President's Message

Belated New Year’s greetings to all of you!!!!!  Usually February means “proposal” time on ROP’s calendar.  We look at the courses proposed to be offered for the 2008-2009 school year.  This year, we have the extra burden of wondering what might happen, budget-wise, for the remainder of this school year as well as the budget deficit problems we face for next year.  I’d like to share with you the information that has been developed for us to think about/use/act on.  (for clean copies and more information, go to http://www.acsa.org/news/news_detail.cfm?type=acsa&id=2396)

“Protect our students, Protect Prop. 98” background and talking points...

Governor Schwarzenegger’s proposed $4.8 billion budget cut to California’s schools will severely damage the quality of education in our state, forcing school districts to lay off teachers and other educators in already overcrowded classrooms. A $4.8 billion budget cut is equivalent to:

• laying off more than 107,000 teachers
• cutting more than $24,000 per classroom
• reducing per-student spending by more than $800
• laying off over 137,000 bus drivers, janitors, food service, maintenance and other education support professionals
• cutting $7.76 million, on average, to every school district
• increasing class sizes statewide by as much as 35%

Our students and schools did not create this budget problem, and their progress should not be undermined because of it.   In the midst of progress in student achievement throughout California, this budget represents a giant step backward.  According to Education Week, California has dropped from 43rd to 46th in the nation in per-pupil spending – that’s $1,900 less per student than the national average.  The same report gave California an abysmal D+ in education funding. States like New York spend 75 percent more on education than California.  California already has some of the most overcrowded classrooms and the greatest shortages of librarians, counselors and other critical support staff in the nation.

Despite the lack of funds, our students and schools have made significant progress. Reading scores are up 25 percent and math scores have increased 17 percent in the last four years. We cannot expect this progress to continue while cutting billions from our schools.  We need to protect smaller class sizes and encourage student achievement through investing in our schools. This budget threatens class sizes as well as music, art and career technical education programs.  ACSA calls on legislative leaders to REJECT the Governor’s proposed education budget cuts and uphold Prop. 98, the voter-approved minimum school funding guarantee.

• Voters passed Prop. 98 almost 20 years ago to ensure our students and schools have a minimum funding guarantee, and reaffirmed their support during the 2005 special election. Any proposal to suspend Prop. 98 undermines the will of the voters to fund our schools.
  
• A state budget proposal that cuts funding to schools is not a real solution because it doesn’t address California’s underlying problem of inadequate and unstable revenue sources. Prop. 98 was designed to protect our students from instability so they have the reliable resources they need to learn and succeed.
  
• Legislators should pass a balanced budget that makes education funding, and investing in California’s future, a priority. Anything less is unacceptable.

Thank you for the work that you do for California’s students and, in advance, for the budget battles we face!