“Wake Up California!” May 24, 2011
A statewide, multi-city day of action supporting K-12 public education
The Event: “Wake Up California!”
Parents like you are coordinating a statewide, multi-city day of action to increase awareness of the crisis facing California public schools.
The Details: Tuesday, May 24, 2011, all across California
Dozens of rallies across the state will happen throughout the day; coordinated by Educate Our State and parent leaders. The press will be invited to document this event—see yourself on TV!
SAN DIEGO RALLY
Balboa Park – Park Avenue & Presidents Way
Tuesday, May 24 at 4:30 pm
Bring signs and a picnic dinner for your family
Student entertainment and speakers
**Don’t miss the flash mob dance by Eveoke!**
Please RSVP here http://new.evite.com/services/links/SAX2V2RUJR
The Message: Support our public schools
“Wake Up California!” is demonstrating the statewide unified parent and community voice supporting public education. Public education is an investment in the future of our children and the state of California and cannot be sacrificed.
The Budget Background: Gov. Brown’s proposed budget has not “spared” K-12 Public Education funding
The Governor’s January budget proposed the same cuts to education as this year but was dependent on a temporary tax extension that is set to expire July 1, 2011. California is already near the bottom in per pupil spending. And without some other savings or source of revenue, education could face an additional $5 billion in cuts. Funding for education is currently at a stalemate in the legislature due to partisan politics,
but who really loses in this political game? Children in schools.
After the Governor’s May announcement next week, the state budget work really starts. Since education funding has absorbed 60% of the state budget cuts to date, funding for education is going to be a key part of the debate, and Sacramento needs to hear loud and clear that parents and the communities are demanding NO MORE CUTS TO K-12 EDUCATION.
What can you do?
· Respond to the Evite at http://new.evite.com/services/links/SAX2V2RUJR to tell us that you will attend the rally.
· Help to "Wake Up" parents at your school (or a nearby school) for 20 minutes on the morning of May 24th. During morning drop off, we would like 3-4 parents at each school around San Diego to hand out flyers along with cups of coffee in keeping with the theme “WAKE UP CALIFORNIA” (really about 20 minutes worth of work…we’ll supply the flyers and hopefully the coffee). The flyer will explain the dire situation CA public education is in due to budget cuts, explain what parents can do, AND advertise the rally in Balboa Park. Sign you and your school up here - https://docs.google.com/document/d/1vTecJ4XNcc8cHpexH9KmVovyrQ3cGUrJIRSm3e-nHsY/edit?hl=en&authkey=CIe7_MIP
· Bring friends to the rally, tell your friends about it, send this message to your friends, and/or get some friends to hand out flyers at their schools.
· Contact your legislators and the Governor and tell them education is important to you! Educate Our State will send an email to your legislators automatically. Just go to http://www.congressweb.com/cweb2/index.cfm/siteid/educateourstate, put in your zip code, use their prewritten letter or
compose your own, and press send.
Can't attend the rally in person?
Join the "Wake Up California" Virtual Rally at
http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/wakeupcalifornia/
If we parents don’t stand up for our kids education, who will? Please take the time and make the effort.
