Friday, March 18, 2011

STUDENT WALKOUTS PLANNED TO PROTEST LAUSD LAYOFFS

Thousands of employees are slated to receive pink slips.

KTLA News | http://bit.ly/gDt64W

Students protest LAUSD layoffs

Students protest LAUSD layoffs (KTLA-TV / March 18, 2011)

6:49 a.m. PDT, March 18, 2011 - LOS ANGELES (KTLA) -- More than 7,000 Los Angeles Unified School District employees are facing layoffs due to budget cuts, and angry students are planning to stage walkouts at several schools in protest Friday.

At Belvedere Middle School in East L.A., an eighth grade student named Jenny spoke to KTLA early Friday morning about a protest planned for before school.

"This all started when my teacher told us there's a chance she might not be here next year," Jenny said. "We thought, 'Wow, without her, this school will be nothing.'"

Jenny is a member of the school's drum core, and worries that the cuts will mean a loss of music and other arts programs.

Students at Belvedere have already gotten petitions signed and written letters to the district.

They hope Friday's protest will get the word out to the public "that this is very serious," Jenny said.

Protests and walkouts are planned at other LAUSD campuses, including Hamilton High School in East L.A.

Pink slips indicating possible layoffs were sent to 7,300 teachers, counselors, nurses and librarians earlier this month. The district has to notify all employees whose jobs might be cut, but it is unlikely all those who received pink slips will be laid off.

The district is grappling with a $408 million budget deficit for 2011-12

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