Bay Area rally shows attacking schools unites the communities they serve

By Sherry Posnick-Goodwin

Inside San Francisco's Ritz-Carlton Hotel, wealthy business people paid a minimum of $1,000 a plate to raise money for Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's so-called reform initiatives. They paid thousands more to pose with the governor for pictures, or to attend a pre-dinner reception in his company.

In stark contrast, many protesters outside held paper plates with hand lettering that read, "You are dining on public education," and "You are eating our retirement."

Carrying signs like "Arnold Can't Be Bought; Big Business Already Owns Him," shouting "Shame on you" and singing the Santana tune, "You've Got to Change Your Evil Ways," a raucous crowd of 3,000 surrounded the hotel and blocked traffic on surrounding streets, making it a challenge for donors to get to the fundraiser.

Before the demonstration, protesters had gathered in front of the Gap store on Post Street to protest the $225,000 in contributions that company founder Don Fisher has given to the governor and his supporters.

Demonstrators at the Nob Hill event were in high spirits as they sang protest songs and chanted their disapproval, but they could barely contain their anger when asked what had brought them to the protest.

"I'm very angry at what he wants to do," said Shelley Denny, a special education teacher in Pacifica and a member of the San Mateo County Office Chapter of CTA. "He's offended teachers and nurses and people who spend their lives working and caring for children and the sick. And he's insulted everyone by calling us 'special interests.'"

Marin County Educators Association member Solana Henneberry, also a special education teacher, said she was disappointed in First Lady Maria Shriver. "Maria has been strangely silent. Her family (the Kennedys) have done so much for special education. I can't believe she's letting him take money away from us."

"I'm here to protest the cuts in school budgets," said United Educators of San Francisco (UESF) member Claire Merced, a high school Spanish teacher. "Tonight the school board is meeting to discuss the closing of five schools because of budget cuts."

She's worried that the governor's proposals will discourage new teachers from entering the profession. "And new teachers are already discouraged because of the low salaries."

"I'm most angry at the $2 billion that he promised to give back to public schools and the fact that he's not honoring that promise," said Alameda Education Association (AEA) member Karen Ratto, a high school math teacher. "I'm also angry that he is attacking teachers, nurses and firefighters. What kind of message is he sending to young people?"

"Our district is facing a $9 million deficit," said Hayward Education Association member Lisa Essa. "I think the governor is misleading the public when he says in his commercial that he's given $3 billion more to public schools this year. What he's not saying is that he doesn't want to fund Prop. 98, and that he doesn't want the state to contribute to teacher pensions."

Ruth Saldivar and her friend Pia Chamberlain don't have union jobs or children in school, but they felt compelled to protest on behalf of the common good. "We are here because we believe that public schools and a good education make our kids strong," said Saldivar. "That makes our economy strong and builds strong families."

"We're here because he's doing backroom deals and he's all about big business," added Chamberlain.

After leading protesters in a chant of "Merit pay, no way," carpenter Kenny Lukas said, "My mother is a teacher and I know how it works. Merit pay isn't based on how you teach; it's based on how well you get along with the principal."

"I'm here to protect kids in the classroom," said Alameda Education Association member Earl Rivard, a high school English and ESL literacy teacher. "Our kids have to come first. There was a time when Californians understood that. Now, selfishness has settled over the land at the state level and the federal level. People whose needs are taken care of don't care about people whose needs are unmet. Public schools were put in place to protect the poor. But today, the poor are not being protected."

"The governor has made a fundamental mistake," announced CTA Board member Eric Heins from a stage in front of the Ritz-Carlton. "He forgot that community schools are what hold the community together. By trying to scapegoat teachers as special interests, he has united all of us."

Using the microphone, Heins sent a message to the governor: "We will keep our promise to stop your agenda that does nothing to improve student learning. We promise to expose your phony proposals about merit pay based on test scores at a time when the public understands that all teachers merit good pay. We will battle your measure that takes away a teacher's due process rights, making it even harder to recruit and retain qualified teachers in our classrooms. You can run, but you can't hide."