Schools

Bay Area Teachers Rally in Favor of Tax Extension

The demonstrations coincide with "Red Tuesday," the state-set deadline to issue preliminary layoff notices to certificated school employees.

Teachers, parents and administrators across the Bay Area today are opposing cuts to education funding with a "day of action" scheduled to coincide with the deadline for school districts to issue pink slips.

Supporters have dubbed the day "Red Tuesday" and are calling on lawmakers to support the governor's proposed budget, which averts cuts to K-12 education by raising $12 billion in revenue in addition to making $12.5 billion in cuts.

The revenue is contingent upon a special election in June in which voters would be asked to extend some current taxes and fees that are set to expire, but Republican lawmakers have so far refused to let the issue go to the ballot.

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California Teachers Association spokesman Mike Myslinski said K-12 public education has lost more than $18 billion in state funding over the past three years and could lose another $4.6 billion if lawmakers decide to balance the budget entirely with cuts.

He said thousands of preliminary teacher layoff notices have been issued across the state, and the latest estimate on the number of notices will be announced in San Bruno this afternoon at an event with state Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson.

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Final layoff notices have to be issued by May 15, Myslinski said.

"It causes chaos right now both for parents and teachers, who wonder where they stand in these uncertain times," he said.

The San Bruno event will begin at 4 p.m. at Portola Elementary, located at 300 Amador Ave. The California Teachers Association's board of directors will be present.

Hundreds of Oakland Unified School District teachers will also rally and picket from 4 to 4:30 p.m. in front of Oakland High School, located at 1023 MacArthur Blvd., Myslinski said.

About 540 Oakland Unified teachers have received pink slips, he said.

Teachers in other parts of the Bay Area held events before school started today.

In Union City, members of the New Haven Unified School District rallied at Alvarado Middle School's new $10 million library, which will close if the governor's tax extensions aren't approved, New Haven Teachers Association president Charmaine Kawaguchi said.

Kawaguchi teaches math and computer programming at James Logan High School.

The district could face about 60 layoffs, closures of the middle and high school libraries, and the end of some athletics, music and arts programs, she said.

– Bay City News


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