WHAT WE BELIEVE
Public School will be safe, inclusive spaces for learning and critical thinking, where all children discover their passion(s) and role(s) as citizens. March For Public Education (M4PE) aims to advance policy and recursively address issues of: equity, inclusion, testing, school funding, and the right to organize.
Public schools are schools that receive federal funding towards their operation. This includes the traditional neighborhood public school as well as not-for-profit charter schools. As engaged citizens that support our democracy, we support all of our nation’s students in attaining a quality education. We, however, recognize that our current political climate endangers public education: its schools, students, teachers, and communities. The March For Public Education is to advocate for the quality and joy in all of our public schools.
Our National March for Public Education on Washington … Our goals for the March are to:
-
Affirm public education is a right, not a privilege, essential for a functioning democracy
-
Support Teachers and Students
-
Oppose the Privatization of public education
-
Advocate for Educating the Whole Child
Equity for All
Schools cannot serve as the social safety net for our students. Equitable funding and the availability of quality human and material resources maps closely onto students’ academic and occupational trajectories. We believe that school funding should be based on school and student need.
Quality Teaching
We support efforts to strengthen and deepen teacher preparatory programs and ensure continued access to professional development trainings and supports that help teachers pursue ongoing development of their craft.
Right to Organize
School Faculty and Staff have the right and responsibility to organize. Public educators, public school parents, and their allies must challenge societal paradigms on behalf of students and communities.
Early Childhood Education
Children should have access to quality education during early childhood. We support the maintenance and expansion of these programs (i.e. Headstart). Benefits of early childhood education include: increased student achievement during K-12; higher likelihoods of college enrollment, persistence, and degree attainment.
Parent, Family, and Community Involvement
We advocate for policymakers, school leaders and political leaders to respect parents, families and communities in the decisions that directly affect their children. Parents and Communities should be sought out and engaged in determining a school’s assets, needs, and challenges. Together, all stakeholders should work together to improve and support students.
Developing the Whole Child through Culturally Relevant and Engaging Curriculum
Schools must empower all children to discover their desires, passions, and potential. In turn, children become tenacious adults who are critical thinkers, involved citizens, and lifelong learners. The arts, humanities, mathematics, sciences, and physical education are equally vital in developing the whole child. A high quality curriculum ensures that students stay engaged in school, graduate, and are well prepared for college and careers. We believe that in order for all students to have the opportunity to succeed they need to have access to Advanced Placement courses, foreign languages, art, music, sports, career, and technical education programs.
Positive School Culture
The overuse of suspensions to discipline students has negative impacts on student learning and increases dropout rates and college attrition. As an alternative, restorative justice and positive behavioral systems address the root of students’ misbehavior and lead to better outcomes. We support the implementation of progressive codes of conduct that create a positive school climate. Especially given the current climate, we believe that schools must strive to create safe spaces for all students – to combat sexism, racism, ableism, ethnocentrism, xenophobia, transphobia, homophobia and other prejudices.
Meaningful testing
In the current climate of insufficient funding and raised standards, more harm than good is done if we do not address the overreliance and common misuse of standardized testing outcomes. At M4PE, we believe that high-stakes testing ignores many aspects that affect a child’s academic performance including, but limited to: the impact of poverty, school quality, student academic growth, access to social services such as health care.
M4PE argues for a reduction in standardized testing along with a renewed focus on meaningful and holistic testing that incorporates the skills and qualities that are necessary for students to be globally conscious, globally competitive learners in a 21st century economy (such as problem-solving, collaboration, and critical thinking).
Increased College Access and Funding
M4PE argues for the restructuring of student loan programs. We believe that every student should be able to graduate from public colleges and universities without taking on student debt. We advocate for college loan forgiveness as well as lower interest rates.
Public Education, not Privatization
M4PE strongly opposes the use of voucher programs (programs generally funded by state governments that offer parents reimbursements for their public school costs to be used toward private school tuition).Voucher programs siphon funds away from public education, diverting necessary resources from public schooling to private schools.
On Charters
We do not oppose charter schools and our stance is similar to that of both the AFT and the NEA teacher’s unions. Although charter schools are privately managed, charters do not charge tuition, so they fall under the umbrella of public schools. Given the private management of these schools, we do advocate for increased accountability and transparency to the families and communities that these schools serve. We believe public charter schools should operate in partnership and open collaboration with traditional public schools.
MARCH FOR PUBLIC EDUCATION'S PLATFORM
Veronica Konovalova, Student
Playing word association with the term “liberal arts education” doesn’t paint a pretty picture for many. My conversational French professor, on one of her many passionate tangents, lamented over the sheer number of liberal arts students she has had cry into her arms during her office hours. My journalism, English, and social work major friends fear for their futures, or consider exchanging their passions for a “more realistic” area of study. Studying economics and political science, I admit my luxury of having an area of study fall somewhere in between liberal arts and business. But even then, my future, as well as the futures of any STEM, business, or media and communications majors, are never certain.
My professors stand as examples of what it means to immerse oneself in the French language, or engage in urban policy planning, or conduct economic research published in widely respected journals. They stand, accomplished in their fields, as emblems of hope at the front of our classrooms and lecture halls, all the while taking time out of their lives to pass on their knowledge and provide support to those of us who are still plagued with the doubts and fears of adulthood, especially during such uncertain times. To my macroeconomics professor, who will take time out of his day to discuss my questions about grad school while on his way to teach a class of over three hundred and fifty students. To my French professor, who will still encourage me to pursue my French minor in a culture where foreign languages seem to hold less and less value every day. Without them I may only hope to find my way alone.
EDUCATION IS OUR ONLY POLITICAL
SAFETY.
- Horace Mann
WHY PUBLIC EDUCATION MATTERS
Testimonials written by teachers, immigrants, students, parents, and citizen-advocates who believe in high-quality public education for all children, regardless of their race, gender, socioeconomic status, or abilities.
Wiaan de Beer, Educator
I grew up in Apartheid South Africa and received a privileged education, because I was born white and male. As a young child and all through my teenage years, I dreamed of being an American because Americans were great at everything -- freedom, kindness, sports, movies, and they had the best quality of life (or at least that's what their movies and television showed us). In stark contrast, South Africa was racist, restrictive, and suppressed critical thinking.
I became a proud American. I am just as proud now as when I first arrived, because I am free to speak my mind regardless of whether I offer dissent or affirm hegemony. I love America because the quality of life is still great provided you work hard and give of your best. However, all this fruit that bears prosperity for me as a first generation immigrant is not the reality for all Americans. I hope we can all be critical and honest enough to acknowledge that our current American reality does not match our historic rhetoric.
As an educator, initially, I taught at a community college and substitute taught in any school district that needed a substitute teacher for the day. I later progressed to 8th grade Language Arts in an impoverished district. Currently, I teach high school video production and gifted students in a wealthy district. I love what I do for a living. My life's purpose is to foster learning. However, as a citizen, my heart twists with ambivalence. America extols equality as one of its bedrock foundations, and yet, it feels like doublespeak.
I have the joy that comes through exposing my students to wonderful worlds, allowing them to dream and work towards whatever their personal passions may develop into. I am also filled with sadness when I consider that there is such a great disparity between what I had to undergo to get my students those books for Language Arts, and yet how supportive my current district and high school is to allow me to truly let my students reach for their potential.
Worse still, I am most despondent when business people enlist legislators' efforts towards profiteering off the lives of students that are too young to yet fully advocate for themselves. This predation of a few Americans on most other Americans is contrary to everything I was taught about America's ideals.
Kind, well intended American ideals were on display when I had to use Donor's Choose (www.donorschoose.org) and reached out to every person I ever played basketball with, ate dinner with, and danced with. Six foot five Mr. de Beer then teared up in front of his students when he saw his students engrossed in interesting books that strangers had paid for because they thought the students needed and deserved them. I explained to my students how the taxpayers of their community had already paid so much for their classroom and other supplies. That the people of Pennsylvania are willing to give to them all these tools for improvement to ensure that they have every chance of living productive lives whether it be through taxes or donations.
Public education is the one institution where it is possible to give every citizen of America the opportunity to reach and attain ambitions to solidify dreams. It is the one institution that can touch the life of every American and make positive change in a nurturing environment that strives towards growth. It is the promise and gift that every American can give to every other American.
When I attended University in South Africa, post Apartheid, and we were fully integrated; there were clear deficits that my fellow black students faced that I had long surpassed in early high school. I knew I was looking at disadvantaged lives that might not be able to catch up due to squandered time and resources.
Steve Ciprani asked me to write my story of why I am so impassioned about public education, and for me the answer is simple. America is a country that has the resources, the infrastructure, and the constitution that demands that we offer this advantage to every American. All we may lack is the will to follow through.
I advocate for public education as a citizen and not as a teacher, because I have seen it done in many places in the world in many different ways, and America is the only place I know that can truly offer freedom and equality through education like no other to a population as multicultural and diverse as ours. Let's advocate to help everybody in America realize that this is an American imperative and we will be the shining example set up on the hill.
Nooreen Khan, Educator
We are in a time where we face a lot of uncertainty about the future of the country we call home. One of the many causes of concern is the apparent threat to the public school education system. I stand before you today as an educated, independent, and powerful woman because of access to quality education in the public school system. And like me, hundreds of thousands of immigrants, children of immigrants, and citizens are making essential contributions to society as professionals because they were able to use the public education system as a resource.
My parents left their country in order to provide better opportunities for their children. Often my father would tell my siblings and I stories of how the public school system in India was very disadvantaged. Like majority of people in third world countries, my parents had to pay a lot of money for private schools and tuitions to move ahead in their studies. The concept of a commendable public school was not known to them. For these reasons, I was brought up to believe obtaining quality education from public schools is a privilege America offers its citizens.
It’s no wonder that my five siblings and I devoted a lot of time and energy seeking the kind of education my parents wanted for us from public schools. Privatizing education means nothing more than “rich becoming richer and poor becoming poorer”. This is not the America I grew up in, nor is it the one I want my children to experience. There are certain things that should not be a privilege, they should be a right. Along with healthcare, education is absolutely one of them. Making education accessible to everyone will only BENEFIT America in the long run, no bad can come of this. However, privatizing education can only cause gaps in our literacy levels, our workforce, and our society that will be difficult to overcome. These are the same gaps that drove immigrants to seeking a better education system elsewhere. This is a sign that we are moving backwards rather than making strides forward to benefit our society.
As an educator myself, I find it very disappointing that anyone would want to devalue public education. I had the experience of working for public schools, private schools, and homeschooling. Some of the brightest minds I’ve encountered and some of the most promising future professionals have been those in the public school system. This is a right we must fiercely defend because the future of our country depends on it.
Jessica Todd, Educator
To me, education isn’t a product; it’s a transformation. Education has the power to transform information into understanding, words into communication, and problems into solutions. I was 24 years old when I met the teacher that would change me as a person—and I wasn’t even one of his students. His name is Mr. T.
My first teaching job was in an “alternative” education program in Saint Louis. The program was designed to serve 6th, 7th, and 8th graders on long-term suspension for serious offenses like violence or drug possession. The kids that came to the program were as diverse as any population: some had no history of disciplinary issues, some had struggled for years with self-destructive choices, and the others were somewhere in between. Some of our students came from households filled with violence or neglect whereas others had warm beds and loving parents at home. No matter how they differed, these factors were true of all our students: they were all children, they were all struggling with choices they had made, and they all needed something the “regular” environment hadn’t given them. That’s where Mr. T came in, and nobody could reach our students like he could.
Though he has a whole last name, his students have always simply called him “Mr. T” for short. In the two years I taught with him, I witnessed thousands of moments that showed how skilled Mr. T is in the art of human connection. He would always arrive early to stock his mini-fridge with food for the students that needed it. He spent his lunch breaks eating with students so he could get know them and better understand their needs. Rain or shine, he’d wait outside every morning to greet our kids, and he’d be right back out there seven hours later to wish them well at the end of the day. He’d often end up staying well after dismissal because a former student or distraught parent had stopped by to seek his guidance. He’d teach the curriculum, but he also crafted daily lessons designed to instruct our kids about character, choice, and self-worth. He made our kids feel safe and respected by speaking to them with equal parts kindness and honesty. He used to say, “Don’t forget: these kids are the reason the lights are on,” which was his way of saying that our actions should be entirely driven by the needs of our students. That core belief is still evident in every thing he does—no matter how big or small—every single day.
I thought I knew what being a teacher was before I met Mr. T, but I was wrong. He taught me by example that the most important elements of education are empathy and humility. He is humble enough that he can connect with any person and empathetic enough to want to. At the heart of any successful educational experience is connection, and Mr. T continues to transform the lives of his students by connecting deeply with them as people. Working with him transformed me, too; I see his influence in my teaching every day. Though we don’t work side-by-side anymore, I am fortunate enough to say we’re still very close, and I’m still learning from him. Mr. T is the embodiment of why education is important to me: because nothing is quite as powerful, important, or transformative as human connection, and that’s what education is all about.
Sharon Pulcinella, Educator
A few weeks ago I was listening to sports radio, and the commentators were talking about Ryne Sandberg. “The guy’s a Hall-of-Famer!” they ranted. “How can a guy who is a Hall of Famer be such a horrible manager?”
My mind immediately went back to a time period in the 1990s when many schools in PA were making a concerted effort to put more people with “real world” pedigrees into the classroom. These individuals were given the opportunity to work towards their certification while sharing their valuable expertise with our students; the belief was that they could give our students something that “regular” classroom teachers couldn’t.
One of these new staff members stands out in my mind. I don’t remember what he was hired to teach, or where he was from, but when I think of him, I think of him as a Texan; everything about him was bigger than life – his credentials, his self-confident air of authority, his perfect tan, and his drawl. He had just made the decision to retire from his corporate job and told me that he thought that teaching would be a great little career for his retirement years: summers off, less stress, and lots of interesting and valuable personal experiences to share with high school students. I met him on his first day, when he stopped me to ask if I could direct him to the person who made copies for teachers. I hid a smile and suggested that he speak with the principal’s assistant, who would give him a code for the copier so that he could make his own copies. His face fell for just a moment, but he recovered quickly and went striding off in the direction of the office.
“Tex” also had a folksy saying for every situation. The one that I never forgot was, “If you can’t play with the big dogs, stay on the porch!” About 6 months later, Tex was not only back on the porch, but right behind a couple of the other new hires on their way out the back door.
Until that moment, I had been one of those teachers who in my heart had somehow bought into that demeaning saying that we have all heard many times, “Those who can, do; those who can’t, teach.” I internalized the scorn that is so often directed towards us, and I doubted my own abilities, talents, and options. But as Tex and a few of his cohorts disappeared into the sunset that year, I finally “got it”: I am one of the “big dogs”!
It takes more than a pedigree to be a teacher. That person in the classroom next to you is not only a master in their field, but also a gifted motivator, negotiator, public speaker, strategic planner, counselor, mentor, diplomat, public relations expert, and detective. They are creative, compassionate, and flexible enough to change direction at a moment’s notice. They are advocates and activists, actors and philosophers. They have superhuman self-control, highly developed peripheral vision, and are able to squeeze 10 hours of work into a 7 ½ hour day. They are among the most experienced fundraisers in America, and their pictures hang in the Multi-Taskers’ Hall of Fame.
I want you to picture someone you know outside of the teaching profession whom you would categorize as “highly successful”. Now picture them in a high school classroom. Do you see them scampering back onto the porch?
You are surrounded every day with some of the most talented and extraordinary people in the world – the “Big Dogs”. You have every reason to hold your head high and be proud of what you do.
Never doubt your greatness, never question your worthiness, and never forget that you have choices. You have precious gifts to share. You have the unique opportunity to inspire thousands of people over the course of your career. Because those who can, teach.
Hunter Marsh, Student
I believe in these troubling and divisive times where our very freedoms are being challenged such as the right to an education we need to do everything we can to fight the tides of injustice.
I am a Senior at Patuxent High School in Calvert County, Maryland. I was born in Baltimore raised in Glen Burnie until I was 6 and then I began my scholastic career in Lusby, Maryland. Throughout school, I was very fortunate to have the teachers that I had. I was always treated with respect not just as a student, but as a human being. My teachers always told me to reach for the stars and that is exactly what I did.
When I got to middle school everything changed. My parents divorced and I was left dumbfounded. I did not know any way to cope with the massive changes in my life, but my teachers knew how to help. I thought it necessary to act out for attention. My teachers did not scold me, they instead taught me the right way. I never felt excluded in public school. I felt at home at school.
When I finally made it to high school, I was in an awkward place in my life. As a teenager trying to find his way it is hard enough, but as a child of divorced parents, it was harder to focus on school. My Biology teacher Graham Coombs was always there for me when I needed help with school or life. He was always my closest confidant at school. He gave me the tools I needed to grow as a man. My AP world history teacher freshman year Deb Sheftz saw the good in me when I did not even see it in myself. I wish I could tell her how much she meant to me today, but she passed away when I was a sophomore. Our whole community misses Deb Sheftz. She had such a profound effect on every life she touched.
At the end of my freshman year.... both my parents were unemployed. I was lost all over again. My grades began to slip but my teachers still believed in me. My teachers were outlets for help in school work but also outlets in life. I could come to almost every teacher I had and talked about my problems. My sophomore year I had grown so much from my freshman year. A lot of my growth could be attributed to my AP US teacher and my SGA advisor Scott Goldstein. This great man has given me everything I ever needed to succeed. Whatever support I have ever needed, Goldstein was right there behind me. I truly am lucky to have him as a teacher and a friend.
My junior year I decided to take 5 AP classes and I met some of the best teachers I have ever had in the social studies department. Rob Dunbar, Dustin Devilbiss, and Stan Hampton. These teachers were understanding in my rigorous schedule and worked with me as I played lacrosse, ran for student member on the board, ran for County SGA president, and mock trial. I gave everything for a school that gives everything to me. This year I was fortunate enough to work with Justin Sloan in broadcasting and yearbook. Mr. Sloan is someone who cares so much about his students. He helped me through my college process and even consoled me during my rejections. Allen Price. My theatre teacher and director has given me the opportunity to showcase my ability on the stage in my first year in the program. I am truly thankful for all of my teachers.
You won’t find these relationships at a private school. You will not see the same community and family at a private school. I am truly blessed to attend Patuxent High School. I need public education because I want my younger brother and my future children to enjoy the same opportunities I have been afforded. I do not want to see the great education I have received torn down in favor of private education. Our new government must realize that free public education is necessary to a successful nation. The founding fathers did not envision schooling being privatized for profit. Please save public education.
Colleen Gray Lelli, Educator
As a teacher, student, parent and citizen of the United States, I believe in public education for many reasons. As an educator with over twenty-two years experience, I could share numerous stories about my students, myself, my friends and my own children and our shared love of public education. The story I would like to share with you is about my upbringing and experience as a young child in the public school system.
I grew up in the suburbs of Philadelphia. Although I was a suburbanite, the town I grew up in, Norristown, was very urban like. Norristown was (and still is) a home for many different cultures. Some of my best friends were Caucasian Catholics like myself but most of my friends were either Jewish, African-American, Asian or Indian descendent. In fact, my public elementary school hosted a “United Nations Day” every year celebrating the diversity of our school community. We were able to share our various cultural rituals, food, dance, dress etc. with each other. I was proud of my hometown and enjoyed learning about my friends’ cultures as a young student.
I received an excellent education through my K-12 experience with the Norristown School District. I thrived and grew academically and socially. I had so many opportunities: academic rigor, band, cheerleading, class officer and clubs, classes in broadcasting—not to mention some of the best teachers I’ve ever met. Teachers that to this day I am still in contact. Teachers that pushed me, provided care, and recognized the importance of fostering learning for students of all ethnicities, religious backgrounds and most of all ABILITIES.
I was fortunate to attend a college in the suburbs of Philadelphia, located on the “Main Line.” I was different from a lot of my peers because of the diverse community in which I was raised. In fact, one professor actually made comments that people from my community rarely “made it out” and were “uneducated.” Of course, she didn’t realize as I sat there in many of her classes (I did appreciate her intelligence) I was in fact from the community she was referring. Her ignorance baffled my 19-year-old self. But then I felt more pride than I’ve ever experienced in my life. Public education served me well. Public education opened my eyes to social justice issues. Public education provided me the opportunities to sit in a seat where many thought I didn’t belong. I am proud to be a product of public education.