By Khalida Sarwari
In response to the increasing state budget crisis, a coalition of teachers, parents and students in San Francisco will unveil a “holiday wish list” for Bay Area schools in San Francisco on Monday.
The wish list, which essentially includes basic resources that students need to learn, is intended to serve as a reminder to legislators that if the budget cuts do not cease, K-12 schools could be facing as much as $7.2 billion in proposed cuts at the midyear point.
The Education Coalition, which represents more than 1.7 million parents, school employees and administrators, teachers, and school board members, warns that the cuts would be equivalent to a loss of $1,200 per student and more than $1 billion to all public schools in the Bay Area.
The proposed cuts could also mean potential layoffs for teachers, custodians, food service workers and others members of the education community. The state’s overcrowded classrooms could worsen further and music, arts and technical education programs at risk of getting cut.
The unveiling of the wish list will take place at a news conference at Lowell High School. Featured speakers will include Carlos Garcia, San Francisco Unified superintendent, Dennis Kelly, United Educators of San Francisco president and Jill Wynns, San Francisco school board member.
