Parents and other supporters of public schools will be gathering around the Bay Area today as part of a statewide campaign against budget cuts to education.
The rallies titled "Wake Up California!" are being held in at least 20 places around the state today, including several in the Bay Area.
The protests are organized by http://www.educateourstate.org/ Educate Our State, a grassroots campaign that has developed as state legislators have proposed further cuts to public schools, which have already faced deep cuts in recent years.
California ranks in the bottom fifth of states when it comes to funding public schools and ranks last in staff-to-student ratios, according to rally organizers.
The rallies "are all to encourage legislators to balance the budget, but not on the backs of our kids," said Crystal Brown, a spokeswoman for Educate Our State.
Three different rallies are planned in San Francisco as early as 7 a.m., while large rallies are also planned in Redwood City, Burlingame and Lafayette.
Comments
Old Mountain View
on May 24, 2011 at 12:08 pm
on May 24, 2011 at 12:08 pm
Parents should educate their kids!
Old Mountain View
on May 24, 2011 at 12:53 pm
on May 24, 2011 at 12:53 pm
We tried son...some things just can't be done.
Beyond that though, the real headline would be if parents didn't protest edu cuts.
Old Mountain View
on May 24, 2011 at 1:29 pm
on May 24, 2011 at 1:29 pm
The question is, where should we cut from? No one likes the thought of cutting education, but something has to go. So let's hear what we can do instead.
Willowgate
on May 24, 2011 at 2:16 pm
on May 24, 2011 at 2:16 pm
I wish I had known ahead of time!
A Parent
Whisman Station
on May 25, 2011 at 9:09 am
on May 25, 2011 at 9:09 am
In other countries they have riots when the government tries to cut education, the US public is far too sheepish in this respect. They should cut government spending in areas preportional to the $ spent on lobbying in those areas of government.
Rex Manor
on May 25, 2011 at 1:27 pm
on May 25, 2011 at 1:27 pm
James,
Then I guess they should continue to cut in education. Or haven't you noticed that Teachers Unions can out lobby almost anybody. We have all these threats of layoffs, furloughs, and shorter school years in part because teachers unions won't accept give backs in salaries and benefits.
As a professional person who has been cut back in each of the last three years, I get tired of hearing that they cannot get by on less like the rest of us can. About 80% of most school district general fund budgets goes to salaries and benefits. There are not enough top level administrators to make a salary cut difference on the district's bottom line, and most classified folks (clerical and maintenance) don't make nearly as much as veteran teachers. The unions have it rigged so that veterans hardly ever get pink slips, regardless of ability, so more younger, cheaper, teachers have to get laid off to make the same budget reduction.
Whisman Station
on May 26, 2011 at 2:20 pm
on May 26, 2011 at 2:20 pm
why dont we take a look at city workers with felony records?I know of a city worker that took a leave of absence, to do time at elmwood correctional facility and now runs the weekend clean up crew. These workers will retire with better benefits then half the citys tax paying customers? Wow sounds like a good deal to me! Are they hiring?