Saturday. Speakers and great music - including bands featuring students and educators - are on tap for what will be a historic day.
Here's a partial list of some of the VIPs who will be speaking up and speaking out on behalf of public education:
- Ivette Alfonso, President, Citizen Action of New York
- Rowena Blackman-Stroud, United University Professions, Chapter President, SUNY Downstate
- Mario Cilento, President, NYS AFL-CIO
- Dr. Mark Crawford, Superintendent of Schools, West Seneca Central School District
- Ron Deutsch, Director, New Yorkers for Fiscal Fairness
- Nikhil Goyal, 18 Year Old Author of One Size Does Not Fit All; Founder of Learning Revolution
- Leonie Haimson, Executive Director, Class Size Matters
- Dick Iannuzzi, President, NYSUT
- Fred Kowal, President, United University Professions
- Dr. John McKenna, Principal, Tonawanda City School District
- Bryan Meyers, Student Assembly State University of New York
- Michael Mulgrew, President, United Federation of Teachers
- Hina Naveed, 2013 DREAM Fellow, New York Immigration Coalition
- John Nichols, Commentator and Journalist - The Nation
- NYS NAACP Representative
- NYS Teachers of the Year
- Joyce Powell, NEA
- Angelica Rivera, Parent Activist and Leader, Alliance for Quality Education
- Reverend Charles A. Rogers Sr., "First" Israel African Methodist Episcopal Church
- Amparo Sadler, Parent and Grandparent, Central Islip, LI Progressive Coalition/Alliance for Quality Education
- Laurence Spring, Superintendent of Schools, Schenectady City School District
- Randi Weingarten, President, AFT