May 8 Media Advisory

Education Not Incarceration
A coalition of teachers, students, parents and concerned community members
c/o Critical Resistance
1904 Franklin Street, Suite 504
Oakland, CA 94612
(510) 444-0484
ed_not_inc [at] earthlink.net
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE For more information:
April 30, 2003 Alice do Valle, Justice Now, 510-839-7654 ext. 4#
Jonah Zern, East Bay Educators Justice Network, 510-654-8613
Rose Braz, Critical Resistance, 510-444-0484
http://www.may8.org/pressroom.html

May 8th Capitol Rally to Draw Thousands Advocating for Education Funding Over Prison Spending

Assemblymember Jackie Goldberg, Delores Huerta to Speak; Mobilization Gathering Momentum with Over 70 Endorsers Including Rep. Barbara Lee, SF Board of Education, SF Board of Supervisors and Oakland City Council

WHAT: State Capitol Rally
WHEN: Thursday, May 8, 2003 – 12 Noon
WHERE: North Side, State Capitol Building, Sacramento

In the midst of California’s budget crisis, teachers, students, parents and concerned community members will rally on May 8th, the “Day of the Teacher”, against the Governor’s proposal to cut millions of dollars from education while increasing the state's prison budget. Students, teachers and parents will visit lawmakers to offer ways to save the jobs of thousands of pink-slipped teachers and improve school funding by reducing state spending on prisons.

“It speaks very poorly of how we choose to invest in the future when the only area of state spending slated for an increase is prison spending,” said Wayne Au, a teacher at Berkeley High School and a member of the Education Not Incarceration Coalition. “While 30,000 California teachers have already received lay-off notices, prison guards await a 7% raise,” he continued.

Support for the rally is pouring in from educators and elected officials. Assemblymember Jackie Goldberg, chair of the Assembly’s Committee on Education, and Delores Huerta are confirmed to speak at the rally. Congresswoman Barbara Lee is among rally endorsers. On unanimous votes, the San Francisco Board of Education, the San Francisco Board of Supervisors and the Oakland City Council passed resolution endorsing the rally.

Bay Area educational leaders also have signed-on to a letter in support of teachers using the day as a field trip and providing curriculum for their classes. Among educators who have signed the letter of support are: Alameda County Superintendent of Schools Sheila Jordan; Oakland School Board President Greg Hodge, and Vice President of the Berkeley School Board John Selawsky.

Education Not Incarceration is a coalition of teachers, parents, students and concerned community members who are outraged by the current cuts in education funding while prison spending rises. For more information and a full list of endorsers, go to http://www.may8.org

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