Minnesotans Mobilizing to Defend Public Education on October 7th

This Thursday, advocates of public education in Minnesota are putting on events including a free concert in Loring Park, rallies, marches, teach-ins at the U of M and MCTC, and a student strike and dance party at MSU Mankato.  These are part of the October 7th National Day of Actions in Defense of Public Education.  This day was called as a continuation of the struggles in California -- including rallies, strikes, and occupations on campuses -- that spread nationwide on March 4th of this year.

A group coordinating the October 7th activities in Minnesota, Education Action Coalition MN, gives some explanation for their motivations on their website: “public education is facing a dire crisis.  Budget cuts and privatization schemes together represent an unprecedented assault on public education.  Here in Minnesota, the achievement gap between white K-12 students and minority students is among the worst in the nation. At the University of Minnesota, over-paid administrators are forcing the burden of budget cuts -- $47 million proposed by Governor Pawlenty this year -- onto the backs of students and workers.  The Minnesota State Colleges and Universities system leadership received bonuses when they laid off faculty and increased class sizes.”

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