Zombie Dance Planned to Protest School Closings

There’s a metaphor here, somewhere: The Philadelphia Student Union—an incubator organization for the city’s youngest activists—plans a “zombie-themed flashmob dance” on Tuesday at School District Headquarters, to protest proposals to shut down or consolidate 37 city schools in the face of a multimillion-dollar budget deficit. Masterman High School student Amijah Townsend says in the organization’s press release: “This action symbolizes the death of our hope for what public education could be if student voices were included.” In the meantime, CBS Philly reports that the district will push 2,000 preschoolers out of Head Start and into private daycare: Federal funding for the program is being cut from $16 million to $8 million. The only consolation? A 2010 study showing Head Start isn’t that effective. Still, it’s hard to escape the feeling this action gives the district a head start on creating our littlest zombie flashmobbers, isn’t it?  [CBS Philly]