Joining the March 4 Start the Day
for Students protests has taken on a new urgency since I first wrote to
you about the importance of joining this statewide day of action to
protest budget cuts to public education and other essential services.
That's because the governor is not
only proposing to cut an additional $2.5 billion from public education
in his 2010-11 budget plan, he is also trying to renege on the budget
agreement and constitutional statute he signed last year to repay
schools $11.2 billion that they were shortchanged. This is on top of
the $17 billion that schools were cut over the last two years. The
governor's new broken promise to public education is egregious.
On March 4 we must take action and
tell lawmakers no more cuts to schools, colleges and other essential
services. We are also calling on lawmakers to repeal the corporate tax
breaks they handed out to large corporations and oil companies last
year. CTA has activated the legislative hotline so members and parents
can call toll-free. That number is 1-888-268-4334. We also encourage
you to collect signatures that day for the Repeal Corporate Tax Loopholes initiative that is now being circulated for the November ballot.
You already received the first
packet of materials designed to help you engage your members, parents
and the community. This e-mail contains the following additional
materials to help you before and on March 4.
- Community Flyer to Promote March 4
- Customizable Local Budget Cuts Flyer
- Parent Flyer for use on March 4 (this will soon be available in additional languages)
- CTA Legal Advisory for March 4 Events (attached)
- Association of California School Administrators Letter of Support (attached)
- List of Slogans
Most of these documents are available for download in the 'Resources' section of www.standupforschools.org. (Important Note: The toll-free hotline included in these materials is not operational yet. It will be by the end of the week.) CTA
has also launched a statewide radio advertising campaign about the
impact of the state budget cuts on schools and colleges, encouraging
everyone to join in on March 4.
David A. Sanchez
CTA President