NEW YORK CITY, August 3—Hundreds of teachers, students, and parents protested the unsafe plans to reopen city schools. They demanded smaller class sizes and the removal of police from schools. High school youth led chants, showed a promising pro-student element of working-class solidarity in this protest that began outside the teachers’ union (UFT) headquarters and marched to City Hall. Progressive Labor Party (PLP) put forward communist ideas of building antiracist student-family-teacher unity with signs, a bullhorn, and CHALLENGE.
Multiracial fightback is growing
Some teachers opposed to reopening NYC schools have been motivated by an individualist, anti-student outlook that focuses strictly on their own safety. However, speakers at this protest overwhelmingly demonstrated concerns for students, families, and teachers alike.
Protesters rejected liberal misleaders like the NYC Mayor and Schools Chancellor with chants like, “Hey de Blasio/Carranza, what do you say? How many kids did you kill today?”
One speaker explicitly targeted Governor Andrew Cuomo, sold as competent and anti-Trump, who has a history of slashing healthcare budgets and closing hospitals.
This rally reflects the influence of the protests following the murder of George Floyd and other targets of racist police terror. Protesters welcomed chants that connected school reopenings to  racism.
This shows that “safe schools” does not simply mean preventing the spread of Covid-19, but also the removal of police.
Notably, the rally began at UFT headquarters whose leadership is notorious for its historic racist and anti-communist collaboration with school bosses, going back to its inception.
Time and time again, the UFT has opposed antiracist initiatives by its members and by Black and Latin workers in the community. Their misleadership must be challenged.
In contrast with previous demonstrations organized by this caucus of the teachers’ union, MORE (Movement of Rank & File Educators), this rally was broader and more multiracial. That said, they remain mired in reformism. Calling for “no school until it’s safe” is not an “advanced” demand because capitalism will never create safe schools (see page 8).
To truly organize the working class, education workers must prioritize organizing students and their families against racism. This will create the unity necessary to defeat capitalism and create a communist world.
Mass budget cuts while bosses’ profits soar
Instead of the great investment of resources and workers required to combat a pandemic, the bosses are already slashing school budgets. Democrat-run New York City has cut $400 million from this year’s budget. Carranza admitted the net impact will be over a $1 billion loss (Staten Island Advance, 7/9) and also warned of a possible layoff of 9,000 teachers (Wall Street Journal, 8/20).
Yet, “Wall Street is enjoying a historic revival as the Federal Reserve and other central banks flooded the global economy with money” (NPR, 7/15). A study by the anti-poverty organization Oxfam found that “17 of the top 25 most profitable U.S. corporations, including Microsoft, Johnson & Johnson, Facebook, Pfizer, and Visa, are expected to make almost $85 billion more in 2020 than in previous years.” U.S. billionaires also saw their wealth balloon by over $500 billion during the first three months of the pandemic.
Yet, the politicians cry, “there is no money” and still assure us that things are “safe” and “we are ready!” Reams of reports on schools’ infrastructure show innumerable violations and years of deferred maintenance in the over 1500 city school buildings, many of which are 100 years old. Schools have been dangerous places for years!
Build student-teacher-family solidarity
Capitalism is and always will be violent. Whichever way school resumes in the fall, capitalist schools will continue to be abject failures for students.
Education workers and students need to step up to train ourselves as leaders inside our schools: in our classrooms (virtual or otherwise), through various clubs, school committees, and study groups, and in the teachers’ union, uniting with parents. We will need to push for what’s in the best interest of students and put antiracism front and center.
With PLP’s leadership, we can strengthen unity among parents, teachers, and students—all while building solidarity with custodial, healthcare, and transit workers to protect one another. Organizing demonstrations, community forums, and work actions will show other workers the power of a united multiracial working class and build a communist movement.
The road to combat the devastation created by capitalism is long. But we have a tremendous opportunity now to expose capitalism’s utter disregard for the working class and its inability to run society. We truly have a world to win! Join PLP!