To view our videos, you need to
enable JavaScript. Learn how.
install Adobe Flash 9 or above. Install now.

Then come back here and refresh the page.

SYRACUSE, N.Y. -- Dozens of Syracuse children joined educators and the Citizen Action group in front of the Delaware School Friday. They're protesting a national program that would clamp down on underperforming public schools.

The Department of Education wants to revisit the School Improvement Grants Program. Schools that do not show improvement could face closures, conversion to charter schools or mass teacher layoffs. Some groups argue the system will target children in low-income areas and make a bad situation worse.

"When we look at the communities that these schools are in, they're in very, very poor communities and they're already under served to begin with. So to necessarily label them as underperforming or very low performing does not bring forth what we need. What we need is change," said Tanika Jones-Cole, an Alliance for Quality Education organizer.

Citizen Action says the focus should instead be on more teacher involvement, better curriculums and engaging more parents.