Common Dreams reports the news about the mass protests planned for April 20.
Students, teachers, parents, everyone outraged by the Parkland Massacre will join together on the same day, which is the anniversary of the Columbine Massacre.
Students led by National School Walkout will encourage mass walkouts on that date.
The Network for Public Education is working alongside the AFT, the NEA, the BATS, LULAC, AASA, and other groups to promote actions in every schoool district in the country on April 20.
David Berliner gave his blessing!
The great education expert David Berliner supports the April 20 plan.
“The students’ call-to-action comes days after David Berliner, an educational psychologist and Regents’ Professor of Education Emeritus at Arizona State University, issued a call for a national teachers’ strike if lawmakers continue their failure to enact “sane gun laws.”
“Berliner’s call, which he sent in a message to education historian Diane Ravitch, states, in part, “Almost all of America’s 3 million teachers—nurturers and guardians of our youth—want sensible gun laws. They deserve that. But they have to be ready to exert the power they have by walking out of their schools if they do not get what they want. They have to exert the reputational power that 3 million of our most admired voters have. Neither the NRA nor their legislative puppets will be able stand up to that.”
“He originally said the day should be May 1, May Day, but after being flooded with responses including from the American Federation of Teachers and the National Education Association, he explained to Slate the day got switched to April 20.
“April 20,” he told Slate, “will become the day on which teachers can say, ‘No. You will never ever be elected again if you don’t pass sensible laws, and there are all sorts of things that can be done that don’t violate the Constitution.’ I’ve just had enough.”
“A web page calling for pledges to commit to an April 20 action and sponsored by the Network for Public Education, the American Federation of Teachers, the National Education Association, and other organizations says, “The failure to enact rational laws around the purchase of guns that are designed for mass shootings is inexcusable. The time to act is now. Every child deserves to learn in a school that is safe.”
“A separate nationwide walkout event sponsored by organizers of the Women’s March is scheduled for March 14. Rather than a day-long event, that action is scheduled to take place “for 17 minutes at 10am across every time zone … to protest Congress’ inaction to do more than tweet thoughts and prayers in response to the gun violence plaguing our schools and neighborhoods.”

Students in the northeast are on vacation that week so there will not be school walkouts but there can be marches.
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Be creative. Get involved wherever you are.
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This is also the anniversary of the 1914 Ludlow Massacre. It’s also 420, a dope-smoking day. The day Columbine happened, my told me that is Hitler’s birthday, and that’s also true. April 20 is fraught with all kinds of meanings for all kinds of people, so I hope this day is safe and doesn’t lead to more violence.
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We will make good things happen on April 20.
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I meant to write above “my students told me…”
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This young man is still in high school, and has more common sense than many adults I know. Please check out his blog: https://writtenbywadeglover.wordpress.com/2018/02/15/my-thoughts-we-need-gun-reform/
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But, grizzlies!
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I would like to see an armband that everyone could wear even if they are not in a position to participate in a march. Someone choose a color and pass the word. Maybe it should just be black.
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The color is orange. That is the color signifying gun control.
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Excellent! If I can’t get off for April 20, I will have an orange armband. Thank you for the suggestion.
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I’ve reached out to the local Indivisible groups and low and behold, they are already spreading the word. My next step is to work with some of the Virginia based groups to see if they can put together a march/rally at NRA Headquarters in Fairfax on 4/20. This, along with the strike would send a powerful message to the gun lobby.
more to come…
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helping the 2018/2020 truly progressive candidates have great talking points/statistics/footing
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I am circulating this announcements to art educators.
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