Day of Action unifies
Fight for education spreads statewide
Published: Tuesday, March 9, 2010
Updated: Tuesday, March 9, 2010
 "Photo: Erik Verduzco / The Advocate")
Erik Verduzco / The Advocate
Strength in numbers — UC Berkeley students Rocio Hernandez (front left) and Maria Jimenez (front right) march down Telegraph Avenue in Berkeley as part of a statewide rally for education Thursday. The group of more than 1,000 protesters traveled five miles from Cal to Frank Ogawa Plaza in Oakland, chanting for an end to California’s budget cuts.
Thousands of students, parents and educators across the state rallied for equal access to education in a historic Day of Action protest Thursday that they say is just the beginning of a much-needed social movement.
In the Bay Area, rallies were held throughout the day at various schools and city halls, with UC Berkeley, Frank Ogawa Plaza in Oakland and San Francisco’s Civic Center Plaza as the main gathering points.
Demonstrators from all sectors of public education — pre-kindergarten through 12th grade, community colleges, California State University and University of California — assembled throughout the state as early as 7 a.m.
California, a powerful state with one of the largest economies in the world, was once considered the flagship of education, Sen. Leland Yee told The Advocate at San Francisco’s Civic Center Plaza rally on Thursday.
Today, an unprecedented state budget deficit of more than $20 billion has dwindled school funding to a ranking of 48th in the nation, Yee said.
Students are facing rising tuition costs, larger class size maxes, reductions in core support services and even fewer course sections to choose from at a time when demand for classes is higher than ever.
Over the past two years, more than $17 billion was cut from education funding, according to the California Teachers Association, and Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger’s recent proposal for 2010-11 looks to