Day of Action Protests
Updated at 05:46 AM today
All over the Bay Area and all over the state, Thursday will be a day of protest. Students, parents, and teachers will be seen and heard. They will demonstrate against state cuts to education from kindergarten to college.
7 a.m. Picket lines will go up at the University of California at Berkeley.
7:30 a.m. Protests in front of all Oakland Unified School District schools, followed by a noon rally at Frank Ogawa Plaza, Oakland.
7:15 a.m. News conference by Mt. Diablo Unified School District Superintendent Steve Lawrence and California Teachers Association Vice President Dean Vogel to discuss the impact on the District of State Education Cuts.
8 a.m. March by students, parents and staff of El Dorado Elementary School to protest budget cuts that could lead to increased class sizes, and a loss of educational programs. Starts and ends at El Dorado School, 70 Delta St., San Francisco
8 a.m. Seven Bay Area school districts are moving up their Spring "disaster drills" to today to draw attention to "disastrous" state budget cuts. Throughout the bay area at various morning times.
10 a.m. Picket line by students and faculty at San Francisco State University, followed by a noon rally at Malcolm X Plaza. 19th and Holloway Avenues, San Francisco
10 a.m. Student walkout at Canada College and Skyline College. main quad, Skyline College, 3300 College Drive, San Bruno, main quad, Canada College, 4200 Farm Hill Blvd., Redwood City
11 a.m. Student walkout at Laney College, quad, Laney Community College, 900 Fallon St., Ialand
11:45 a.m. March by San Jose State University educators with The California Faculty Association and San Jose Teachers Association President Janice Allen. Starts at City Hall, 200 E. Santa Clara St., San Jose and continues to Seventh Street Plaza near San Jose State University
Noon Campus walkouts and general assemblies to protest education cuts.
--Agora Stage, California State University, East Bay, 25800 Carlos Bee Blvd., Hayward --Sonoma State University, Stevenson Hall Quad, 1801 E. Cotati Ave., Rohnert Park, --Malcolm X Plaza, San Francisco State University, 19th & Holloway, San Francisco, --Cesar Chavez Plaza, Chabot Junior College, 25555 Hesperian Blvd., Hayward, contact: Kip Waldo (510) 847-6093 --Bancroft Way and Telegraph Avenue, University of California at Berkeley, --Diablo Valley College, 321 Golf Club Road, Pleasant Hill, --Wellness Center Amphitheatre, City College of San Francisco, 50 Phelan Ave., San Francisco,
1:10 p.m. Teachers, parents and elementary school children will walk out of school an hour early to protest the impact of education budget Cuts at Dianne Feinstein School.
March starts at Feinstein School, 25th Avenue and Vicente Street, and continues to Larsen Park at 19th Avenue and Ulloa Street, San Francisco
3 p.m. "Feeder March" for the 5 p.m. Rally at the San Francisco Civic Center. Starts at 24th & Mission Streets, San Francisco
4 p.m. Pre-rally by the United Educators Association prior to a 5 p.m. mass rally. Civic center, 1 Dr. Carlton B. Goodlett Place, San Francisco
4 p.m., Oakland Education Association President Betty Olson-Jones will speak at a news conference at the State Building. 1515 Clay St., Oakland
4 p.m. "Day of Action" by members of San Jose's East Side Teachers Association. Assemblyman Joe Coto, D-San Jose, scheduled to attend. Independence High School, 1776 Educational Park Drive, San Jose
5 p.m. Mass rally to protest budget cuts to education, sponsored by United Educators of San Francisco, featuring a performance by The rock band Angry Tired Teachers.
Civic Center Plaza, Carlton B. Goodlett Place and Grove Street, San Francisco
5 p.m. Rally by students and teachers throughout the state to protest education cuts. All 23 California State University campuses will have events.
More Bay Area Events
CONCORD: CTA Vice President Dean Vogel will join a 7:15 a.m. news conference at Monte Gardens Elementary, 3841 Larkspur Drive, Concord, 94519, to sound the alarm about state cuts hurting the Mt. Diablo Unified School District which faces about $60 million in cuts over the next three years. All schools will hold a disaster drill at 9 a.m. to call attention to the disastrous impacts of state education cuts. Teachers will wear "disaster attire" during the drills, including hard hats and Red Cross T-shirts. The news conference includes a mock bake sale with $1 million cupcakes and will be attended by Superintendent Steve Lawrence, PTA representatives, state Senator Mark DeSaulnier, Assembly member Joan Buchanan and teachers talking about soaring class sizes and the cutting of music and library services. More info: www.mtdiabloeducationassoc.org. Contacts: MDEA President Mike Noce at 925-676-4664 or 925-250-6557 (cell); or Mike Myslinski, 408-921-5769.
CLAYTON: On March 4, 2010 the Clayton Valley High School community will START THE DAY FOR STUDENTS! On March 4th please join CVHS students, teachers, staff and community members in the Statewide Day of Action in an effort to speak out about the painful effects cuts are having on students, schools and communities throughout California. In the last two years, $17 billion was cut from California schools and colleges and now students and schools are being threatened again. We can't let that happen!
We are asking you to join us and be a part of the campaign to fight for the resources our CVHS students deserve. On Thursday, March 4th at 7:00 a.m. we will gather in front of the high school to send a message to Sacramento that education is essential to building a better California. Please consider joining other parents and community members in this important demonstration of support for our school. There will be a district-wide "Disaster Drill" at 8:30am.
This "Disaster-Drill" will occur simultaneously at MDUSD schools to symbolize the disastrous conditions our students face as a result of the cuts to public education in California.
OAKLAND: CTA Vice President Dean Vogel will be interviewed live about the Day of Action and massive cuts to K-12 education at 8:45 a.m. Thursday on the morning news program of KTVU at the station's Jack London Square studios. To arrange more Bay Area interviews, contact Mike Myslinski at 408-921-5769.
SEVEN BAY AREA SCHOOL DISTRICT DISASTER DRILLS: To draw attention to disastrous state budget cuts, at least seven Bay Area school districts are moving their required spring fire drills to the morning of March 4. The districts and times of the drills: Mt. Diablo Unified, 9 a.m.; Oakland Unified, 9:15 a.m. (see details at www.OaklandEA.org); Dublin Unified, 8 a.m.; New Haven Unified in Union City, 8:15 a.m. for elementary schools, 8:45 a.m. for high schools; San Lorenzo Unified, 10:30 a.m.; San Francisco Unified, 10 a.m.; Fairfield-Suisun Unified School District, various times in the morning at each school. Contact: Mike Myslinski at 408-921-5769.
OAKLAND: Starting at 7:30 a.m. Thursday with protests in front of all Oakland Unified schools, the Oakland Education Association is taking part in a day of events. The school district's 9:15 a.m. disaster drill will be followed by a community coalition rally from noon to 4 p.m. at Frank Ogawa Plaza at City Hall, with OEA President Betty Olson-Jones speaking at a 4 p.m. news conference at the Elihu Harris State Office Building, 1515 Clay St. Oakland teachers will then board BART for a ride to the huge 5 p.m. San Francisco Civic Center rally co-sponsored by San Francisco educators and many groups. Contact: OEA President Betty Olson-Jones at 510-866-3676 (cell).
CUPERTINO SCHOOLS TOWN HALL MEETING: In response to state cuts threatening the outstanding success of the high-achieving Cupertino Union School District which ranks ninth out of California's 1,000 school districts with an Academic Performance Index overall district score of 948 the Cupertino Education Association will take part in a 6 p.m. town hall meeting. Location is the Lawson Middle School Event Center, 10401 Vista Drive, Cupertino, 95014. State cuts resulted in the district issuing 109 pink slips for teachers and deciding to increase K-3 class sizes from 20 to 30 students. CTA Board member Don Dawson, a San Jose teacher, will moderate the education coalition event hosted by teachers, the district, the California School Employees Association, the Cupertino Elementary School Administrators Association and SEIU. Educators will be leafleting parents at all 25 school sites before school starts on March 4 as well. More info: www.ceaweb.org. Contacts: CEA President Dave Villafana at 650-823-9563 (cell) or the district's Jeremy Nishihara, 408-252-3000, ext. 323.
SAN FRANCISCO: Facing a budget deficit of $113 million over the next two years, and the chaos from nearly 900 pink slips being sent to teachers and administrators, San Francisco Unified educators will be pushing back with a huge "Defend the Classroom" regional rally with other Bay Area teachers and unions on Thursday. Hundreds of members of United Educators of San Francisco will gather with parents and other Bay Area teachers at 4 p.m. at the Civic Center, then march to the State Building, corner of Van Ness and McAllister, and then return to the Civic Center for a huge 5 p.m. rally. Details at www.uesf.org Contact: Matthew Hardy at 415-956-8373.
SAN JOSE: K-12 and higher education events are planned. In the early morning hours, San Jose Unified teachers will do informal tailgating at all school sites before school starts, offering parents coffee and doughnuts, along with the latest info on district cuts. Later, San Jose Teachers Association President Janice Allen will march in solidarity with San Jose State University educators against SJSU cuts as part of a California Faculty Association event where she will also join other speakers. The march starts at 11:45 a.m. at San Jose City Hall and ends with a rally at Seventh Street plaza near SJSU. Contacts: SJTA President Janice Allen at 408-267-0411 or 408-504-7708 (cell); contact for SJSU march is Sue Pak, 510-290-4308.
FREMONT: With jobs for up to 200 temporary teachers on the chopping block, Fremont Unified teachers will be protesting at all school sites before school at various times from 7:15 a.m. to 8:30 a.m., depending on the school's start time. The district is also raising K-3 class sizes from 20 to 30. Parents and other supporters will be asked to join the morning picketing and also take part in a 3:15-5 p.m. rally at the corner of Mowry and Fremont boulevards. Contact: Fremont Unified District Teachers Association President Brannin Dorsey at 510-331-1663.
PITTSBURG: CTA Board member Eric Heins and Pittsburg Education Association President Chris Coan will be doing informational picketing starting at 7:10 a.m. at their Willow Cove Elementary School, 1880 Hanlon Way, Pittsburg. Teachers and administrators at all Pittsburg Unified School District schools will be picketing at their campuses at various times from 7:10 to 8:15 a.m., then meet up for a 3 p.m. rally at the corner of Leland and Loveridge streets. Cuts in the district include raising class sizes in grades 1-3 to 30 students. Contacts: Eric Heins at 415-794-1513 or Chris Coan at 925-759-0519.
SANTA ROSA: Before school starts Thursday morning, educators in school districts across Sonoma County will be protesting state cuts to education and calling local state legislators to warn them against making more cuts to schools and other public services. Educators will also be getting community members to sign the CTA-sponsored Close Corporate Tax Loopholes ballot measure to reverse $2 billion in tax breaks given last year to large corporations. Contact: Andy Witthohn at 707-972-9162.
MONTEREY: State Superintendent of Public Instruction Jack O'Connell will join local educators in a 4 p.m. rally against school cuts at Colton Hall on Pacific Street in Monterey. Other speakers will include Monterey Bay Teachers Association President Jill Low in this education coalition event coordinated by MBTA, the California Faculty Association, California School Employees Association and others. Students will perform skits and read poetry. Contact: MBTA President Jill Low at 831-375-8942 or 831-521-5509 (cell).
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