PUBLIC FORUM: North America’s Fight for Public Education

Faculty and staff in public education are sick of seeing more students struggle in school as politicians demand more budget-cuts and more time for testing instead of teaching. It’s like having to sweep up behind one shock-wave after another, while being blamed for them. But instead of feeling powerless, educators from Mexico, Canada and the U.S. are coming to Chicago in May to strategize about the next steps in their mutual defense of public education.

ctu2 — Teachers across Mexico have been fighting against corporate attacks on public education, including occupation in Mexico City.

From Oaxaca up to Chicago to Quebec, budget cuts to schools and colleges left fewer teachers and staff serving more students with fewer resources, for less pay. Meanwhile, private companies got more public moneyto run charter schools, give standardized tests, and sell online programs.

People fought back—teachers launched strikes and protests across Mexico, which still continue, thousands of students in Quebec held a general strike, faculty in California’s StateUniversity shut down whole campuses for a day.

From May 9 to 11, 2014 they will be at the 11th Biennial Conference of the Trinational Coalition to Defend Public Education, hosted this time by the Chicago Teachers Union. People are learning that they face the same political attacks, often led by the same groups like the Pearson company and the Gates Foundation. It is time to develop a more united strategy of resistance!