Millbrae Parents, Students Rally Against Classroom Cutbacks
Millbrae PTA Council and Educate Our State bring attention to how state budget deficit could jeopardize schools.
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Lining the corners of Millbrae Avenue with bright signs like “Cuts Hurt Kids” and “Fight For Our Schools” about 100 parents, students and teachers on Tuesday protested additional state budget cutbacks to the Millbrae School District.
“We want the community to know that the schools are at their wits end,” said Judy Louie, a fourth and fifth grade teacher at Green Hills Elementary School, while holding a rally sign at the intersection of El Camino Real and Millbrae Avenue.
Louie said K-3 classroom sizes have increased from 20 students to 30 students and that there is no longer a P.E. teacher, so she has to teach P.E., losing valuable prep time.
But since the state has a $10 billion budget deficit and Gov. Jerry Brown is counting on voter approval of extending taxes to make up much of the deficit, California schools could see deeper cuts next school year.
“Without the tax extensions, I can’t even fathom how bad it will be,” Louie said.
The Millbrae PTA Council and statewide campaign Educate Our State organized the rally to “Wake Up California” to the schools budget predicament. Rallies occurred in 20 other sites across the state.
“We have had far too many cuts already,” said Patty Koel, president of the Millbrae PTA Council.
District officials have proposed closing an elementary school and laying off more teachers and staff to offset a projected $2.4 million budget deficit in the 2012-2013 fiscal year. This hole could grow to an additional $780,000 if state voters don’t approve tax extensions.
The state budget remains in flux. Last week Brown released a revised budget that calls for $3 billion in additional funds for education. But the state legislature still hasn’t passed the budget and Brown has yet to win approval to put the tax extensions before voters.
Taylor Middle School students Cambria Warfield, Maggie Dennehy, and Clara Althaus said that due to teacher layoffs they have lost some of their best educators.
The students added that they are against a proposal to shorten the school year by 20 days to save money. The Millbrae School District shortened its year by five days this year.
Green Hill School’s Running Club ran up and down Millbrae Avenue waving their signs and chanting slogans like “No More Cuts!”
Marie Althaus, a fifth grader at Green Hills, said she really values her education and doesn’t want to see it jeopardized by the budget. “I don’t want to see anymore of the teachers lost because they help us learn,” she said.
Sharyl Weinshilboum
7:23 am on Wednesday, May 25, 2011
Millbrae community must do something locally to help our elementary schools make it through this state budget crisis. The kids cannot wait for the state to come through. The only way we can afford to pay our teachers is to make emergency donations to the Millbrae Education Foundation before May 31st to save classroom aides for the next school year. Please help. I have three children in Millbrae schools, and every year they have lost more and more services from their schools. What teachers in Millbrae have been asked to do in the past few years is unfair. The district has been forced to take away classroom aides, increase class size for the youngest students from 20 to 30 kids in a classroom. They took away librarians, P.E. teachers, janitorial staff and much more. Don't be fooled by the construction taking place at the elementary schools this summer. That is paid by a bond the voters passed two years ago, and that money can ONLY be used to make much needed repairs to the school buildings. Soon we will have beautiful school buildings with empty classrooms because we can't pay for teachers. WAKE UP MILLBRAE. Education is EVERYBODY'S business, and we can't ignore this crisis any longer.
MillbraeMom
8:40 am on Wednesday, May 25, 2011
Residents of Millbrae, we ARE CALLING YOU!! We are calling you today because our future is at stake. The underfunding of schools is not about whether you have children attending public school or not, it's about our rights as citizens. One of the most basic rights is the right to education. Children today may be going to school, and some are getting a fantastic education. Many are not. And it's NOT because of the teachers. Education in California is LAST ON EVERYONE'S LIST. Why? These children are the leaders of tomorrow! But, if we won't put education first they will not have the tools to succeed in the modern world. Here in Millbrae our students no longer have access to the school library, using technology depends on the teacher and the school, PE is twice a week in many grades and in the most critical years, class sizes have jumped 50%. Do you know that children today are expected to fully read and write in Kindergarten? By working together and supporting schools and education we can effect change. Change in how California schools are funded, and change locally. Consider donating to the Millbrae Education Foundation because these children, our children deserve it. Donations to the MEF will fund teachers, aides and a counselor. Donations are easy, flexible and tax-deductible. Visit MillbraeEducationFoundationl.org to learn more.