Posted on 03/10/2011 1:10:29 PM PST by EBH
Thanks to a controversial legislative maneuver, Wisconsin's Republican Governor Scott Walker's plan to end collective bargaining for his public employees passed the state senate Wednesday night. Now, in a stunning show of solidarity with their teachers—who, as union members, now have no bargaining rights—Wisconsin's high school students are planning a grassroots school walkout, and they want to take their protest national.
Wisconsin Students in Solidarity is asking for the nationwide walkout to happen this Friday, March 11, 2011 at 2:00 p.m. local time. Less than 12 hours after being formed, the Facebook event, Nationwide Student Walkout, has almost 2,000 "attendees" from across the country and student-led copycat groups and events are springing up on the social media hub.
In an email, the coordinator Jesse Banks, a senior at Wisconsin's Madison East High School said the group is calling for national participation
not only to send a unified student message in support of teachers and schools, but again to use this as an opportunity to educate students around the nation on the attacks on public education that are occurring in Wisconsin. There are students everywhere who care about these issues and we want to encourage them to make their voices heard, to get active and get involved.
Banks said the Wisconsin protests have had a "strong high school presence" over the past several weeks. Apparently, the idea for the walkout "came out of an entirely student-run meeting." Given the enormity of the decision made by the Wisconsin legislature, the students, "wanted to do something that added visibility to how the attacks on unions and schools are harmful to kids."
Banks acknowledged that some student participants "will be better informed than others, just as some adults are better informed than others." To make the walkout educational, the students are also holding a teach-in on the Library Mall in downtown Madison to discuss the "effects of collective bargaining elimination on public education, as well as the proposed education cuts in the Biennial Budget."
With these student-led protest efforts underway, it's a little harder to make the case that teens are apathetic and don't care about social issues. Whether you agree with their decision to walkout or not, this is democracy and free speech in action.
photo via Steve Alfaro/Wisconsin Students in Solidarity Facebook Page
February federal budget deficit sets record
http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_BUDGET_DEFICIT?SECTION=HOME&SITE=AP&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT
“We reject anyone who tells us America is broke and broken”- Michael Moore in Wisconsin this past weekend .
An open letter from the Students of Wisconsin:
As students, the cuts to state education funding in Governor Scott Walker’s Biennial Budget—as well as the loss of collective bargaining for teachers—will have an immediate and devastating effect on our educational experience, and as such we have a unique perspective on these issues. Students across the state have been involved in the movement in protest of Governor Walker’s agenda since momentum began to build, and we as an affected demographic will not sit quietly or disengage ourselves from these issues. We hold the following:
1. That a strong public education system is not only our right as young people, but is vital to the success of the democratic process.
2. That the reforms proposed by Governor Walker and Republicans in the state government are an outright attack on the solvency and quality of the education system. Not only is competitive compensation required to promote a strong teacher pool in this state, but the working conditions that teachers will not be able to negotiate are the conditions that shape our learning environment. Furthermore, the cuts in categorical aid to school programs, and prohibitions against tax increases at the local level that would help ease the damage of these cuts, are unacceptable.
3. That the importance of balancing the state budget should not outweigh the importance of the programs that the state provides. We understand the need of a financially solvent government, but object that the budget debate has been framed in such a way as to eliminate carefully implemented, graduated income tax increases from the discussion completely.
In an effort to balance the importance of education with that of having our voices heard, we will walk out of class this Friday, March 11th before our last period of the day. We call for students all across the country to do the same and to take this opportunity to discuss not only the events in Wisconsin but the future of public education as a whole.
Respectfully,
Jesse Banks
Senior at Madison East High School
Coordinator, Wisconsin Youth in Solidarity
Asher Heimermann
Junior at George D. Warriner High School
Coordinator, HeyScottWalker.com
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2011/03/10/954703/-An-open-letter-from-the-Students-of-Wisconsin
For more information about Wisconsin Students in Solidarity, please visit their website at www.HeyScottWalker.com.
Moore and the Left, know they can’t even BS college students anymore with their jive talking “fight the Man” crap, so now they’re trying to get HS students to be their shock troops...Whats next? Another round of “Childrens Marches”?
DemoLefties have no shame.
These idiot students don't even understand what is at issue. Te idea of public employees having bargaining units is ridiculous on its face.
When an private employer sits down with its employees (or representatives), there are 2 entities at the table.
When a public sector employer sits down with its employees, there are three entities. But the third, and most important, entity -- the taxpayer -- is not at the table.
When I was a kid, we didn't like teachers that much because we were kids and they were *real* teachers, didn't take any crap from us and taught......That was 50+ years ago.
Now we have *grownup* whining school kids with no real world experience *not* really teaching school kids.
The LeftiMobsters have to go even younger and more clueless to find anybody that will fall for their lies and rabblerousing bandwagonism.
Most students are ok. But it’s getting to be a grind. They are virtually without a sense of humor.
If my child was cavalierly volunteering ME for increased taxes, she would be in a world of hurt.
I’m so thankful for my intelligent conservative children.
Let them walk out; let them get busted for the mayhem they will no doubt create, and let them stew in a couple of overcrowded holding cells. A dose of reality might wake them up.
BS - and here is the REAL deal:
Wisconsin Students in Solidarity
And guess who's "community organizing" this is the product of... Drum roll... UNIONS. They dreamed this up, and now are trying to sucker students into playing their game.
Again - the illustration of Hitler's Brownshirts comes to mind... or should we make that "Obama's Brownshirts"?
Expel all of them for the rest of the year. That should reduce expenses, and no harm will be done. Mommy and daddy can try their hands at educating their little darlings.
These union thugs are using the gullible skulls full of mush, willing to march anywhere to get a few hours out of school. - I’d be surprised if a one of them can articulate the facts of the situation. “Teaching” them anarchy at an early age, and how to be good little Obama voters and brown shirts. (Heil Obama, Mmm..mmm..mmm!! s/) KEEP YOUR BABIES AT HOME, PARENTS, and don’t let these thugs USE them! s/
It’s going to be rough for the tender little tykes to get into the college of their choice without a diploma. But, c’est l’ecole!
Remove tenure for teachers, completely and flunk any student that is truant (no phony doctor's note)for protesting.
Hold a "Job Fair" for new teachers to replace those who've either refused to show up for work or are encouraging their students to protest for them!
Heard earlier today on FNC that "there was a shortage of "qualified" teachers to replace those striking teachers.
Wanna bet - just offer those salaries to teachers around the state and country and you'll find that there are more applicants than jobs available!
Wanna guess who wins? (Hint: it ain't Jesse or his minions or union thug "muscle men" punching out FNC reporters and women legislators.)
1) This is an admission that the teachers are incompetent. I mean, why didn’t the kids learn this lesson during the first round of protests?
2) The Supervisor of Public Instruction, or whatever the title of that person in Wisconsin is, has a responsibility to keep students from being truant if at all possible, and this announcement is giving that person plenty of notice to do something about it.
Charge them with truancy and fine the parents.
DQ them from extra curricular activities.
If they want to play the civil disobedience card then let them feel what consequences are like and let them see if their “principles” are worth is.
Is the juice worth the squeeze?
This thing with abusing the kids in this manner just irks me to absolutely no end.
This tells me their parents don’t know what is going on with the children. Not just that they are pulling this stunt, but then the kids are going to hold an educational session in the square?
After the Assembly passes the bill, Walker should announce that "collective bargaining for public employees has now ended" and wait for the "Heyy! Waitaminnit!"
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