NYSUT has issued a clarion call to all union members, parents, students, grandparents and community members to be at a June 8 rally in Albany to fight for the future of public education.
We must "cry out with one voice" against those threatening to destroy public education, NYSUT President Dick Iannuzzi declared in announcing plans for the rally.
The rally is "a fight about the truth - not the lies we suffer through every day." he said. "It's a fight about the future of public education and getting it right! It's about celebrating, not demonizing, educators ... it's a fight about supporting quality in higher education, not pathways that lead to nowhere ... it's a fight about informative assessments, not the tyranny of obsessive standardized testing!"
Members and locals across the state are already making plans to add their voice to the fight to take back public education. Regional offices are reporting that interest is already so high, it is becoming a challenge to reserve buses. So, don't wait!
The rally begins at noon and features speakers and music. Children are welcome. Contact your NYSUT regional office for details. Get updates at www.nysut.org/rallyjune8 and www.twitter.com/nysut or use the Twitter hashtag #rallyJune8. You can also RSVP via Facebook.
Here's a sample of what delegates to the RA said about why they will be there June 8:
"We have no choice. We must stand up. The world has to know it's so important to preserve public education."
"We have to come together ... to be there for our kids."
"We as teachers have to stick together to fight for our profession and, more importantly, to fight for our kids!"
One educator in a video made by the Springville TA held a sign saying: "I'll be there because it's time the students came first."
The rally comes 10 years after the March for Public Education descended on Albany in May 2003.
Make history June 8!
Stay informed via text
Be among the first to know! To receive updates via text messages about the June 8 rally and other union initiatives, text the word "VOICE" on your cellphone to 518-631-3202. And invite other NYSUT members to do the same. Please note: Message and data rates apply.