photo courtesy PNS/Matt Hardy/California Federation of Teachers
Several hundred protesters marched to the Capitol building in Sacramento on Tuesday, calling for better funding for education.
The event was part of a nationwide day of action sponsored by the American Federation of Teachers.
Stephanie Luna, an East Los Angeles Community College student, said she supports Assembly Bill 537, which would allow two years of free community college tuition for part-time students. Right now, the College Promise program is only open to people who take a full course load.
What they marched for
“We know that the majority of California community college students are part-time,” Luna pointed out. “For the students that have to work or they have to take care of family, they’re also deserving of access to a higher education the same way that full-time students are.”
Speakers are also asking for full funding for higher education in the next state budget, which is currently being negotiated. And with the state and federal budgets in flux, Republicans in Congress are proposing huge cuts to Medicaid. The Trump administration is threatening to pull federal funding from schools using race as a factor in policy or programming.
James McKeever, president of the American Federation of Teachers 1521 Faculty Guild in Los Angeles and professor of sociology at Pierce College, a community college in the San Fernando Valley, says courses touching on diversity, equity, and inclusion are important to a well-rounded education.
“We’re really trying to just show that we’re teaching an accurate, diverse history,” McKeever explains. “Too often, our history books have left out the accomplishments of women, of people of color and queer people. And we want to make sure that those people get remembered and recognized.”
Speakers at the march also call on lawmakers to fend off tuition increases and prioritize fair compensation and equitable working conditions for campus employees.
