Teachers, Parents, Labor Leaders to Fight

For 'Main Street Issues' On Main Street Thursday

Santa Clara 'State Of Emergency' News Conference On State Budget

SANTA CLARA - Silicon Valley teachers, parents and labor leaders will hold a news conference on Main Street here Thursday to dramatize that their urgent demand for state lawmakers to extend some temporary taxes is really about "Main Street priorities" like protecting our schools, public safety and communities from devastating cuts.

With tax deadline day looming on Monday, speakers will also thank the public for paying the taxes that fund our services, but remind them of the consequences of massive cuts if some temporary taxes are not extended. The governor is seeking the tax extensions as part of his balanced approach to ending the state's crisis. Lawmakers have made $12 billion in cuts already, and must extend the taxes to close the remaining $15 billion deficit, said Don Dawson, a teacher in the East Side Union High School District and a member of the California Teachers Association's board of directors.

"Bay Area public schools and cities cannot survive on an all-cuts state budget and still provide the services our students and communities need," Dawson said. "This is a Main Street issue.  That's why teachers are asking the public to support our 'State of Emergency' campaign to pressure lawmakers to act now to even keep the revenues we have."

The details of the new CTA campaign to pressure lawmakers are at www.castateofemergency.com . It includes a May 9-13 statewide mobilization, protest rallies, outreach to parents and legislators, and sit-ins at the State Capitol. California's K-12 schools have been cut by more than $18 billion the past three years, costing 30,000 educators their jobs, and hurting students who are facing soaring class sizes and the elimination of music and art, as well as school library closures and a shorter school year.

·         WHAT:     News conference about state budget crisis hurting Bay Area communities.

·         WHEN:     1:30 p.m. Thursday, April 14.

·         WHERE:   Corner of Main Street and Benton Street, Santa Clara.

·         SPEAKERS:   They include Don Dawson, CTA Board member and San Jose educator; teacher Tracy Pope, president of United Teachers of Santa Clara; teacher Dave Villafana, president of Cupertino Education Association; parent Stephen McMahon, president of the San Jose Teachers Association; and Anna Schlotz, lead organizer for the South Bay AFL-CIO Labor Council.

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The 325,000-member CTA is affiliated with the 3.2 million-member National Education Association.