Students and teachers from San Francisco's K-12 schools united to speak out against decreased funding for schools as part of a statewide unified protest. The next step they plan to take is to continue to spread information to the community about the effects the cuts will have on education.

Matthew Hardy, communications director of United Educators of San Francisco said they are encouraging "site-based activism" between school sites and the union because they believe the bond between students, parents and teachers is a "building block for structural change."

Another measure educators and the California State Parent Teacher Association are pushing for is the Local Control of Local Classrooms Funding Act, which is a proposal to amend the California Constitution so that special taxes for school districts can be approved by 55 percent vote as opposed to a two-thirds majority vote. This measure will bar the state from taking funds from schools or accounting for them in calculating state support.

Liz Torres, parent liaison coordinator at Fairmount Elementary School says they plan on putting a table outside the school to gather signatures to amend Proposition 13 and to push for the Local Control of Local Classrooms Funding Act.

The San Francisco Unified School District has been calling for reform on Proposition 13, a voter approved initiative that allows homeowners to pay one percent of their home's assessed value. It was passed in 1978 and limited increases in property taxes. The majority of the revenue generated from property taxes contributes to school funding but with a decrease in property taxes, the funding for schools fell as well.

Another day of action will take place March 22 when students and teachers get on buses and head to Sacramento to protest at the state Capitol. City College of San Francisco is organizing 80 to 90 buses for their "March in March" rally for its students and employees. The funding is coming from CCSF, students, teachers, Service Employees International Union, Associated Students and other constituent groups.

According to Ryan Vanderpol, president of Associated Students at CCSF, the reason why March 22 was chosen was because the legislature will be in session that day. Also, students who want to participate will not have to miss many days of school and will be able to stay at California State University of Sacramento where they have been offered dorms.

Although the March 22 protest is aimed toward higher education, Vanderpol is encouraging K-12 students and teachers to participate. K-12 will not be formally participating in the March 22 rally, but there is a possibility many will gather to show support, according to Hardy.

George Washington High School is one of the schools that has been talking about participating on that day. Jay Kozak, counselor of George Washington High School said this was the first time the school had ever participated in a rally.

Kozak was amazed at the amount of students who decided to march. He said the students are very gung-ho and ready to take the next step. Despite the long two hour march to Civic Center, the students were chanting 75 percent of the time."We lit a fuse here," he said. "We couldn't have asked for anything better."

Teachers on stage at George Washington High School encouraged students to write letters to Sacramento where Principal Ericka Lovrin plans to deliver them on March 15, which is the deadline for teachers to receive their pink slips. If a teacher is given a pink slip, it would mean they will not be able to return for the following school year unless it's revoked by the end of the school year.

Although cell phones are not allowed on school campus, Principal Lovrin allowed her students to use them for five minutes to call the California legislators. A student held up a sign with the numbers of Assemblywoman Fiona Ma, Governor Schwarzenegger, Senator Leland Yee, Senator Mark Leno and Tom Ammiano.

Lovrin hopes the rally and the march will make legislators "reevaluate where they're going to make cuts."

Kathleen Cecil, a 10th grade English teacher at Mission High School, also feels that amending Proposition 13 could make a huge difference in solving the budget crisis. She said that with layoffs in staff and teaching to a larger class it is difficult to find time to grade papers and teach writing, especially to students who are immigrants.

"It's a nightmare," Cecil said.

But, she remains enthusiastic about the overwhelming response to the cuts, "My kids have a chance to have a voice about what matters to them," she says.

Rosa Huezo, a teacher's assistant and student at SF State, has been affected by budget cuts at the university and at her job. She said that students deserve quality education and teachers and staff should not be persecuted when they are not given the proper resources that will allow students to succeed.

"We will continue to make as much noise as possible to make our voices heard," Huezo said.