Rally For Education

Around 60 members of the Burlingame community gathered outside City Hall Tuesday morning as part of Educate Our State’s Wake Up California initiative, aimed at educating Californians about the budget crisis facing California public schools.

Burlingame parents teamed up with Educate Our State, a parent-led organization dedicated to high-quality education, for the rally, which was just one of more than 20 held throughout the state the same day.

Waving Wake Up California signs and adorned in Game On buttons, participants rallied for funding and a rich education experience.

“The system is in a crisis, and it’s time for legislators, voters and all of California to wake up,” said Christine Thorsteinson, (BCE) president. “To wake up to the fact that we are not doing justice for our children today.”

She said the programs that create well-rounded students—programs like library, physical education and the arts—are finding themselves on the chopping block. Although BCE and the new Game On campaign fundraise to preserve these programs, the organizations can’t do it alone while the state continues cutting school funding.

However, statewide initiatives like Wake Up California provide some hope.

“I’m hoping this will wake up the state and we’ll see some change in Sacramento,” said BCE Secretary Sue Kaufman.

Volunteers handed out stickers and asked rally-goers to sign postcards in support of the schools meant for California legislators.

Four eighth-graders also spoke at the rally about their experiences in the Burlingame schools.

“What does the Burlingame school system mean to mean?” said 13-year-old Reid Livingston. “It means I was one of Annie’s orphans, Mrs. Pots and Glenda in the school productions. It means I was a poet in the poetry slam. It means I sang my heart out in the school talent show. It means I played on the girls basketball team. It means I learned math when I never thought I could. It means I flew model planes, designed a contraption for eighth grade challenge and…it means I watched one of my teachers play semifinals on Jeopardy while engaging us in our history books. And it means I was welcomed to a community with the helping hands of parents, as well as teachers.”

She said education is her door to the world, and all elements of her Burlingame education have led to her present knowledge, understanding and confidence in her ability to achieve her full potential.

Student Justin Foster agreed with the importance of a well-rounded education.

“Education is the foundation for a strong, healthy, productive life,” he said. “It allows each individual to pursue their goals, find their passions and create the most our of their lives.”

He said while math and science are important, drama, music and art are necessary to form the types of students today who will make a difference in the world tomorrow.

When addressing the crowd, Burlingame parent and School Board Trustee Davina Drabkin referenced a speech given by President Barack Obama in 2009 in which he said the best teachers, parents and resources are not enough for a good education if students are unwilling to work hard and learn, saying you can take a horse to water, but can’t make it drink.

However, “it can only drink if there’s water…[and] the state is providing less and less water,” Drabkin said. “The volatility of the state budget and its impact on the school district is not a stable way to fund schools.”

She said she hoped the state gets the message that stable funding is necessary for schools to plan for the future and provide a quality education.

The rally was organized by Burlingame parents, with Elisa Lee, Deborah Leon and Kimberly Rosales at the helm. Since 2007, $18 billion have been cut from the California schools’ budgets. Burlingame School District is currently working on cutting $800,000 in spending for both the 2011-2012 and 2012-2013 school years.

“Our goal was just to raise awareness in our community about the current budget crisis facing California public schools,” Leon said. “We’re really pleased [with the turnout]. We had no idea how many people would come.”