Issue link: http://digital.copcomm.com/i/32596
would be able to participate in a sit-in at the administration, through the night if necessary. At that point, in an effort to prevent the sit-in, university officials presented We! with a compromise statement that did not address the core issues on the declaration. So the sit-in was on, with about 40 students and a few faculty participating. “We made a deal with the campus police that we would not occupy the eighth floor of the administration build- ing — the area including President Gordon’s office and requiring a se- cure elevator key for access — but would be willing to conduct our sit-in on the second floor,” says Belleci. “They told us that if we were peaceful and did not destroy any university property, there would be no disciplinary action because we would be acting in a peaceful demonstration of our civil rights. Our response was that this is our university. We’re not go- ing to destroy anything. That’s not what we’re about.” At about 3:30 a.m. on Tuesday, the first reporters and media pho- tographers arrived, and the sit-in hit the newspaper, television, ra- dio and online media markets in short order. When university of- ficials met with the students that day, they said that President Gor- don still could not sign the decla- ration because of his concern about the contract language. Again, the students reiterated their willingness to sit with Gor- don to craft a document that would be mutually acceptable. The response was negative, so the sit-in continued into its second night, with students coming from more than a dozen area colleges and universities in San Marcos, San Bernardino, Northridge, Long Beach, Irvine, Los Angeles and Sacramento — more than 110 participating in solidarity 32 California Educator | MAY 2011 with CSUF students. During the day on Wednesday, attorneys for the university exam- ined the students’ declaration, with administration officials final- ly agreeing to meet with the students at 4 p.m. After intense ne- gotiations, administration officials came back with their own “State- ment of Public Education,” but the students could not agree to the document without bringing it to their entire organizing committee — some of whom were still in class at the time. “They really pressured us to sign,” says Belleci. “But we told them that we would not give up our principles.” On Thursday, Pasadena As- sembly Member Anthony Porten- tino spoke with the students, promising to urge Gordon to sup- port their concerns. At noon that day, the CSUF Academic Senate voted unanimously to endorse the students’ cause. With pressure mounting, the university’s admin- istration finally agreed to work with the students on a compro- mise document, which President Gordon ultimately signed. “We’re pleased that we were able to achieve our goal,” says Bel- leci. “But it’s a shame that our university’s administration and President Gordon were so reluc- tant to sign a document that con- tained nothing that is not already in the CSU charter and the Cali- fornia higher education system’s stated purposes. Other California college and university student and faculty activist groups are reaching out to We! for information and support to coordinate lobbying ef- forts for both higher and K-12 public education in California, and we’re all gearing up for a state- wide simultaneous action next fall. I also believe that we’re going to see a greater advocacy emphasis by members of SCTA statewide.” BILL GUY Declaration to Defend Public Education > We, the students, staff, and educators of California's public schools, colleges, and universities, call upon the people of the state to recommit to and reinvest in public education as the principal foundation of a democratic society. > Public education is a sacred trust and needs to be protected from those who would see the state divest even further from its constitutional obligations. > Public education is a public good and needs to be pro- tected from the for-profit interests of the private sector. > We call upon the people of California to recognize that, though an educated workforce is essential to our pros- perity, education itself has a social value that cannot be reduced to monetary considerations alone. > Public education brings together diverse communities of educators, staff and students in ways that prepare learners for a productive yet socially responsible life. > Public education creates spaces that promote the intellectual and emotional development of tolerant, critically-engaged citizens. > Public education is by definition open to all Californians, regardless of geographic location or socioeconomic status, and is thus the very cornerstone of a vibrant, principled, and fundamentally compassionate democracy. > Everyone has the right to a quality public education. As Californians we expect: > Increased funding for public education. > Fair and equitable access for all students to a full range of educational programs, resources, experiences, and oppor- tunities. The failure to support an accessible, fully-funded public education system will condemn many Californians to perpetual poverty and second-class status. > Fair and equitable contracts that respect and value the work done by teachers, lecturers, professors, academic professionals and staff on all levels from pre-school through university. > A commitment from administrators, school boards, teachers unions, staff unions, student organizations, parent groups, professional associations, community- based organizations, and postsecondary institutions to work together with the state to provide quality educa- tion for all people regardless of gender and economic, social, ethnic, or racial status. For the full text of the declaration go to www.werisetogether.org.