‘Statewide Day of Action’ brings no movement for Southwest Riverside school districts
The local PTA rally location and date have yet to be confirmed, but the e-mail states the groups are aiming to hold the rally during the week of March 15.
Thursday, March 4, 2010
While it was business as usual for Southwest Riverside school districts and their teachers Thursday, other groups around California and the nation took to the streets to rally against education cuts.
The “Statewide Day of Action,” endorsed by the California Teachers Association, did not attract the attention of local teachers groups.
Murrieta Teachers Association, Temecula Valley Educators Association, Menifee Teachers Association and the faculty association of Mt. San Jacinto College all confirmed that they would not be taking part.
According to Betti Cadmus, spokeswoman for the Menifee Union School District, not one protest at any of the district’s school sites was heard of.
Jose Carvajal, spokesperson for Lake Elsinore Unified School District, said he did not know of any rallies in the district either.
At Palomar College in San Marcos, where many Southwest County residents attend school, reports said at least 200 students, faculty and administrators joined in a rally against the cuts. At Riverside Community College, students planned to have their voices heard.
According to a posting on the California Teachers Association Facebook page, “March 4 is a big day for public education in California. Educators, students, parents and concerned citizens are standing up en masse to show our support for California’s public schools by attending local rallies and protests.”
State Superintendent of Public Education Jack O’Connell updated messages on Twitter throughout the day as he went from school site to school site talking with the crowds.
While local teacher unions may not have joined the March 4 rally, an e-mail sent to parents from the Temecula Valley Council of PTAs Advocacy Committee stated the group plans to partner with neighbors and friends from Murrieta Valley Council of PTAs to sponsor a “Fund our Schools” rally, speaking on behalf of the over 51,000 students in the two districts.
“This highly publicized event will give our communities an opportunity to unite with the goal of putting children FIRST. NONE of us can afford to be complacent in this matter. We MUST demand the best for our children from our lawmakers!” the e-mail said.
The local PTA rally location and date have yet to be confirmed, but the e-mail states the groups are aiming to hold the rally during the week of March 15.
Teachers in the Murrieta Valley Unified School District, Temecula Valley Unified School District and Lake Elsinore Unified School District are facing layoffs, which will most likely result in larger class sizes next year in most districts. The budget shortfalls faced by local districts stem from a state budget deficit of more than $21 billion. Education makes up 40 percent of the state’s budget.
Maggie Avants is the education editor for SWRNN. Reach her at maggie.avants@swrnn.cm. Follow SWRNNedu on Twitter!
Tags: "Fund our Schools", Betti Cadmus, california teachers association, Jose Carvajal, Lake Elsinore, Lake Elsinore Unifed School District, Maggie Avants, Menifee, Menifee Teachers Association, menifee union school district, mt. san jacinto college, Murrieta, Murrieta Teachers Association, murrieta valley, Murrieta Valley Council of PTAs, murrieta valley unified school district, Palomar College, Riverside Community College, State Superintendent of Public Education Jack O’Connell, Statewide Day of Action, SWRNN, Temecula, Temecula Valley Council of PTAs Advocacy Committee, Temecula Valley Educators Association, Temecula Valley U, temecula valley unfied school district
Email
Bookmark
POST A COMMENT
* Required to comment
-
- Honest to God
15 - UPDATE: Fire in Wildomar at 15 acres; homes no longer threatened 11
- UPDATE: Valle Vista neighborhoods still closed after reports of gunfire; some residents stranded 10
- Look who's turning 1! SWRNN celebrates one-year anniversary 10
- 17-year-old Canyon Lake girl reported missing 8
- Prop 8 struck down by U.S. District judge in San Francisco today 6
- Local photographer will display work at MSJC Menifee campus Sept. 8 6
- Palm Desert DUI checkpoint nabs five drivers 5
- Police: Man uses bodily fluids to taint female co-worker's water bottle 5
- 'Ground Zero Mosque' furor not unlike debate over Temecula Islamic center 5
- Honest to God
-
- Temecula apartment fire confined to room; no injuries reported The fire was reported at 11:49 a.m. at the Morning Ridge Apartments in the 30660 Milky Way Drive.
- Man's cut-short prison sentence for 1983 killing of mother could be renewed Bruce Lisker, 45, was convicted of second-degree murder and sentenced to 16 years to life in prison for the 1983 of fatally beating and stabbing his 66-year-old mother, Dorka, at her Sherman Oaks home. He was 17 years old at the time and using drugs.
- Brush fire near Campo by Pacific Crest Trail spreads to 300 acres The blaze created highly visible black smoke as it spread to the edge of Star Ranch, a working horse and cattle ranch and historical attraction.
- Los Angeles Unified votes to overhaul teacher evaluation process UTLA officials have been critical of a decision by the Los Angeles Times to post report cards for thousands of teachers, based on their students' scores on standardized tests.
- Menifee boy walks to save hearts after surviving rare heart condition In his short life, he has found something bigger to participate in each year -- the American Heart Association’s San Diego Heart Walk. Michael, along with Team Beat It members made up of family, friends and his past and present teachers, plans to walk in this year’s event on Sept. 19.
- Student who threatened community college professor in SD County arrested Oscar Torres, 22, also allegedly threatened the college community.
