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More than 1,000 people join together in Moving Wisconsin Forward
Posted: 10/16/2010 3:34:36 PM
More than 1,000 people joined together Saturday (October 16) to support the public schools and the essential public services that improve quality of life for residents across Wisconsin. Calling for an end to cuts to education, safety agencies and public infrastructure, hundreds of Wisconsinites rallied at the State Capitol in Madison with calls to Move Wisconsin Forward.
Jeffery Johnson – a Wisconsin Education Association Council (WEAC) member, National Education Association director and high school and AP art teacher for South Division High School in Milwaukee – said he wants to make sure that state and local resources are protected for future generations. He said resources such as education are crucial not only for the 75 students he teaches while on the job but also for young people such as his 9-year-old son, Seth, an elementary school student.
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| Leah Luke, Wisconsin Teacher of the Year and a member of WEAC, leads the call to Move Wisconsin Forward at Saturday’s rally at the State Capitol in Madison. |
“He’s why I’m here – to help move us forward to help give him a better brighter future,” Johnson said.
Public education is one of the public resources that has seen continued cuts over the years, leading to increased class sizes and reduced course offerings. Karen Kleinert, a former Janesville teacher and a member of WEAC-Retired, attended the rally because state residents should “support education no matter what,” she said.
“I’ve been retired for 10 years, but I still believe in supporting the schools,” Kleinert added.
Keeping schools strong was a motivating factor for Paula Volpiansky – a member of WEAC and the State Professional Education and Information Council #1 – to join the rally and voice her support.
“Public education is the most important resource I think our country has,” Volpiansky said. “Real people need to come out and communicate with each other about real issues.”
Even educators just beginning their careers see the need to protect public resources. Cari Hauge, a member of Student WEA and a student at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, said she hopes the state is committed to advancing a new school funding formula.
“We recognize that there are problems in our funding and we want better schools for our kids, even as student educators. We want to see change,” she said.
Members of more than a dozen organizations came together to lend their voice for continued investments in a top-notch education system, dependable infrastructure, and vibrant economic development. Organizations in support of Moving Wisconsin Forward are:
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Wisconsin American Federation of Labor-Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO)
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American Federation of State County Municipal Employees (AFSCME)
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South Central Federation of Labor (SCFL)
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Milwaukee Teachers Education Association (MTEA)
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Madison Teachers, Inc. (MTI)
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Citizen Action
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Fair Aid Council
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Green Bay Education Association (GBEA)
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Interfaith Coalition for Worker Justice (ICWJ)
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Kenosha Education Association (KEA)
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National Farmers Union
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Professional Fire Fighters of Wisconsin (PFFW)
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Racine Education Association (REA)
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Student Labor Action Coalition (SLAC)
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United Staff Union (USU)
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One Wisconsin Now
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Wisconsin Council of Children and Families (WCCF)
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Wisconsin Education Association Council (WEAC)
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Wisconsin Alliance for Excellent Schools (WAES)
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Wisconsin Professional Police Association (WPPA )
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Wisconsin Parent-Teacher Association (WPTA) and
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Workers' Rights Center (WRC)
For more information about the Moving Wisconsin Forward rally, click here.
For more photos from the Moving Wisconsin Forward rally, click here.
