More than 500 California students from all walks of life joined together in the annual March in March protest at the state capitol, Monday, March 4 to express their opinions and address state educational policies.
Issues like budget cuts, the proposed 90-unit cap at community colleges, and the cost of education were among the key topics of concern for many students and faculty who skipped classes to attened.
Students shouted, “Mr. Brown, don’t let us down,” among other chants as they walked from the Sacramento River down the mile-long Capitol Mall to the west steps of the Capitol Building rally site.
At the event, students heard speeches from educational leaders and reformers. Although attendance was down from years past, the student voice was still well represented as willing legislators listened to their stories after the main rally concluded.
Student Trustee Debora van Eckhardt from the Contra Costa Community College District, and other participants, took the opportunity to call upon legislators from Contra Costa County and elsewhere in the state to make sure they heard the voices of their student constituents and the need to address student concerns regarding educational funding and policies.