I Don't Rally, But in This Case, I'll Make an Exception. Also: NYC Educator's 3000th Post!

Folks, I don't rally. Something about large groups of people waving signs just doesn't do it for Miss Eyre. I'll blog and e-mail my Congressperson and give money and vote and all that stuff. But I don't rally. What can I say? My claustrophobia kicks in once I'm not surrounded by sweaty teenagers anymore. I can only suppress it for six or seven hours a day.

But somewhere in the crowd this Thursday will be Miss Eyre, Incognito, rallying. I'm rallying for the kids in my class who already get too little of my time one-on-one and who desperately need it, and will get much less once 40 of them are crammed in the same room. I'm rallying for my colleagues facing layoffs. And I'm rallying to get the attention of a mayor who continues to believe that faceless consultants can do more for struggling kids than the caring adults who see them every day. I don't know what good it will do, but we need to use all the means at our disposal to let the Mayor know that this is in no sense the will of the people.

So come on out and rally. I haven't been to one in eight years, and the last time I went to one, I was trying to convince a Governor to stop an execution. It kind of has to be serious to get me out there. So, is that serious enough for you?

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Happy 3000th Post-a-versary to NYC Educator, by the way. He wouldn't tell you this himself (when I checked with him, he hadn't even noticed), but keeping a timely and (we hope) entertaining blog going is pretty hard work when you're also a full-time teacher, and NYC Educator does most of the work all by his lonesome. So, along with your Royal Wedding hats Budget Protest Rally outfits, please post in the comments a warm note of congratulations to NYC Educator. I've already budgeted several venti lattes for him out of my forthcoming Starbucks budget. Or so he says.