Los Angeles, CA, USA – On October 17, 2022, hundreds of students, teachers, and education advocates gathered in Los Angeles to rally for increased funding for public schools, demanding that California’s recent budget surplus be used to address the longstanding underfunding of the state’s education system. The rally, organized by the California Teachers Association (CTA) and the California Alliance for Public Education (CAPE), highlighted concerns over crowded classrooms, underpaid teachers, and the inequities that exist in the state’s educational system, particularly in low-income areas.
The rally took place at City Hall, where key figures such as CTA President E. Toby Boyd, Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) Superintendent Alberto Carvalho, and several prominent state legislators addressed the crowd. “This surplus is a historic opportunity to ensure that our students and teachers get the support they deserve,” Boyd said, calling for increased investments in teacher salaries, special education programs, and mental health resources for students. “Our students’ futures depend on the resources we provide today.”
California’s budget surplus has been a point of contention in recent months, with critics arguing that the state should direct more funds into public services like education, homelessness prevention, and healthcare. With $98 billion in surplus funds projected for the 2022-2023 fiscal year, education advocates are pushing for a portion of that money to be invested in addressing the structural issues facing public schools.
LAUSD Superintendent Alberto Carvalho, who took office in 2022, also voiced his support for the rally, stating that the current level of funding is not sufficient to meet the growing needs of the district’s students. “We have a moral obligation to provide our students with the tools they need to succeed, and that starts with properly funding our schools,” Carvalho said. He specifically called for increased funding for mental health services, which have become more essential as students continue to cope with the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and its aftermath.
While Governor Newsom’s administration has promised to allocate additional funds to education, many argue that the state’s education funding formula is outdated and disproportionately benefits wealthier districts while leaving poorer areas with fewer resources. The Los Angeles rally was a call to action for state lawmakers to revise this formula and ensure that all students, regardless of their zip code, have access to high-quality education.
Student speakers at the rally shared personal stories of how inadequate funding has affected their education, citing overcrowded classrooms, outdated textbooks, and lack of access to extracurricular activities. One student, Vanessa Ramirez, a senior at John F. Kennedy High School in Los Angeles, spoke about the challenges she faces in an underfunded school. “I want to learn, I want to go to college, but my school doesn’t have the resources to help me succeed,” Ramirez said. “We deserve better.”
As the rally concluded, education advocates promised to continue their push for equitable funding and reforms to the state’s education system. With a growing movement behind them, the fight for fair funding for public schools in California remains at the forefront of the political agenda, and it is clear that the outcome of this battle could shape the future of education in the state for years to come.
