National Call for March 4 Strike and Day of Action To Defend Public Education

California has recently seen a massive movement erupt in defense of public education — but layoffs, fee hikes, cuts, and the re-segregation of public education are attacks taking place throughout the country. A nationwide resistance movement is needed.

We call on all students, workers, teachers, parents, and their organizations and communities across the country to massively mobilize for a Strike and Day of Action in Defense of Public Education on March 4, 2010. Education cuts are attacks against all of us, particularly in working-class communities and communities of color.

The politicians and administrators say there is no money for education and social services. They say that “there is no alternative” to the cuts. But if there’s money for wars, bank bailouts, and prisons, why is there no money for public education?

We can beat back the cuts if we unite students, workers, and teachers across all sectors of public education — Pre K-12, adult education, community colleges, and state-funded universities. We appeal to the leaders of the trade union movement to support and organize strikes and/or mass actions on March 4. The weight of workers and students united in strikes and mobilizations would shift the balance of forces entirely against the current agenda of cuts and make victory possible.

Building a powerful movement to defend public education will, in turn, advance the struggle in defense of all public-sector workers and services and will be an inspiration to all those fighting against the wars, for immigrants rights, in defense of jobs, for single-payer health care, and other progressive causes.

Why March 4? On October 24, 2009 more than 800 students, workers, and teachers converged at UC Berkeley at the Mobilizing Conference to Save Public Education. This massive meeting brought together representatives from over 100 different schools, unions, and organizations from all across California and from all sectors of public education. After hours of open collective discussion, the participants voted democratically, as their main decision, to call for a Strike and Day of Action on March 4, 2010. All schools, unions and organizations are free to choose their specific demands and tactics — such as strikes, rallies, walkouts, occupations, sit-ins, teach-ins, etc. — as well as the duration of such actions.

Let’s make March 4 an historic turning point in the struggle against the cuts, layoffs, fee hikes, and the re-segregation of public education.

- The California Coordinating Committee

(To endorse this call and to receive more information contact march4strikeanddayofaction@gmail.com )

Northern California Coordinating Committee Report: Dec. 5, 2009

(UC, CSU, CC, Adult Education, pre- k-12, Labor, teachers, parents and students)

On December 5th, 2009 at 1pm, the Nor-Cal Coordinating Committee met at 1125 Valencia Street in San Francisco. The purpose of the meeting was to coordinate on a regional level the struggle to defend public education and begin preparing and outreaching for the March 4 Strike and Day of Action. In conjunction with Southern California and the Central Valley, Northern California is committed to read more…

The November 18-20 actions in defense of public education have captured the attention of the whole country. The turnout at all campuses was very significant and the energy was very high, testifying to the deep anger against the cuts: 2,000+ at UC Berkeley, 2000 at UCLA, 500+ at UCSC, 200+ at UC Davis, hundreds at CCSF, hundreds at SFSU, 100+ at Fresno State, etc. Recent mobilizations have also taken place at UCI, Stan State, Napa Valley College, and many other schools throughout the state.

Here below are some of the best, most detailed, most graphic videos, photos, and articles available online so far concerning the Nov. 20 (and earlier) actions. (Many other schools also held actions; please post your reports/links!). Let’s use this growing momentum to deepen and broaden local actions and build up to the statewide strike and day of action on March 4!

Statewide: NYTimes http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/21/us/21tuition.html?ref=us
Statewide San Francisco Chronicle – Good article http://www2.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2009/11/20/BA611ANSAB.DTL
Statewide Indybay.org coverage http://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2009/11/20/18629379.php
UCB- Video of Police Brutality http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rOI5l2_RghQ
UCB- KTVU — Very good TV coverage — Strong Images of Police Brutality http://www.ktvu.com/news/21674608/detail.html
UCB- The Daily Cal- Great Photo Slideshow http://www.dailycal.org/mediabox.php?id=415&type=slideshow
UCLA- Video Coverage (Check out poll: 79% of public are against fee hike!): http://abclocal.go.com/kabc/story?section=news/local/los_angeles&id=7127527
UCLA- Indymedia Coverage: http://la.indymedia.org/archives/display_by_id.php?feature_id=1906
CSU Fresno- Library Study In: http://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2009/11/20/18629688.php
UCSC -Occupation of Kerr Hall: http://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2009/11/20/18629398.php
UC Davis -Protests after 52 Arrested: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JsX5oPkqjnk
UC Davis – Good Student TV coverage of Occupation http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yWBa20tygk0
SF State – Nov. 18 Action – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=718K2LT5vU4

Intro

Thanks to all of you, the Conference was a tremendous success! While we recognize that we stand in the beginning stages of our struggle and acknowledge that we have much work ahead of us, we are certain that the Conference on October 24, 2009 was a pivotal event in the building of a statewide movement to defend public education. More than 800 students, workers, and teachers from over 100 different schools, unions, and organizations from all across California and from all sectors of public education – Pre K-12, Adult Education, CC, CSU and UC – participated, discussed, debated, and democratically voted on how to advance the struggle to defend and transform public education in California.

Here are the principal decisions of the Conference. read more…

Demands 10/24/2009

Throughout the day of the October 24 Conference, individuals and organizations had the opportunity to raise the demands they felt were most crucial to this struggle. read more…