Parents and Teachers Present 40,000 Signatures on Petitions In Support of Board of Education "Taking Back Public Education in San Diego
Education and Parent Leaders Speak to Supporters Before Presentation of Petitions to School Board at its December 14 Meeting
San Diego Education Association
10393 San Diego Mission Road, #100
San Diego, CA 92108
www.sdea.net
Contact: SDEA President Terry Pesta 619-203-7186, Robin Whitlow 619-252-2229
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
December 14, 2004
San Diego – Parents and educators presented petitions signed by more than 40,000 San Diegans supporting the San Diego School Board's efforts in taking back control of the San Diego public schools at the board's December 14 meeting. Before the presentation, San Diego Education Association President Terry Pesta, California Teachers Association Board member Dianne Jones, and Kelly Brieck, a parent of a middle school student, spoke to supporters on the lawn in front of the Education Center.
Over the past several weeks, educators, parents and community members collected signatures on the petitions in neighborhoods throughout San Diego. The petitions called for the School Board to limit Superintendent Bersin's power to carry out his one-size-fits-all education policies. Since implementing his "Blueprint," Superintendent Bersin has not been able to significantly decrease dropout rates, increase test scores, or close the achievement gap as he promised. But during this same time he has locked out educators and parents from the decision making process and wasted taxpayer money on outside consultants.
In addition to parents, community activists and teachers going door-to-door collecting signatures on the petitions, a series of radio advertisements asking for change in the schools aired on 11 local stations over the last two weeks. The radio spots, sponsored by SDEA and CTA, focused on the concerns parents and educators had with Superintendent Bersin's policies. "These radio ads supported the efforts of the newly elected school board members as they asserted themselves in dealing with the superintendent," said CTA Board member Diane Jones.
SDEA President Terry Pesta said, "The School Board is on the road to taking more control over the schools and removing Superintendent Bersin from the seat of power. This superintendent has spent over $100 million of the taxpayer's money on outside consultants while cutting music, art and vocational and technical education programs. His policies are hurting our students and our schools. The initial actions of this board are encouraging and we want to show our support for all of the board members with these petitions."
San Diego Education Association is affiliated with the 335,000-member California Teachers Association and 2.7 million-member National Education Association