Contact: Los Angeles Region: Frank Wells 562-708-5425; San Diego, Orange County, Riverside: Bill Guy 619-709-0028; Bay Area: Mike Myslinski 408-921-5769; Central Valley: Dina Martin 415-710-6794; Sacramento: Sandra Jackson 916-325-1550
BURLINGAME – As teacher pink slips statewide soar to more than 20,000, the entire Board of Directors of the California Teachers Association will kick off “Pink Friday” actions this week against unprecedented public school cuts with a news conference at CTA headquarters in Burlingame.
Simultaneously, Wednesday morning teachers in Sacramento will be delivering to every legislator a poster outlining the school cuts in their districts. Pink Friday—a statewide day of action planned to protest mass layoffs and the drastic cuts our schools and colleges are facing—will offer public education supporters a chance to stand united in support for California’s schools and 6.3 million students.
CTA President David A. Sanchez
“I’m asking all Californians to wear pink this Friday to show their support for our public schools,” said David A. Sanchez, president of the 340,000-member CTA. “Thousands of teachers will be joined by parents and students in our ‘Pink Friday’ Day of Action this Friday, March 13, against more than $11 billion in cuts to our schools and colleges. The number of layoff notices for educators is double the number issued at this time last year. These cuts are going to hurt an entire generation of children and damage California’s public education system for years to come.”
Millbrae School District music teacher Art McGaw
Sanchez will be joined at the news conference by a pink-slipped music teacher from Millbrae School District in San Mateo County, which will eliminate its entire instrumental music program, along with an elementary reading program, as part of cuts forced by the $11.6 billion in state education cuts approved in the recent state budget. The CTA news conference is 10:30 a.m. Wednesday, March 11, in front of CTA headquarters, 1705 Murchison Drive, Burlingame, 94010.
Media can locate local “Pink Friday” protest events by checking this link on the new CTA social networking site: http://www.pinkfriday09.org/events/. Here is a sampling of protests this week:
Southern California
Pomona: CTA Vice President Dean Vogel will join hundreds of educators and concerned community members as the Associated Pomona Teachers and other CTA local chapters protest against the huge number of layoff notices sent to area teachers. In Pomona alone, over 600 teachers got pink slips. A large rally is set for 4-6 p.m. Friday at Pomona School District headquarters, 800 S. Garey Ave., Pomona. Contact: Morgan Brown, 909-762-8598.
Santa Maria: Hundreds of protesters from local school districts and colleges will rally in front of Santa Maria High School. CTA members from Santa Maria, Orcutt, Los Alamos, and Guadalupe will rally and march on Broadway to protest massive cuts to the state education budget. The protest is 4-5:30 p.m. Friday at Santa Maria High School, 801 S. Broadway, Santa Maria. Contact: Angela Marese Boyle, 805-878-2148.
Las Virgenes: Members of the Las Virgenes Educators Association will hold an all-day blood drive from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday at Agoura High School, 28545 W. Driver Ave, Agoura Hills. Their theme is that protecting education is “in their blood.” Contact: Jake Anderson, 818-889-4377.
Simi Valley: Members of the Simi Educators Association and supportive community members will gather at the corners of Sycamore and Cochran to protest from 3-5 p.m. Friday -- 180 Simi teachers have received layoff notices. Contact: Ginny Jannotto, 805-558-5452.
San Diego South County: From 4-5:30 p.m. Friday, teachers will be protesting and hanging banners from freeway overpasses. Members of National City Elementary Teachers Association, Chula Vista Educators, Sweetwater Education Association, Sweetwater Counseling and Guidance Association, Southwest Teachers Association and San Ysidro Education Association are taking part. They will be demonstrating with marches and by hanging “Stand Up for Schools” banners from overpasses at the following locations: 18th & Hwy. 805, National City; Orange/Olympic & Hwy. 805, Chula Vista; H & Hwy. 805, Chula Vista; Briarwood & Hwy. 54, National City; Palm & Hwy 5; San Diego; Palm & Hwy. 805, San Diego; and Beyer & Hwy. 805; San Diego. Contact: Peg Myers, 619-792-6958 or 619-916-7629.
San Diego North County: Starting at 4 p.m. Friday, teachers will be marching and hanging banners on freeway overpasses. Members of Oceanside Teachers Association, Carlsbad Unified Teachers Association, San Marcos Educators Association, Fallbrook Elementary Teachers Association, Fallbrook High School Teachers Association, Valley Center-Pauma Teachers Association, San Pasqual Elementary Teachers Association and Ramona Teachers Association will take part. They will be demonstrating with marches, and hanging “Stand Up for Schools” banners from overpasses, at the following locations: Twin Oaks Valley overpass & Hwy. 78, San Marcos; El Camino Real & Hwy. 78, Carlsbad; Jefferson & Hwy. 78, Oceanside; 2400 S. Stage Coach, Fallbrook; Nordahl & Hwy. 78, San Marcos; Via Rancho Parkway & I-15, Escondido; and Dye Road & Hwy. 67, Ramona. Contact: Terry Hart, (760) 721-1810.
Huntington Beach: Beginning at 3:30 p.m. Friday, teachers will hold a march ending in a rally. Taking part are members of the West Orange County United Teachers coalition consisting of Huntington Beach Elementary Teachers Association, District Educators. Association, and Ocean View Teachers Association. They will join school district administrators in wearing black and pink T-shirts all day. At 3:30 p.m., participants will march from Ocean View High School, 17071 Gothard Street, Huntington Beach, to the corner of Warner and Beach Boulevard, Huntington Beach, for a rally. Contact: Norma Jean Janssen, (562) 301-6378, Marcy Drum, 714-658-4866, or Sean Fortner, 714-403-7518.
San Francisco Bay Area
Walnut Creek: CTA Vice President Dean Vogel will speak at a “Stand Up for Schools” protest rally with hundreds of East Bay teachers from Alameda and Contra Costa counties from 4-6 p.m. Wednesday, March 11. The rally is at Civic Center Park, 1375 Civic Center Drive, Walnut Creek. Contact: Mike Myslinski, 408-921-5769.
Fremont: Teachers in Fremont Unified will address $17 million in cuts at the school board meeting at 6 p.m. Wednesday, March 11, at the City Council chambers, 3300 Capitol Ave., Fremont, 94536. Washington High School teacher Matt Ballin will perform his protest song “California Children (An Investment Proposal).” The Fremont Unified District Teachers Association made a video of the song that can be viewed at this online link: http://www.pinkfriday09.org/video/california-children. Contact: Jeff Poe, 510-791-8366.
Fremont: CTA Secretary-Treasurer Daniel Vaughn will join hundreds of Fremont Unified parents, teachers, support employees and administrators in a protest march. The march starts at 3 p.m. Friday at La Pinata restaurant, 39136 Paseo Padre Parkway, Fremont, 94538. It will end at the offices of Assemblyman Alberto Torrico, who will be given information about how the school cuts crisis is hurting local schools. Contact: Jeff Poe, 510-791-8366.
San Francisco: Facing more than 500 pink slips, teachers in San Francisco will be joined by CTA President David Sanchez in a huge protest march and rally Thursday, March 12. The United Educators of San Francisco (UESF) event will start at Civic Center Secondary School, 727 Golden Gate Ave., and end with a rally in Civic Center Plaza in front of City Hall. Contact: Matthew Hardy at UESF, 415-956-8373.
San Jose: Hundreds of San Jose teachers from California Teachers Association Berryessa, East Side Teachers Association (ESTA, which faces 100 layoffs) and several other school districts will rally from 3:45-5 p.m. Friday at the corner of Capitol Expressway and Quimby Road, near Eastridge Mall. Parents and school support staff are invited. Contact: ESTA President Marisa Hanson, 408-960-9437.
Fairfield: Hit with 300 pink slips, teachers in Fairfield-Suisun Unified teachers will picket for several blocks on Texas Street in Fairfield where it crosses Interstate 80 in two areas. Visuals include protest signs, and hundreds of teachers are expected. Contact: Melanie Driver, president of Fairfield-Suisun Unified Teachers Association, at 707-290-0153.
Central Valley
Sacramento: Starting at 10:30 a.m. Wednesday, March 11, a dozen Northern California teacher leaders will begin delivering to every lawmaker and constitutional officer pink envelopes containing information on how severe school cuts are affecting school districts in the lawmakers respective legislative areas. Teachers are from the Sacramento City Unified, Folsom-Cordova, Natomas, Davis, Woodland, Fairfield-Suisun and Madera Unified school districts. Contact: Sandra Jackson, 916-325-1550.
Sacramento: CTA President David Sanchez will join parents, students and teachers at a large Stand Up For Schools protest pink slips rally given by the Sacramento City, Natomas, San Juan, Elk Grove, Twin Rivers and Folsom-Cordova teachers. The Sacramento County schools protest is set for 4:30-5:30 p.m. Friday on the west steps of the State Capitol. Contact: Sandra Jackson, 916-325-1550.
Stockton: It’s being called “Pink Friday Rush Hour of Power.” With 1,100 pink slips issued in San Joaquin County, hundreds of educators will line the streets at March Lane and Pacific Avenue in Stockton from 4:30 to 5:30 p.m. Friday. Teachers from Stockton, Tracy, Lincoln, Manteca and Lodi teachers associations are among those facing massive layoffs. Contacts: Anne McCaughey, president of the Stockton Teachers Association, 209-478-5074; Sue Kenmotsu, Lodi Education Association, 209-477-2425; or Ken Johnson, Manteca Teachers Association, 209-603-3767.
Bakersfield: Bakersfield teachers will rally at the County Courthouse, 1415 Truxton Ave., Bakersfield, from 4:30 to 5:30 p.m. on Friday to protest the 200 pink slips that were sent to teachers. Contact: Brad Barnes, president of the Bakersfield Elementary Teachers Association, 661-327-4567.
Madera: They’ve given their all, and now they’re giving their blood, too. Madera teachers, school employees and school district administrators will Stand Up for Schools by holding a blood drive from 2 to 6 p.m. Friday in the parking lot of the Madera Unified School District Office, 1902 Howard Road, Madera, 93637. More than 160 pink slips have been issued to Madera Unified teachers alone. Contact: Sue Thornton, president of the Madera Unified Teachers Association, 559-283-6882.