LA teachers protest California’s proposed education budget cuts
Thousands of Los Angeles teachers have protested proposed state budget cuts in a school day job action that delayed the beginning of class for most students but caught the attention of state and local politicians and parents, according to the Los Angeles Times. The demonstrations were peaceful as students were supervised in gyms, athletic fields and auditoriums. Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) district twice tried to stop the demonstration during the week because of concerns about student safety. According to LAUSD officials, there was no injuries were reported during the protest and attendance throughout the district was typical, at about 94%. The demonstration was intended to draw attention to Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's latest budget, which provides a $193-million increase over last year's education funding but does not include a cost-of-living increase and cuts support to some programs. LAUSD estimates that it will face a $353-million shortfall. The protests, which drew widespread media attention, appeared to achieve its goal, union and other officials said. State Assembly Speaker Karen Bass (D-Los Angeles) said the demonstrators were heard by the governor and state lawmakers wrestling with a $17-billion budget shortfall. She said Democrats in the Assembly and Senate will not accept any budget that is balanced through cuts only. Even Schwarzenegger, who asked teachers to report to their classrooms on time, said he understood their frustration. If he were a teacher he too would be upset at the state "that we have a broken budget system that is taking schools on a roller-coaster ride continuously," he said. Teachers union President A.J. Duffy called the coordinated demonstrations "a great day for the teachers of L.A." but said the protest would have been more powerful if Supt. David Brewer had walked the line as well. "If he was standing next to me . . . then no Legislature, no governor would try to take the kind of cuts out of education that they're talking about," said Duffy. Brewer, who had unsuccessfully sought a temporary restraining order against the job action, said the protests were "just not a smart move." Duffy, the superintendent said, "can't ask me to condone something that is illegal."
Source: Los Angeles Times, 6/7/08, By Jason Song & Phil Willon