A march for education will begin at Raley Field March 16 and end at the Capitol, where a crowd of thousands of students, teachers, administrators is expected to recognize the importance of affordable education for all.  

Students and teachers are hopeful their voices will be heard. Instructors throughout the Los Rios Community College District are encouraging their students to get out there on Monday at 10 a.m. for the beginning of the march.  

“Community colleges are the backbone, especially in a bad economy, for students,” says Sacramento City College political science professor Paul Frank. “If community college students stop being political, they’re going to lose whatever they have or want. By going to this march, they are [saying] very loudly ‘We want a strong community college system in California.’”  

This will be one of many concerns voiced at this colossal march to the Capitol. Estimates for the upcoming school year show that the upcoming budget cuts will be at the expense of thousands of incoming freshmen at UCs and CSUs. This makes them turn to the community colleges, where they will also have difficulty. The March in March Web site www.iwillmarch.com says "the State must more realistically plan for and fund our Community College safety net, so education standards are not compromised."  

The students will not be alone in this fight. Lieutenant Governor John Garamendi, Senate Majority Leader Gloria Romero, Assemblymember Sandré Swanson, and Assemblymember Warren Furutani are among the guests expected to speak at the Capitol.

Student Senate of California Community Colleges Vice President Troy Carter says that Sacramento students will be directly affected by this march because the people participating in it are "maintaining access to a quality higher education throughout this economic recession," which is essential during the recession.  

SSCCC President Richael Young, who will be one of the speakers at the Capitol, suggests that it is in the best interest of the state to invest in students.  

"We are asking our legislators to fund higher education," Young says. "They sometimes ask us, 'Where's the money to come from? What's your solution to this fiscal crisis?' Well, we are the solution. We are their best investment. For every dollar invested in education, three are returned in the form of increased tax revenues and economic activity. That's what the rally is about-- financially supporting the state's most valuable assets: its students."  

Fear of Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's possible budget cuts looms over students. Supposedly, the word from the Capitol is that by next semester, tuition costs for community college students may increase from $20 a unit to $40. Even if it doesn't go up that high, students won't want to pay any more than they already do.  

Marchinmarch.com recalls a similar circumstance: "When fees were raised from $11 to $26 per unit, community colleges lost over 300,000 students."  

A decrease in attendance at community colleges would be detrimental to Californians because they allow them the chance to pursue a degree that they could not afford elsewhere. If people weren’t earning as many degrees, they would have no chance to get jobs in this competitive economy.  

The pursuit of accessible education is a necessary fight. The state needs to listen to the needs of its students because they are its future. March 16 will be the chance for their voices to be heard.