Thousands of Texas teachers are expected to gather in Austin tomorrow to protest cutting public school funding to balance the state budget.  They say Governor Rick Perry doesn't appear to care that thousands of jobs could be lost.

Perry said this week that state leaders are not to blame if the state has to lay off as many as 100,000 people at school districts statewide. Some teachers and school support staff say they do blame state leaders, and Perry's attitude has inspired them to step up their opposition to the proposed cuts.

"He just seems unaware of the agony schools are going through," said Carolyn Foote, a librarian at Westlake High School in the Eanes Independent School District near Austin. "It's like a slap in the face to anyone working in education."

The teachers say the proposed cuts are self defeating and laying off thousands of teachers would do permanent damage to the state's public education system.

The teachers and their unions will hold two rallies in Austin tomorrow and Monday.  The Save Texas Schools March & Rally is tomorrow, the 12th, and the Texas chapter of the American Federation of Teachers holds its rally and lobbying day on Monday.

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