Students Stage Impromptu Protest at Shorewood High

A morning text message exchange between high school students spurred a spontaneous student-led protest against the governor's budget repair bill at Tuesday.

The peaceful protest lasted only 15 minutes, but hundreds of students walked out of classrooms to march around Shorewood High School about 9:15 a.m.

“We had students walk out, but stay on campus, in demonstration," principal Matthew Joynt said. “They walked around in a organized, formalized group around the campus.”

Senior Adam Schwartz, 18,  swiftly organized the impromptu protest after receiving a text message while in class from a student about a walk-out at that student's Milwaukee-area school. 

Schwartz said he took a bathroom break from class, teamed up with friends and then ran around the school, bursting into classrooms to tell students to join the rally during the school's second-hour free period. 

Nearly half the students at the school joined in the protest against stripping public workers — including Shorewood teachers — of collective bargaining rights.

Only one teacher blocked a doorway to prevent students from joining the protest, Schwartz said.

“The leaders of the protest had all students back in class by the beginning of third period,” Joynt said. “I was glad it didn’t cut into classes.”

After the protest, school administrators sat down with Schwartz and others who led the rally.

“We told them we need them in classes during instruction time," Joynt said. "Eight hours a day is ours for instruction, and the other 16 hours they are free to be political activists.” 

A  was held by local teachers Monday, at