California Teachers Association Wants To Use Classroom Time To Stage Protests

The California Teachers Association (CTA) is under fire for its plans to use classroom time to fight proposed budget cuts.

The union is declaring what it calls a "State of Emergency" and calling for Wisconsin-style activities in order to provoke lawmakers to pass taxes on citizens in The Golden State. CTA documents [PDF] show the union is planning to use public schools as a means for protest and is calling for a week of "escalating action" from May 9-13, beginning and ending with "a group of educators...taking over the State Capitol."

Chris Gacek, senior fellow for regulatory policy with the Family Research Council, has no problem with union members lobbying -- provided those members do it on their own time.

"But it's not appropriate for them to be taking over classes [and using] class time...for their own political and economic messaging," says Gacek. "That just seems totally inappropriate."

Activities included in the "State of Emergency" are sit-ins at the State Capitol, a day without campus lunch-ins and services, and informing every parent with newsletters, flyers, and phone calls. Gacek contends the education system should not be seeking to maintain only funding, but must also put a cap on spending.

Read More From One News Now