Patch Blog: 'Schools We Can Believe In' Rally on Saturday

If there’s one thing that all Angelenos can agree on, it’s that way too many students in L.A. aren’t getting the education they deserve. Students deserve better schools and parents deserve to know how their children's schools are doing and what their options are.

That’s why several thousand parents, students and teachers from across Los Angeles are rallying at Exposition Park this Saturday, February 4, to tell our elected leaders to put students first, not politics.

There isn’t a silver bullet for improving our public schools. There is still so much work to be done that we need everyone at the table and every solution that works in order to get to a future where every student attends a high-quality public school.

This rally will feature a wide range of speakers and is supported by several community partners. We focus on different areas and have varying perspectives, but are unified by our belief that improving our public schools is critical to the future of Los Angeles. Partners include United Way, Families In Schools, Alliance for a Better Community, Communities for Teaching Excellence, EdVoice and Democrats for Education Reform.

Speakers at the rally will include Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, LAUSD Board President Monica Garcia, LAUSD Superintendent John Deasy, Ana Ponce, Founder of Camino Nuevo Charter Academies, Yolie Flores, Executive Director of Communities for Teaching Excellence and myself, joined by parent and teacher speakers.

Our message is simple—all that matters is that kids get the best education they can. We are tired of politics standing in the way of that. We need to do more of what works and less of what doesn’t.

We want:

• High-quality schools in every neighborhood for all public school students
• Quality space to learn for all public school students
• Equal funding for all public school students
• Parent voices to be heard.

Charter school parents from across L.A. are participating in this rally in big numbers. There are simply too many neighborhoods in Los Angeles that don’t have high-quality public school options and charter schools have often provided those opportunities to families. We’re rallying on February 4 because we believe all children in Los Angeles deserve a high-quality public education and it’s up to parents to hold our leaders accountable for making that a reality. Will you join us?

WHERE: Exposition Park (In front of L.A. Memorial Coliseum)
WHEN: Feb. 4, 2012, 9 a.m.
WHY: Because politics shouldn't stand in the way of students getting the education they deserve!
WHO: Parents, Students and Teachers

Find out more at: www.familiesthatcan.org/rally!

RSVP on Facebook to tell all your friends about the event! http://www.facebook.com/events/162131110559397/