Rebecca Black chanted “Fun, fun, fun, fun” — but these kids chant, “Funds, funds, funds funds.”

Parents in Los Angeles have released a video parody of Rebecca Black’s “Friday” in which children lament the state of education funding and implore the community to donate more money to public schools.

In “My School, Your School,” kids wind up tying Uncle Sam — who has, apparently, denied their schools funding — to a tree as he struggles and a throng of young ones cheer. Throughout the video, Uncle Sam tries to contain a horde of children into a classroom and plays tug-of-war with children over money:

Lyrics [reproduced in full below] suggest that the nation’s schools are cutting teachers assistants, physical education, Spanish, art and music classes.

And the custodial staff isn’t spared, either — MC Custodian Carl enters the video and tells us that as the ‘lone custodian’ he works ‘all day, every day,’ that his ‘job is in jeopardy,’ and that we ‘need to raise the budget desperately.’

The video comes from a parent named Valerie who is the mother of two elementary school children who attend a public school in Los Angeles. In an e-mail, she said that “After learning about the severe budget cuts our schools are facing, I have become the president of all our schools fundraising efforts.”

“My husband and I wanted to give kids a voice in what is happening in public school and let them be a part of effecting change. These elementary school kids worked very hard on this project. We decided to create this fun music video that is a parody of Rebecca Black’s viral hit “Friday”. Although amusing, it showcases the serious problems facing our public schools today. It takes unity — the entire community — working together to solve the massive school budget crisis sweeping the nation. We are hoping the message is simple and clear. Our public schools need HELP!”

The average California school spends ~84% of its operating budget on personnel, which includes salaries and benefits for teachers, administrators and support staff. California ranks in the middle in education funding at ~$10,000 in per pupil expenditure, but ranks first in teacher compensation with an average salary of ~$66,000.

The state also ranks first in the number of households in which the head of household has not completed high school — about 1 in 4 — and is considered to have one of the highest tax burdens in the United States.

My School, Your School

7 a.m., waking up every morning
Even less budget for the public schools
Things gettin’ bad, they’re gettin’ serious
Seeing everything going, going

Cuttin’ the [unintelligible], government’s slashin’
Never know when they gonna stop
Wanna save our schools? Do what you can

Too many kids in a classroom
36 kids in a classroom
So many budget cuts
How much can we take?

It’s my school, your school
Gotta get dough for our schools
This money won’t raise itself
But we can, we can

It’s my school, your school
Gotta get dough for our schools
This money won’t raise itself
But we can

Unity! Community!
Funds, funds, funds, funds!
Looking forward to the next year

No more music, PE, drama,
Spanish and art class goin’ bye bye
Funds, Funds, thinkin’ about funds
You know what I mean

I got this, you get this,
Give a little bit back to the schools
I got this, you get this
Givin’ back is so cool

Too many kids in a classroom
36 kids in a classroom
So many budget cuts
How much can we take?

It’s my school, your school
Gotta get dough for our schools
This money won’t raise itself
But we can, we can

It’s my school, your school
Gotta get dough for our schools
This money won’t raise itself
But we can

Unity! Community!
Funds, funds, funds, funds!
Looking forward to the next year

First they cut the TA’s
Then they cut the PE
Cut, cut, cut the art class
And cut the music
Not gonna have any left

Tomorrow you can start to help
But you can’t do it by yourself
I know that we can do it together

MC Custodian Carl!

Always sweepin’ up the hallways (hallways!)
and the classroom (classroom!)
I’m the lone custodian (Yeah! Yeah!)
All day, every day, MC Carl keeps the school tidy (Clean!)
But my job is in jeopardy (C’mon!)
We need to raise the budget desperately (We need some help!)
Now’s the time, make noise, be heard now
Gotta step up, c’mon, c’mon y’all

It’s my school, your school
Gotta get dough for our schools
This money won’t raise itself
But we can, we can

It’s my school, your school
Gotta get dough for our schools
This money won’t raise itself
But we can

[Repeat]

Unity! Community!