JUNE 1, 2009 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE L.A. HUNGRY FOR A BETTER EDUCATION Media Contacts: Fast Participant (Español) – Jose Lara (714) 864-0543 Fast Participant – Sean Leys (323) 490-2412 Teacher Organizer – Kelly Flores (323) 286-5244 Teachers, Parents, and Community Members Announce Hunger Strike and Teach-In for the Kids of LAUSD: Hungry for a Better Education Los Angeles, California – Nearly a dozen individuals, including LAUSD teachers, concerned community, and a single father began a full-fledged, water-only fast beginning the evening of Wednesday, May 27th, 2009. The objective of these actions is to call attention to School Board Members Monica Garcia, Yolie Flores-Aguilar, and Richard Vladovic’s plan to put nearly a half billion dollars of federal stimulus money into a savings account while raising class sizes and laying off some of the district’s best, most exciting, vibrant new teachers. Our demand is for a new LAUSD budget that defends students’ classrooms. LAUSD has received nearly a billion dollars in federal stimulus money. President Obama has repeatedly announced that the purpose and top priority for this money should be to keep jobs and to inject the money as quickly as possible into the economy; however, Board Members Garcia, Flores, and Vladovic have voted to approve a budget that does just the opposite. Their budget calls for saving half of the money and laying off 2,500 desperately needed teachers -the future of the profession. Worse still, their plan calls for raising class size –the single biggest factor in determining students’ success. Hunger strikers are willing to continue the fast until all demands are met. Such drastic cuts call for drastic actions. DEMANDS 1) Protect out students’ education by NOT increasing class size 2) Protect the future of education in LAUSD by NOT laying off our new teachers LOCATIONS - Fasters’ Itinerary Fasters will be working in their communities building support. Teachers will be at their schools teaching. They may be contacted individually. Monday, June 1, 2009 - 6PM- Community meeting & camp-out in front of Liechty Middle School (650 S Union, corner of Union and Wilshire downtown). The event will start at 6:00pm & will feature the Liechty Honors Band & spoken word performances. Hunger Strikers will be available for interviews. MAP: http://tinyurl.com/Map-Liechty-June1-6pm Fasters (Partial list): Sean Leys Teacher at Lincoln High School, fast organizer, [languages: English only] Jose Lara Single father of child at First Street Elementary School, teacher at Santee High School, fast organizer, [languages: English and Español] Brenda Barragan Pink Slipped Teacher at Santee High School, [languages: English and Español] Elizabeth Juarez Third grade teacher at Hooper Avenue Elementary, [languages: English and Español] Alexia Lewis Substitute teacher at Lincoln High School, artist, civil rights activist, English only Gladys Mazariego-Hamdi Math and special education teacher at West Adams Preparatory High School, [languages: English and Español] Martin Terrones Filmmaker, community activist, founder / executive director or Chicano/Latino Artists for Social Equality (CLASE), [languages: English and Español] ###