Reflections from the Road

As Emily and I have had the pleasure of traveling throughout the northeast visiting some pretty awesome institutions, both private and public, we have witnessed an increasing need for support in public education. Some of the country’s brightest and most engaging students are given the opportunity to thrive at public schools and though the country is currently struggling through this economic crisis, it has become even more apparent that public education is hanging on to a thread in order to be prioritized as a significant sector of our society that needs a major overhaul. These public colleges and universities generally serve the communities that have been traditionally and are continuously excluded from resources that would enable them to be top competitive students compared to those who can afford attending Harvard or Yale.

We’ve had the privilege of meeting faculty and students at schools such as CUNY Hunter College, Medgar Evers College, Brooklyn College, SUNY Purchase, Southern Connecticut State University, and others who are truly passionate and committed to improving the nature of public education in this country. Unfortunately, due to some state governments’ issuing an increase of tuition, in spite of this financial crunch that most of working class Americans and young people are experiencing, impactful liberal arts and humanities programs are being defunded. Some departments are experiencing budget cuts of up to 20%. In addition, resource and support centers such as women’s centers and offices of multicultural affairs are also taking a pretty big hit and have to defend their existence when it comes to budgeting reform.

As organizers, we encourage students to educate themselves about the decisions being made among administration. Develop relationships with administrators, support faculty who have an invested interest in fighting for liberal arts programs, and demand your presence at the decision making table. These institutions are here to serve their number one customer: the students.

Now with the passing of the stimulus package that may motivate an increase of jobs in education and healthcare, maybe our schools will gain some attention that they so desperately deserve.