Arizona school closing evokes: Education is a right!

A packed auditorium confronted the Tucson Unified School District Governing Board March 27 at an evening public hearing regarding the board’s decision to close the Wrightstown Elementary School.

An endless stream of parents, teachers, students and community members spent two hours expressing their outrage with the board for even considering closing a public school.

In addition to the Wrightstown school, TUSD plans to close three other elementary schools as well as laying off 282 teachers. The board claims there is a budget “shortfall” that cannot be remedied and they have no choice but to “close schools and reduce staff” in order to stay within their budget.

After the public hearing members of the International Action Center of Tucson and the Tucson May 1st Coalition leafleted parents, teachers and students as they left the school.

Every available copy of the IAC Tucson/May 1st Coalition “Education is a Right!” leaflet was enthusiastically taken by people as they left. Many people stopped to engage in spirited conversations with IAC and May 1st activists.

The leaflet highlighted the fact that “Education is a Right” and disputed the statement that there is “No Money” by pointing to the trillions of dollars the government has available to fund endless war and the recent injection of $400 billion to bail out the big banks responsible for the subprime mortgage crisis.

The leaflet also invited everyone to participate in this year’s May Day march and unite with other working and oppressed people suffering under the current economic crisis. The Tucson May 1st Coalition has made “Money for Education, Healthcare, Housing and Jobs for All!” one of its demands.