Mobilize for May 8 (and May 4)

Bay Area Friends, Please pass this on and come join us!

On Wednesday, May 8, 2002, students, teachers, community members will mobilize to the Capitol Building in Sacramento to protest budget cuts in education. A call to action is bellow. Buses will be leaving from Berkeley, Oakland and San Francisco. To reserve a free bus space call the District hotline at 510.879.8736. Buses will begin loading at 8AM at the Oakland Coliseum (Parking Space A), other meeting spot in North Oakland (TBA) and will return at 3PM.

SATURDAY, MAY 4, 11AM-2PM,
Youth and Teacher Training for May 8 (community members are also invited)
Youth Empowerment Center, 1357 5th Street
Come and learn how to lobby, how to relate to media, learn the history of education and racial and economic segregation, make puppets and art-work, discuss direct action and more. Join other youth and teachers as we discus our vision for May 8 and beyond.
To RSVP, offer art-work help, materials or a training please call Ingrid at 510.654.9214


CALL TO ACTION: MOBILIZE TO PROTEST BUDGET CUTS ON MAY 8, 2002

Despite the fact that California is the nation’s richest state, it continues to spend near the least on education per capita. Ignoring the ACLU lawsuit against the state of California for inadequate education facilities in its inner city schools, Governor Gray Davis has cut over 800 million dollars to education spending over the next year and will cut more if we don't speak out. Meanwhile, Davis has cut less then 10 million dollars from prison spending in a state that spends the most per capita on prisons, in a country that spends the most per capita on prisons. A recent report released by Californians for Justice shows a continued state of segregation in California’s schools. Davis’ budget cuts will most drastically affect California’s inner-city schools, such as Oakland’s.

We, as a community, are outraged. The Oakland Unified School District has unanimously passed a resolution to assist students, teachers and community members to protest this policy on May 8 at the capital building in Sacramento. We will demand that education be made a priority in our state, and that educational standards begin to meet and exceed those in other states. We know that no amount of high stakes testing will make up for a severe lack of funding and support that our schools receive. It is time that the state’s government addresses the lack of funding for education in our state in a real way.