The national American Federation of Teachers has proposed a national day of action to ensure that those closest to the education process – teachers, administrators, school staff, students, their parents, and community members – have a voice in education policy and practice. Due to the top-down policy approach applied to Newark public schools for the last 18 years, this principle has been greatly undermined.

Therefore, Working Families United for New Jersey, Inc. will join with national AFT President Randi Weingarten, the Newark Teachers Union, and several community and union allies including the Newark Students Union and the Newark NAACP to reaffirm the community’s input into Newark’s public school system and reiterate the need for equal opportunity and fair education funding. Details for next week’s action are as follows:

Schools remain a beacon of opportunity for our state’s children, and your support is critical to ensuring that the Newark community remains a prevailing voice in the effort to improve local schools and help students harness the opportunity of a quality education.