Issue link: http://digital.copcomm.com/i/32596
STATE OF EMERGENCY IN RECOGNITION OF OUR SUPPORTERS Alliance of Californians for Community Empowerment (ACCE), American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) Council 57, U.D.W. AFSCME, Association of California School Administrators (ACSA), California Association of School Business Officials (CASBO), California County Superintendents Educational teachers raise and lower their arms and picket signs as they shouted and laughed. “That was good to see,” Mendes said into the microphone. “And we all know what happens when you turn your back on a large wave. You get knocked down! Or swept away.” California State PTA President-elect Carol Kocivar urged lawmakers to pass a budget that protects children. “Parents will not be silent as children lose counselors, classroom aides and reading specialists. They will not be silent while arts and music are stripped from our schools!” Los Angeles In Los Angeles more than 6,000 educators and other labor groups packed downtown’s Per- shing Square for an afternoon of activism. CTA Vice President-elect Eric Heins reit- erated the need to extend current tax rates to protect education and other vital services. Reminding the crowd that California already ranks near the bottom in the nation in educa- tion funding and is dead last in the number of counselors, nurses, and librarians per stu- dent, Heins said, “Our schools and our stu- dents simply can’t take any more cuts. It’s not fair to them; our kids deserve better.” In addition, other State of Emergency sponsor speakers from the California State PTA, the Association of School Administra- tors, the California Federation of Teachers and other Los Angeles area labor organiza- tions made their voices heard. Pat McOsker, president of United Firefighters of Los An- geles City, talked about cuts to public safety, then told the crowd, “People always say fire- fighters are heroes, but to us, teachers are the real heroes.” top: San Francisco saw more than 3,000 educators cheer for education funding. center: Darin Curtis, one of California’s Teachers of the Year, describes how funding cuts affect the classroom in San Diego. Bottom: Californians came to the Capitol to support funding for schools. 12 California Educator | MAY 2011 CTA Photo by Mike Myslinski