Many from the Berkeley Unified School District community donned pink on Friday in a demonstration protesting cuts to education and supporting California teachers who received tentative pink slips last week.

More than 300 parents, students, board members and staff rallied outside the district's administration building for the protest-part of a day of action declared by the California Federation of Teachers and the California Teachers Association.

The day of action, dubbed "Pink Friday," was held on the last day that school districts are permitted by state law to issue preliminary pink slips to teachers.

According to a California Department of Education press release, 26,000 teachers and other school staff have received the slips.

Last week, 124 teachers and eight administrators in the Berkeley Unified School District received layoff notices.

Among them was Mathilde Landberg, an art teacher who began working for four elementary schools this year. At the protest, Landberg said she was confident she would be rehired by at least some of the schools.

"I am just trying to revel in support instead of getting caught up in anxiety," she said.

Superintendent Bill Huyett announced at the protest that teachers in the district who were especially difficult to replace would have their slips rescinded this week.

Suzanne Teran, a Jefferson Elementary School parent, said it was "horrific" that the district is struggling to fund teachers.

Paloma Raines, Teran's 5th grade daughter at the school, said one of her teachers received a slip.

"I think that my teacher really challenges me and helps me learn," Raines said. "I don't want him to be cut."

District board member Beatriz Leyva-Cutler urged the community to be involved in choices that affect schools.

"We're making some very difficult decisions and we don't want to make those in isolation," she said.

According to Cathy Campbell, president of the federation's Berkeley division, the protest was just the beginning of activism against cuts in education funding across the state.

The federation is trying to get the community involved in abolishing the two-thirds majority rule needed to pass the state budget, which Campbell said gives disproportionate power to a minority of senators most likely to favor cuts to education.

"Where has democracy gone? I just am amazed we're letting this go on," she said.

Tags: EDUCATION, BERKELEY FEDERATION OF TEACHERS, PINK FRIDAY, BERKELEY UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT