Westview students, teachers to protest education cuts

By SHAYNA CHABNER - Staff Writer | Tuesday, March 25, 2008 6:57 PM PDT ∞

RANCHO PENASQUITOS ---- Westview High School teachers, students and parents will take to the street Thursday and Saturday to protest $4.4 billion in proposed state education cuts that could result in the loss of 44 of school's teachers.

Students and staff organized the demonstrations to persuade the state to lessen the cuts to education in the next fiscal year, which begins July 1.

Officials in the Poway Unified School District say they expect to lose nearly $15.5 million from next year's budget if cuts are carried through. They have proposed laying off 185 teachers, increasing class sizes and eliminating programs to reduce spending.

Forty-four of Westview's 100 teachers received layoff notices this month.

"We want people to realize the devastating impact that these proposed cuts will have on education," said Joann Peterson, a social science teacher at Westview. "It's not just about a teacher's job, it's about the quality of public education in California."

Peterson will be joined by dozens of students and teachers in a picket rally between 7 a.m and 8:05 a.m. Thursday outside Westview. Participants will also hand out fliers on the proposed budget cuts.

A student-organized 12K walk Saturday is expected to draw hundreds of high school students from Westview and surrounding schools in a peaceful protest that will wend through Rancho Penasquitos.

The 12K for K-12 March and Rally will run from 8:05 a.m. to 3:10 p.m. to coincide with the time students spend in school each day. It will culminate with a rally at 12:30 p.m. at Westview, 13500 Camino Del Sur, with speakers, performances by student groups and testimonials. Information is available at the group's Web site, www.12K4k12.naffiss.com.

Contact staff writer Shayna Chabner at (760) 740-5416 or schabner@nctimes.com. Comment at nctimes.com.

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Pre-Registration Comments[-]Go to Top

Sorry we the tax payers wrote on Mar 26, 2008 6:44 AM:can't afford paying for illegals and our childrens education, pick one.

Juliette wrote on Mar 31, 2008 3:50 PM:I was part of that protest! 7.5 miles! It was really amazing!
Thanks for writing this!

stephanie wrote on Mar 31, 2008 8:16 PM:This cause is a great one. If people think that California is in trouble now, what about 20 years from now when these teens turn into adults who have had 2nd rate educations. What we do now has an affect on our future.

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