“Protect Our Schools” event

As part of a campaign to promote unity amongst parents, teachers, students, administrators, and other members of our communities, New York State Allies for Public Education (NYSAPE) is coordinating demonstrations across the state.  We encourage supporters of public education to gather on Thursday March 26, 2015 to join hands in a “Protect Our Schools” event. 

The concept is simple and the benefit huge: gather stakeholders at participating schools to join hands in a symbolic gesture of protection.  The need to protect our schools has never been more urgent.  Governor Cuomo continues to paint public schools and teachers in a negative light in an attempt to centralize power and strip away local control all while failing to provide adequate and fair funding.  As we know, local schools are under threat due to excessive testing, teacher evaluations tied to test scores, lack of funding, charter school expansion, privatization, school closings, and state takeover of our schools are some of the many concerns shared by stakeholders. 

Seeing stakeholders unite to literally circle their schools sends a strong and powerful message to Albany that community members support their public schools.  Via invited media and through social media using the hashtag #protectourschools, we have the opportunity to change the conversation and put an end to the Governor’s damaging reform agenda.  A noncontroversial demonstration such as this will be a much-needed positive outlet for all stakeholders in our schools’ communities.  

But we need your support!  Get your school involved and be part of this statewide demonstration of togetherness.  Get started now, using the resources on this page.  You can download a flyer template that you can customize with your school and gathering time; letters you can send to your school administration and teachers association to get them involved; and a checklist to guide you every step of the way.

If you have any questions, we’re here to help.  Contact us at nys.allies@gmail.com, and don’t forget to let us know about your event so we can list it here.  RSVP at our Facebook event.
 

1) Download the campaign flyer posted above.

protect_nysape.jpg
Download File

2) Use this checklist to help your organize a Protect Our School event in your area.

protect_our_schools_checklist.docx
Download File

3) Use this letter to contact your school administration.


lettertoschools.docx
Download File

4) Use this letter to reach out to your school’s teachers association

lettertoschools-union.docx
Download File

5) Advertise your event using this flyer template.  All you need to do is add the time, the place, and information about the local hosting organization(s).

flyertemplate.docx
Download File

6) While we encourage demonstrations on March 26, you might need to organize your event on another day. Use the following template if you need to customize the entire flyer.  

flyertemplate_editable.docx
Download File

List of participating 
schools, locations, and gathering times:
(contact us to have your school added)

STATEWIDE (NYC BELOW)
March 11th – Endwell: Maine-Endwell Middle School, 1119 Farm to Market Rd., 5:30 pm

March 12th – Amistad Dual Language school, Muscota New School and IS 52 will meet at 
8.15 am on the corner of Academy street and Broadway, 10034 at 8.15 AM. 

March 26th – Buffalo: PS #200 – Bennett High School  2885 Main St.. 
4:30 pm Press Conference & 4:45 pm Photo

March 26th – Oneonta:  Center Street School Bldg. 31 Center St.  4:30 pm

March 26th – Sherburne: Sherburne-Earlville Elementary School (meet at the SE elem. flagpole), 15 School St., 4:30-5:30 pm

March 26th – Croton: Croton-Harmon High School (gather near the rotunda), 3:00 pm

NEW YORK CITY EVENTS

WHAT: “Protect our Schools.” Parents, students and teachers rally citywide against Governor Cuomo’s attacks on our public schools.
WHERE: At NYC public schools in all five boroughs
WHEN: Thursday March 12, in the morning and afternoon (more details below); with a few schools on Friday.

EVENT: Thousands of parents, student and teachers from throughout the city will hold hands, form a human chain and surround their schools to show how they are determined to protect their schools from Governor Cuomo’s attempt to defund, dismantle and privatize our public schools.

Some schools are also holding marches and speak outs. For example:
· At 7:45 PM, Brooklyn New School and Brooklyn School for Collaborative Studies will gather, hold signs, have noisemakers and write letters to their electeds.
· At 7:50 AM, parents and teachers at PS 183 Robert Lewis Stevenson on the Upper East Side will surround their school along with CM Ben Kallos.
· At 3:10 PM, parents, teachers and students at PS 58 in Brooklyn will march up Smith St. and meet up with the school community at PS 261.
· At 3:30 PM, students and teachers at City as School HS in Greenwich Village will gather outside the school, hold a brief press conference,
and walk to Washington Square Park for a speak-out at 4 PM.

At least two other schools, PS 15 in Brooklyn and Francis Lewis HS in Queens, are holding their ”Protect Our School” rallies Friday after school.

For more information, including contact information for parents at most of these schools, call Leonie Haimson, Class Size Matters, 917-435-9329; leonie@classsizematters.org

A partial list of participating schools is below.
(school, burough, district, time)
Earth School Manhattan 1 3:15 PM
PS 363 Manhattan 1 8:15 AM
PS 3 Manhattan 2 8:00 AM
PS 397 Spruce Street School Manhattan 2 8:00 AM
PS 2 Meyer London School Manhattan 2 7:45 AM
PS 183 Robert Lewis Stevenson Manhattan 2 7:50 AM
City-As-School Manhattan 2 3:30 PM
Manhattan School for Children PS333 Manhattan 3 7:45 AM
MS 421 Manhattan 3 8:00 AM
PS 87 Manhattan 3 7:45 AM
PS/IS 149 Manhattan 3 3:00 PM
PS 75 Manhattan 3 TBA
Central Park East II Manhattan 4 8:00 AM
MS 206, PS 112, PS 155, PS 37 Manhattan 4 7:30 AM
Castlebridge & PS 128 Manhattan 6 8:00 AM
PS 189 Manhattan 6 7:30 AM
CHAH 346 Manhattan 6 afterschool
IS 52 Manhattan 6 8:15 AM
Muscota & Amistad Manhattan 6 8:15 AM
PS 152 Manhattan 6 2:20 PM
PS/IS 187 Manhattan 6 8:00 AM
PS 86 Bronx 10 7:55 AM & 2 PM
PS 3 Brooklyn 13 7:30 AM
PS 20 (with Arts & Letters) Brooklyn 13 8:15 AM
Arts & Letters (with PS .20) Brooklyn 13 8:15 AM
PS 307 Brooklyn 13 7:30 AM
Brooklyn Arbor Brooklyn 14 7:45 AM
PS 110 The Monitor Brooklyn 14 8:10 AM
PS 257 Brooklyn 14 7:30 AM
PS 297 Brooklyn 14 3:20 PM
Brooklyn New School (with BSC below ) Brooklyn 15 7:45-8:45 AM
Brooklyn School for Collaborative Studies (w/ BNS) Brooklyn 15 7:45-8:45am 
PS 32 Brooklyn 15 3:00 PM
MS 442 Brooklyn 15 3:00 PM
MS 447 Brooklyn 15 3:00 PM
MS 51 Brooklyn 15 8:15 AM
PS 295 Brooklyn 15 8AM & 2:45 PM
MS 443 & MS 88 (w/ PS 295) Brooklyn 15 8:00 AM
PS 10 Brooklyn 15 7:45 AM
PS 124 Silas B. Dutcher School Brooklyn 15 7:50 AM
PS 130 The Parkside School Brooklyn 15 8:00 AM
PS 169 Brooklyn 15 7:15 AM
PS 172 Brooklyn 15 8:15 AM
PS 230 Brooklyn 15 2:45 PM
PS 24 Brooklyn 15 7:45 AM
PS 58 Brooklyn 15 3:10 PM
PS 118/ Maurice Sendak Schl Brooklyn 15 8:10 AM
PS 261 Brooklyn 15 2:30 PM
PS 321 Brooklyn 15 8:00 AM
PS 372 Brooklyn 15 7:45 AM
PS 29 Brooklyn 15 8:00 AM
PS 39 Brooklyn 15 8:00 AM
PS 280 Brooklyn 15 8:30 AM
PS 107 Brooklyn 15 8:10 AM
PS 15 Brooklyn 15 2:30 PM, Friday
PS 214 Brooklyn 19 7:50 AM
Francis Lewis High School Queens 26 2:35 PM Friday
PS 26 Queens 26 7:45 AM
PS 205 Queens 26 TBA
PS 182 Queens 28 7:30
PS 176 Queens 29 TBA
PS 2 Queens 30 7:30 AM
PS 150 Queens 30 2:00 PM
PS 166 Queen 30 7:50 AM
PS 92 Queens 30 2:40 PM
PS 122 Queens 30 2:35 PM
PS 4 Staten Island 31 7:40 AM
PS 54 Staten Island 31 7:30 AM
PS 145 Brooklyn 32 8:00 AM
PS/IS 384 Brooklyn 32 Before & after school