Earlier this month on March 4, California students and educators from Pre-K to PhD came together to “March Forth” to take action in defense public education. United in their struggle to defend public education at all levels, the demonstrations here in San Diego were among the largest in the state with thousands gathering at SDSU, UCSD, and downtown.

With the state government facing a $20 billion budget gap, education cuts are affecting all levels of public education. Last November the University of California Board of Regents approved a 32 percent price hike in undergraduate fees in addition to higher fees for graduate students. The California State University system reduced enrollment students to cope with $570 million in budget cuts, including SDSU’s change in undergraduate admissions policies that included many qualified local students losing guaranteed admission. Furthermore, none of the 23 CSU campuses accepted students for the Spring 2010 semester, whereas over 35,000 student transfers are usually admitted during the spring term.

As education at public universities becomes beyond the reach of many California students, community colleges face increasing enrollment but less funds from the state. Within the past year in the San Diego Community College District canceled hundreds of classes, reduced services for students, increased fees, and more students may find themselves waitlisted for impacted programs.Along with the national economic crises bringing unemployed workers seeking training for new jobs, the community colleges are already struggling in educating 70 percent of the state’s college students.

The $9 billion cut from the California K-12 education budget last year that would have lead to 30,000 teacher layoffs was narrowly avoided with federal stimulus funds, but with no such funds in the upcoming year, the impact of district cuts on schools will be devastating. In the San Diego School District, hundreds of teachers and employees may be laid off along with the elimination of dozens of programs.

Students will have larger classroom sizes, less access to faculty, counselors, campus service, and the classes they need, all while paying more. Professors, teachers, and employees face lay offs, lower wages, and furlough days. The struggle against these budget cuts brought together thousands of people coming from elementary schools the universities in an array of races and ages for the same cause. Although education is not the only facet facing financial grievances, demonstrators proved to the state that a united movement will put up a fight.

Twenty three California State Universities, the majority of University of California campuses, and many community college campuses held rallies, demonstrations, or walkouts along with organizations in other states also giving California their support. Comprised mostly of peaceful protests, police were dispatched at various schools, as protesters blocked traffic at some campuses and occupied buildings in Oakland and Santa Cruz.

Their message is clear: save public education. People need to earn college degrees, universities and institutions need researchers and experts, and workers need access to develop the skills demanded in the work force. When the future of public education is at risk, not only are students’ futures threatened, but that of California’s as well.