"March 4 Schools" Rallies This Week

Are Americans getting ready to protest budget cuts to education?  Maybe not in New Jersey, where we have not yet seen the worst cuts (despite one of the worst state deficits) and the legislature cheered as the governor gave a speech cutting over $500 million to education in order to keep from sinking deeper into debt.  But in other states, we are likely to see a lot of marching now that Spring is here.  In anticipation of a multi-state March 4th rally to protest budget cuts to education, there have been a number of public gatherings at Berkeley, including a large dance party Friday that turned violent when some students began vandalizing a nearby building (see "Two Arrested after Berkeley Violence" in the San Francisco Examiner of February 26th).  The "March 4 Schools" rallies, which began in Arizona last year, have been heavily promoted in California by Stand up for Schools, which has more information on their website organizing not just parents and students but unions as well.  The situation in California is mirrored in a number of other states, including Arizona, where The Education Coalition of the Arizona Education Association produced a fascinating documentary (see above).  What will it take for more folks in New Jersey to join the movement?