500 march in Ventura for school funding Accelerated Learning Resources

500 march in Ventura for school funding

Photo by Rob Varela // Buy this photo

Yves DeClerck walks with his family and hundreds of others along Telegraph Road in Ventura at a march and rally for school funding. DeClerck’s father is the foreign languages chair and teaches French and Italian at Ventura High School.

About 500 people, most wearing red shirts, came out to Buena High School on Wednesday to protest what they see as inaction on the part of the Legislature in not sending to voters tax extensions to help fund schools.

Joining the “State of Emergency” rallies across California, which are being promoted by the California Teachers Association, the Ventura rally also included firefighters and citizens concerned with what they see as an erosion of basic services, such as education and public safety.

“There are multiple groups that have come out because they kind of overlap. We are looking for funding for public safety, schools, community centers and other essential services,” said Stephen Blum, Ventura Unified Education Association president and Ventura County Community College District chairman. “That’s why we are one,” he said, referring to the slogan being distributed on stickers and written on signs. “That’s why we’re all in this together in fighting this dysfunction.”

Ventura Unified School District Superintendent Trudy Arriaga led the crowd, both during the rally on the Buena High School campus and also on the short march that took the crowd, headed up by the Buena High School drum line, east on Telegraph Road to Victoria Avenue, where the group marched south to Woodland Street before heading back to the high school.

“The community should not expect less of the superintendent, going all over and getting the message out. I would be remiss if I did not get out there and make sure they understood. Do you understand that education is being dismantled? Do you understand that California is last in the country in education?” Arriaga said. “Specifically for Ventura Unified, we’ve had enough. People need to stand up and speak, and people need to start listening.”

As the drum line pounded out a beat to get the crowd moving on the march, Arriaga demanded, “Are we ready to give up our drum lines and the other arts programs in the schools?”

Passersby kept up a steady stream of honking in support as the protesters marched.

Ventura County firefighter Jason Hodge said it is important for public service employees to speak out.

“We have draconian cuts coming,” Hodge said. “I think the government’s function is to pave the roads, educate the children and make sure the children and communities are safe.” Hodge said he worries that if further cuts are made to public safety budgets, cities will no longer be able to support mutual aid arrangements, which would be devastating if there were a major earthquake, tsunami, wildfire or other natural disaster.

Adrienne Denny of Oxnard carried a Middle Class Defense Coalition sign with Leo Valenzuela of Oxnard. The newly formed group is “a bipartisan group of educators, tradespeople, public service providers, community groups and business people formed to elevate the level of the state and national dialogue about public services and the rights of working people,” according to Blum, a coalition member.

“It’s important to protect the middle class,” Valenzuela said. “I’m here to protect my Medicare and my Social Security. I’m here to protect jobs for working families.”

Denny said that as a single parent and a teacher, she can’t sit idly by as her wages are frozen, while tuition at state universities goes up exponentially, as she struggles to provide her children with a college education.

Aron Egelko, 16, a junior at Foothill Technology High School, was one of the students who spoke to the group after the march.

“I’m going to talk about how they need to pass the Legislature,” Egelko said, adding “My classes are getting bigger, there is a lack of supplies, and they’re cutting AP classes.”

Sean Mason, 17, a junior at Ventura High School, wasn’t planning to speak to the crowd.

“I came because this is a big deal. This goes past school and the school district. People will lose their jobs,” Mason said.

In Simi Valley, about 20 teachers with the Simi Educators Association handed out information at the Simi Town Center, according to the group’s president, Dayle Gillick. A group of about 60 teachers marched Monday outside state Sen. Tony Strickland’s office protesting cuts, and Gillick said more events are planned Friday.

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