With just 11 days before the state-mandated deadline for school districts to issue teachers preliminary pink slips, educators in Los Angeles and across California will rally Thursday against potential lay offs and a proposed $2 billion cut to education.

Teachers must receive notice by March 15 if they could be laid off; formal pink slips will be issued by May 15 and finalized over the summer.

The Los Angeles Unified School District's school board voted Tuesday to send 5,200 preliminary lay off notices to teachers, counselors, and nurses to offset a $640 million deficit. Last year the district cut roughly 2,000 positions.

The union which represents LAUSD's teachers recently joined forces with several other educational unions to form the Southern California Public Education Coalition. Thursday's activities represent the first time the United Teachers of Los Angeles has come together with other K-12 unions, UC and Cal State faculty, and community college representatives to speak out against state education cuts.

"There is a real fight back to be had and people are ready to engage it," UTLA Vice President Josh Pechthalt told radio station KPFK Wednesday regarding the coalition and Thursday's planned protests.

Neither The United Teachers of Los Angeles nor LAUSD returned calls seeking comment.

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's latest budget proposal includes $2.4 billion in budget cuts to K-12 schools.

The idea behind the March 4 Day of Action originated from an October education conference held at UC Berkeley and morphed into a statewide movement.  

LAUSD and the Southern California Public Education Coalition have jumped on the bandwagon. The district plans to kick of the day by handing out informational leaflets and flyers to parents prior to a morning press conference.

Protesters will demonstrate against Schwarzenegger's cuts at after-school rallies scheduled at Cal State Northridge, Pershing Square in downtown, UCLA, and Wilson High School in Long Beach.

The event precedes a 48-day march from Bakersfield to Sacramento, which kicks off March 5 and concludes with a rally on the steps of the state capitol April 21 to lobby legislators to support education