March for Education – San Jose to Berkeley to SF

On Wednesday September 15th, a group of students from the University of California at Santa Cruz embarked upon a March for Education to dramatize their concern for the future of education in California, including the effects of budget cuts and tuition hikes. The march began at San Jose State University and will end on September 22nd at San Francisco State University. Before reaching San Francisco State University, the marchers will rally in front of the UC Regents meeting taking place at UC San Francisco.

I met up with the marchers on Wednesday afternoon while they were en-route from San Jose State University to Santa Clara University. Stephanie Smith, one of the organizers of the March for Education spoke with me about the effects of funding cuts and tuition hikes at all levels of education, as well as marching as a tactic for social change.

Interview on March for Education (3:43 minutes)

Over two dozen Bay Area students and youth will walk from San Jose State University to UC Berkeley to San Francisco State University from Sept. 15-22 to dramatize their concern for the future of education in California. Along the way, they will visit a total of 17 different California State Universities, community colleges, and private colleges, to dialogue with the students, faculty, staff, and community members at those campuses and build a person-by-person understanding of the myriad ways the state's failed budget priorities are impacting its citizens.

The walk will conclude with a special appearance at the UC Regents meeting in San Francisco on September 22. The long-term vision of the "Education Rising" campaign is the creation of a "union" for students. This union, based on a structure of deep participatory democracy, will serve as a political voice for all those who care about education and youth rights.

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Crossposted at Santa Cruz Indymedia and Indybay.org.