School District Groups Unite for Week of Action

As parents and students arrive at schools throughout Mill Valley Tuesday morning, they’ll be greeted by a fairly rare sight: teachers out front, handing out flyers.

The early morning distribution is part of the statewide California Teacher’s Association’s Week of Action, an effort to protest state budget cuts, lobby legislators to pass a budget that includes and highlight what they're calling a "state of emergency" in education funding.

Here in Mill Valley, the Week of Action has garnered a relatively unique set of participants, as the , the PTA Council, teachers, school employees and are all playing in a role in this week’s campaign.

“Districts in other parts of the state have been feeling the budget crisis much more strongly – we haven't had any teacher layoffs here,” said Erin Conklin, co-president of the Mill Valley Teachers Association. “But this year, with everything that is going on right now, if these tax extensions aren’t passed, everybody is waking up and going, ‘Whoa, things could be different this year.’”

The Week of Action kicked off Monday with teachers using their lunch breaks to call and email legislators in Sacramento asking them to support the tax extensions. Mill Valley’s state representatives, Senator Mark Leno and Assemblyman Jared Huffman, support the proposal, so the lobbying efforts were extended to Assemblywoman Connie Conway and Senator Bob Dutton, the Republican leaders of the respective chambers.

Teachers are handing out the “State of Emergency” flyers (at right) outside school today. The Mill Valley PTA Council is boosting those efforts by emailing the flyer to their respective distribution lists as well, according to PTA Council Co-President Mari Allen.

“It’s the fact that we are all going out with a collaborative, unified message across all groups that makes this a very unique situation,” Allen said.

According Marin County Superintendent of Schools Mary Jane Burke, that unity is being driven by a sense of urgency.

“Given the dire situation of the state budget, it has become imperative that the entire community join together to demand that resources are available for the priorities that are defined,” Burke said. “There’s no question that when it comes to public education, the Marin community understands that we cannot give up on a generation of children by not funding public schools at the appropriate level. In order to ensure that we invest in our children, it is incumbent upon the community to unite and be willing to fight for what we believe in.”

The Mill Valley School District has prepared a 2011-2012 budget that calls for an ongoing $1.5 million reduction in state funding. But if Brown’s proposed tax extensions are not included in the state budget, that reduction could rise to as much as $2 million.

In addition, Mill Valley is in the midst of an at a time when , further straining the district’s budget.

In addition to local efforts, Mill Valley teachers will join their counterparts from all over Marin at Corte Madera Town Center from 3:45 to 5:45 p.m. Tuesday to participate in a Grade-In to raise community awareness. 

Conklin said a group of Mill Valley teachers are also planning to head to San Francisco on Friday afternoon to be part a State of Emergency Rally at Civic Center Plaza at 4 p.m.

“I’m really proud of our community – parents, staff members and teachers – for coming together this week and showing our community how deeply we care about this issue,” district Superintendent Ken Benny said.

The 411:  The district sums up the May 9-13 Week of Action with the acronym L.E.A.R.N.: 

Mon., May 9 - Focus on LEGISLATIVE activities 
Tue., May 10 - Reach out to EVERY PARENT
Wed., May 11 - Use Day of the Teacher to APPRECIATE educators and ALLIES 
Thu., May 12 - Promote the need for REVENUE for schools and other essential  services
Fri., May 13 - It's NOT BUSINESS AS USUAL. Rallies in Sacramento or San Francisco