Saddleback Valley Turns Out to Protest School Budget Cuts

As we left home last night to run a couple of errands we ran into big-time traffic. The streets near our house aren't usually that busy unless there's some sort of problem on the freeway, but the freeway was running smooth. As we headed south down the freeway we found the problem as we passed the Mission Viejo High School football stadium - it was packed thanks to a protest against the state's proposed school budget cuts.

We lead a pretty quiet life here in Southern Orange County and we don't see a lot of political protests, but this was a big one:

MISSION VIEJO – More than 4,000 teachers, parents and students packed the stands of Mission Viejo High School's outdoor stadium Tuesday night to rally against Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's proposed $4 billion cut to K-12 public education.

In front of a standing-room-only crowd holding handmade signs and balloons, student and faculty speakers spoke out against the $19.3 million cut that Saddleback Valley Unified schools plan to make next fall and stressed how important it was to let the governor and state lawmakers know the cuts were unacceptable.

"You know, I think if you all cheer together, the governor might just hear you," said Saddleback Valley Unified Superintendent Steve Fish, who has been vocal in his opposition to the governor's proposed education cuts.

The scene resembled a high school pep rally, complete with performances by the Mission Viejo High drumline and hundreds of cheerleaders from Saddleback high schools leading the crowd in a "No budget cuts" chant.

Under a scenario proposed by Schwarzenegger to balance next year's state budget, the 34,000-student South County school district would have to eliminate 228 tenured and temporary teachers, get rid of the high school-level International Baccalaureate program and cut elementary school vocal music classes.

The district also would boost class sizes in grades one through three to about 30 students from 20, although half the day would still be spent in classes of 20 for math and reading/language arts.

"You are certainly living up to your Hollywood image as the Terminator," said Julie Attis, a social science teacher at Lake Forest's El Toro High School, addressing the governor as she spoke at the rally. "… The new enemy is the California voter."

The Saddleback Valley Unified School District supported the high school students in planning the rally, but did not fund it, said Laura Ott, assistant to the superintendent. Major co-sponsors included the Saddleback Valley Educators Association teachers union and the Orange County Teachers Federal Credit Union.

One of my son's favorite band teachers may be let go should the budget go through as current proposed, and that would really impact his senior year. The music program at Mission Viejo High School is second to none and it would be a real travesty if it was gutted by these budget cuts.

I've written before about my concerns about the music program in our school district and how it always seems to be the first thing cut. The district has spent millions in the past couple of years renovating football stadiums with expensive artificial turf fields, but the music program always seems to be last on the list.

You can read my thoughts about the importance of the music programs here, and how music has played such an important part in the lives of our kids.