Rallies to focus on cutbacks in education - latimes.com

Rallies to focus on cutbacks in education - latimes.com

Thousands of students, teachers and parents in California and across the country are expected to stage rallies, demonstrations, walkouts and other actions Thursday to decry what they say is an assault on public education at all levels.

The so-called Day of Action is in response to education funding cuts that have affected schools nationwide, but have been especially severe in California, where public colleges and universities have canceled classes, ordered furloughs and layoffs and enacted unprecedented student fee increases.

Faculty, students and alumni are expected to descend on the state Capitol in Sacramento for a rally and teach-in that will include personal testimonials on the effects of the cutbacks and fee increases. In downtown Los Angeles, participants plan to rally in Pershing Square and march to the governor's office in the Ronald Reagan State Building.

In addition, events are scheduled at most of the 10 campuses of the University of California, California State University's 23 campuses and many of the state's 112 community colleges. Many students are expected to walk out of class to protest the cutbacks.

Many of the demonstrations are being planned by campus faculty unions, but the actions, along with earlier advocacy efforts by students and faculty, have also drawn at least qualified support from some top administrators.

In a statement, Cal State Chancellor Charles B. Reed said the university "supports the efforts of our students, faculty and staff to bring awareness about the importance of higher education in California. It is critical that legislators in Sacramento hear from businesses and the community about the