Impassioned students sit out to support teachers

High Schoolers rally by the hundreds to protest budget cuts, By Beth Kalet Vernon — Never doubt the power of Facebook. In Vernon, as many as 800 high school students responded to a call via Facebook to join an “April Schools Day” sit-out on April 1, arriving on school grounds only to gather on the field in protest of impending teacher cuts. On this half-day leading into spring break, their peaceful protest lasted the full half-day and so long as it remained peaceful, students were told they would be marked present, according to students who took part. Vernon Police were on hand but did not take any action. That was exactly what the organizers had in mind. “I felt the need for a peaceful protest,” said 15-year-old sophomore Katie Di Pietro, explaining why she decided to create a Facebook page for herself and then send the invitation to 500 people, asking they join her to sit out in support of Vernon’s teachers. Katie did not have her own Facebook page before, feeling it was “frivolity,” she said. But this issue and this method sparked her to act. Initially she’d received the invitation from someone at a school elsewhere in New Jersey. When she saw that other Vernon students were agitated about how the budget cuts would affect them, and saw a disorganized protest forming, Katie wanted to help lead it in an effective direction. “This was something that I felt was very important,” Katie said. Matt Russell, 17, a junior, said he received the invitation more than a week before the sit-out. It began: “For those who are not aware, Governor Christie is cutting millions of dollars of aid to our schools...” While he supported the cause, he didn’t want personally to feel any repercussions. “I knew I wanted to do it at first but I was a little iffy at the subject. Am I gonna get put up for a cut? Am I gonna get the cops called to me? Am I really gonna want to risk my education and get suspended for this?” But that was before he spent a day in school during which numerous teachers were called from their classes for meetings in the school’s lower library and told they would not be asked to return next year, Matt said. Matt and others say that on Tuesday, March 30, teachers who were called out returned to their classrooms visibly upset. They didn’t reveal what had happened, but the students understood, he said. “It was very hard on the students, too, seeing their teachers cry,” Matt said. “A lot of the teachers get really close with their students. It was a hard day.” “I was like, now I know I’m gonna do it.” The call went viral As word spread via text messages and Facebook, students began making signs and banners, special T-shirts and placards and planned their actions. Since they were calling for the event to occur on April 1, April Fool’s Day, they had to combat skepticism. During the protest, students marched, gave impassioned speeches and encouraged others to sign petitions to the governor asking him to change his planned state aid cuts. Goals What they sought last week was exposure. And they got it. In addition to local newspapers, two television stations were on hand. They also want adults to vote against proposed budget cuts when the school budget vote comes up for a vote on April 20. Several parents called and e-mailed The Advertiser-News to say they were proud of their children for speaking up about their beliefs and pleased with the administration for its restraint as it permitted them to exercise free speech. A middle school show of support A similar but shorter demonstration took place at the Glen Meadow Middle School, though according to one parent, some students did not respond to the administrations’ call to come back inside and the Vernon Police were called in to show the students they were serious. Vernon Police confirmed they were on hand. Calls to the Vernon School District administrators and to principal Timothy Dunnigan were not returned by press time. The schools have been closed since Thursday afternoon, April 1, for spring break.

We were hoping that we could get the voters to realize that this is something that’s really important to us. And most of the students can’t vote.” Katie Di Pietro, Vernon High sophomore

I want parents to know that the reduction in staffing...has nothing to do with Governor Christie’s reduction in state aid. Vernon Township High School is reducing faculty and staff due to a declining enrollment over the last few years.” Principal Timothy T. Dunnigan in an open letter to Vernon Parents published on the district’s Web site