Education not Incarceration Forum Saturday, January 31st

Education not Incarceration Coalition (http://www.may8.org) Community Forum :

How Does Schwarzenegger's Proposed Budget Relate to Attacks on Our Schools and Incarceration of Our Youth? Come Learn and Organize a Response!

Saturday, January 31st, 11AM-1PM; Laney College, Student Center

Dear Parents, Educators, Students and Community Members:

School districts across California are being decimated by cuts in education. California spends more money per capita than any other state on prisons. It costs $35,000 per year to incarcerate an inmate, while public education spending is currently $7,000 per student. Class sizes have been significantly increased, teachers, custodians, food workers and support staff have been laid off, class sizes increased, and the purchase of crucial teaching materials has been indefinitely postponed. In Oakland 5 schools are being threatened with closure and tens to hundreds of employees are being laid off, community colleges’ tuitions are increasing and classes are being cancelled, and UC’s outreach programs are being stripped.

The future of our children cannot be postponed. Affirmative action laws are meaningless if children are denied their right to a quality K-12 education. They will be unable to achieve academic success and if and when they do get to college, they probably won't be able to afford the rising tuition costs. The schools-to-prisons pipeline is in full effect in the state of California. California legislators are using our tax dollars to increase spending for prisons and decrease spending for education.

Gov. Schwarzenegger is now pursuing further spending cuts, spending caps and an offensive against the collective bargaining agreements of public employees. The cuts will be across the board and the hardest hit will be in education, health care, public transit, and social services to meet human needs and keep people out of prison. Since our elected officials are not taking a stand against these cuts, WE MUST TAKE A STAND FOR OURSELVES AND OUR COMMUNITIES!

California doesn’t need any more prisons. Our communities need quality schools, well-paid teachers, and a strong network of active parents, community members, and youth. Teachers, parents, and youth organizations must unite to become involved in the Education Not Incarceration movement and speak out for our children’s future.

For this reason, Education Not Incarceration will be holding a Community Forum at Laney College , Student Center, 900 Fallon Street, Oakland on Saturday, January 31st from 11am – 1pm. We invite all members of the community to come out and join us in our effort to organize a multi-sector, state-wide campaign against the proposed cutbacks by the legislature in Sacramento. Please call us at 510.444.0484 with any questions. We look forward to your attendance at this forum and your continued support.

Current Endorsers: Prison Focus, Proyecto Common Touch, Californians for Justice, C-Beyond: Youth Making History, Gray Panthers of the East Bay, Oakland Education Association, Berkeley Bay Area Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta, Inc., Books Not Bars, Ella Baker Center for Human Rights

Planning Meeting: Monday, January 26th, 7-9PM, Neibel Proctor Library, 6501 Telegraph (just north of Alcatraz in North Oakland, near the Ashby BART)

Phone Banking: Tuesday- Thursday, January 27-29th, 6-9PM, Oakland Education Association office, 272 East 12th Street; Please RSVP to Jonah at jzern1 [at] yahoo.com

More Information or to Endorse: Critical Resistance: 510.444.0484, Jonah at jzern1 [at] yahoo.com

Download Flyers at http://www.may8.org

How your organization can participate:

1. Endorse the event
2. Send an outreach e-mail to your members
3. Send a flyer to your members, available at http://www.may8.org/TeachAction/ForumFlyer2.pdf (or go to http://www.may8.org and click on “forum flyer”)
4. Send representatives to the next planning meeting
5. Organize your members to participate in phone-banking (6-9PM on Thursday, January 22nd, or Tuesday- Thursday, January 27th-29th at Californians for Justice, 1611 Telegraph Ave, Suite #317, )



Who to Contact to Commit Your Organization:

Unions: Contact Jerry Fillingim, Legislative Political Director, SEIU 535, jfillingim [at] seiu535.org, 510.893.8766

Parent Organizations: Contact Nneka Simon: paulasimon [at] sbcglobal.net, 510-534-2748

Teacher Organizations: Contact Jonah Zern jzern1 [at] yahoo.com, 510.654.8613

Community College Organizations: Contact Tonika Jones
tjones [at] chabotcollege.edu 510.798.3709

University Organizations: Contact Dawn Williams, UC Graduate Assembly, dawnw [at] uclink.berkeley.edu, 510. 643.0602x2

Everyone Else: Contact Critical Resistance at 510.444.0484, rose [at] criticalresistance.org