Let Our Voices Be Heard!

Stand Up, Fight Back!
Fight for what we believe in!
April 28, 2012 • 34 notes
Letter 2 Our Parentz

Letter 2 Our Parentz
April 28, 2012 • 13 notes
Natalie Rivera Speech at Western Walkout 4/25

My name is Natalie Rivera. I’ve been in DPS schools all my life. I’m a junior at Western and today I walked out of school because ENOUGH IS ENOUGH! (Pause for applause)

We are better than the labels that are assigned to us and we’re all out here today to show that to the community. The fact that we attend a public school and THE PUBLIC isnt involved in any decisions made by the board of education is unacceptable.


Roy Roberts, DPS, and The Education Achievement system are failing us. They seem to think we will close our eyes while they dismantle the public school system and replace our teachers with unqualified, lower paid, uninvested workers. BUT I KNOW THAT WE AT WESTERN AND ALL ACROSS THIS CITY DESERVE A QUALITY EDUCATION!

I refuse to accept that Detroit students are unimportant. I refuse to accept that we are not good enough for books. I am sick and tired of policies that push us out of schools, treat us like criminals, and dont engage us in the classroom. WE DESERVE MORE. WE DEMAND MORE.

We’re all here for different reasons. But when it comes down to it we;re here to demand a quality education. We know that fear is a powerful tool to control people . We are students and TEACHERS who are risking punishment, suspensions, and losing jobs BUT WE’RE HERE ANYWAY. Because we won’t be controlled by fear while Roy Roberts sells off our schools, our communities, and our futures.. Our eyes are open and we demand to be heard. What’s happening to Southwestern is not okay. We wont let that happen to us!

We had to walk out today because we have no where else to go. All of these cuts being made across the city are coming without any input from the students. They don’t care what we have to say about what’s going on in our own classrooms but we’re here to say today that they HAVE to listen to us. We should have our voices heard in any decisions that may affect us! We will be heard even if it takes walking out of school. Thank you to all the parents and community who came out today to support us.

When public education is under attack WHAT DO WE DO?
April 27, 2012 • 2 notes
Brandon Sandoval Speech at Western Walkout 4/25

Hello everyone. My name is Brandon Sandoval. I’m a freshmen at Western and today I walked out of school because our schools are under attack!

Every year we hear about different schools in Detroit closing and I ask myself why? This time, the target is southwest detroit. Maybury elementary across the street and Southwestern high school are both slated to close.

Maybury elementary has one of the best bilingual education programs here in Southwest Detroit, but they are still closing the school. And southwestern is the only other public high school in southwest detroit. If they close Western will be the only public school left in our area.

We stand in solidarity here today with the students at southwestern to keep their school open because we care about everyone’s education.

The district is saying that students at Southwestern High School are supposed to go to either Western or Northwestern High School. Northwestern High School is 15 miles away from Southwestern. It doesn’t make any sense that those students are supposed to go to a school so far away.

Southwestern has 580 students. Here at Western, we already have over 1,000 students. We know that if their school closes, our class sizes will get bigger, which will reduce the quality of education for ALL OF US. We are not saying that we don’t want Southwestern students here, We are fighting for an equal opportunity to education for all of us . We shouldn’t have to fight to keep our schools open , we shouldn’t have to fight for better schools, we shouldn’t have to fight for a quality education. But because of the greed and corruption of those in power, we are forced to fight for it all.

Schools that have been closed down have been turned into charter schools. There is rumor that this is the plan for Southwestern, but that is not the solution. The solution should be to keep the school open and improve the quality of education.

Martin Luther King once said, “injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere”. We can no longer sit back and let our future be taken from us, we must stand in solidarity with students everywhere!
April 27, 2012 • 1 note
Detroit students walkout against school closures and deteriorating conditions
April 27, 2012 • 2 notes
Nuestra Voz @_OurVoice #letourvoicesbeheard

Nuestra Voz

@_OurVoice

#letourvoicesbeheard
April 27, 2012 • 4 notes
Freddie Burse Speech at Western Walkout 4/25

Hi! My name is Freddie Burse and I am here today because I am sick and tired of the bullshit from the Western administration, faculty, and even security guards. We agree that Detroit public schools have issues! We experience them every day!

Western has issues. For example, I’m sick of high school athletics being more important than engaging classes. To me it doesn’t make sense that our school gets a new athletic wing but we’re still using the same old ass ripped up books. What are we valuing here?!

I’m really pissed that kids who do try to come to school but show up a few minutes late get sent home, given suspensions, and denied their right to learn. We’re being pushed out before we ever get in.

To me, it makes sense kids are acting a fool in the hallways or the bathrooms —- they’re not being engaged in class. The solution we’ve been given for that is a bunch of big goons in rent cop jump suits ready to use excessive force against us at any time. Our prison comes complete with wardens.

To top it all off, no one expects anything from us. Our administrators are fast tracking us to prisons not universities. Rumor has it, the average ACT score around here is a 12 but we’re expected to strive for a 16 or an 18? Any way you cut it, no one expects much from students like us.

The thing is, despite what any emergency manager thinks, we are not stupid. We know that the solution to problems in our school is not to close them. We need to improve our system. And we have ideas. We experience the problems firsthand and we want a seat at the table to fix them.


I’m sick and tired of administrators treating us however they feel like, or creating policies that affect us without asking us what we think. OUR VOICES MATTER.

We’re out here today in solidarity with Southwestern but we’re also here for ourselves.

We’re ready to say YES—we do have issues. AND WE’RE READY TO CREATE SOLUTIONS THAT DON’T INVOLVE CUT BACKS. We don’t want to be the next school on the chopping block. We want more. We deserve more.

April 27, 2012 • 1 note

rallying on vernor
April 27, 2012 • 3 notes
Raychel Gafford Speech at Western Walkout 4/25

Hi my name is Raychel Gafford. I’m 17 years old and i am in the 11th grade. We are the students of Western International standing in solidarity with the students of southwestern. We are here not only in solidarity with southwestern but to draw the line and take a stand for our education.

We are walking out to fight for quality education and to protect our public school system. We are here demanding better education and that our voices be heard. Our school system should work WITH US not against us. I’m sick and tired of being pushed around. WHAT ABOUT YOU??

All I hear when I hear about DPS schools is closings, chartering, MONEY MONEY MONEY and LACK OF MONEY! To be honest, I don’t think our education should have a price tag. I thought schools are supposed to be about educating students so we can be the best members of the community and grow to be successful adults.

Schools are assets to the community. What’s going to happen when all our assets are privatized?? 80% of charter schools are for profit. THAT’S NOT WHAT OUR COMMUNITY NEEDS. Schools are not supposed to be ran as businesses, education is a long term investment. We should not be making money off of our students. We are children, WE ARE PEOPLE! NOT—DOLLAR SIGNS!

The solution is not to close public schools. It’s not a quick fix. It only does long term damage to our neighborhoods. (When schools close, our families, and our neighbors leave the community so that their kids can have access to quality schools and opportunities elsewhere.) We need to improve the public school system here, not shrink it down or sell if off to charters until it disappears completely.

Our community thrives off of public education. Without our proper education we are less prepared for life. We are the future! WE ARE THE NEXT GENERATION OF ADULTS! WE’RE HERE TELLING YOU THAT THERE IS A PROBLEM! We’re done choosing the lesser of two evils, or accepting solutions that are not good for our communities. This time we’re leading the way. We are demanding respect!
April 26, 2012
over 200 of us walked out of Western International High School, and about 100 students joined us from Southwestern High School yesterday, April 25, 2012.

over 200 of us walked out of Western International High School, and about 100 students joined us from Southwestern High School yesterday, April 25, 2012.