San Mateo county parents, teachers and students joined together to protest the proposed budget cuts to public education. In San Bruno, hundreds lined up along El Camino Real with handmade signs and heartfelt cheers in an effort to let California legislators know that further cuts to public education would not be acceptable.
After the protest, the crowd gathered at Sister Cities plaza next to San Bruno City Hall to hear a presentation that included local students, San Bruno Mayor Jim Ruane, State Assemblyman Jerry Hill and representatives for State Senator Leland Yee.
The message: today’s rallies are only the first step in protecting education. Jerry Hill, California assemblyman representing the 19th district, spoke directly to the crowd urging them to continue the fight to Capitol Hill in Sacramento. Dan Lieberman, Representing State Senator Yee, seconded the notion that the public must continue to push California legislators to stop education funding cuts. “Education will lead California back out of this economic slump and back into the good days,” said to Mr. Lieberman.
San Bruno, home to the San Bruno Park School District, stands to lose 22 teachers if the budget cuts go into effect. With no districts hiring, these teachers have little hope of finding other positions within the state. The cuts will result in larger classroom sizes and reduced services.
A video of the presentation can be found HERE.
Thank you for posting the speeches and the information! I am in Sacramento right now speaking to representatives about our district. Hopefully we will get some movement on this topic!