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Students Stage Walkouts Across LA To Protest Teacher Layoffs

LOS ANGELES (CBS) — Hundreds of students angry over budget cuts potentially leading to teacher layoffs took took to the streets on Friday.

KNX 1070's Pete Demetriou reports the students hailing from Belvedere Middle School and Esteban Torres High School in East L.A. received a warm welcome from drivers who honked in support.

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The $400 million deficit for the L.A. Unified School District means some teachers in the arts and electives sections may have to be laid off.

At Belvedere Middle School, some music students demonstrated before school, but they did not miss any classes, Morgan said.

About 1,500 students also walked out of their classes for about 90 minutes on Friday at Hamilton High School in the South Robertson area to protest teacher layoffs.

"Hamilton is home to both the humanities and music magnet programs," said Susie Shannon, a community member. "The directors of both successful magnet programs had been told by L.A. Unified (School District) that their positions were being eliminated."

Hamilton's teachers are among 7,000 in the LAUSD who have received layoff notices, Shannon said.

(©2010 CBS Local Media, a division of CBS Radio Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Wire services contributed to this report.)

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