The Association of Raza Educators along with other teacher organizations have planned a state-wide Caravan to rally against the Education Budget Cuts.  The Caravan will begin in San Diego with a press conference at 3:30 on Thursday May 8th at Chicano Park. We will be joining other educators from Los Angeles who will be holding their own Press Conference in front of the Mayors office in Los Angeles.  

The “Teachers 4 Social Justice” organization will be holding another press conference at the steps of City Hall in San Francisco on Friday, May 9th at 11:00 am.  This is where educators from southern California will join other teachers, students, and parents from the Bay area in solidarity against the proposed cuts in education.

Our last stop will conclude with a teacher Rally in Sacramento (location to be announced) at 3:00 pm Friday, May 9th.  You are invited to support teachers, students, parents and community members against the budget cuts here in San Diego and throughout the state.  We will be there, and we hope you are there with us to take a stand for public education.

Schedule as of April 29, 2008

Press Conference in San Diego @ Chicano Park 3:30pm

Thursday May 8th, 2008
Caravan leaves at 4:00pm
Contact: info@associationofrazaeducators.org

Protest @ Governor's Office in Los Angeles 
300 S. Spring Street, Los Angeles, CA 
Thursday May 8, 2008 
5:00pm  Caravan leaves at 6:00pm
Contact: (626) 617-0401 or razaeducators@aol.com 
 

Rally on the Steps of City Hall in San Franciso
McAllister and Polk Streets, San Francisco
Friday May 9th 10:30 am
Caravan departs for Sacramento @11:45am
Contact: teachers4socialjustice@yahoo.com or visit www.t4sj.org

Teacher Demonstration/Press Conference
Caravan concludes in Sacramento 95814

May 5, 2008

IMMEDIATE PRESS RELEASE

TEACHER CARAVAN FROM

SAN DIEGO TO SACRAMENTO:

QUALITY EDUCATION FOR ALL CHILDREN

On May 8, 2008, members of the Association of Raza Educators (A.R.E.) will lead a protest caravan to Sacramento, California. Teachers will meet in Chicano Park (San Diego, CA) at 3:30pm and the caravan will leave at 4:00pm. Teachers in Los Angeles will also meet at the Governor's office in Downtown LA at 5:00pm. Other caravans will leave Oxnard, the three caravans will then converge in downtown San Francisco where they will unite with Bay Area teachers for a press conference that begins at 10:30am, on Friday May 9th. The caravans, part of a statewide effort, will continue to Sacramento, where there will be a massive teacher rally on the grounds of the State Capitol Building (area #22 adjacent to the fish pond) at 3:00 pm.

The purpose of the A.R.E. Caravan will be to express to all government and public school officials our indignation and opposition to the current massive cut backs facing the public schools. Through the caravan, A.R.E. hopes to inform our communities that Mexican-Latino educators are united in their opposition to the cutbacks in both school funding and the elimination of courses that truly work towards educating children. We also intend to expose the hypocrisy of government officials who publicly “desire” to improve test scores yet vote to deny the funding necessary to provide a quality education for all students.

Above all, the proposed cutbacks will more dramatically impact and deny children of poor and working class communities their right to a quality education. It is no secret that the cut backs will specifically hurt Mexican-Latino and African American children who historically have been neglected by racist policies and government officials. It’s a shame that the government can cut funding for education, yet increase spending on the state prison system.

A.R.E. will not stand idly by, while our children’s future is being destroyed. The caravan will be just one of many acts of resistance on our part to the on-going attacks on public education and the teaching

profession.

San Diego Contact Information:

Eduardo Enrique Ochoa via e-mail kikiochoa@sbcglobal.net or by phone (619) 252-7891 for more information regarding the San Diego Press Conference.*

Los Angeles Contact Information:

Miguel Zavala via e-mail mzavala@ucla.edu or by phone (626) 617-0401 regarding the Los Angeles Press Conference.

Bay Area Contact Information:

Karen Zapata via e-mail karen_zapata@yahoo.com or by phone(415) 516-0338for more info regarding the San Francisco Press Conference

*Please Contact Eduardo Enrique Ochoa regarding the Sacramento Teacher Rally Raza Educators for Critical Consciousness and Democratic Schooling

P.O. Box 740337, San Diego, CA 92114, info@associationofrazaeducators.org, www.associationofrazaeducators.org