Houston teachers are getting pink slips as the state's budget crunch leads to massive cuts in local education spending.

That's why Houston teachers were among those rallying at the state Capitol Monday to urge the legislature to try to stave off slashing school spending.

A report on the rally from KHOU-TV's Jeremy Desel is today's featured video on the Texas Watchdog homepage.

He reports:

"It is so incredibly frightening. Our children, who are supposed to be our most precious commodity, are getting short-changed on all ends," said Carmen Hoff, a teacher. "Parents will notice many more children in every class. Parents will notice the end of field trips."

Brenda Cavasos is one of a thousand whose jobs were cut after HISD's board received a sobering presentation and voted to proceed operating on the assumption that state cuts will lead to $171 million dollars. But, depending on what legislators decide, those cuts could be much higher. The top end of cuts is worse: $348 million.

"I was let know Friday that I wouldn't have a job next year. And it's not fair. You guys are just overlooking everything. And it's affecting real people. And it's not fair at all," Cavasos said.

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Classroom photo by flickr user cayoup, used under a Creative Commons license.