An Ongoing Struggle

According to the Occupy Education Organization, this day of action is a coalition of more than 80 local, labor and community groups across the country fighting to guarantee the right to education for everyone.

Occupy Education is based on the constant educational crisis that we have been facing as a country due to the current economic recession. This day of action coerces with the Occupy movements that took place last year in October with Occupy Wall Street being the foundation of it all.

According to the Occupy Wall Street Organization, the movement was for the 99 percent; students, teachers, parents, unions, first responders, families, the unemployed and underemployed to finally be heard and no longer silenced. Occupy Wall Street’spurpose was to strengthen democracy and to end the domination of big money interest (also known as the one percent).Occupy’s purpose was to bring an awakening to the people and it did just that.

Over 1500 cities across 82 countries took part in protests for the Global Day of Action, including Monterey. An assembly at Colton Hall was “occupied” by Occupy Monterey with over 300 attendantsof supporters and protestors ranging from California State University, Monterey Bay (CSUMB) students and faculty to local residents. Everyone who took part shared the same mutual feeling of national frustration with the economy.

The same frustrations are reoccurring again with more of a focus on education. Students, including both K-12 and higher education participants are fed up and irritated with the way things are being ran.

CSU’s are fixated thatthe Chancellor and Board of Trustees are the main problem towards increased tuition, cut courses, and unemployed faculty.  Chancellor Reed better known as “Chancellor Greed”to Occupy Protestorsis the root of concern for CSU’s.  According to CSUMB’s Students for Quality Education believe that the problem originates within the governing. Trustees of CSU’s are not elected by the people but appointed by the Governor. The problem is that those appointed have a tendency to be wealthy lawyers, CEO’s, and others who represent the corporate interests of the 1%.

If the Board of Trustees were to be elected by the people, including the students and faculty who are being affected, would there be a difference in the way higher education is being ran? Would the Trustees exemplify and demonstrate a more well governed education system that is beneficial to the 99%? Only time will tell, but in order for things to change people need to take action and Occupy Education motives are just that.