Rally Feb. 5 in Tallahassee to stop cuts to education

Rally Feb. 5 in Tallahassee to stop cuts to education
January 2002

With the rallying cry, "The public education budget is eaten to the core! let's stop Governor Bush from biting even more," the Alachua County Education Association is organizing teachers, students, and community members will board buses in Gainesville and head to Tallahassee on Tuesday, February 5 to fight for education. The more than two thousand members of Alachua County’s Education Association (the school employees’ union) want lawmakers to redefine their priorities, uphold their promises to education, and spare the classroom during the upcoming legislative session.

ACEA says, "Members of ACEA believe taxpayers own Florida’s public schools and lawmakers work for us. On February 5th, we’ll tell them how to do their jobs better. We need YOU to add volume to our voice. Showing up in mass numbers is the only way we can prove our dedication and solidarity."

They charge that Governor Jeb Bush's budget plan for the 2002-2003 school year is misleading. He continues to cut education and blame the events of September 11th for our budget crisis. Lawmakers say they are "aggressively" recruiting and retaining teachers and cuts will not affect the classroom. Yet school districts across the state brace for more budget cuts. New teachers cannot find jobs because of hiring freezes across the state including Alachua County, and some schools could close as a result of these cuts.

ACEA says, "This fight is crucial to the future of public education. The Alachua County Education Association will pay for the buses. All you have to do is show up, spend the day with us, and care about education." You can contact Heather "Daine" Danenhower at 377-7635 or 514-7408 to go on the bus or for more details.