Baltimore student strike
'We want our money!'
By Sharon Black
Baltimore
On March 9, over 1,000 students and their
supporters held a dynamic rally in front of Baltimore's City
Hall chanting "We want our money" and "Education, not
incarceration." Students then took their message to the streets
and marched to the Maryland Department of Education.
Students from 10 high schools boycotted classes in response
to a call for a one-day strike. They also attended the rally
and march despite Mayor Martin O'Malley's televised message to
stay in school and warnings that there might be violence.
This action was student-led and organized by the Algebra
Project and the Math Literacy Workers, an innovative group of
students who teach their classmates math. Jay Gillian, a local
teacher and educational activist, helped found the group. His
focus has been to promote student decision-making. The students
met and planned the action in response to the growing crisis of
funding for Baltimore's schools.
One of the youth leaders, 15-year-old Chantel Morant, told
the Sun newspaper that much of what she believes comes from her
mother, Mary Morant, a veteran transit bus driver. "My mother,"
Morant said with great fondness, "she makes me aware of my
self-value. She's a very good person. She's an activist. She's
part of the All Peoples Congress. She introduced me to the
world of advocacy."
The students garnered support from teachers, the All Peoples
Congress, ACORN, the Parent Teachers Association and other
community groups.
The students' major demand is to enforce a court order that
would provide $260 million yearly in extra money as part of the
Thornton Act settlement. This law was passed to equalize
per-pupil funding of poorer schools, which are mostly but not
exclusively in the city of Baltimore, and better-funded richer
schools. The Thornton Act was aimed at eliminating racism in
funding within the school system. The state has refused to
abide by it.
In February, 10,000 teachers, students and parents marched
in Annapolis, Mary land's capital, to demand the state
implement the Thornton Act. Baltimore/ Maryland ANSWER
mobilized support and distributed thousands of flyers.
The Baltimore city school system has reported a $58-million
deficit, fueling calls that the School Board resign. It also
prompted Maryland's governor and the mayor of Baltimore to
demand teachers take furloughs--unpaid time off--and wage cuts.
It has prompted layoffs and fears of larger layoffs in the
future.
At the rally, students addressed the issue of school workers
in many of their talks, calling for support of teachers and
cafeteria workers and others who have helped them. These
possible widespread layoffs have the young people worried.
In an act of defiance, teachers have voted against accepting
wage cuts and furloughs. This prompted a crisis for the city
and state administrations. A struggle broke out on all sides.
The Maryland government has offered to loan the Baltimore city
schools money in much the same manner as the World Bank offers
loans to poor and oppressed countries--with strings attached.
The state controls everything.
The racism and arrogance of the state government,
represented by Gov. Robert Ehrlich, has prompted Baltimore's
City Council to pass resolutions against the state's efforts to
disenfranchise the city.
There has been much discussion in the press about corruption
on the Baltimore School Board, which is primarily appointed by
state officials--but the media have ignored the more
thoroughgoing issues of widespread racism and the lack of real
funding for education.
All Peoples Congress organizers and students have been quick
to point out that the trillions spent on war over the last
decade, and even the recently appropriated $87 billion
"supplemental" fund for the Iraq occupation, could provide a
decent education, good schools, adequate books and decent
salaries for teachers and school workers. Advocate groups in
the city are calling for the schools to be run by teachers,
students and parents--not the state.
The student strike, rally and march prove that students must
and will play a very important role in this process.
Reprinted from the March 25, 2004, issue of
Workers World newspaper
This article is copyright under a Creative
Commons License.
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