March for Education Reform 06/02/10
Jun 02, 2010
Hackensack, NJ
On Wednesday, June 2nd, students and concerned citizens from across New Jersey gathered at the Bergen County Academies High School to march to the Bergen County Courthouse in Hackensack, New Jersey. We protested Governor Chris Christie's education budget cuts and proposed alternative ways to reforms that both save money and improve the quality of education. Our student-led march's purpose was to initiate a real, constructive dialogue on education reforms, including: regionalizing district administrators; promoting transparency; and ensuring accountability.
However, Bergen County Academies school administrators spread lies about our March for Education Reform and unlawfully stopped students from joining us and exercising their First Amendment rights. On the day of the march, school administrators told Senator Loretta Weinberg’s office that we had no permission to march. Senator Weinberg’s office alerted our partner organizations that our event was cancelled, while our organizers were not told about this cancellation until an hour before the march. Yet, in fact, we had the permission from both the City of Hackensack and Bergen County Police.
Nonetheless, we had a group of about 25 students and a handful of adult community activists who would not back down, so we marched! Clearly, our group was stood up by just about every group and everybody imaginable. If there ever were a group of grassroots, independent-minded marchers for education reform – we were it! Our group of 30 or so marched for an hour and a half under the scorching sun that afternoon.
Our March for Education Reform was reported on the front page of the Local Section of “The Record,” the most widely read newspaper in Bergen County. Click here for a shorter version online.
Getting ready to march from the Bergen County Academies to the County Courthouse.
Car and trucks honked in support throughout our 90 minute march in the scorching sun!
Our organization DYNO serves as a voice for students
County Executive Dennis McNerney joined us right when the march event ended to listen to us and voice his support for our reform ideas.
County Executive Dennis McNerney answering a few of our questions.
Do you have something to say about this event? Tell us!