Today is the March 4th Day of Action, with demonstrations, protests, and events throughout the public education system.  OL will be following the demonstrations at local high schools and colleges and bringing you coverage. If you want to check in on what's happening--and why--take a look at these stories from OL & Laney College's The Black Hour:

Behind the March 4th Day of Action: With mass layoffs, swelling class sizes, slashed school programs and a gloomy budget outlook, what are California schools to do? Organize, of course! So say the thousands scheduled to hit the streets today throughout the state.

Day of Action: March with Us: "Yeah, I’ll be marching for myself and my union, AFT Local 771. We’ve been told that we will no longer be needed after this June. But I’m also marching for my students, our students, whose hopes and dreams are being crushed and whose lives are being rendered unbearable."

Rallies around the Bay: Teachers, students and community members across the state are organizing for a statewide Day of Action for Education on March 4--schedules here,

BlackHour: Why Laney College student Alessandro Tinonga is protesting March 4

Black Hour: Laney College Acting President Elnora Webb supports March 4 Day of Action: "We will join thousands of students from across California who have had enough with the divestment in their college education. Many of us have lost patience with the disconnected and broken aspects of the system of financing in this State We call for a prominent and solid commitment to the millions of students who are pursuing higher education. These students seek life-sustaining wage earning careers, the knowledge and skills to build healthy lives and communities, and core competencies to contribute to the innovations necessary to prompt economic, social, and political reforms essential to sustain California and the nation."

See the map of protests across the country

In the media:

West Oakland is in the Wall Street Journal, with a story about neighborhood development vs. industrial growth, and with Brown Sugar Kitchen's Tanya Holland as the focus

Oaksterdam is profiled in The Chronicle of Higher Education--and photog and local Allison Yin has more pix.

Bay Area jobs are supposedy rebounding--but not in Oakland and Alameda County, according to a recent Business Confidence Survey report.

In the blogs:

Prescott-Oakland Point Artist Gina Telcocci announces permanent installation: The San Francisco Arts Commission announced a new public artwork installation by Prescott-Oakland Point artist Gina Telcocci for the Potrero Branch Library.

Community Rejuvenation Project: Check out the mural evolving at MLK and 25th

Oaktown Art: Deb Sherman tracks teh art stickers around the Town

Send us news, tips, ideas, stories--editor@oaklandlocal.com--and have a great Thursday.