by My-Thuan Tran | LA Times LA Now blog
May 28, 2010 | 10:13 am -- Paula Kahn, a junior at Cleveland High School in Reseda, could have gone to the beach or the mall Friday.
Classes had been canceled due to a furlough day. Instead, Kahn decided to head to school -- to join a “walk in” to protest against Los Angeles Unified School District budget cuts. Kahn joined about 50 students, parents and teachers Friday morning.
They held signs that said “Invest in your future by investing on ours,” and “To earn we need to learn” and walked around the perimeter of the campus.
“It does sound tempting to really relax and take the day off, but I can’t take a day off knowing it’s going to affect my future,” said Kahn, 16. “We’re protesting the fact that it’s gotten to the point that we have to be cutting back on our education. The priorities of spending in California are very wrong.”
In April, the LAUSD decided to shorten the school calendar this year and next. The move could save the district up to $140 million and save the jobs of about 2,100 employees and maintain class sizes.
Under the agreement, teachers would take an unpaid day off the Friday before Memorial Day and schools would close four days earlier for summer vacation.
Seven additional instructional days would be cut from the 2010-11 academic year. The school district is facing a budget deficit of up to $640 million.
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