A rally against education cuts began this morning at Farmdale Elementary, where lead administrators, teachers, parents, and students came together to urge state and local officials to stop cutting funds from the California public school system.
Alexis Castillo, Cal State L.A. student, speaks out. (Video by Cynthia Chang)
Claudia Magana, a parent of a first grader at Farmdale, said she is frustrated. “Our children are a valuable investment. The teachers who spend the majority of time with them are asked to sacrifice even more and parents are asked to stand back and not take notice. But we are taking notice,” said Magana.
Just last Tuesday, the LAUSD Board of Education approved layoff notices that would help lower the district’s predicted $640 million budget deficit, but would leave 5,200 teachers, administrators, counselors, and school nurses unemployed.
“These are the largest cuts our students have seen since the Great Depression and they will hurt a generation of students, robbing them of the future they deserve,” said David Sanchez, President of the California Teachers Association. “We have to make sure that California students in our state have the future that they deserve.”
David Sanchez, President of California Teacher’s Association. (Video by Cynthia Chang).
The most unique aspect of Thursday’s demonstration at Farmdale is the participation of kindergarten to 12th-grade educators, who say the cut backs have increased classroom size and terminated art, music, and physical education programs. The gathering, hosted by the United Teachers Los Angeles group, is one of the first “Day of Action” events to take place in California. “Day of Action” is the March 4th nationwide walkout, demonstration and/or rally organized by those across the country frustrated with what they call the crisis facing public education.
In California, thousands of teachers, students, and parents are expected to rally at different campuses including UCLA, Cal State L.A., Cal State Northridge, and high schools in Long Beach.
“[It’s] a day for all of us – parents, administrators, school board members, college faculty, education support professionals and teachers – to be united against the state budget cuts that are destroying a generation of students,” said Sanchez in front of the Farmdale school.
The speakers also included Marty Hittleman, President of the American Federation of Teachers, Julie Washington, United Teachers Los Angeles Vice President as well as parents and students who remarked on the cuts affecting them.
John Travis, Humboldt State University Professor. (Video by Cynthia Chang)
To minimize California’s unprecedented $20 billion deficit, schools at almost every level have been forced to make cutbacks by laying off employees, canceling classes, ordering furloughs, and increasing tuition.
The biggest fear for CSULA student Alexis Castillo is that he can’t graduate on time. “I’m taking an astronomy class at Cal State L.A., and it has 200 students. Out of the 200 students, only 100 are able to take the lab section needed to get full credit. I’m one of the ones who doesn’t have it,” said Castillo.
“We have lost over 2000 faculty. Our classes are larger, we have fewer classes, which means students are having a harder time getting the classes they need to graduate,” said John Travis, a professor at Humboldt State University and a member of the California Faculty Association.
Students, teachers, and union leaders from all locations will gather at Pershing Square in downtown Los Angeles at 4 p.m. They will then march to the governor’s office in the Ronald Reagan State Building.
