Temple students, unions, teachers protest education cuts

Hundreds of union members and students rallied outside Temple University Monday to protest Gov. Tom Corbett’s proposed cuts to education funding. With bright sun shining down, American Federation of Teachers President Randi Weingarten called on the crowd gathered along Broad Street, to act, “When a governor like Gov. Corbett takes an ax to Temple University, that is a governor that is hurting education for the students today and for the generation of leaders, tomorrow,” Weingarten said. “We must be ones to fight against that education cut. Are we?”

“Yeah!” yelled the crowd. Passing by the rally, sophomore Troy Snead stopped to say the cuts will increase inequality. “Our youth are our future,” he said. “Increasing the tuition is going to make them drop out or not continue education. … that’s just going to hurt … the future of our country.” Not everyone at the rally was upset about the proposed cuts. “Support Corbett!  Support Free Markets! Support Change!” chanted an insistent voice. Carrying a sign supporting the governor, West Chester junior Matt Hissey stood just feet from the rally.

“I like Tom Corbett because he ran on a message, he has stayed on that message, he is not going to change, he is going to do what he promised the Pennsylvania electorate that he was going to do,” said Hissey. “He’s a man of principle and not politics.” Hissey said students who struggle financially, should make sacrifices to pay for education—and not rely on government handouts.