Fast 4 Education Update: Fast Enters 4th Week

Wednesday June 2, 2004

Three members of Fast4Education are currently in the forth week of a hunger strike for education. Fast4Education is a grassroots civil and human rights movement committed to ending inequity in public education. We believe every person has the fundamental human right to a quality education. Fast4Education will use any peaceful means necessary to bring attention to the issue of educational inequality and to make equitable education a reality. It is a moral outrage that in today's world, the quality of a child's education is based on ethnicity and wealth.

Fifty years after Brown v. Board of Education, the time is far overdue for equal access to public education in California. Inner-city schools are still separate and still unequal. We can no longer allow generations of children to grow up without a realistic chance to break away from the cycle of poverty. Children are dying in the streets every day because of the lack of opportunities afforded to them. The three fasters, Jessica Vasquez, Israel Haros, and Cesar Cruz, along with the six other original fasters and their supporters, believe that equal education for all children is a moral imperative. The time for action in education is now.

The United States was founded on the principal that every person, regardless of his or her background, deserves the opportunity to succeed. Education is supposed to be one of society‚s great equalizers. The reality of our educational system, however, is that most people of color and the economically disadvantaged do not have an opportunity to succeed in the classroom. Inner-city schools are overcrowded and under-funded. Poor communities do not have the financial resources necessary to overcome the inadequate education the State provides.

Fast4Education makes the following demands:

¨ That the State of California provide equity in education funding. The formula for funding schools must account for the socioeconomic levels of the students. A responsible and fair educational system across the state is not possible without equitable funding. Settling the Williams case and signing SB 1419 to create the Opportunity to Learn Bill are the first steps in creating a funding formula that will provide all students equal access to trained teachers, safe and healthy schools, adequate textbooks and instructional materials, and college prep courses.

¨ That voter-approved Proposition 98 be fully funded. The will of the people of California must be honored. K-14 education in poorer districts should not suffer because of the current economic situation. Even though the current budget deal increases the educational budget almost 3%, many districts need the full amount guaranteed by Proposition 98 to maintain their current level of instruction and support staff such as librarians, counselors, and athletic teams. The state should make the loan payments for districts controlled by the state until Proposition 98 is fully funded.

¨ That the West Contra Costa Unified School District debt be eliminated. The California Supreme Court ruled in the 1976 Serrano case that it is the sole responsibility of the state to educate children. As such, it is unethical for the state to require school districts to repay money to the state in times of economic crisis. At a minimum, the WCCUSD debt must be refinanced and the state must pay down the principle and the interest of the loan.

Fast4Education has received a growing amount of support from members of the California State Government, including Lt. Governor Cruz Bustamante, State Superintendent of Public Education Jack O'Connell, State Senator Jackie Spier, State Senator Tom Torlakson, Speaker of the Assembly Asm. Fabian Nunez, Assembly Floor Leader Asm. Dario J. Frommer, Chair of the Assembly Budget Committee Asm. Darrell Steinberg, Chair of the Assembly Education Committee Asm. Jackie Goldberg, Chair of the Latino Legislative Caucus Asm. Marco Antonio Firebaugh; Chair of the Assembly Public Safety Committee, Asm. Mark Leno. Assemblymember and former Lt. Governor Mervyn Dymally, Assemblymember Nicole Parra, and Assemblymember Loni Hancock.

We call on the people of California to help us make equal education a reality for all children in our state. The Governor and the Legislature must work with us to end the fast and pass legislation that effects real change in the way California schools are funded. We all agree that public schools in our state need to be fixed. Equity in education funding is the necessary step California must take to ensure that future generations of children grow up with the opportunity to fulfill their potential and become productive members of society.

The fast camp site is located on the lawn at the South Steps of the Capitol (11th and N Streets) The fasters are there from 10 am to 6 pm daily. There is a public rally at the South Steps on Thursday, June 3rd from 12 pm to 2 pm. A nightly vigil is held at the West Side of the Capitol (Capitol and 10th Streets) at 6:30 pm. Please come show your support for the fasters and help bring a future of hope to the children of California.

Sincerely,
Michael McDonald