DETROIT – Teachers, parents, students and supporters from across metro Detroit will be holding a rally and march for public education at Clark Park in southwest Detroit this Saturday, July 22, 2017. The event is from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. and is being held as part of a national march in Washington, D.C. and 15 other cities across the country.
"Public education is under attack across the country," said local organizer and parent Erica Foondle. "We stand with people from across the country in support of traditional public schools."
Rallies are scheduled to occur simultaneously in cities across the country including Detroit, Los Angeles, Charlotte, Miami, Washington, D.C. The objective is to raise awareness about how underfunding for public schools at the state level, coupled with privatization efforts at the federal level threaten the very existence of public education in America.
Leaders from across southeastern Michigan will be on hand to march, rally and organize broad support for teachers and students as everyone prepares for the 2017-2018 school year. Representatives from public school districts across the region, including Detroit and Grosse Pointe, will be on hand.
American Federation of Teachers Vice President David Hecker will be speaking. Both the AFT and the Detroit Federation of Teachers are heavily supportive of the event.
Grosse Pointe School Board Member Judy Gafa also supports the effort.
"City, suburban and rural school districts have been under siege," said Gafa. "We all want the same thing – a free, high quality education for our children. Children should be able to get that education close to home, in their neighborhood, where schools are the cornerstone for healthy, thriving communities. This national event shows we are all in this together no matter where you may live."
Local teachers agree.
“Public education is a right, not a privilege, that is essential for a functioning democracy,” said Sara Scott, a teacher and local organizer. "We cannot stand by and allow the dismantling of our public school systems to continue," she added.
Organizers are also calling on legislators to address the student debt crisis in higher education as well as oppose efforts to funnel public funds to private or for-profit institutions. The Women’s March has announced its plans to join the national march as well as marches across the nation “in defense of public education.”
Clark Park is located at 1130 Clark Street, Detroit. For more information about the national event go to www.marchfored.org You can find the “March for Public Education – Detroit Official Event” on Facebook or @DetroitMarches4Ed on Twitter