Debbie Winsteen was one of 11 elementary teachers from Burbank Unified School District who received a Teacher of the Year honor for the 2008-2009 school year. Earlier this year she was on of 25,000 to receive a pink slip.

School districts have handed out more than 25,000 pink slips statewide in the face of about $11 billion in state cuts to education funding, according to the California Teachers Association.

The notices are "precautionary." Under the State Education Code, schools must notify employees who might be laid off by March 15, but that does not necessarily mean all of them will lose their jobs.

The state Legislature approved deep budget cuts -- including to education -- and raised taxes last month to cope with a budget gap of nearly $42 billion over the next 18 months.

With budget shortfalls reaching $718 million for the 2009-10 school year, the Los Angeles Unified School District announced possible layoffs for 8,846 teachers and administrative staff.

The California Teachers Association initiated Pink Friday, an event that took place on March 13th asking people to wear pink in solidarity with teachers.

In Santa Maria, protesters - wearing pink in commiseration with the 26,000 California teachers handed pink slips Friday - lined Broadway and marched several blocks from Santa Maria High School's Ethel Pope Auditorium to the city library and back.

"Education is the glue that holds together the threads of our American way of life," said Nancy Iarossi, president of the union that represents teachers in the Santa Maria-Bonita School District. "Education and its availability is the soul of what makes America."

A few days later, students got involved.

Hundreds of students from five downtown high schools walked out of class on March 16 to protest teacher layoffs. They marched to the LA Unified School District administration building in response to 8,800 "reduction in force" letters that were delivered on Friday to teachers and other school employees.

The protest was initiated and organized by students at the various campuses, who spread the word through text messages. The rally was spirited and energetic; students held signs and homemade posters to support their teachers and demand a decent education. Chants of "No pink slips!" and "Don't lay off our teachers!" rang out.

These high school students know that laying off teachers will affect them as well. Student/Teacher Achievement Ratio (STAR), a four-year class-size study, found:

*Students in small classes are more likely to pursue college
*Small classes lead to higher graduation rates
*Students in small classes achieve at higher levels

It isn't just high school students who walked out. San Francisco college students got involved, too.

Under the blaze of a hot California sun, several hundred college students walked out of their schools to protest the state's cuts to the education budget. Their chants echoed those of student marches in the late 1960's that ushered in a new era of student power.

Their banners proclaimed "Education for liberation, not for profit," "Bailout students, not bankers" and "Shut it down like '68." San Francisco State University (SFSU) president Robert Corrigan with his annual salary of some $280,000 drew special attention from the crowd.

While Corrigan gets rich, his administration is carrying out the education cuts, such as fee hikes for students.

I have written previously about the fiscal crisis in California and how it is affecting the school system. If you have read that article, you will recall that one high school in California was selling ad space on tests to be able to afford to print the test for students.

If you are interested in helping, check out the Pink Friday website for upcoming events and other information. Alternately, you can contact the California Teachers Association.