Just caught this stream of about 50 school-closure protesters, mostly NOVA students, who are headed up Cherry on their way to the Federal Building downtown.
SPD says they’ve agreed to stick to the sidewalks for their journey, so there shouldn’t be any traffic impacts.
If you’re working downtown and in the mood for a protest, you can meet them at 2nd & Marion sometime around 1:30pm.
Marching to protest school closure? What’s all the fuss about? It was only a two-hour snow delay.
These closures:
http://www.centraldistrictnews.com/2009/01/06/school-closure
Unfortunately, the magnitude of what is happening here has gone largely unnoticed.
Seattle Public Schools is opting to balance budgets and ignore improved educational outcomes by displacing children, building mistrust, and further segregating the city. This march and rally were to show the public, again, that this round of “capacity management” is deeply flawed, harms public education, is out of line with city goals and priorities AND disproportionately impacts low income, minority and ELL students. The march ended at the Federal Building downtown, where 100+ families filed complaints with the US Dept or Education, Office of Civil Rights. Legal appeals have also been filed in King Co. Superior Court.
Much has been written on this site, but I’m always happy to talk more if people need information.
The schools closing are just the tip of the ice berg. It has a severe impact on our community as a whole.