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Vol. XLIII No. 5
Fremont, California
March 8, 2012
Education budget cuts protest ends in 72 arrests in Sacramento By MANIKA CASTERLINE Editor-in-Chief MARRA-MARIE MAGSAKAY, DEEBA NABIZAD and HEATHER HEGEMAN Staff writers
Thousands of students and faculty traveled to Sacramento Monday for the March in March to protest fiscal cuts to state education and the continuing rise in tuition outside the Capitol Building. The crowd of 10,000, according to protest organizers was primarily non-violent. However, as the day progressed tensions came to a critical breaking point and led to the arrests of 72 people for not leaving the Capitol despite being warned to do so. At 1 p.m., demonstrators moved into the rotunda of the Capitol and began awakening leftover sentiments from the global Occupy movement in the fall, essentially staging an Occupy Education in Sacramento. Protestors made demands such as calling for Gov. Jerry Brown to reinstate the state’s Educational Master Plan that would make education a right and be free for those who wish Continued on Page 4
HEATHER HEGEMAN/ MONITOR
Approximately 10,000 demonstrators descended on the Capitol on Monday for the March in March education protests.
Board examines controversial Task Force recommendations By MANIKA CASTERLINE Editor-in-Chief
GRAPHIC ILLUSTRATION AMY SCOTT / MONITOR
The 22 recommendations dramatically changes the community college system and permits a limited definition of success.
As the 22 California Student Success Task Force (SSTF) recommendations progress on the road to the state Legislature, the Ohlone College Board of Trustees looked at the unintended consequences of the proposals during its March 7 meeting. President Gari Browning advised the Board to vote against the SSTF recommendations because while as a whole, Ohlone is compliant in principle, there is at least one issue wrong with every recommendation. The package of recommendations has caused an uproar from students and education advocates because it calls for an overhauling of the community college system by implementing measures such as a student success score card and prioritizing registration for first-time students. Jim Wright, vice president
of academic affairs, argued that the task force is not an education bill, but rather a political bill. Ron Travenick, who serves as the vice president of student services echoed Wright’s perspective. The discussion focused around implementation and whether it would strip away the mission of the community college system as set for by the state Higher Education Master Plan. Ohlone student Kevin Feliciano, who is the Student Senate president for California community colleges and a member of the task force, said, “There were 22 days of recommendation understanding” dedicated to spreading the knowledge about the task force. He admitted that there was not enough time given between SSTF drafts to inform students. The organization that Feliciano represents advocates on
behalf of the 2.6 million community college students. Its governing board has officially voted in favor of 11 out of the 22 recommendations. Scott Lay, president of the California Communtiy College League’s organization, supported four of the 22 recommendations. California Community College Chancellor Jack Scott oversaw the task force and is a vocal proponent of its findings. He is set to retire Sept. Scott has been in the chancellor position since January 2009. The SSTF was put together as part of a mandate by SB1143 and was created by Carol Liu (D-Glendale) who calls for outcome-based education funding. Outcome-based funding would mean that funding would be based on how many students are enrolled in a class based on the census date. The board will vote on support for against the SSTF recommendations on March 14.