Joni Hirsch Blackman: To Facebook or Not to Facebook
Which Colleges Have The Best Quality Of Life?
Thousands of New Jersey High School Students Walk Out of Class to Protest Budget Cuts
Filed under: In The News
Newark police try to contain hundreds of students from a University High School march chanting "Christie has to go." One officer estimated the crowd of students to be 500. Credit: Andrew Mills, The Star-Ledger
New Jersey high school students took a lesson in civil disobedience today when thousands walked out of class to protest Gov. Chris Christie's proposed education cuts, the Star-Ledger reports.
The walkout was organized on a Facebook page, where more than 16,000 students signed up to participate.
"Phone calls, texts, Twitter, Facebook, everything," says Malcolm X. Shabazz high school senior Donald Jackson, 17, who was leading a march of fellow students. "We're protesting budget cuts, cuts in lunch, after school programs, it has to stop."
| Thousands of Newark students walk out of class in protest of Chris Christie education cuts |
College student Michelle Ryan Lauto, 18, who went to high school in New Jersey, set up the Facebook event page about a month ago encouraging the walkouts. She tells the Star-Ledger she finds it "disturbing" that her little sister may go through a school system far different than the one she did.
"I think the best outcome would be for the students to be in school and find a way to protest outside of school hours," says Steve Wollmer, a spokesman for the New Jersey Education Association, the state's largest teachers union.
Related: Megan Fox, Brian Austin Green Star in Video Protesting School Budget Cuts in California
YourVoice
Ask Us Anything About Parenting
TheTalkies:RelatedVideos
-
Indiana Schools Trading Cursive For Keyboards
The state of Indiana has decided to cut cursive lessons out of the curriculum.
-
Taiwan's Silent Mentors
In Hualien Taiwan, there is a medical school run by a prominent Buddhist charity. At this school, before students cut up the body, they visit the deceased's home and relatives, get to know his or her life, write their biography, burn incense, and write poems. It's a way to honor those who have donated their corpses to science. The students call them "silent mentors."
-
Homeschooling High School Students
Learn how you can prepare and home school high school students.
-
Wyclef Jean Interviewed by Public School Students
Get behind the scenes with Wyclef Jean as he visits Clinton Hill School and is interviewed by the students there.
SitesWeLove
- Site Map
- |
- Staff
- |
- Terms of Service
- |
- Privacy Policy
- |
- Trademarks
- |
- Advertise With Us
- |
- About Our Ads
- |
- AOL Downloads
- |
- Contact Us
- |
© Copyright 2012 AOL Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Aol Family
ReaderComments (Page 1 of 1)
4-27-2010 @ 11:42PM
Brahxus said...I love how none of them look like they're protesting anything serious, they all look like they're just having fun cutting class.
I doubt any of them really knew what they were protesting in the first place :|
Reply
4-27-2010 @ 11:46PM
DudeBro said...Man, they fightin' the power, son. Da govornments gots ta stop all teh budget cuts, ya know? A lil sumthin' sumthin' extra, dawg.
They knows whats they thre 4 and thst all tht maters, ya dig?
4-28-2010 @ 2:22PM
Lilly said...First of all, I am an 18 year old senior in high school; I know what I am talking about. I am going to college in August, which will be in a different state. Yet, I still care deeply about the education of my peers. My school took part in the Walk-Out.There are many teachers who love teaching and now they are not getting the funds to do so. Many students want to grow up to be teachers and now they are rethinking their dream, just because of the budget cuts. Many teachers encouraged us to go out and protest. They wanted us to. At this time of the school year, classes tend to be slow, and there is less work. Due to the protests, teachers just less us sit and talk. The students who walked out did not miss a thing. They should not get detentions, suspensions, or even be arrested, especially because the protests were peaceful. We love (most of) our teachers. The ones who have tenure get to stay, when sometimes they don't even deserve to. The newer, more energetic ones have less of a chance. My favorite teacher is retiring early in order to allow another teacher to keep his or her job. Four of our math teachers are either retiring or quitting. Our foreign language and science departments were always horrendous, but now without the funds for the educational tools that we need, they will just continue to go downhill. Yes, I understand that the State of New Jersey, the other 49 US states, and the rest of the world are in debt. Why should our parents pay such high taxes when it isn't going to even help their children get the education they deserve? We are the future, would you like us to be stupid?
Reply
4-28-2010 @ 11:28AM
Emmy said...I am so thankfull that my school is still teaching and kids are still learning, but I go to DFA. We have to audition to get in, and we have to try hard to stay in. We're having to cut budgets, increase class sizes, etc, and we're the school that's doing well, the rest of Richmond County isn't. I don't know how we can get through another million-plus in cuts, especially not with Dana Bedden getting a raise. Kudos to these kids, it's about time someone made a stand.
Reply
4-29-2010 @ 12:46AM
arlenice said...April 28, 2010....I am proud of the students who participated in a peaceful demonstration. Excessive money has been spent and is still being wasted foolishly by the present and past administration. WE NEED TO REMEMBER TO GO VOTE NOVEMBER 2, 2010 and get the bad Democrats and bad republicans voted out and vote in good Republicans and god Democrats that have the courage to not sell their souls to Obama and to Satan!. God Bless America!
Reply
4-29-2010 @ 12:55AM
arlenice said...Obama should get back the money that has been given to foolish waste and put some of it toward school programs, i.e. student breakfasts and lunch. Many students don't have nutritious food at home and without it, they can't function well. The schools should also provide nutritious food and not hot dogs and macarroni. Students need healthy protein foods and fresh vegetables and fruit.Today's students will be tomorrows adults and leaders. Remember that! God Bless America!
Reply
4-29-2010 @ 7:21AM
jay b said...CUT CUT CUT CUT CUT THEY ALL ACT LIKE THEY ARE IN TITLED TO OR MONEY ITS LIKE SOME ON WALFARE WANT WANT WANT AND NEVER GIVE BACK
Reply
4-29-2010 @ 7:45AM
Jay said...Sorry about my first message but I am on SSI and have been cut for two years and feel like no one cares for our senors or are disable.There are so many ways of saving these school cuts but they will not do what needs to be done like cutting all state salarys and waste in all these bills that are passed.I remember when I was a young kid working in my town and not realizing what was going on when I was older it blew my mine that there was a town worker working with me at my job and still on the TOWN or STATE payroll at the same time and was working two jobs when he actuly was working one job and getting paid for TWO its like when you drive down the road and see one worker digging a whole and six guys watching him dig the hole now were do we need cuts hummmmm.
Reply