LAKEPORT ? Honks of support could be heard as more than 100 students, educators and parents lined the four corners at the intersection of Main and Third streets on Friday in Lakeport.
They waved pink signs and wore pink clothing to protest state budget cuts that have already brought termination notices to teachers and other school employees in the Lakeport Unified School District. The protesters joined a California Teachers Association (CTA) statewide effort to raise awareness about the impacts of the state”s $11.6 billion in education cuts.
“That”s almost $50,000 per classroom in the state of California. It”s the equivalent of laying off 156,000 teachers, or laying off 290,000 custodians, bus drivers and other classified employees. It”s the equivalent of closing school for 40 days. It”s unacceptable, and we need to stand up for schools,” Larry Allen of the Lake County chapter of the California Teachers Association Allen said.
The 4 p.m. rally was planned in front of the Lake County Courthouse on what was called “Pink Friday” because it was the deadline for termination notices, or “pink slips,” to be sent to teachers who are being cut from next school year”s payroll.
Chants of “No more pink slips,” and “Honk if you care about education,” were shouted as students, educators and parents waved signs. Speakers included Lake County Superintendent of Schools Dave Geck, Lakeport Unified School District board member Bob Weiss and Terrace Middle School students Shao-Jia Chang and Alice Crockett, among others.
Lakeport Elementary School kindergarten teacher Martin McClure is one of 17 people in the Lakeport Unified School District who will not be back next school year because of the cuts. He lives in Lake County but taught out of county until the beginning of the last school year, when he decided to end his commute.
“I wanted to teach here ? where I live. We didn”t know that basically they were going to try and balance the state budget on the backs of the education system,” McClure said.
Terrace Middle School counselor Erika Gonzales also received a termination notice. She said as a single mom, she”s keeping her options open and hoping for the best.
Contact Tiffany Revelle at trevelle@record-bee.com, or call her directly at 263-5636, ext. 37.
