RELEASE: Hundreds to Gather for Education not Incarceration on Saturday

Please forward widely!

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Wednesday, April 28, 2004

For more information:
Alice do Valle (Spanish/English), Justice Now, 510-839-7654 ext. 4#,
Dara Tom, 510-670-7754

Bay Area Students, Teachers, Parents, Community Members Most Impacted by Cuts to Education and Rising Prison Populations Will Convene to Craft Solutions

Education Not Incarceration Teach-in and Speak Out to Attract Hundreds; Legislators Invited to Hear Solutions as CDC Declares “State of Emergency”

WHAT: Education Not Incarceration Teach-In and Speak-Out
10:00 AM - Welcome & Art/ Sign making
10:30 AM - Teach-in (workshops schedule follows)
12:30 PM - Youth Festival - Performers, Graffiti Art, Spoken Word, Youth Speak
01:30 PM - Speak-Out – Community members share solutions w/ elected officials
WHEN: Saturday, May 1, 2004 – 10 AM to 3 PM
WHERE: Oakland Tech High School, 4351 Broadway @ 42nd and 45th Streets, Oakland, on Bus Route 51, near the Macarthur BART
WHO: Students, parents, teachers, community members, elected officials

OAKLAND, CA – In response to the catastrophic cuts in education funding and rising prison spending, the Education Not Incarceration Coalition is hosting a Teach-in and Speak-out in Oakland on May 1st. Hundreds of students, teachers, parents, community members from across the Bay Area will convene to learn more and craft solutions to local and statewide dilemma -- bankrupt school districts, school closures, the closing of school libraries, cost-prohibitive college fees -- all the while, the prison system expands.

As we approach Teacher Appreciation Week, May 2-8, and community members are struggling to keep their children in school, this Teach-in and Speak-out will provide a space for participants to share their solutions with three-dozen elected officials who have been invited to attend the afternoon speak-out session. The event will also include a youth festival, where youth will present their art, both visual and performing, to share their perspective on the problem and solutions.

The Teach-in and Speak-out has been endorsed by over 55 organizations, including the Oakland Education Association, Oakland American Federation of Teachers and Oakland Parents Together. For more information, please visit http://www.ednotinc.org.
Education Not Incarceration is a coalition of students, teachers, parents and community members who believe that the state budget needs to prioritize education funding, as well as funding for other important social services, over increased spending on prisons.

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