Mike Myslinski at 408-921-5769 (cell) or mmyslinski@cta.org
Day of Action – San Bruno Event to Reveal Statewide Layoff Numbers
BURLINGAME - Facing unprecedented cuts to public education, California educators, parents, school administrators and other stakeholders will be wearing red and holding local protest events as part of a CTA day of action on Tuesday, March 15 – the deadline for school districts to issue preliminary teacher pink slips. The events kick off a new season of protest by educators alarmed by relentless cuts.
CTA President David A. Sanchez will reveal the latest statewide estimate of pink slips issued for teachers at a 4 p.m. San Bruno news conference in the Bay Area. “The fact that thousands of educators could lose their jobs is a wake-up call for the damage state cuts are doing to a generation of students,” Sanchez said. “The governor’s budget and his call to let voters decide on extending temporary tax revenues are crucial to preventing even more devastating education cuts. Investing in our schools, higher education and the economy are the most important things we can do to protect California’s future.”
Tuesday’s events by the California Teachers Association and the California Education Coalition will urge lawmakers to support the governor’s proposed budget – including a June special election to extend some current taxes. Over the past three years, K-12 public education in California has been cut more than $18 billion. Class sizes have soared, school years have shrunk, and schools have had to eliminate art, music and other vital classes across the state.
More information about events is at www.cta.org. Here is a sampling of other local CTA events on Tuesday, March 15 :
Sampling of Northern California Events on Tuesday, March 15
SAN BRUNO: State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson will join local and state Education Coalition leaders in a 4 p.m. news conference with parents and teachers at Portola Elementary, 300 Amador Ave., San Bruno, 94066. The entire CTA Board of Directors will join the event, and CTA President David A. Sanchez will announce the latest statewide estimate of preliminary pink slips sent out to educators. Contact: Mike Myslinski at CTA, 408-921-5769 (cell).
UNION CITY: ****ATTENTION BAY AREA MORNING TV NEWS CREWS**** In Alameda County, a 6:30 a.m. news conference about drastic cuts and 60 teacher pink slips in the New Haven Unified School District will be held by teachers, administrators and parents at Alvarado Middle School, 31604 Alvarado Blvd., Union City, 94587. The event is at the school’s brand new library that will close in the fall as part of $10 million in cuts the New Haven district will have to make if the governor’s budget plan and tax extensions are not approved and a May 3 local parcel tax fails. Speakers will include CTA Board members and Bay Area teachers Eric Heins and Don Dawson, Superintendent Kari McVeigh, a pink-slipped kindergarten teacher, Quyen Tran, who is six months pregnant, a school librarian, and New Haven Teachers Association President Charmaine Kawaguchi. The Alvarado Middle School jazz band, which is also on the chopping block, will perform. Contact: Teacher Charmaine Kawaguchi at 510-501-0049 (cell).
OAKLAND: Facing about 540 pink slips, hundreds of teachers in the Oakland Unified School District will rally and picket from 4-4:30 p.m. in front of Oakland High School, 1023 MacArthur Blvd., 94610. Contact: Oakland Education Association President Betty Olson-Jones at 510-866-3676 (cell).
WOODLAND: With up to 60 educators facing pink slips, Woodland Joint Unified School District teachers and parents will hold a rally at 4 p.m. in Heritage Square in downtown Woodland. Contact: Adelina Perez at 916-204-4522.
DIXON: Up to 25 teachers in the Dixon Unified School District could lose their jobs due to state cuts. Teachers will hold a 3:30 p.m. rally in downtown Dixon, corner of CA 113 and A Street. Contact: Julie Felkins at 707 -372-4181.
MERCED-MARIPOSA : On Red Tuesday, thousands of teachers, parents and administrators in Merced and Mariposa counties will be wearing red Hawaiian leis at their schools. The CTA Merced/Mariposa Teachers Uniserv Council distributed 3,000 leis for its “Aloha” themed event: Aloha meaning both hello and goodbye, and local schools saying hello to new cuts and goodbye to pink-slipped educators. Contact: Terri Pinkney at 209-723-8871.
Sampling of Southern California Events On Tuesday, March 15
LOS ANGELES: Facing about 5,000 pink slips for educators in the nation’s second-largest school district, leaders of United Teachers Los Angeles will hold a press conference at 8:30 a.m. outside the offices of the Los Angeles Unified School District, 333 S. Beaudry Ave., Los Angeles. (Go to the fountain on Boylston between Third Street and Miramar.) UTLA members wearing red will also pack the school board meeting Tuesday, when a final vote is expected on whether to allow outside companies to manage many district schools. More info at www.utla.net. Contact: Marla Eby at 213-305-9310 (cell).
POMONA: Hit by about 200 pink slips, Pomona Unified School District educators will wear red and hold a rally from 3:30-5 p.m. in front of the district offices, 800 S. Garey Ave., Pomona. The rally will focus on supporting the governor’s proposed budget and his call for extending temporary taxes. Contact: Associated Pomona Teachers President Tyra Weis at 909-623-6761.
SAN DIEGO: Members of the San Diego Education Association (SDEA) will be wearing red at school sites to draw attention to the 885 pink slips issued unnecessarily for San Diego Unified educators. Contact for interviews: SDEA President Bill Freeman at 619-283-4411.
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The 325,000-member CTA is affiliated with the 3.2 million-member National Education Association.