The Alliance to Reclaim Our Schools (AROS) is linking together parents, educators, students, school staff and community members in hundreds of cities across the country on October 6th as they WALK IN to support the quality public schools that all our students deserve. Walk-Ins provide an excellent opportunity to engage new employees around a national cause that speaks to all educators. Walk-Ins can also serve as a tactic to engage new employees, members, parents, students, and community around an issue that impacts your local union.
AROS is fighting for:
1. World class community schools that provide high quality academic, health and family services in EVERY neighborhood so students of color and poor students have an equal education as their peers, NOT more charter schools that drain vital resources from public schools.
2. Wall Street and the billionaires pay their fair share of taxes to ensure adequate and equitable funding for public education from pre-K through higher education, NOT budget cuts and austerity.
3. Positive school discipline practices that make schools safe, and end racial disparities and the pipeline to prison, NOT zero tolerance.
4. More time for teaching and learning, NOT for high stakes testing.
5. A living wage to lift every student’s family out of poverty and help close the achievement gap, NOT growing inequality.
Our first nationally coordinated WALK-IN took place on February 17th and brought out over 35,000 participants at over 800 schools in 31 cities. AFT members will be engaging in nationally coordinated Walk-Ins in 200+ cities on October 6th, 2016. Contact ezachary@aft.org to get more information and take part.
Make sure you have the following materials enclosed to support your Back-to-School New Employee Orientation efforts:
• AROS Walk-In “Save the Date” Flyer
• AROS Walk-In Commitment Form with Demands