Teachers unions across California are staging a variety of protests today to oppose the state's budget deadlock. Public school teachers in San Diego are dialing up their local legislators. KPBS Reporter Ana Tintocalis has this report.
Hotline voice:
To find or connect to your state Senator, press one. To find or connect with your assembly member, press two.
The special "cuts hurt" hotline was set-up for teachers who are busy with classes but still want to do their part. The current budget stalemate sets a record for longest time without a final spending plan in place. That's already costing school districts about 600 million dollars in state funding.
Union president Camille Zombro says teachers are on edge.
Zombro:
Kids have to know who their teacher is going to be from one day to the next. And when schools have no certainty about funding, then we have no certainty about who is going to be working with our children.
Teachers will also be urging lawmakers to restore roughly two billion dollars in state education funding that is currently on the chopping block. Other teachers unions around the state are holding marches and rallies.
Ana Tintocalis, KPBS News.