They rallied at UCSC—inevitably—but also in Watsonville and downtown Santa Cruz. They waved signs that read, “Witness the death of public education.” As the state senate prepared to finally pass the budget, students across Santa Cruz County demanded that their legislators protect the state’s colleges and universities. It was the National Day of Action to Defend Public Education, and students and professors alike demanded that their voices be heard.
“The point is that as we pay more, we’ve been getting less. The funds we are putting into the system are not being spent on us,” said Zora Raskin, a sophomore at UCSC. They were aware that Mark Yudoff, President of the UC system, had made a request for funding from the state, but also that the budget would likely cut that sum by $600 million. Megan Thomas, an associate professor of politics, said that it really wasn’t a question of money, but rather of priorities. “The regents meet in November,” she said, “and they are discussing alarming things, possibly more fee increases, including draconian changes to the pension program and cuts to the lowest wage workers.”
The mood on campus was echoed around the Town Clock in downtown Santa Cruz, where about 100 teachers and students gathered to protest cuts to primary and secondary school education. Even if schools have been able to preserve arts and library programs, said Kim West of Soquel’s Mountain School, this is due to the generosity of the parents, rather than the availability of state funding. “That is not what public education is about,” she concluded.
The budget only passed a few hours ago, and the educational system has yet to see how it will be impacted. Nevertheless, student protesters at UCSC were told by a staffer of District 27 Assemblyman Bill Monning that the fact that the hit they will take wasn’t worse, “is a result of your continued pressure and advocacy.” Depending on the final outcome of the budget, more demonstrations could be in the works. Read more at Santa Cruz Sentinel.
