Across the state of California, students, teachers, professors and unions will demonstrate today in order to convince lawmakers and the public to invest in public education.
In the past six months, UC Berkeley has been an important hub of activism against state divestment in the UC system, as well as public education in general. Today's statewide day of action marks the first time a statewide day of protest will incorporate people from across California in support of the broader cause of public education, from Kindergarten through doctoral program.
In addition to rallies at other university campuses, community colleges and cities throughout the state, the day's events include a rally on the steps of the state Capitol in Sacramento and a protest in front of Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's office in San Diego.
"(March 4) is the moment where everybody understands the importance of the idea of a public education," said Kevin Wehr, an assistant professor of sociology at Sacramento State University who has been helping to organize the rally in Sacramento. "We have gotten to the crisis point and people are finally paying attention."
The lack of a singular authority coordinating events has meant that various groups will be taking different approaches toward reaching their respective goals. But one area of agreement is the need to "defend" public education.
Involving the largest possible number of people in the day's
