Parents, students, teachers and elected officials gathered together in downtown Manhattan this morning at a press conference before some of the participants began a 150 mile walk to Albany to demand the payment of billions of dollars New York State owes their schools. The protest pilgrimage called “EdWalk2016” commemorates the ten-year anniversary of the decision
reached in the Campaign for Fiscal Equity case that directed New York State to adequately and equitably fund poor school districts. During the same decade, the New York State has implemented draconian “reform” after draconian “reform,” such as ever changing and incomprehensible teacher evaluations linked directly to ever more difficult student tests.
On Broadway
Former NYC Councilman Robert Jackson
I met the marchers in Times Square.
Bringing the word to Times Square
“We have teachers from Buffalo, Schenectady, Syracuse, Westchester County, Long Island, and every part of New York city. Twenty-three of us are walking to 153 miles to demand the $3.9 billion that have been denied our students and our schools,” said special education teacher Henry Montalto, one of the walkers.
Pilgrims-teachers Mindy Rosier and Henry Montalto
The protest is organized by the Alliance for Quality Education.
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