Help youth improve California's educational system!

California's schools are facing budget cuts of historic proportions-$4.8 billion for the 2008-09 school year-during this so-called “Year of Education.”  These cuts are equivalent to laying off more than 107,000 teachers, cutting more than $24,000 per classroom or increasing class sizes statewide by as much as 35 percent.

These difficult times, however, offer students in California a unique leadership opportunity to voice the need for alternative solutions to the state's fiscal crisis.

On April 18, thousands of young people throughout the state will speak up against this proposal and demand that "We Deserve Better!" as part of a statewide Day of Action.  Using our web platform as a dynamic organizing tool, over 100 student leaders will host actions on their school campuses.

During the Day of Action, the Right To Learn website will collect and feature digital media from these rallies, uniting the collective and powerful student voice denouncing these budget cuts.

We are hoping that the community of adults who work with youth--teachers, organizers, counselors, big brothers/sisters, and others--will join in supporting this campaign. There are two primary ways to help the Right To Learn's Campaign:

Help Identify Youth to Lead Day of Action Rallies

Please take a moment to consider which of your students might be well-suited to lead a Day of Action rally on your campus--organized, socially conscious natural communicators. Please help those students--more than one is completely acceptable--to get on our Web site at www.RightToLearnCA.org and register as leaders. If they need help, please help them get in touch with us at mailto:info@RightToLearnCA.org or 415-375-3096.

Feel free to use any of these documents to advertise the opportunity to the youth with whom you work:

• Breaking News Flyer -- This flyer is directed at young people who might be interested in becoming Day of Action leaders.
• Day of Action Poster -- This is a great poster to put up in leadership classes, hallways and main offices.
• One Pager -- This is a one-page description of the Right To Learn Campaign and its past activities.

Consider Endorsing the Right To Learn Campaign as an Organization or Individual
We are also looking for like-minded youth organizations, youth workers and others to speak up in support of Right To Learn's campaign goals of demanding that legislators and the governor reject across-the-board funding cuts and seek an alternate solution to the state's budget crisis. If this might be something your organization could support, please visit the online endorsement page or download a PDF copy of the endorsement form and submit it.

As always, if you have questions or would like more information, please contact RTL Outreach Coordinator Cristina Mitra at 415-375-3096 or info@RightToLearnCA.org.

Thanks again for your support of student engagement. We look forward to working with you on April 18!