Thousands of Students and Parents Converge On State Capitol To Call for Better Schools and to Denounce Proposed Cuts

Students deliver 15,000 postcards to Governor Schwarzenegger demanding investment in education and schools that prepare all students for college or a career

Sacramento, CA - One day after Governor Schwarzenegger released his May revision of the state budget, busloads of students and parents from across the state came together for a rally on the steps of the state capitol building and for meetings with their elected representatives in the state legislature.  They challenged proposed cuts to the state education budget and called on the Governor and the Legislature to support a plan to reform schools so that they prepare every student for college or a career. Students, parents and teachers spoke about the importance of quality schools in building a strong and stable future for California.

The participants reacted to the governor’s revised budget proposal that he released on Wednesday.

“The governor’s revised budget still contains cuts to education. By using different calculations he is trying  to make those cuts look smaller than they are,” said Carmen Iñiguez, Statewide Alliance Director at Californians for Justice. “The real story is that California schools are already terribly under funded.”

The protestors came from cities around the state, including Oakland, Fresno, San Jose, Los Angeles, Long Beach, San Diego, Fullerton, Westminster, Anaheim, San Francisco, Sacramento, Hayward, San Leandro, Palo Alto, and Richmond. They called on the governor not to cut funding for schools. “Governor Schwarzenegger, you have a responsibility to stand up for California. Invest in us, invest in  schools, and build a stronger California,” stated Elizabeth Solorio, a student from Silver Creek High School in San Jose.

Students delivered 15,000 postcards to the governor’s office. Collected around the state, each postcard carried students’ dreams for their futures and pleaded to the governor, “Please don’t kidnap my dreams.”
The students are calling for a meeting with the governor to discuss his proposed state budget and commitment to future education funding.
The Campaign for Quality Education (CQE), which organized the rally, is a statewide alliance that is launching a student and parent-led campaign to improve schools in the state. The CQE wants all students to graduate from high school prepared for either college or a good career.

Students, parents and teachers from across the state have been galvanized by the threat of cuts to their schools. California schools rank 46th in the nation in per pupil spending, and the state spends $1,900 less per student than the national average. Proposed cuts would drive down the quality of state schools even further.

CQE alliance members believe that the proposed cuts to school funding would hit low income communities of color particularly hard. Studies show that schools in those communities already have less funding, fewer experienced teachers, and larger class sizes. The CQE is calling on the state to develop a plan to fully fund schools and to focus resources on students with the greatest need.

“The governor has a choice,” said LaShawndra Price, a leader with Bay Area Parent Leadership Action Network and parent of five children in San Francisco public schools. “He can be remembered for driving California’s schools into the basement, or he can be remembered for taking a bold stand by investing in schools and building a stronger state.”
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The rally was organized by the Campaign for Quality Education, a statewide coalition of grassroots, civil rights, policy and research organizations committed to educational equity for all students in California’s public schools. The CQE is led by Californians for Justice, Public Advocates, Youth Together, and the Applied Research Center.
Over 100 organizations and individuals have e

ndorsed the goals of the May 15 action. To see the list of endorsing organizations and for more information about The Campaign for Quality Education, visit www.quality-education.org.

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