School Budget Cuts
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Statewide Rallies to Protect Education
Rallies, marches, political theater and teach-ins are taking place at schools across the state today. Protesters are hoping to send the message to Sacramento that cuts to public education need to be restored. According to one KQED story, California currently places 47 in per pupil spending in the country. Here are a few sources to get you up to speed on today’s activities:
- Today’s Forum discussed the rallies with education reporters Lisa Kreiger and Jill Tucker as well as a few students and PTA members.
- Youth Radio has been posting updates about every half hour.
- Chronicle reporter Justin Berton has been tweeting about the protests.
For a bit of background on the protests, listen to KQED Tara Siler’s report from Tuesday:
And KQED Sacramento Bureau Chief John Myers look at Prop. 98:
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DO NOT HIDE BEHIND KIDS TO SAVE YOU’RE SKIN!!!
Not once in the 3 times in 2 years when I have lost my job did I hide behind my daughter of the same age. This afternoon – as I was home trying to find work – a loud protest past my home from the elementary school down the street. The same school that my daughter will have to compete in a ‘lottery’ to have little chance of attending a few years from now. The protest is about budget cut the schools face – which I oppose. But in reality – it is about the jobs of the teachers themselves… If the teachers were on their way to the protest on their own, and not toting K-8 students to it with them – I would not have anything to say… But the line is drawn in my mind taking kids of an age who can not decipher for themselves what they are involving themselves in. So I made myself a counter protest sign to display as I knew they would have to return those kids back to the school they brought them from: ‘Hide behind a child! Shame on you!’ The kids filed by without remark thinking I was part of the parade… The teachers made comments like, “That’s rude..” And one even stayed behind to tell me how much it was about the children until I reminded him that his human shields were getting away… Yes, I was home – unemployed and ticked off… These teachers – most are tenured and make ~$60K sure that sucks, but 200 days a year and ~ 7 hours a day – that’s $42/hr… Plus bennies and a pension – in today’s job market – that’s not bad – considering.
Anyway – getting more about the news of this state-wide protest shortly after my own. High school kids in Oakland counter-protested… Because the cuts will be based on seniority – the teachers who ‘cared’ are the ones getting sacked… Did I feel vindicated – well yes. Kids who were old enough to see this for what it was took action. However there is more bad news – I’m still learning more about this, and I’m sure there will be more details on it soon. 100′s have been arrested trying to close 880, and in Davis police used tear gas and bean bag bullets from shot-guns to re-open 80. And yes it may be about the education of these kids – but it is still really about their teachers jobs… Why don’t these teachers educate them about what the bacon davis act – which ensures they all go to school in trailers made in Waco TX, and drains the budgets of this nation to the point that school teachers need to be cut. Or the math required to understand the lack of funds in the budget due to decreased revenue because of the loss of many other jobs, companies and foreclosure of homes that pay property taxes – you know ‘root problems’. Sorry about ranting – but it is just plain selfish.