Diana Abasta and Kim Allender, Co-Presidents
In light of Governor Schwarzenegger’s State of The State attack on teachers and public education, and his outrageous decision to break his promise and cut education by another $2.3 billion this year we have decided to reprint a response from the California Education Coalition which was posted on the CTA website on January 10th. We urge you to write, phone and email the governor to express your outrage. The Education Coalition believes it is unconscionable that the Governor’s proposed budget breaks the promise he made to California’s students and public schools. Last year, students and public schools sacrificed $2 billion in ongoing cuts because the Governor promised that our schools would receive their fair share of any additional state revenues and would be spared cuts in future years. The Governor’s budget proposal breaks his promise to California’s six million students and takes even more money from our schools.
The Governor’s proposals are a smoke screen designed to divert public attention from the real problems facing our public schools. They do nothing to help public schools and students. Instead, they exacerbate an already inadequate funding problem by adding new requirements without any commitment to adequate and stable funding. California schools have suffered more than $9.8 billion in cuts in the last four years. This has meant school closures, increases in class size, lay offs of teachers and support staff, and a devastating shortage of librarians, counselors and nurses. Many schools lack basic supplies and instructional materials. California voters passed Proposition 98 in 1988 to protect schools and students from harmful budget cuts and to establish at least a minimum level of education funding.
The Governor’s plan to cut another $2.3 billion from our schools goes against the will of California voters, fails our students and breaks the education budget agreement approved by the Governor and the Legislature last year. Two recent independent reports concluded that California’s schools were underfunded, had some of the largest class sizes in the country and inadequate teacher salaries. At the same time, studies credit California for having the highest student standards and accountability assessments of any state in the nation. We can’t expect our students to meet those high standards without giving them the resources they need to succeed. Our students and schools deserve better.
Nick Ferguson, President, California Association of School Business Officials
Larry Reider, President, California County Superintendents Educational Services Association
Mary Bergan, President, California Federation of Teachers
Dr. Kerry Clegg, President, California School Boards Association
Clyde Rivers, President, California School Employees Association
Carla NiZo, President, California State PTA
Barbara E. Kerr, President, California Teachers Association
Annelle Grajeda, President, Service Employees International Union , California