OVERVIEW
Our brothers and sisters in Detroit need our immediate support in their fight for the survival of the city's public schools.
House Republicans in Michigan have forced through a set of bills that would destroy Detroit's public schools by instituting severe anti-student, anti-teacher practices while cutting off critical resources and support. Although the state Senate has introduced compromise legislation that better reflects the needs of the Detroit community, senators are now poised to instead take up the anti-public education bills of the House.
Controlled by wealthy extremists and far-right groups like the Mackinac Center, the Michigan House Republicans' end game is to implement a voucher system that would devastate public schools, de-professionalize the teaching profession and eliminate unions. We must not let it succeed!
ACTION ITEM
Sign the petition from AFT Detroit urging Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder to reject the anti-public education legislation proposed by Michigan House Republicans, and instead adopt the Senate's bill package.
http://petitions.moveon.org/aft/sign/gov-snyder-veto-the-house
Use this information to amplify the campaign through social media. Thank you for spreading the word!
HASHTAG
#ForDetroitKids
SHOW YOUR SUPPORT! FACEBOOK, TWITTER AND INSTAGRAM
We encourage you to turn up the heat on social media with personal posts supporting Detroit public schools.
- Make your own sign supporting Detroit kids, educators, parents and schools.
- Share your sign in a selfie or group shot on Facebook or Twitter.
- Use the hashtag #ForDetroitKids
- On Twitter, loop in teacher and paraprofessional unions in Detroit by tagging with the handles @PAR227 and @DFT231.
SHARE THE PETITION: SAMPLE TWEETS
Sign the petition. Urge Gov. Snyder to veto the House Detroit education bills https://t.co/Rx7aZZPEUC #ForDetroitKids
Detroit schools must be kept safe and fully funded. Tell lawmakers to honor public education. https://t.co/Rx7aZZPEUC #ForDetroitKids
Don't let Michigan lawmakers strip Detroit school employees of their rights. https://t.co/Rx7aZZPEUC #ForDetroitKids
Sign the petition. Don't let Michigan lawmakers target and punish Detroit school employees. https://t.co/Rx7aZZPEUC #ForDetroitKids
Don't let Michigan lawmakers single-out Detroit by punishing school employees and hurting students. https://t.co/Rx7aZZPEUC #ForDetroitKids
Don't let Michigan lawmakers target Detroit with unpopular and untested education experiments. https://t.co/Rx7aZZPEUC #ForDetroitKids
Don't let Michigan target Detroit with anti-union measures that punish school employees. https://t.co/Rx7aZZPEUC #ForDetroitKids
Don't let Michigan lawmakers unfairly punish Detroit schools. Sign the petition. https://t.co/Rx7aZZPEUC #ForDetroitKids
Don't let Michigan lawmakers cut off critical resources and support for Detroit public schools. https://t.co/Rx7aZZPEUC #ForDetroitKids
SHARE THE PETITION: SAMPLE FACEBOOK POST
Michigan lawmakers are targeting Detroit public schools with unpopular and untested education experiments and anti-union measures that are NOT what's best for kids. I'm urging Gov. Rick Snyder to veto the House bills to give Detroit's schools a fair chance and offer hope to our students, families, educators and staff. Join me! Sign the petition! http://petitions.moveon.org/aft/sign/gov-snyder-veto-the-house
FOR MORE INFORMATION
AFT Fact Sheet
http://www.aft.org/sites/default/files/wysiwyg/aft-housedps-factsheet_3.pdf
DFT Message to Members
http://dft231.mi.aft.org/news/house-bills-would-kill-detroit-public-schools-and-retaliate-against-us