No Teacher Layoffs! Education is a Right By Carlos Montes The fight for equal and quality education has been a part of our communities struggle for equality and against racism. When we organized the historic 1968 ELA HS Walkouts we demanded and fought for a quality education, which led to many victories and reforms in education. It has been a long ongoing struggle. I now look at dismay as the current LAUSD Board (with two Chicana members) is about to take us back by dismantling some of the gains we have made, by the layoff of 2,000 teachers. Last night at a local high school at the teacher hunger strike camp, one of those young teachers told be of her sadness of having to leave her students and the work she had began. She told me she got her layoff notice in a letter to her home, and had begun making applications at other districts. I thought, wow with unemployment up and getting layoff now! I also realize that these cutbacks will impact Black and Chicano students more as we already have the highest dropout rates and overcrowded classrooms. We are always asked to suffer during a crisis. The LAUSD should look at its bloated bureaucracy for cost savings not in the classroom. The Board needs to show leadership by moving to aggressively look for funding. Our community groups and educational advocates need to speak out and condemn the cutback and layoffs; we cannot be silent or offer luke warm statements just because we have two Chicanas leading the current Board. Our community has always supported and elected our politicians with the understating that they will fight for us and take the right side on critical issues. And voting yes to the cutback and layoffs is a blow against our communities. Monica Garcia and Yolanda Aguilar with other Board member need to be working and fighting at all levels for funding for education and use the current federal stimulus funding to avoid cutbacks and layoffs! I have attended marches and rallies for the last 30 days organized by students, parents, community groups and UTLA, is the Board listening? I ask you to call Monica (213) 241-6180 and Yolie (213) 241-6383 and ask them to reconsider their vote and agree to use the stimulus money now to avoid the teacher layoffs. Also those of you who have relations with the Board need to publically call for them to reconsider their bad decision. Show your solidarity by visiting the Teacher Hunger Strike camp now at the LAUSD Beaudry headquarters on 3rd and Beaudry. Carlos Montes is a long time community activist in the Chicano community; he has and continues to be involved in the struggles for education, peace and immigrant rights. He is currently an organizer with Latinos Against War, a member of the Southern California Immigration Coalition and a writer for Fight Back News. He was involved in the 1967 campaign to elected Dr. Julian Nava to the LAUSD, a founder of the Brown Berets, MECHA and one of the ELA 13 indicted for organizing the historic ELA HS Walkouts. Carlos Montes myspace.com/latinosaw www.fightbacknews.org