Singing along with Twisted Sister's "We're Not Gonna Take It," hundreds of teachers, schoolchildren and supporters rallied at the state Capitol yesterday to protest proposed cuts in K-12 education.
The rally, the brainchild of an Orange County school bus driver, drew educators from counties across the state, such as Hanover and Henrico, Pulaski, Westmoreland and Fairfax.
On a blustery day at the Bell Tower, many held signs with messages such as: "Cuts hurt kids," "You can't spell 'governor' without a teacher," and, sarcastically, "Reopen rest stops -- flush a child's education."
The House of Delegates and the state Senate have two weeks to reconcile rival spending plans that feature deep cuts to K-12 education.
The House would cut aid to K-12 education by $620 million, the Senate by $418 million. Both sides say they would offset some of the cuts through retirement savings for localities.
Gov. Bob McDonnell, who had sought $731 million in K-12 cuts, told reporters in Lynchburg on Friday