Dozens of parents and students braved the rain and chilly Thursday morning temperatures for a rally outside in opposition to education cuts in the state budget.
The group participated in a statewide "This Budget Blows" event in which parents and students blew bubbles and handed out flyers in protest to Gov. Jerry Brown’s plans to link education funding to the success of a series of tax measures that will be on the ballot in November.
"I am so proud of our community at Old Mill School," Murphy said. "The turnout in this weather shows how much people care."
Educate Our State was founded in 2009 by a group of San Francisco moms. In 2011, they organized a number of events and campaigns to raise awareness about the impact of the state budget crisis on public education.
Murphy noted that Brown’s proposed budget is dependent upon an initiative passing nearly two months after the 2012-2013 school year begins. With school districts going into the next school year with daunting budget deficits, massive cuts could be on the way, she said.
In Mill Valley, district officials have been in negotiations with its teachers and employee unions for the past four months over potential reductions, but nothing specific has been announced yet in terms of potential layoffs. In updating the school board on the district's , Superintendent Paul Johnson said Wednesday night that the district plans to add as many as 12 new teacher positions next year to accommodate continued enrollment growth.
For more info on Educate Our State, go to its website, its Facebook page or follow them on Twitter at #thisbudgetblows.
