CTA News

Press Release: Education Coalition Leaders Release Report on Impact of $17 Billion in Statewide Cuts to California's Public Schools

Tue, 17 Nov 2009 08:00:00 GMT

Historic Cuts Result in Increased Class Sizes, Fewer Bus Routes to School and a Range of Canceled Classes and Dwindling Resources for Students
Sacramento -- As students and educators across the state make their voices heard during "American Education Week,” 11/16 – 11/20, the leaders of California’s Education Coalition hosted a press conference on Tuesday to report on the state of public education in California after sustaining an unprecedented $17 billion in statewide budget cuts to public schools. Education Coalition leaders released a report chronicling the impact of the cuts from the perspective of students, teachers and administrators across California.

Below are a few excerpts from the report:

“…On the first day of school, my seat in math was in the far corner and I couldn’t read the board. With the increased class sizes, it takes longer to go through a math lecture since the teacher has to answer more questions. Instead of being able to go over homework quickly and teach the lesson slowly, we spend half of class answering questions, leaving only 20 minutes for the new lesson. In my AP European history my teacher has asked for donations for supplies…”
‐ Stephany Young, 15, Student, Walnut High School, Walnut, CA

“Our math classes are packed to the brim. Our neediest students are in "Algebra A," a course for freshmen who need a two‐year Algebra program. When I started teaching 10 years ago, these were the first programs targeted for 20:1.Now those classes are staffed at 34:1…”
‐ Alison Signorotti, Teacher, Amador County Unified School District

“We have eliminated 80% of our library services…”
‐ Steve Mitrovich, Superintendent, San Carlos School District, Anderson, CA

Although education only represents 40 percent of the state budget, California public schools have been subjected to 60 percent of the cuts.

"American Education Week is traditionally a time to celebrate our public schools and the success of our students. And while our students have made progress—this year unfortunately is marred by the billions of dollars cut from our public schools and the damage being done to the academic future of our kids. It’s not business as usual in our classrooms anymore,” said David A. Sanchez, president of the 325,000-member California Teachers Association. “Class sizes have increased at all grade levels, making it
harder for students to get the individual attention they deserve. It’s time for everyone to stand up for our public schools and make them our state’s top priority.”

"Parents are stepping up as never before to help out our schools. They're volunteering in classrooms, serving on committees and joining PTAs in rising numbers. But they can't make up for ongoing budget cuts," said Jo Loss, president of the California State PTA, which has nearly 1 million members throughout the state. "These cuts undermine all our talk about rising expectations, widening opportunity and closing the achievement gap. Arts instruction, class-size reduction and other programs that are crucial to these goals are being wiped out. It's time to find the leadership and courage to honor our promises to California's children."

“We strive to create a public school system where students can thrive in small class sizes with up-to-date textbooks and state-of-the-art technology, in schools with updated facilities,” said Charles Weis, President of ACSA and Superintendent of Schools for Santa Clara. “But with these historic cuts to public education, our state’s leaders are denying students the basic resources they need to succeed.”

“State funding for community colleges has been slashed by more than 16% at the same time as fees have risen 30% and fewer courses are being offered. The CSU trustees and UC regents are raising the costs of a four year education out of the reach of working families,” said Marty Hittelman, President of the California Federation of Teachers. “Unless our state’s leaders close corporate tax loopholes, generate more revenue and stop trying to balance the budget on the backs of California’s students, we will rob generations of students the quality education they deserve now and into the future.”

“Time and again, voters have said that education should be protected from cuts, and that we should invest in our students and our state’s future,” said Paula S. Campbell, President of the California School Boards Association. “Our students simply cannot sustain further cuts. It’s time for our leaders to focus on real priorities – and for voters to hold those accountable who don’t.”

Read Report "Chronicling the Cuts" and News Reports from Various Media

Press Release: ‘American Education Week’ Events Unite California Teachers, Parents, Administrators, School Boards, Support Professionals To Warn of School Cuts Hurting Students

Mon, 16 Nov 2009 08:00:00 GMT

BURLINGAME – Starting with a town hall on Bay Area education cuts in San Francisco tonight, California teachers, parents, school board members, administrators and education support professionals will unite at several media events statewide this week to warn the public of the harm being done to students by massive state school cuts during the Nov. 16-20 national “American Education Week.”

While the National Education Association’s 88th annual American Education Week is a time for celebrating teaching and learning across the country, entire California school communities are spending it sounding the alarm about the damage done to schools, colleges and universities. K-14 education has been cut more than $17 billion the past two years, and universities have been hit with hundreds of millions in additional cuts.

“Teachers stand with their school community colleagues in wanting to remind the public of the damage being done to the academic future of our students by massive cuts,” said David A. Sanchez, president of the 325,000-member California Teachers Association. “It’s not business as usual in our classrooms any more. American Education Week is a time to stand up for our public schools and to draw the line against further cuts.”

The cuts have caused soaring class sizes, more than 20,000 educator layoffs this year, school closures and the elimination of art, music and vocational courses. Many events this week will discuss the need to end the undemocratic requirement that a state budget needs a two-thirds vote of the Legislature to pass – and how corporate tax breaks given this year to large companies by state lawmakers must be overturned. The public is joining this urgent conversation at the CTA advocacy website www.StandUpForSchools.org.

The education events come as the governor last week predicted California could be facing a state budget deficit as high as $14 billion starting July 1, 2010 – with other reports saying the deficit could be billions more, forcing the state to look at even more education cuts. Here is a sampling of some of the American Education Week events across the state:

AMERICAN EDUCATION WEEK EVENTS

TONIGHT: San Francisco – Town Hall on Bay Area School Cuts
CTA Contact: Mike Myslinski -- (408) 921-5769
WHAT: Town hall with Bay Area teachers and parents.
WHEN: 7-8 p.m. tonight (Monday, Nov. 16).
WHERE: John O’Connell High School of Technology, Little Theater Room, 2355 Folsom St., San Francisco, 94110.
Moderators: The town hall moderators will be Larry Allen, a member of the CTA Board of Directors; Dennis Kelly, president of United Educators of San Francisco; and Gus Goldstein, president, AFT Local 2121, San Francisco Community College Federation of Teachers.

TUESDAY: Sacramento – California Education Coalition Press Conference
Contact: Robin Swanson – (916) 204-6890
WHAT: Press Conference with Education Coalition Leaders, including CTA President David A. Sanchez.
WHEN: 1 p.m. Tuesday, Nov 17.
WHERE: California Teachers Association offices, 1118 10th St., Sacramento, 95814.

TUESDAY: Orange County – Local Protest and Press Conference
Contact: Kimberly Claytor – (949) 510-1988
WHAT: Local protest over school cuts. Speakers include Michael Stone and Jim Rodgers – members of the CTA Board of Directors – and Vicki Soderberg, president of Capistrano United Educators Association.
WHEN: Noon Tuesday, Nov. 17.
WHERE: Newport-Mesa Unified School District Adult Education Center, 2045 Meyer Place, Costa Mesa.

WEDNESDAY: Los Angeles County – Media Availability with Local Educators
CTA Contact: Frank Wells – (562) 708-5425
WHAT: Media availability to discuss local cuts. Those attending include area educators and school board members from Downey, Whittier area, Garvey, Rio Hondo College, Compton, Norwalk/La Mirada and others. This is a meeting of the CTA Southeastern Service Center Council.
WHEN: 5:30 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 18.
WHERE: Holiday Inn Select, 14299 Firestone Blvd., La Mirada.

WEDNESDAY: Los Angeles – Local Protest and Press Conference
Contact: Bob Samuels – (805) 680-2719
WHAT: Students and Faculty to Hold 24-hour Protest.
WHEN: Noon Wednesday, Nov. 18.
WHERE: UCLA campus – Covel Commons

WEDNESDAY: Watsonville – Local Protest and Press Conference
Contact: Francisco Rodriguez – (831) 726-6866
WHAT: Local Protest and Press Conference
WHEN: Noon Wednesday, Nov. 18.
WHERE: Pajaro Valley School District offices, 294 Green Valley Road, Watsonville

WEDNESDAY: San Diego – Press Conference
Contact: Jim Miller - (619)702-6335
WHAT: Local Press Conference
WHEN: 1 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 18
WHERE: San Diego City College, 1313 Park Blvd, San Diego

Press Release: Teachers Praise Signing of Bill to Secure Funding For CTA-Backed QEIA Law Helping Neediest Schools

Sun, 08 Nov 2009 08:00:00 GMT

BURLINGAME – The governor has signed a bill securing funding for this fiscal year for a successful eight-year program bringing extra resources to hundreds of lower-performing public schools thanks to the CTA-backed Quality Education Investment Act of 2006.

“This bill will ensure that the 500,000 students receiving extra help in the 499 QEIA-funded schools continue to reap the benefits of proven education reforms,” said David A. Sanchez, president of the California Teachers Association. “Confusion during the summer’s budget crisis brought uncertainties about funding for this year, but now the program can continue to generate academic success at QEIA schools.”

The governor on Thursday signed ABx3 56 to ensure funding – and to guarantee that school districts with QEIA schools would not see any additional funding cuts. QEIA promotes proven reforms such as smaller class sizes, more counselors, and additional staff training.

New data shows the QEIA schools are showing significant academic gains. On average, the 499 QEIA schools scored five points higher than similar schools in the state’s Academic Performance Index (API) for the last school year, the first full year of extra QEIA resources. Also, 351 of the 499 QEIA schools met state schoolwide targets for API academic growth in the 2008-09 school year. The state’s API accountability system uses test scores to gauge progress and sets an API target of 800 for every public school. Seven QEIA schools exceeded this 800 API score benchmark, while 51 QEIA campuses had API growth of 50 points or more, according to an analysis by the QEIA Technical Assistance Center at the Los Angeles County Office of Education.

Press Release: Education Coalition Warns Against Premature ‘Race to the Top’ State Policy Changes

Mon, 02 Nov 2009 08:00:00 GMT

Education Leaders Urge Lawmakers to Wait for Federal Guidelines Before Considering SB 1 5X

Sacramento—The state Education Coalition today urged lawmakers to involve all stakeholders and wait for final guidelines as they consider potential education reforms related to the federal Race to the Top competitive grant program. Education leaders called on Senate President Pro Tempore Darrell Steinberg and Senate Education Committee Chair Gloria Romero to slow down efforts to push through Senate Bill 1 5X, a new measure on which Romero held a hearing this morning. Among other things, the proposed law would seek significant changes in how the state addresses its lower-performing schools, the current cap on charter schools, student transfer rules, and how data is used to measure teacher and administrator effectiveness.

“Education reform shouldn’t be a race; it deserves serious attention that will actually help kids and improve student achievement,” said CTA President David A. Sanchez. “Proposed reforms need thoughtful discussion with all stakeholders, including parents, teachers and community members. They should not be sprung on the public just hours before last-minute hearings if any meaningful input is really going to take place.”

“By rushing to enact legislation before the release of final federal regulations,” said CSBA President Paula S. Campbell, “the California State Senate is jumping to conclusions about what is required by the federal government as well as what makes good sense. For example, while districts should have a wide range of options to improve low performing schools, SB1 5X instead limits reform options by forcing districts to choose from options that research has consistently shown to have a limited chance of success. It makes no sense to act quickly if the result is a step backward for school reform.”

“At this time we should be focusing on working together to develop a thoughtful Race to the Top plan, rather than adding new laws that may be unnecessary or that may conflict with the final guidelines,” said ACSA president and Santa Clara County Superintendent of Schools Charles Weis. “Our analysis shows there is no need for changes to state law to apply for Race to the Top, and premature reforms may have long term and potentially unnecessary consequences for students and schools.”

“We fully support efforts to turn around persistently low performing schools, improve student achievement and close the achievement gap, but such efforts need to be done in a thoughtful manner with input from all stakeholders including parents and community members,” said Debbie Look, director of legislation for the California State PTA. “We acknowledge the sense of urgency created by the short timeline of the application process for Race to the Top funds, but our sense of urgency is based on providing all students, especially the historically underserved, opportunities for a high quality education.”

“In this time of unprecedented budget cuts to schools, we should focus on thoughtful proposals to help our schools, not further hinder them. Students are not best served through premature and rushed decisions made in emergency legislative sessions. None of the proposals in SB 1 5X is of an urgent nature that needs to be passed right now,” said Allan Clark, president of the California School Employees Association.

California Federation of Teachers President Marty Hittelman said, “The Legislature should wait to respond to the published regulations that will come out as a result of formal review at the federal level - there is no reason to rush the process and move in directions that are both educationally disruptive and are not responsive to the final federal regulations.”

Alert: Urge Your State Senators: Block Effort to Turn Race to the Top into Rush to Failure

Sat, 31 Oct 2009 09:30:49 GMT

CTA needs your help right now to stop legislative efforts to turn the Race to the Top into a rush to failure.

State Senator Gloria Romero (D-Los Angeles), a candidate for State Superintendent of Public Instruction, is using the federal Race to the Top (RTTT) program to push through unnecessary legislation that will hurt teachers, students and schools.

CTA is asking you to call your State Senators and ask them to reject Senate Bill 1 5X.

Background: Hastily Amended Bill, Short Notice

Under the cover of the special session on education called by Gov. Schwarzenegger, Sen. Romero has amended her measure and worked with Sen. President Pro Tempore Darrell Steinberg (D-Sacramento) to put the bill on a “fast track.”

The bill was amended Thursday night with the intention of having the Senate Education Committee pass it on Monday, followed immediately by a vote of the full Senate.

Not only is this “short cut” suspect, it also prevents lawmakers from giving the measure and its major education changes the careful study they deserve. Members of the education community and the public deserve time to review and have input on this legislation.

What’s even worse – the bill would change state law before the RTTT federal regulations are even finalized.

Those regulations may not be finalized until December. It makes no sense to pass the Romero bill now.

SB 1 5X has numerous problems:

 It locks into state law unnecessary changes Sen. Romero claims are needed to implement RTTT even before the federal regulations governing the program have been adopted.

 It repeats the mistakes of the fatally flawed No Child Left Behind Act, including the overreliance on test scores as the only measure of student achievement.

 It modifies regulations governing the entire School Improvement Grant Program in hopes of helping California get one-time RTTT funds, but it would also cause schools to lose SIG money if they do not comply with the new state regulations.

 It forces irresponsible and punitive changes in teacher and administrator evaluations.

 It allows unfettered increases in under-regulated charter schools that are not responsible to the community.

 It substitutes narrow compliance in place of innovation and local flexibility vital to schools’ success.

 It increases costs and mandates at a time schools are staggering under $17 billion in cuts and 20,000 educator layoffs.

CTA Coordinators: Contact Senators

Contact your State Senator today and over the weekend, and urge other CTA members at your school to do the same. The message is short and simple:

 Vote against SB 1 5X.

 Don’t change state law before federal RTTT regulations have been finalized.

For more information, contact CTA Manager of Legislative Relations Lori Easterling at 916.325.1500 or GR Communications Consultant Len Feldman at lfeldman@cta.org.

Press Release: CTA Members Testify in Assembly ‘Race to the Top’ Hearing

Wed, 28 Oct 2009 07:00:00 GMT

Educators Warn Against Long-Term Consequences of Rushed Application Process on Students and Schools

Sacramento — California Teachers Association members and staff provided important testimony in today’s California Assembly Education Committee Hearing on the federal Race to the Top competitive grant program. Although recent legislation resolved issues that might have prevented California eligibility for the grant application, many issues still remain about other major changes either applying for or receiving the federal funds might have on students and schools. Today’s hearing focused on Data Systems to Support Instruction, and Standards and Assessments.

“Education reform shouldn’t be a race; it deserves serious attention that will actually help kids and improve student achievement,” said CTA President David A. Sanchez. “Teachers welcome accountability. They want the whole system accountable as long as multiple and meaningful measures are used. We want to ensure that new legislation doesn’t reinforce the one-size-fits-all, single-test-score approach that has been coming from Washington for several years now under No Child Left Behind.” Sanchez added that the hearing and making changes to education policy in California are premature because the Race to the Top guidelines and regulations have not been finalized yet.

San Jose area teacher Cynthia Cooper testified in opposition to even greater emphasis on test scores in determining what makes an effective teacher. Cooper, who teaches in the Oak Grove School District, reminded committee members that effective teaching is largely about skill sets and training, as well as actual classroom practices. “These new proposals are centered on a convenient bureaucratic strategy with very serious limitations that will actually result in nullifying 10 years of work to create the architecture of teaching and learning in this state,” said Cooper. She went on to provide examples of how student assessment based upon multiple measures instead of a narrow test, as well as an effective use of data systems are used as part of both teacher evaluation and improving student and teacher achievement in her own school district.

CTA Legislative advocate Isabelle Garcia warned that California needs adequate time to review any proposed national standards and that a 2010 deadline in the Race to the Top guidelines is arbitrary and inappropriate. In addition to raising several major concerns about the standards adoption timelines and process, Garcia reminded lawmakers of the correlation between adequate funding and any meaningful assessment results, especially in light of over $17 billion in program cuts, course eliminations, and layoffs state schools have endured over the last two years. “Regardless of the impact of implementing the standards and assessment proposed mandates in Race to the Top, California must properly and adequately fund its public schools to increase the quality and educational outcomes of students, schools, and districts.” More of CTA’s concerns and research about Race to the Top are posted at www.cta.org.

Press Release: New Data Show Early Success for CTA-Backed QEIA Law -- Lower-Performing Schools Make Significant Gains

Thu, 22 Oct 2009 07:00:00 GMT

BURLINGAME – Lower-performing public schools targeted with extra resources across the state because of the California Teachers Association’s Quality Education Investment Act of 2006 are making significant academic gains, an early analysis of school performance data shows.

“These targeted schools of greatest need are making classroom gains because of proven reforms like smaller class sizes, extra teachers, more counselors and better staff training,” said CTA President David A. Sanchez. “What teachers said about the value of the CTA-sponsored Quality Education Investment Act three years ago is coming true today. Proven reforms work, and the increased achievement by students in QEIA schools is a testament to the value of funding proven reforms.”

On average, the 499 QEIA schools scored five points higher than similar schools in the state’s Academic Performance Index (API) for the last school year, the first full year of extra QEIA resources. Over eight years, the targeted QEIA schools will get nearly $3 billion in help, including funds for smaller classes, more counselors and teachers, and additional staff training. Also, 351 of the 499 QEIA schools met state schoolwide targets for API academic growth in the 2008-09 school year. The state’s API accountability system uses test scores to gauge progress and sets an API target of 800 for every public school. Seven QEIA schools exceeded this 800 API score benchmark, while 51 QEIA campuses had API growth of 50 points or more, according to an analysis by the QEIA Technical Assistance Center at the Los Angeles County Office of Education.

This preliminary data about gains at many of the QEIA schools adds to the reasons why the funding for districts with these schools should not be cut by $375 million – as is the possibility now due to confusion during the state budget deficit negotiations this summer. The governor vetoed SB 84, the legislation that would have protected these districts. New, CTA-backed pending legislation – ABx3 56 – will secure funding so that these districts do not suffer additional cuts in revenue. The state Senate has approved this fast-tracked bill and the Assembly is scheduled to vote on it Monday.

Parents and administrators are joining teachers in praising the promise of QEIA. “Parents want the best for their children, and the data show that QEIA clearly can help to deliver a better education for more children and their families,” said Jo Loss, president of the California State PTA, which has nearly 1 million members. “These findings also demonstrate that QEIA can be a crucial tool for closing the achievement gap among students in our state – and that is essential to building an education system that lives up to its promise for all children.”

“QEIA provides the resources and focus needed to fundamentally improve student learning,” said Frank Porter, superintendent of the Twin Rivers Unified School District in Sacramento County, where the QEIA school, Oakdale Elementary, had a strong API score of 828. “At Oakdale Elementary, teachers, administrators, staff, and families have worked together in the best interest of students and have made an amazing difference. Oakdale, a school serving low-income students where 89 percent qualify for free or reduced-priced lunches, grew their school API score 152 points in two years. That represents significant student learning that may not have happened without QEIA.”

In addition to significant API growth, eight QEIA schools made enough gains to exit their “Program Improvement” status for this school year, a status imposed by the federal No Child Left Behind act that can lead to sanctions or having schools converted to charters. Those successful schools leaving “P.I.” are, by county:

Alameda County: Marilyn Avenue Elementary, Livermore Valley Joint Unified; ACORN Woodland Elementary, Oakland Unified.

Los Angeles County: Aeolian Elementary, Los Nietos Elementary District; Evergreen Elementary, East Whittier City Elementary District.

Orange County: Martin Elementary, Santa Ana Unified; Kinoshita Elementary, Capistrano Unified; Melrose Elementary, Placentia-Yorba Linda Unified.

Tulare County: Jefferson Elementary, Dinuba Unified.

The QEIA schools exceeding the state’s API score target of 800 for all public schools:

Sacramento County: Oakdale Elementary, 828 API score, Twin Rivers Unified.

San Diego County: Harborside Elementary, 845, Otay Elementary, 824, and Silver Wing Elementary, 805, all in the Chula Vista Elementary School District; Clover Flat Elementary, 825, Mountain Empire Unified.

San Francisco County: Miraloma Elementary, 851, San Francisco Unified.

Ventura County: Grace S. Thille Elementary, 827, Santa Paula Elementary School District.

Of the 51 QEIA schools that gained 50 points or more in API growth for the 2008-09 school year, the top three in terms of points were:

Shasta County: Juniper Academy, 122 points, Redding Elementary School District.

San Francisco County: Malcolm X Academy, 99 points, San Francisco Unified.

Riverside County: Cahuilla Desert Academy Junior High, 98 points, Coachella Valley Unified.

CTA will release more detailed research this winter about the progress in QEIA schools. More information about QEIA is at http://www.cta.org/issues/current/QEIA.htm When the CTA-sponsored QEIA law (SB 1133) was enacted in 2006, the eligible schools were in the bottom two deciles for performance. The legislation grew out of the settlement of a lawsuit between CTA and Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger over funding owed to schools under Proposition 98. QEIA is helping schools that are serving more than 500,000 students who are mostly low income, minority and English learners. Each QEIA school stresses the collaboration of teachers, parents and administrators, and the law gives local school districts the flexibility to support programs that best fit the local needs of their students, and that will also help close student achievement gaps.

Alert: Urge Governor to Sign SB 84 to Protect QEIA and Restore $402M

Sat, 03 Oct 2009 07:37:54 GMT

Your efforts have helped CTA and school supporters move a key funding protection bill – SB 84 by Senate President Pro Tempore Darrell Steinberg (D-Sacramento) – to the governor’s desk.

It’s urgent right now to press Gov. Schwarzenegger to sign SB 84 to protect school districts’ revenue limits while securing $402 million in promised funding for the Quality Education Investment Act. Nearly 2.7 million students – primarily minority and economically disadvantaged students and English Language Learners – will be harmed should the governor veto the bill.

For a detailed discussion, see http://californiascapitol.com/blog/?p=889. Also, Check our QEIA section additional information.

SB 84 will both protect QEIA and prevent funds from being redirected from schools’ Revenue Limits – districts’ basic per-student funding – until the state Superintendent of Public Instruction certifies that other state or federal funds will be used to replace the Revenue Limit funds.

The QEIA funding was guaranteed as part of the July 2009-2010 state budget agreement. The “QEIA Fix” bill provides a process to allow districts to certify their local budgets and fully implement QEIA. The ambiguity of the original legislation has made some districts increasingly nervous.

Background: Court Ruling Won Funds

Under a court settlement brought by CTA in 2006, the administration agreed to provide the Quality Education Investment Act (QEIA) with $406 million annually in non-Proposition 98 funding.

CTA filed the lawsuit when the Schwarzenegger administration refused to repay moneys owed to public education as a result of the suspension of Proposition 98 in 2004-2005.

As part of the 2009 budget agreement, the funding for QEIA was to be provided from other state and federal sources, not at the expense of basic school funding.

CTA and its allies successfully persuaded lawmakers last month to approve the “QEIA Fix” bill.

Once signed, the bill will guarantee that no Revenue Limit funding will be diverted from school districts until replacement state or federal funds have been identified and certified.

SB 84, the “QEIA Fix” bill awaiting the governor’s signature, will repair the financial transaction, protect local school districts, and get the desperately needed funding out to schools.

CTA Coordinators: Contact Lawmakers - Contact Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger’s office.

Call him at 916.445.2841. Fax him at 916.445.5633. Write him at The State Capitol, Sacramento, CA 95814. Email him using the convenient Legislative Action Center.

Urge other CTA members at your school to contact the governor. Use the talking points below. Please make your calls starting immediately. The message is short and simple:

Sign SB 84 (Steinberg), the Quality Education Investment Act (QEIA) fix bill now.

Protect basic funding for all districts while ensuring that QEIA schools also get their own desperately needed funding.

The QEIA Fix Bill will ensure that other state and federal funding is directed to the QEIA and those schools of greatest need.

For more information, contact CTA Manager of Legislative Relations Lori Easterling or GR Communications Consultant Len Feldman at 916.325.1500.

Alert: URGENT: Public option amendment vote Tuesday!

Sat, 26 Sep 2009 02:38:10 GMT

The Senate Finance Committee is expected to vote on amendments to add a choice of a public health insurance option to Max Baucus's bill on Tuesday. Even though your Senators aren't on the Senate Finance Committee, it's urgent that you call your Senators right now and tell them where you stand on a public health insurance option.

Give your Senators a call immediately and tell them where you stand on a public health insurance option! Click here to call.

The Senate Finance Committee is the most conservative committee in the Senate, itself the most conservative house of Congress. And yet, even in the Finance Committee we have a lot of support for a public health insurance option, and you can help us build more.

Please click to call right now and tell your Senators you want the choice of a public health insurance option. The voting will happen on Tuesday, so contact them today!

As Senator Rockefeller said, "There is no alternative to the public health insurance option, the only alternative is the status quo." Call now!

Press Release: CTA President David A. Sanchez Issues Statement Of Solidarity With UC Faculty and Students Protesting Devastating Cuts, Fee Hikes

Thu, 24 Sep 2009 07:00:00 GMT

BURLINGAME – David A. Sanchez, president of the 340,000-member California Teachers Association, issued this statement of solidarity today to support the statewide day of action by UC faculty and students protesting program cuts and huge fee hikes:

“The 340,000 members of the California Teachers Association support today’s efforts by UC professors, staff and students to protest and raise awareness about the devastating cuts facing California schools and universities. State budget cuts, the furlough days, fee increases and other actions taken by the UC administration have placed quality higher education further out of reach for thousands of California students, including current high school juniors and seniors who are trying to learn in a K-14 system dealing with its own massive cuts and layoffs.

“To add insult to injury, UC administrators gave themselves a raise in the midst of a 32 percent fee hike for students, reductions in class offerings and staff forced to take furlough days because of budget cuts.

“Today’s protest marking the start of the academic year shows that UC staff and students will not treat this year and the latest cuts as simply ‘business as usual.’ We applaud your efforts to fight for affordable, quality education and we stand with you in solidarity.”

(More information about the UC protest is at http://ucfacultywalkout.com/)

Press Release: Largest Study of Teachers in the U.S. Yields Valuable Information about Cancers and Health in Women

Mon, 14 Sep 2009 07:00:00 GMT

Northern California Cancer Center and collaborating institutions have studied over 133,000 California teachers over the past 15 years

BURLINGAME, Calif. – An ongoing health study of over 133,000 California teachers is leading cancer researchers to some interesting theories that may contribute to discovering the causes and prevention of breast and other cancers. A tribute to the teachers’ participation in this research was published in the September issue of the California Educator magazine.

The Northern California Cancer Center (NCCC) and collaborators at university medical schools and institutions throughout the state have been conducting research for the aptly named California Teachers Study since it began in 1995. The continuing health study has focused on lifestyle, medical history and women’s health, as it follows and surveys the large group of teachers through the years.

“We believe California teachers will be the ‘Harvard nurses’ of the future,” said NCCC researcher Christina Clarke, Ph.D., referring to a landmark study of more than 180,000 nurses that provided a wealth of information about women’s reproductive health. “Teachers have given us great data. Since the study began, the teachers in this study have cumulatively filled out about 4.5 million pages of questions, provided around 10,000 biospecimens, and participated in approximately 3,000 interviews.”

Early findings from the study found that teachers have a much lower rate than the general population of cervical cancer, as well as heart disease and lung cancer because they are generally a non-smoking group. Findings also confirmed a concern initially expressed by California teachers themselves that they experienced a higher rate of breast cancer than comparable women in California.

With National Breast Cancer Awareness Month coming up in October, it is important to note that later findings from the study have revealed lifestyle factors that may affect breast cancer risk. The researchers have found that breast cancer risk was higher among women who combined hormone therapy use with more than one alcoholic drink per day. They also found that strenuous, long-term exercise reduced the risk of invasive and in-situ breast cancers.

Some of the survey information is leading Dr. Clarke and the California Teachers Study researchers to new ideas that build upon what has already been important research in the prevention of breast cancer. While the study continues, another one is being planned that continues to involve California teachers and encourages them to play a role in focusing the research project.

Working in collaboration with the Northern California Cancer Center on the California Teachers Study are several other institutions, including the University of California at Irvine, the University of Southern California, and the City of Hope, all of which are conducting research studies that draw from the teacher data. Researchers from NCCC and these other institutions are looking at other factors that may have an impact on cancer, including obesity, diet, second-hand smoke, and air pollution.

“I am so proud of our teachers. Their participation in this important study shows that their influence goes far beyond the classroom,” said CTA President David Sanchez. “The information that thousands of our teachers have provided will one day have a major impact on the health of women worldwide.”

The Northern California Cancer Center is the only center in the country dedicated solely to cancer prevention research. It is recognized nationally as a leader in researching the causes and patterns of cancer across the population and improving the prevention and detection of cancer. For more information, see http://www.nccc.org.

The California Educator is the magazine of the 340,000-member California Teachers Association. It can be found online at www.cta.org.

Alert: Press Governor to Protect QEIA and Restore $402M

Fri, 11 Sep 2009 05:39:54 GMT

Push for Promised Funding

Your help is urgently needed to press Gov. Schwarzenegger to sign SB 84 to protect school districts’ revenue limits while securing $402 million in promised funding for the Quality Education Investment Act. CTA pushed for new legislation that will protect QEIA and prevent funds from being redirected from schools’ Revenue Limits – districts’ basic perstudent funding – until the state Superintendent of Public Instruction certifies that other state or federal funds will be used to replace the Revenue Limit funds.

The QEIA funding was guaranteed as part of the July 2009-2010 state budget agreement. The "QEIA Fix" bill -- SB 84 -- provides a process to allow districts to certify their local budgets and fully implement QEIA. The ambiguity of the original legislation has made some districts increasingly nervous. Check our QEIA section for details.

Background: Court Ruling Won Funds

Under a court settlement brought by CTA in 2006, the administration agreed to provide the Quality Education Investment Act (QEIA) with $406 million annually in non-Proposition 98 funding.

CTA filed the lawsuit when the Schwarzenegger administration refused to repay moneys owed to public education as a result of the suspension of Proposition 98 in 2004-2005.

As part of the 2009 budget agreement, the funding for QEIA was to be provided from other state and federal sources, not at the expense of basic school funding.

As a result, on CTA members' urging, lawmakers approved SB 84.

The bill would guarantee that no Revenue Limit funding would be diverted from school districts until replacement state or federal funds have been identified and certified.

Now the Governor needs to sign SB 84. The bill will repair the financial transaction, protect local school districts, and get the desperately needed funding out to schools.

CTA Coordinators: Contact the Governor

Contact Governor Schwarzenegger now. Use the talking points below.

Urge other CTA members at your school to contact the Governor.

The message to the Governor is short and simple:

Sign SB 84 now.

Protect basic funding for all districts while ensuring that QEIA schools also get their own desperately needed funding.

SB 84 will ensure that other state and federal funding is directed to the QEIA and those schools of greatest need.

For more information, contact CTA Legislative Advocate Estelle Lemieux or GR Communications Consultant Len Feldman at 916.325.1500.

Press Release: Student Progress Shown by New High School Exit Exam Results Makes It Clear That Now Is the Time to Stand Up for Public Schools

Wed, 02 Sep 2009 07:00:00 GMT

The Following Statement Was Released Today by CTA President David A. Sanchez:

BURLINGAME – David A. Sanchez, president of the 340,000-member California Teachers Association, issued this statement about today’s release by the California Department of Education of the positive testing results concerning the California High School Exit Exam:

“Despite unprecedented budget cuts to public education, the hard work of California educators and students was reflected again today as a record number of students are passing the High School Exit Exam. More students are passing the exit exam – 90.6 percent of the Class of 2009, or nearly 433,000 students, passed the exam by the end of their senior year. Combined with the STAR Program results last month that showed steady test score gains across the state in all grades tested, educators and students should be proud of this progress, especially since students are faced with some of the toughest academic standards in the nation.

“The high school exit exam numbers are impressive. Not only are more students passing the test, more are passing it when it’s first offered in the 10th grade. And the results show a narrowing of the student achievement gaps as well. Overall, these numbers show what dedicated teachers and education support professionals can do despite working in a state that ranks 47th in per-student funding.

“The big question is how this progress can continue when public education funding was cut $17 billion the past two years, the largest education cuts since the Great Depression. Class sizes are painfully larger this fall, and many art, music, career technical education and other vital programs are gone. More than 20,000 teachers, nurses, school librarians and counselors lost their jobs. Now is the time to stand up for our public schools. Change is needed to protect our schools and students, and CTA will be driving that conversation to make the changes needed to give students the quality education they all deserve.”

Press Release: CTA Kicks Off New Ad Campaign Reminding Californians that Quality Public Schools Are an Investment in Everyone’s Future

Mon, 31 Aug 2009 07:00:00 GMT

BURLINGAME – As the state’s schools prepare for the beginning of a new school year, the California Teachers Association today is hitting the airwaves and newspapers to remind everyone that a quality public education isn’t just the best investment we can make in our children – it’s the best investment we can make in everyone’s future.

The statewide radio and print campaign marks the ninth annual back-to-school campaign to remind all Californians that public education is essential to building stronger local communities and a better California for all of us.

This school year, California students will be returning to classes that are very different from the ones they left in June. With $6 billion in additional cuts made by the state Legislature, California’s education funding has been cut by more than $17 billion over a two-year period – the greatest single cut since the Great Depression. As a result, students are returning to schools with larger class sizes; fewer teachers, since more than 20,000 were laid off; and fewer opportunities to take art, music and vocational education classes.

“We want to remind the people of this state that their future depends on these children receiving a quality education, that teaching and learning is more than a test score, and educators need resources to help our students succeed,” said CTA President David A. Sanchez. “We must find a solution to what has become chronic underfunding of schools, for everyone’s sake.”

The radio ad features several students describing what they want to be when they grow up, while teachers tell the radio audience that quality schools do more than give children a chance to dream – they are an investment in the state’s future.

The radio ads begin Monday and run for three weeks on stations in every media market in the state, including Spanish- and Asian-language stations. The print ads will appear in about 40 ethnic newspapers, including African American, Latino, Chinese, Japanese, Thai, Hmong, Vietnamese, Indian, Korean, Filipino, Armenian, and Native American publications.

The radio ads are posted on the CTA website: www.cta.org

Press Release: Don’t Make ‘Race to the Top’ Funding Quest a Race to Reckless Reforms That Hurt Students and Teachers

Wed, 26 Aug 2009 07:00:00 GMT

San Jose Teacher Warns Against Fast-tracking Sweeping Changes

SACRAMENTO – A San Jose teacher and a California Teachers Association legislative expert testified at a Capitol hearing today that making quick and sweeping education law changes just so the state can apply for one-time “Race to the Top” academic funding could hurt students, teachers and schools.

“The proposed eligibility requirements for these federal funds are more of the same one-size-fits-all policies of the failed No Child Left Behind Act, and the final requirements have not yet been adopted,” said CTA President David A. Sanchez. “Teachers want lawmakers to understand that students and educators are more than just a test score. Teachers and parents understand that paying and evaluating teachers on a single test score is shortsighted and detrimental. Lawmakers should not make getting Race to the Top money an excuse for racing to reckless reforms in this state—especially when those reforms strip away local control and replace it with federal mandates.”

KC Walsh, a teacher in San Jose’s Oak Grove Elementary School District, testified that many districts already use current law to make test scores one part of measuring both student and teacher progress. “In my district, we have implemented a plan that works effectively,” she said today at the joint hearing of the Senate Education Committee and the Senate Budget Subcommittee on Education Finance. “After all, few people are more interested in improving student learning and effective teaching than teachers.”

Walsh warned that Race to the Top guidelines spell out a “very narrow definition of teacher effectiveness [that] actually imposes a far lower standard of accountability than our current law. It also fails to support the real conversations that lead to improvement. In fact, the limited definition will force schools to narrow their curricula, neglect already-proficient students, dumb down their standards, and focus solely on test results. And that’s not what we want for our students. Our proven success with locally developed strategies is a good reason for rejecting more top-down federal regulations and mandates.”

Patricia Rucker, a CTA legislative advocate and expert on Race to the Top, cautioned lawmakers that hasty changes made to California’s education laws could undermine programs that have been helping students and schools achieve for 10 years. She called the federal program “inadequate, piecemeal, and unrelated to the instructional work teachers do in their classrooms.” CTA’s concerns and research about Race to the Top are posted at www.cta.org.

Alert: Urge Lawmakers to Move Carefully on Gov.’s Federal Reform Plan

Sat, 22 Aug 2009 05:59:40 GMT

08.21.09Your help is needed immediately to block Gov. Schwarzenegger’s hasty implementation of some ill-advised federal reform proposals that could have the same negative impact as the worst provisions of the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB).

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has announced his new education reform agenda that is more of the same policies that voters rejected in 2005. At the insistence of Federal Education Secretary Arne Duncan, Gov. Schwarzenegger is pushing the legislature to adopt some major changes in California education law in order to become eligible for some new federal funding. In fact, on Thursday he announced he was calling a special session of the legislature to work on state barriers to school innovation and improvement.

Even to apply for these "Race to the Top (RTTT)" grants, lawmakers would have to change the state’s rigorous academic content standards and assessment system; mandate student test scores be used as a "significant factor" in teacher evaluations and compensation, promotion, and dismissal; and link teacher data and student data at the state level with unknown access and consequences. Many of these changes would harm, instead of help, our students.

Background: New Federal Grants

The Obama Administration has created "Race to the Top (RTTT)," a package of competitive grants authorized by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA). The program is set to provide $4.35 billion dollars to the 50 states. If California receives a "fair share," it will get almost $500 million in one-time funding.

Currently, the RTTT regulations are up for comment and review by the public. CTA, other state affiliates of the National Education Association (NEA), and the NEA are writing responses to the proposed RTTT regulations in commentary due to federal officials by Aug. 28. After the USDepartment of Education (USDOE) reviews the comments, the USDOE is expected to finalize the regulations in October 2009. At that time, states will be able to apply for Phase 1 of the RTTT competitive grants, and the awards are expected to be made early in 2010. States that apply but are not awarded grants in Phase 1 may reapply in Phase 2, along with states that are applying for the first time in Phase 2. Phase 1 grantees may not apply for additional funding in Phase 2; they will receive full-sized awards in Phase 1.

CTA Coordinators: Contact Lawmakers

Contact your state Senator and Assembly Member now. Use the talking points below and then deliver the same message to Gov. Schwarzenegger’s office. Also organize other CTA members and school supporters to contact their state Senators and Assembly members. Tell lawmakers and the governor:

Governor and Lawmakers should not rush into education reform by changing effective state laws just to meet an arbitrary deadline set by the USDOE.
The proposed regulations are more of the same one-size-fits-all approach of the NCLB that has failed California students and schools for the last several years.
These proposed regulations would undermine California’s high academic standards, some of the most rigorous in the nation.
The grants represent just one-time federal money. The governor could hold onto 50% of the funds to use as he sees fit. Those dollars might never reach the classroom.
California can apply for this one-time money in the second round of federal grants. That would give everyone time to review the proposed regulations and do what’s right. California schools and students need reforms that make sense.

For more information, contact CTA Legislative Relations Manager Lori Easterling or GR Communications Consultant Len Feldman at 916.325.1500.

Press Release: Teachers Say Governor’s Rush to Change Laws So California Can Apply for Race to the Top Funding Could Undermine Student Progress and Hurt Schools

Thu, 20 Aug 2009 07:00:00 GMT

Federal Requirements Repeat Failed, One-Size-Fits-All Policies of No Child Left Behind and Will Lead to More Teaching to the Test

BURLINGAME – The governor’s call today to rush the Legislature to change state laws in order to meet federal funding mandates will hurt student achievement and is all too similar to the failed, one-size-fits-all policies of the No Child Left Behind Act, cautions the California Teachers Association.

“California teachers certainly recognize the need for more school funding, but calling lawmakers into a special session to rewrite state education laws so California can apply for federal ‘Race to the Top’ (RTTT) grants before the guidelines have even been established and without public discussion is a knee-jerk reaction that our state can’t afford, and could undermine the achievement and progress our students and schools are making,” said Dean E. Vogel, vice president of the 340,000-member CTA. The federal guidelines for the RTTT grants won’t be finalized until October.

“California voters overwhelmingly rejected the governor's education reform agenda in 2005 and this is just more of the same. The proposed Race to the Top requirements repeat the top-down mandates of the flawed No Child Left Behind Act, with its over-reliance on test scores to measure student achievement,” said Vogel. “Students are more than one test score and so are educators. There must be multiple measures for student achievement and evaluating teachers. Using test scores to pay and evaluate teachers will lead to more teaching to the test and will hurt those students who need the most help.”

Despite U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan’s claims, and concerns by the governor, student testing data is already linked to teachers at the local level in this state. Right now, this data is available to teachers and school administrators to analyze and evaluate student progress. State law also already requires the use of student assessment results in the evaluation of teachers, including the use of criterion-referenced tests as determined by local teachers and administrators.

“Education reform is important business for the state of California as our children’s future depends on it. Rather than racing to make changes to appease the federal government, any education changes should be done with serious thought, consideration and input from educators and parents,” Vogel said.

CTA supports using student testing data to improve student learning, instructional strategies and professional development. CTA has long supported and advocated for growth models as a better measurement of student achievement as students and schools should be given credit for the progress they make. In California, CTA has also led efforts to improve lower-performing schools. The CTA-sponsored Quality Education Investment Act provides funding for proven education reform efforts such as smaller class sizes and teacher and administrator training, and for hiring much-needed counselors in high schools.

After the governor cut more than $18 billion from public education over the last two years, teachers certainly agree that our schools need and deserve more money, but according to the proposed Race to the Top guidelines the governor could hold onto half of the funds to use as he sees fit. “Any additional money should be focused in our classrooms – not paying for more layers of bureaucracy,” Vogel said.

Press Release: CTA President Calls on All Legislators to Approve New State Budget Agreement that Protects Minimum Funding Law and Repays Funds Owed to Schools

Tue, 21 Jul 2009 07:00:00 GMT

BURLINGAME – David A. Sanchez, president of the 340,000-member California Teachers Association, issued this statement on the new budget agreement to resolve the state’s $26.3 billion budget deficit:

“The compromise budget agreement limits further damages to our students and schools. It protects the state’s minimum school funding law and restores much needed funds to education once the economy improves. California educators are calling on both houses of the Legislature and the governor to quickly approve the budget plan, which will repay our schools billions of dollars they are owed by law.

“Suffering the largest budget cuts since the Great Depression, the casualties of the state’s budget battlefield will be starkly apparent when our students return to their schools this fall to find fewer teachers, fewer course offerings, and fewer resources. School funding was cut more than $12 billion. Class sizes will be painfully larger and many art, music, career technical education and other vital programs are gone. More than 17,000 teachers, nurses, school librarians and counselors lost their jobs. Community colleges and universities will turn away thousands of students.

“Educators call on lawmakers to approve this budget so local school districts can move forward and get ready for the new school year. Quality public schools build stronger communities. Educators stand with all Californians who were hurt by this budget brinkmanship in saying that we must find a better way. We owe it to our students, and we all owe it to the future of our state.”

Press Release: CTA Launches Statewide TV Ad Campaign Denouncing Governor’s Proposal to Suspend Prop. 98

Wed, 08 Jul 2009 07:00:00 GMT

BURLINGAME – The California Teachers Association is launching a statewide TV ad campaign denouncing Gov. Schwarzenegger’s latest budget proposal to suspend Proposition 98, the state’s minimum school funding law, which would rob billions of dollars more from the state’s public schools and community colleges.

“Educators will not tolerate the governor’s attacks on Proposition 98, our schools and our students. In fact, many of these cuts could have been avoided if the governor had approved the compromise budget plan before July 1,” said CTA President David A. Sanchez. “In the past year alone, education spending has been cut by $12 billion, forcing districts to cancel summer school, dramatically increase class sizes, close libraries, and eliminate art and music programs. Suspending Prop. 98 would make matters even worse for our students and their future.”

The TV ad reminds Californians of the governor’s promise following the 2005 Special Election when he stated he would never again violate the minimum-funding guarantee for schools. Yet, education funding has already been subjected to 60 percent of the cuts in the state budget. More than 27,000 pink slips were sent out this spring, resulting in the layoffs of 17,000 educators, and more are expected this summer.

The ad concludes by asking Californians to call the governor and urge him to protect our schools and put our kids first.

“Enough is enough! Our schools and colleges are being destroyed by these cuts, while big business enjoys tax breaks,” Sanchez said. “Instead of cutting education, health care and programs for the poor and elderly, the governor needs to repeal the corporate tax breaks handed out to big business earlier this year and tax oil production like every other state. Lawmakers must consider additional revenues and pass a fair state budget now.”

The campaign begins tomorrow on TV stations statewide. It launches on the heels of 10,000 postcards delivered to the governor earlier this week. The spots can also be found on CTA’s website at www.cta.org.

Press Release: California Teachers March from San Diego Convention Center to Governor’s Office With 10,000 Postcards

Mon, 06 Jul 2009 07:00:00 GMT

Message From Teachers Across the Country: Don’t Suspend Prop. 98! Pass Budget Now!

SAN DIEGO – One hundred of the 1,100 California educators attending the National Education Association’s Representative Assembly meeting in San Diego marched 10,000 postcards signed by teachers from all over the country from the San Diego Convention Center this morning to Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger’s office with a clear message: Don’t suspend Proposition 98 and pass a fair budget now.

“We hope the governor hears the message that we are bringing to him today from California teachers and educators from all over the country not to suspend the minimum funding law and take even more money from public schools and our students,” said David A. Sanchez, president of the 340,000-member California Teachers Association.

“With over $12 billion in cuts already, public schools can’t take anymore. Many districts have eliminated summer school classes, class sizes are increasing, 17,000 teachers and thousands of other school employees have been laid off and art, music, physical education and career technical education programs are vanishing. California already ranked 47th in per-pupil spending before the last round of cuts,” Sanchez said.

Chanting, “Enough is Enough,” “Fair Budget Now,” and “Students First,” teachers expressed concern about the affect of the massive budget cuts on students and education programs. Mike Noce, a Republican middle school PE teacher from Mt. Diablo, who joined the march said, “I'm disappointed in the governor and his ‘cuts only’ approach. I was hoping he would be a moderate Republican leader and a bridge builder between the parties. Instead, he's refused to build the necessary compromises. The governor must make education a top priority in our state and stop threatening to suspend Proposition 98.”

“Our children are supposed to be a priority, but that is not the message that they are getting,” said Moreno Valley Teacher Lizeth Piskulich, who received notification that she could be laid off in August layoffs. “The governor must not cut our schools and students further. We must do everything we can to give our children the best education possible.”

“The governor should repeal corporate tax breaks that he gave to big business and tax oil production like every other state. And we must look at reducing the two-thirds vote requirement to pass a state budget as well as other budget reforms. This partisan gridlock is destroying our state.”

View photos of post card delivery to Governor Scwarzenegger's San Diego offices.
View video of press conference.

Press Release: 10,000 Teachers From Across the Country Tell Governor "Don’t Suspend Prop. 98 and Pass a Fair Budget Now!"

Sat, 04 Jul 2009 07:00:00 GMT

California teachers are marching to the governor’s San Diego office Monday to deliver thousands of postcards from teachers urging him to protect Prop. 98, pass a fair budget now and protect schools and students

SAN DIEGO – Over 1,100 California teachers and 10,000 educators, school nurses, counselors, librarians, bus drivers, cafeteria workers and other school employees from across the country sent a clear July 4th message to the governor today from the floor of the NEA Representative Assembly not to suspend Proposition 98—the minimum school funding law—and pass a fair state budget now.

“Enough is enough! Educators will not tolerate the governor’s attacks on Proposition 98, our schools and our students,” said David A. Sanchez, president of the 340,000-member California Teachers Association. “The governor’s latest plan to suspend the minimum school funding law and to cut another $3 billion from public education when our schools have already been cut by $12 billion is enough.”

California was already 47th in per-pupil spending before the cuts. Now, due to the massive budget cuts to public education, summer school classes have been eliminated, class sizes have increased, art, music, physical education and career technical education programs have already disappeared. And 17,000 educators and thousands of other school workers have been laid off, and more layoffs are already underway.

Moreno Valley teacher Lizeth Piskulich learned while at the Representative Assembly that she was going to be laid off. This is the second notice for Piskulich, who was told last week that she was rehired. “As shocking and disappointing as this is for me and my family, 150 teachers have been laid off in my district, twenty-two of our counselors have been let go and all elementary and middle school summer school classes were cancelled. Sadly, students are the real victims here,” Piskulich said.

“Our kids and public schools are suffering. Instead of always cutting education, health care and other vital services first, the governor needs to repeal the corporate tax breaks he gave to big business earlier this year. He needs to tax oil production like every other state in the country,” Sanchez said.

The president of the largest state teachers union in the country also said it’s time for real budget reform in Sacramento, including getting rid of the two-thirds vote requirement for passing a state budget.

California teachers are marching from the San Diego Convention Center to the governor’s San Diego office Monday, July 6 at 9 a.m. to deliver the 10,000 postcards collected from educators on the floor of the Representative Assembly today.

Alert: Approve the Budget Compromise that Protects Prop 98 and Restores $11.3B to Schools!

Fri, 03 Jul 2009 05:22:43 GMT

July 21, 2009

Urge Your State Lawmakers to Vote 'YES' on AB 3 and SB 3 Today!

STEP 1

Use CTA’s toll-free hotline number: (888) 268-4334.

If you are calling from your home phone, the toll-free number will connect you automatically to your Assemblymember or State Senator.
-or-
If the hotline cannot read your number, it will ask you to enter your zip code and then you will be connected.

STEP 2

Once you are connected:

• Ask to speak to the Assemblymember or Senator. If he/she is not available, leave a message with the legislator’s staff or record a message on the answering machine.

• Be sure to identify yourself as a constituent living in the district, as well as a classroom teacher/education support professional/or college instructor.

• Leave your contact information so the lawmakers or their staff can get back to you.

STEP 3

Make these important points:

• Vote “Yes” on the budget compromise that protect Proposition 98 and the “maintenance factor.” The plan commits the state to restore about $11.3 billion in future years. Vote "Yes" on AB3 and SB3.

• Support the compromise because it rejects the governor’s original proposal to suspend Proposition 98. The suspension of that CTA-initiated constitutional protection for schools could have paved the way to virtually unlimited education cuts.

• California’s public schools are being hit by another $6 billion cut on top of the record $12 billion already cut! These are the largest education slashes since the Great Depression. The problem will only get worse if this compromise doesn’t pass.

• Approve this budget compromise now so local school districts can move forward and get ready for the new school year.

STEP 4

Then call the Governor at one of his offices:

State Capitol: 916-445-2841
Fresno: 559-477-1804
Los Angeles: 213-897-0322
Riverside: 951-680-6860
San Diego: 619-525-4641
San Francisco: 415-703-2218

STEP 5

Provide your feedback to CTA Legislative Relations:
Email budgetadvocates@cta.org or call 916-325-1500.

Press Release: Education Coalition Opposes Governor's Proposal to Suspend Prop. 98 and Make Deeper Cuts to Public Schools

Thu, 02 Jul 2009 07:00:00 GMT

The Education Coalition strongly opposes Governor Schwarzenegger’s proposal announced yesterday to suspend Prop. 98, the state’s minimum school funding law, so that he can make deeper cuts to education on top of the $11.6 billion already enacted.

Time and again, Californians have voted to protect Prop. 98 and have overwhelmingly rejected any attempts to undermine the law. Public polls show that voters continue to support increasing funding to our schools, saying it is the last place they want state leaders to cut. And yet, lawmakers have subjected education funding to 60 percent of the cuts made to the state budget. Though there have been many attempts to undermine Prop. 98 over the years, education funding continues to grow at a much slower pace than most other areas of the budget.

Quite, simply, Prop. 98 is not the problem – it’s time for lawmakers to take a balanced approach to solving the state’s budget crisis, instead of shortchanging an entire generation of students of the quality education they deserve.

With public schools already taking the worst funding hit since the Great Depression, the Education Coalition maintains that public schools simply cannot sustain any further cuts, and also supports schools being repaid the funding they are owed under Prop. 98.

Suspending Prop. 98 would further drain basic resources from schools that have already been forced to increase class sizes, cut programs critical to student learning, cancel bus routes and eliminate summer school programs, as well as librarians, counselors and arts and music classes.

California’s students – who already live in a state that ranks 47th in the nation in per-pupil spending – have been subjected to historic, unprecedented cuts. The devastation of these cuts is not only lost jobs right now, but deep, lasting damage to the ability of our children and the state to compete and succeed in the future.

The Education Coalition represents more than 2.5 million teachers, parents, administrators, school board members, school employees and other education advocates in California. For more information, please visit our website at: www.protectourstudents.org

Press Release: CTA President David A. Sanchez Issues Statement Regarding the Governor’s Call to Suspend Proposition 98 and His Refusal to Sign a Fair Budget on Time

Thu, 02 Jul 2009 07:00:00 GMT

SAN DIEGO — “The governor’s call to suspend Proposition 98, the state’s minimum school funding law, because he and a few Republican senators failed to do their jobs and pass a fair state budget by the July 1 deadline is totally unacceptable. After forcing the state into fiscal bankruptcy, he wants to take more money from schools, children’s programs and health care.

“California public schools and colleges have already been cut by a record $12 billion. Summer school classes have been eliminated, class sizes are increasing, and more than 27,000 teachers received layoff notices this year. These numbers are astounding. Our schools and children are hurting.

“Enough is enough! Instead of always cutting education and other vital services first, it’s time to rescind the corporate tax breaks handed out earlier this year and tax oil production like every other state in the country. And it’s time for real budget reform, including reducing the two-thirds vote requirement to pass a state budget. The partisan politics and gridlock are destroying our state.

“The Assembly had already passed a compromise budget fix that would have limited program cuts, restored some funding for schools, student loans and health care for poor children, and would have raised some state revenues. But because the governor and Republican senators failed to act, the governor is calling for a special session of the Legislature and the suspension of the state’s minimum school funding law.

“Students and schools didn’t cause this problem, and their education should not be undermined to solve it. Our children are our future. We should be trying to build one for them.”

Alert: Tell Governor and GOP Senators: Stop the Games; Pass Budget Now to Repay Schools

Wed, 01 Jul 2009 04:18:57 GMT

June 30, 2009

It’s time to send Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and Republican State Senators an important message: stop your political grandstanding. Pass a fair state budget now that repays schools more than $9.3 billion in desperately needed funding.

Time is running out. The Assembly has already passed a compromise budget fix that will help prevent the state from having to pay its bills with IOUs, virtually worthless promissory notes that banks may not honor or cash. The Assembly compromise will limit program cuts and raise some state revenues.

But instead of supporting this compromise, the governor and Republican members of the state Senate are continuing to play political games. The future of our students and the fates of our dedicated educators and educational support professionals have been hanging in the balance while the governor and these Republican lawmakers bicker and posture. Republican Senators say they won’t vote for the compromise, and the governor is threatening to veto it.

CTA Asks You to Call the Governor and Republican Senators NOW!

Call the governor and the Republican legislators whose numbers are listed below. Make two major points:

Tell Them To Pass a Fair State Budget Now.
Lawmakers need to approve and the governor needs to sign a fair budget that limits cuts and that raises some revenues.

The compromise budget approved in the Assembly restores some funding for student loans and health care for poor children.

The legislature and the governor should raise taxes on oil and tobacco companies, instead of making more devastating cuts to vital state programs.

Tell Them to Repay Money Owed to Schools by Enacting AB 42xxx/ SB33xxx.
Two identical measures – AB 42xxx and SB 33xxx -- would repay schools the money they are owed under the state's minimum school funding law, Proposition 98.

AB 42xxx and SB 33xxx would set up a repayment plan that would restore the funding to public schools as the economy improves. Ask them to enact the bills.

Call the governor and the legislators listed below today. Your calls can help us win this fight.

Tell the governor and lawmakers how cuts are hurting your students – tell your stories!

Call Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger at 916-445-2841

Call Republican State Senators at their numbers below:

Republican Senators	Capitol Phone	District	Home City
Senator Sam Aanestad	916-651-4004	SD 4	Colusa
Senator Roy Ashburn	916-651-4018	SD 18	Bakersfield
Senator John Benoit	916-651-4037	SD 37	Riverside
Senator Dave Cogdill	916-651-4014	SD 14	Fresno
Senator Dave Cox	916-651-4001	SD 1	Roseville
Senator Jeff Denham	916-651-4012	SD 12	Merced
Senator Bob Dutton	916-651-4031	SD 31	Rancho Cucamonga
Senator Tom Harman	916-651-4035	SD 35	Costa Mesa
Senator Dennis Hollingsworth	916-651-4036	SD 36	Temecula
Senator Bob Huff	916-651-4029	SD 29	Glendora
Senator Abel Maldonado	916-651-4015	SD 15	San Luis Obispo
Senator George Runner	916-651-4017	SD 17	Lancaster
Senator Tony Strickland	916-651-4019	SD 19	Simi Valley
Senator Mimi Walters	916-651-4033	SD 33	Laguna Hills
Senator Mark Wyland	916-651-4038	SD 38	San Juan Capistrano

Provide your feedback to CTA Legislative Relations by e-mailing budgetadvocates@cta.org or by calling 916-325-1500.