In 2008, teachers in Puerto Rico joined with students and parents in an island-wide, 10-day strike decrying the state of education. The shutdown was a historic one, as it’s against the law in Puerto Rico for teachers to strike. Their demands included higher wages, more funding for schools, and smaller classroom size. The strike also called for a policy that would keep charter schools out of the country’s public school system. 

In response to the strike, Governor Luis Fortuño decertified the Teachers Federation of Puetro Rico, the largest teachers union in the country.  Mercedes Martinez, a union representative,  took part in the 2008 strike.  She gives us an update on what’s happened to public education since then.