Two Rapping Teachers Take on Plan to Slash L.A. Busing

School may be out for winter vacation, but it's not "happy holidays" for public schools in Los Angeles. Thanks to California's dire budget crisis, massive mid-year education cuts are set to take effect statewide on January 1. The Los Angeles Unified School District could see $150 million slashed from the budget, including more than $38 million for school transportation. Now the dynamic rapping duo Two Teachers and a Microphone is using their rhyming skills in a parody of "Twas the Night Before Christmas" to protest the potentially devastating impact of these cuts.

Eliminating transportation funding would not only put the neediest students at a disadvantage—their families often have no other way to get kids to school—but may also place the school district in hot water legally. LAUSD is legally required to provide bus service for students with special needs, as well as for those attending one of the city's magnet schools, which are created by a court desegregation order.

District superintendent John Deasy recently filed a lawsuit against the state seeking to stop the cuts from taking effect. In the meantime, the two teachers hope their rhyme about the situation will inspire individuals to take action. They've created a sample letter speaking out against the cuts that people can tweak and send to California governor Jerry Brown. Let's hope their efforts work so that when winter vacation ends, Los Angeles students still have a way to get to school.