Save Our Schools Torchlight Trilogy in Seattle
Three events this week will coincide with Seafair’s Torchlight Parade and Save Our Schools March and National Call to Action in Washington D.C.
The Western Washington Chapter of Save Our Schools March and Parents Across America, Seattle Chapter, are rallying in Seattle, Washington, in support of the national march to Washington, D.C. Regional supporters
unable to make the trek to the nation’s capital will congregate on the south side of the International Fountain at Seattle Center on July 30 at 6:00 pm, and at 6:30 pm will begin walking to meet the Seafair Torchlight parade at Fourth Avenue and Denny Street.
Seafair is a Seattle tradition over half a century strong, popular with local 
families, teachers, parents, and children. We encourage civic participation to “Wear Red for Public Ed.”
A second event in the Pacific Northwest coincides with the Whaling Days Parade, also on July 30, from 10:00 am to 12:00 pm in Silverdale, Washington, beginning at Ridgetop/Silverdale Way, and ending at Anderson Hill Road. Show your support for Save Our Schools March and “Wear Red for Public Ed.”
For those unable to attend the regional parades or national march, participate in a third event: create your own Flash Mob peaceful demonstration appropriate to your school or community. Washington ranks 49th in the nation in school funding and 48th in the nation in student-to-teacher ratio.
Save Our Schools March is an authentically grassroots effort that has blossomed into a national movement of concerned teachers, parents, and community members who are working to create a stronger school system for all of America’s children. We believe public schools are essential to a healthy democracy. We have witnessed the devastating effects of bipartisan legislation, No Child Left Behind, and its companion, Race to the Top. We receive no funds from wealthy individuals, private corporations, or
their tax-shelter foundations.
Our goals are:
• equitable funding for all public school communities
• an end to high stakes testing used for the purpose of student, teacher, and
school evaluation
• teacher, family, and community leadership in forming public education policies
• curriculum developed for and by local school communities
Endorsements have been received from:
AFSCME Retired Public Employees Council, Chapter 23
Amalgamated Transit Union Local 587
Forest Grove Education Association
Marko Liias, Washington State House of Representatives
Martin Luther King County Labor Council
Office and Professional Employees International Union Local 8
Organized Workers for Labor Solidarity
Professional and Technical Employees Local 17
Radical Women
Renton Education Association
Retired Public Employees Councils 3 and 23
Seattle Education Association
Social Equity Educators
United Steelworkers Local 12-591
Washington Education Association
Washington Federation of State Employees Local 304
For additional information on this event, you can contact:
Becca Ritchie, Washington State Information Coordinator, SOS March and National Call to Action, telephone: 206.715.6634, email: westernwasos@comcast.net
Susan DuFresne, Washington State and National Social Media Team,
telephone: 206.491.0020, email: lifesabeach48@msn.com, Twitter: @SOSFlashMob