Protests Against Education Cuts Sweeping the Country

A middle-school student from Roseville, California decided to take action when she heard about Governor Gray Davis's proposed six-percent cut on K-12 education spending over the next 18 months. Twelve-year-old Julia Sweeney organized a protest march to the Capitol building in Sacramento on April 12.

Although pre-teen-initiated protest marches are not common, rallies, marches, and other protests to demonstrate support for public education and express dismay at cuts are becoming increasingly frequent around the country, at a time of the worst state revenue shortfalls since World War II. Almost every state must balance its budget, and, when money is lacking, education costs-the largest single item in state budgets-are almost always targeted. The turnout at these protests is at a 20-year high. A demonstration in Frankfurt, Kentucky had over 20,000 students, parents, teachers, and others supporters of public education, Oklahoma City also had about 20,000, and Olympia, Washington, had 25,000.

Even when numbers are not that high, zeal for the cause is. Since the beginning of this year, demonstrators in at least half the states in the Union, including Texas, Maryland, New Jersey, and Arkansas have protested cuts and their consequences, such as larger classes, shortened school weeks, decreased or eliminated extracurricular activities, or even school closures. Now that the cuts are "getting down to the classroom level," Steve Smith of the National Conference of State Legislatures told the Associated Press, "you're seeing more protests."

A protest is not necessarily a one-day event at a state capitol. Montana education advocates held a number of statewide events that were attended by legislators. From May 1-8 in New York, City Councilman and education advocate Robert Jackson will lead a group on a 150-mile "Walk a Mile for Your Child" march from Manhattan to Albany to show his support for the Campaign for Fiscal Equity's school-funding lawsuit, which will be heard before the Court of Appeals in Albany on May 8. On June 21 in California, 25 students and educators will start a 300-mile March from San Diego to Sacramento to protest education cuts that have already cost 30,000 teachers and administrators their jobs. Good Schools Pennsylvania's "Stand for Children" campaign recruits volunteers to maintain a presence at the state legislature every day that it is in session from January 27 to June 30, 2003.

Protest organizers hope that high turnout and dramatic events will bring their "Save Our Schools!" message to the state legislators who determine the budget for the next fiscal year. With school districts more reliant on states for funding than ever, many believe that the stakes have never been higher.

Prepared April 25, 2003