Teachers asked to cancel protest

The state’s top education official has asked district teachers to cancel a planned demonstration Friday against state budget cuts.

United Teachers Los Angeles is asking its members to report to work one hour late and picket outside their schools to protest Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger’s latest budget, which could result in a $353-million shortfall for the Los Angeles Unified School District.

District officials plan to seek a temporary restraining order.

State Supt. of Public Instruction Jack O’Connell has asked teachers union president A.J. Duffy to cancel the event and instead have teachers discuss state government and the budget process with their classes. “Whether it is one minute or one hour, we absolutely cannot afford to shortchange our students on their education,” he wrote in a letter.

Schwarzenegger also asked teachers to rethink their plans. “Students would be better served by having their teachers in the classroom Friday,” spokeswoman Camille Anderson wrote in an e-mail.

Duffy said Wednesday that he had not received the letter.

-- Jason Song