Rally touts schools
Author: Monica Rodriguez , Staff Writer
POMONA - More than 200 teachers, parents, students and administrators gathered in front of the school district Education Center on Tuesday afternoon to rally in support of education.
The rally was one of several held around the state in which participants wore red to show their support for education and called on California legislators to invest in schools.
People at the Pomona Unified School District rally carried signs that read, "Cuts Hurt Kids."
Others held signs that said, "Let Voters Decide." The signs referred to Gov. Jerry Brown's proposal to place a measure on the June ballot to extend the life of some taxes. The money from extending the taxes would go to education and avoid billions of dollars in additional education cuts.
The rally was one of several held around the state in which participants wore red to show their support for education and called on California legislators to invest in schools.
People at the Pomona Unified School District rally carried signs that read, "Cuts Hurt Kids."
Others held signs that said, "Let Voters Decide." The signs referred to Gov. Jerry Brown's proposal to place a measure on the June ballot to extend the life of some taxes. The money from extending the taxes would go to education and avoid billions of dollars in additional education cuts.
So far, Brown has not secured enough Republican support to place the tax measure on the ballot.
Alex Ramsey, 25, of Rancho Cucamonga was among those at the Pomona rally.
Ramsey, a student in Pomona Unified's Adult Education barber program, said had never attended such an event.
He said he chose to attend because he is worried about the educational opportunities that could be lost as a result of budget cuts.
"Things are just getting out of hand," he said.
If the barber courses are cut, Ramsey said he will find somewhere else to continue his training, but that may not be so easy for others.
"It's not really about me. It's about the people who are going to be in my position later that need to better their life," he said.
Raul Cos of Pomona has three children who graduated from Pomona Unified schools and has a fourth who is a senior at Pomona High.
Cos said he's concerned about the cuts and the impact they will have on future generations of students.
"We're going to have chaos," he said in Spanish. "We're going to have more vandalism, more crime and more illiteracy."
Tuesday was a significant day for educators.
March 15 is the deadline for school districts to notify teachers, counselors and other certificated employees that they may not have jobs after the end of the current academic year.
The deadline to issue final layoff notices is May 15.
In California, preliminary layoff notices have been issued to almost 500 school employees in San Francisco, 540 in Oakland, nearly 900 in San Diego, and about 5,000 in Los Angeles, according to the California Teachers Association.
Pomona Unified issued about 270 last month.
Alida Magallon, a teacher in the district's child development program, was among those who received a preliminary layoff notice.
The work she and other teachers like her perform is valuable, she said.
She works with parents and children ages 3 and under.
"Those are the formative years," Magallon said. "If we can invest now, we'll save later."
The savings will come from having successful students who graduate from high school and go on to become productive members of society, she said.
Superintendent Richard Martinez said after the rally that education and students must be a priority for state legislators.
Education "is the investment in the future, and it's not being seen as a priority," Martinez said.
Martinez said he realizes dollars are scarce.
"We know there is less money. But it's about shifting priorities," he said.
Martinez and others said voters have to be given a chance to decide if they wish to support a tax extension.
Educator Hank Mollet, a parent and past Pomona Unified school board candidate, encouraged rally participants to call their representatives in Sacramento to urge them to put the tax measures on the ballot.
Legislators should "put (the measures) on the ballot and stop playing political games where children are the losers," Mollet said.
The Associated Press contributed to this report. Photo Gallery: Rally in Pomona
Layoff notices
A list of Inland Valley school districts and the number of preliminary layoff notices they will send out to their certificated staff appears below.
Districts had until Tuesday to send out the notices informing teachers, counselors, nurses and other certificated personnel that they may not have a job come the 2011-12 school year.
Alta Loma - 18
Bonita Unified - 0
Central - 5
Chaffey Joint Union High - 0
Chino Valley Unified - 98
Claremont Unified - 0
Cucamonga - 8
Etiwanda - 0
Fontana Unified - 119
Ontario-Montclair - 86
Pomona Unified - 270
Mountain View - 7
Mount Baldy - 1
Upland Unified - 22
Total: 634
- Canan Tasci
Alex Ramsey, 25, of Rancho Cucamonga was among those at the Pomona rally.
Ramsey, a student in Pomona Unified's Adult Education barber program, said had never attended such an event.
He said he chose to attend because he is worried about the educational opportunities that could be lost as a result of budget cuts.
"Things are just getting out of hand," he said.
If the barber courses are cut, Ramsey said he will find somewhere else to continue his training, but that may not be so easy for others.
"It's not really about me. It's about the people who are going to be in my position later that need to better their life," he said.
Raul Cos of Pomona has three children who graduated from Pomona Unified schools and has a fourth who is a senior at Pomona High.
Cos said he's concerned about the cuts and the impact they will have on future generations of students.
"We're going to have chaos," he said in Spanish. "We're going to have more vandalism, more crime and more illiteracy."
Tuesday was a significant day for educators.
March 15 is the deadline for school districts to notify teachers, counselors and other certificated employees that they may not have jobs after the end of the current academic year.
The deadline to issue final layoff notices is May 15.
In California, preliminary layoff notices have been issued to almost 500 school employees in San Francisco, 540 in Oakland, nearly 900 in San Diego, and about 5,000 in Los Angeles, according to the California Teachers Association.
Pomona Unified issued about 270 last month.
Alida Magallon, a teacher in the district's child development program, was among those who received a preliminary layoff notice.
The work she and other teachers like her perform is valuable, she said.
She works with parents and children ages 3 and under.
"Those are the formative years," Magallon said. "If we can invest now, we'll save later."
The savings will come from having successful students who graduate from high school and go on to become productive members of society, she said.
Superintendent Richard Martinez said after the rally that education and students must be a priority for state legislators.
Education "is the investment in the future, and it's not being seen as a priority," Martinez said.
Martinez said he realizes dollars are scarce.
"We know there is less money. But it's about shifting priorities," he said.
Martinez and others said voters have to be given a chance to decide if they wish to support a tax extension.
Educator Hank Mollet, a parent and past Pomona Unified school board candidate, encouraged rally participants to call their representatives in Sacramento to urge them to put the tax measures on the ballot.
Legislators should "put (the measures) on the ballot and stop playing political games where children are the losers," Mollet said.
The Associated Press contributed to this report. Photo Gallery: Rally in Pomona
Layoff notices
A list of Inland Valley school districts and the number of preliminary layoff notices they will send out to their certificated staff appears below.
Districts had until Tuesday to send out the notices informing teachers, counselors, nurses and other certificated personnel that they may not have a job come the 2011-12 school year.
Alta Loma - 18
Bonita Unified - 0
Central - 5
Chaffey Joint Union High - 0
Chino Valley Unified - 98
Claremont Unified - 0
Cucamonga - 8
Etiwanda - 0
Fontana Unified - 119
Ontario-Montclair - 86
Pomona Unified - 270
Mountain View - 7
Mount Baldy - 1
Upland Unified - 22
Total: 634
- Canan Tasci
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