Teachers in Milwaukee, Madison Plan Pro-Immigrant Demonstration Friday
Madison schools canceled Friday after 70% of teachers said they would be absent.
Thousands rallied at the Wisconsin State Capitol in Madison, Wis., on May 1, 2019, to advocate for driver’s licenses for all, regardless of immigration status. The Day without Latinxs and Immigrants rally and strike was organized by Voces de la Frontera, an immigrant rights organization. Coburn Dukehart/Wisconsin Watch
Students in the Madison Metropolitan School District won’t have school on Friday after more than half of the teachers said they would miss work that day to demonstrate in support of immigrants.
Madison Teachers Inc., the union that represents teachers and staff, said 70 percent of members said they would participate in “A Day without Immigrants.” The event is part of the national May Day Strong day of action.
“Our students are experiencing heightened anxiety, leading to absences and trouble concentrating at school,” according to a statement from the union. “They are afraid that ICE agents will come for them, their parents or their friends — a heavy burden no child should have to bear. Students cannot learn while grappling with adult fears of family separation before they have even mastered their ABCs.”
MMSD officials said after looking at several scenarios for Friday, they opted to cancel classes after determining the low staff turnout would affect student safety.
“We know shifts to the school schedule can be impactful and appreciate the patience of our communities,” Edell Fiedler, district spokesperson, said in a statement.
The last time MMSD closed was for four days in 2011 due to staff participation in protests regarding then-Gov. Scott Walker’s proposed Act 10 legislation, Fiedler told WPR.
Fiedler said since the announcement of of Friday’s closure, the district is hearing from parent’s “across the spectrum,” which was expected in a district as engaged as Madison.
Although school is canceled, students’ instructional time still meets Department of Public Instruction requirements, and they will not be required to make up the missed day.
For staff, this day will be treated like a single-day emergency closure, similar to a snow day.
MPS teachers also plan on participating in immigration rally
Milwaukee Public Schools are closed on Thursday and Friday due to pre-planned professional development days, said spokesperson Stephen Davis.
Voces de la Frontera is planning rallies and marches in Madison and Milwaukee.
Luis Velasquez, statewide organizing director at Voces de la Frontera, said the Milwaukee teacher’s union, MTEA, and Madison teachers plan to participate in events.
This year, those events will include marches to the federal building in downtown Milwaukee and the state capitol in Madison.
Velasquez said marchers will demand the end of a federal program that allows Immigration and Customs Enforcement to deputize local law enforcement officers to perform the duties of immigration agents.
“And the other demand is that ICE is out of our courts, schools and communities,” Velasquez said. “We are asking that we are able to live a life without fear or anxiety.”
Several other events are planned across Wisconsin, according to the National Education Association, which has an interactive map of events.
Dozens of other school districts are planning events across the country.
At least nine North Carolina school districts have canceled classes Friday including Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools after more than 1,800 staff members said they would not attend.
Chicago Public Schools and the Chicago Teacher’s Union agreed to keep schools open. They compromised to provide 100 schools with buses so students could have the option to attend a “field trip” to pro-labor rallies.
Teachers in Madison, Milwaukee plan to demonstrate in support of immigrants Friday was originally published by Wisconsin Public Radio.
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