KOSE members in Wichita participated in the National Day of Action on December 9th. For the Day of Action, KOSE is held a Cold Weather Clothing Drive, collecting donations of hats, mittens/gloves, scarves and socks, which were presented to for Interfaith Ministries. KOSE members believe that good jobs and strong communities are essential for working families. Our participation in the National Day of Action demonstrated belief.
On December 9th, 2013, AFT President Randi Weingarten sent the following message to AFT members across the county:
In dozens of cities from coast to coast, parents, educators and more than 100 community groups are coming together for a National Day of Action to Reclaim the Promise of Public Education: Our Schools, Our Solutions. These events mark the beginning of an important movement taking hold in neighborhoods across the United States.
Today’s National Day of Action is the largest coordinated action to reclaim the promise of public education in recent memory. Parents, teachers, students and community members are taking part in the Day of Action because they know that the market-based ideologies of privatization, austerity, division and competition are failing our children. They want to reclaim our schools and improve public education for all.
This Day of Action is truly nationwide. Thousands are participating in the 90 events across the country, and tens of thousands more are showing their support online. Stand with us-- add your name to the petition
On this Day of Action, we call upon our leaders to listen to those closest to the classroom about what’s best for our children. While we agree on the overall goal to prepare students for life, career and college, we also must be clear that the market-based approach has failed. We need a new path paved with early childhood education, project-based learning, wraparound services, teacher autonomy, professional development, parent and student voices, fair funding formulas and more. We must reclaim the promise of public education.
Call on your elected leaders to reclaim the promise of public education today.
This National Day of Action is only a start, and we still have mountains we're determined to climb. For our students, our teachers, our parents and our communities, we've got to keep climbing. Join us in the movement to reclaim the promise of public education.
In unity,
Randi Weingarten
AFT President