Puerto Rico Teachers: Message from Mercedes Martinez

Mercedes Martinez, President FMPR

Dear brothers and sisters,

Puerto Rico is facing the biggest attack ever on public education.  Teachers, students and communities are fighting back, but as the semester is near to end, 265 schools remain on the list to be closed for next academic year.  We are requesting that you could take the time and send a video message from your organization and direct it to the Governor of Puerto Rico,  Ricardo Rosello and the Secretary of Education Julia Keleher requesting them to stop the budget cuts in education, school closures and the implementation of charters.  State that you stand with the Federacion de Maestros de Puerto Rico (Teachers Federation of Puerto Rico) and our communities.  It can be a 1 minute short video, upload it to YouTube and email me the link.  That way we can send it to them directly.  As well you can email our secretary of education and send her a letter requesting her to revoke the school closure implementation.  Her email is keleherj@de.pr.gov or secretariade.jbk@gmail.com.  Her name is Julia Keleher and please send me a copy of the letter so we can post as well in our page.

Thanks in advance

In solidarity,

Mercedes Martinez
President of the FMPR

Here is a short video as requested. It was made quickly.

Here is a video in Spanish Sister Martinez suggested I watch. I will share it here. Sister Martinez says of it: "This is a video of our general assembly in 2008, when thousands of teachers from the Federacion de Maestros de Puerto Rico voted unanimously for a 10 day strike. It is illegal to strike in PR and we did, got a 14% salary raise then."



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