Teacher Layoffs Protested

Parents and teachers converged today at the Temecula school district's headquarters to protest potential layoffs of teachers.

The Temecula Valley Unified School District Board of Trustees was holding a regular meeting at 6 p.m. when supporters of teachers crowded both rooms in the trustees chambers and overflowed into the parking lot.

To see a recording of a live stream Temecula Patch ran during the morning, .

The crowd was protesting a plan to possibly lay off 120 teachers if the state's budget is cut as drastically as district officials fear it will be.

To read about the layoff plan, .

Karina Foster, a parent volunteer who opposes the layoffs, gave trustees copies of a petition signed by parents urging the district to find a solution to the budget shortfall without laying off teachers.

"Our opinion should be heard. Our voice should be heard. We have wonderful teachers," Foster told the trustees standing from the board chamber's podium.

One by one, crowd members went to the podium to share their thoughts on the layoff plan, which was often interrupted by applause.

Trustee Bob Brown told the crowd laying off teachers would be a last resort, and school officials are still looking at other ways to cut costs.