FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE January 24, 2004

STUDENTS, PARENTS, AND TEACHERS PROTEST

SCHWARZENEGGER'S ELIMINATION OF MINORITY SCIENCE PROGRAM

Students, parents, and teachers from the Los Angeles Unified School District, Pasadena Unified School District, and San Gabriel Unified School District will meet at Florence Nightingale Middle School Auditorium on January 29 at 7:00 p.m. to protest the elimination of the Mathematics, Engineering, Science Achievement (MESA) program by Governor Schwarzenegger. MESA is the most successful program in the United States for bringing underrepresented students into the fields of engineering, science, and mathematics. The MESA model has been set up in 10 other states. MESA, founded over 30 years ago at the University of California, Berkeley, involves over 40,000 students a year who compete in hands-on and minds-on contests. MESA students have the highest college admittance rate (over 85%) of any group of students.


The middle and high school MESA students from Florence Nightingale Middle School, Gage Middle School, Lincoln High School, Gabrielino High School, Pasadena High School, Huntington Park High School, and Sierra Vista High School are gathering with their parents and MESA teachers to protest this cutback. Speakers will include Jacqueline Orozco, field representative for Jose Huizar, President of the LAUSD School Board; Albina Ferreyra, Field Deputy for L.A. City Councilman Ed Reyes, 1st District; Hon. Jackie Goldberg, Assemblymember, 45th District; Richard Shope, JPL scientist/Representative for the California Association for the Gifted; Enrique Salgado, MESA Director, Cal State University, L.A.;and middle and high school MESA student representatives.


Also on Friday, January 30, the MESA students, teachers, and parents will march in front of Florence Nightingale Middle School to call for the complete funding of MESA and no cutbacks in the program. The march and picket line will proceed from 7:15 a.m. until 7:45 a.m.

Save MESA Meeting January 29, 2004

7:00 p.m.

Picket Line 7:15a.m.-7:45 a.m.

In front of

Florence Nightingale Middle School Auditorium

3311 N. Figueroa Street

Los Angeles

Florence Nightingale Middle School

Contact: David Meyerhof, Lead MESA Advisor


Florence Nightingale Middle School

323-221-2128 (school)

323-222-4506 (fax)

818-840-8113 (home)