Save Texas Schools

Last Minute Rally Details

Click here for list of buses and carpools

Speaker List: Many prominent, inspiring speakers, student groups and performers will address the crowd Saturday. Supt. John Kuhn, Diane Ravitch, former TEA Commissioner Robert Scott, Supt. Mary Ann Whitaker, Angela Valenzuela of UT-Austin, student Luz Valenzuela, student Conner Brantley from Ft. Worth, teacher Monteserrat Garaby, more.

Rally Information:

Time: March starts at 11 am on Congress Ave. Bridge; Rally at noon at State Capitol

ARRIVE EARLY. CARPOOL IF POSSIBLE. USE CITY BUSES IF FROM AUSTIN.

Best Parking: There are many parking garages in the vicinity of the Capitol for a variety of prices. Click here for map. You should print and bring this map. PLEASE COME EARLY. Parking and walking may take you 30 minutes or more. People attending the 11:00 am march should park in one of the downtown garages or at public garages near Congress Ave. bridge. Allow time for walking.  Best bets for other are the Dobie Parking Garage and AT&T garages at UT (15 minutes walk), and a variety of downtown parking garages (15 minutes walk).

Bus Parking: Buses dropping people off for the march will come to the intersection of Congress Ave. and Riverside Dr. (near the Austin American-Statesman). If coming from the south, take the Ben White exit and go north at the Congress Ave. exit. Buses coming from the north should take the Riverside Dr. exit from I-35. Buses will then park near the rally site on Trinity or San Jacinto, near 12th st. Buses coming for the rally only (arriving after 11 am) should go directly to Trinity or San Jacinto and 12th for parking near the capitol.

How to get to the event: The State Capitol can be reached by a number of exits, including 235 and 234 (near the UT Stadium). If traffic is backed up, take a later downtown exit (8th st., Cesar Chavez/1st St.) and use downtown street to come back towards the Capitol on 11th. Most downtown parking is between 11th and 1st in the vicinity of Congress Ave.

Food and Water: We are providing 5,000 bottles of water, but expecting a larger crowd. PLEASE BRING YOUR OWN WATER AND SNACKS IF POSSIBLE! Consider bringing some to share with others.

Restrooms: Portable toilets will be available near the rally, in the small parking lot on the southeast corner of 11th & Congress. People will not be able to walk into the Capitol building behind the stage (due to sound equipment), so using the Capitol restrooms will be difficult.

Rally Signs: If you’re from outside of Austin, your group should bring at least one big sign or banner saying where in Texas you’re from. We want our legislators (through the media) to know who is there!

T-Shirts: If you’ve made your own Save Texas School t-shirt to wear, great! If not and you’re affiliated with a school, please wear your school t-shirt. You can order a Save Texas Schools rally t-shirt here.

Children: Children, of course, are welcome! However, with a two hour rally, some children may find it too long. We will not have a children’s area available, due to the logistics involved. This will be a family-friendly environment, but also a very large crowd. You may find it better to stand on the outskirts of the rally area. We will have a jumbo-tron screen so you can the stage. Or, consider bringing an extra person dedicated to helping with your kids so you participate more fully in the rally. If a child does get separated, our volunteers will take the child to our information tent on the west side of the Capitol and we will announce from the stage. Another good trick is to write your cell phone number on your child’s arm (or on a piece of paper in his/her pocket) so you can be reached directly should you become separated.

March Information: The march will begin from the Congress Avenue Bridge (1st and Congress). We will start promptly at 11 am. Please arrive by 10:45 so that we can line up. Bring your own signs.