CTA News

Press Release: 10,000 Teachers From Across the Country Join CTA in July 4th Action Telling 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: Don't Suspend Proposition 98!

Fri, 03 Jul 2009 05:22:43 GMT

July 2, 2009

Call the Governor and Your Democratic State Senator today!

Call Your State Senator at Her/His Capitol office number listed below or by using this toll-free number: 1-888-268-4334.

Ask to speak to the Senator. If he/she is not available, leave a message with the Senator’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 Senator or Senate staff can get back to you.

Make These Important Points!

Do not suspend Proposition 98!

The proposed cuts would have a devastating impact on our students and public schools (give local examples).

The Governor’s call to suspend the state’s minimum school funding guarantee is unacceptable.

California public schools have already been cut by a record $12 billion!

Any approach to solving the state budget crisis must include increased revenues.

It is time to rescind the corporate tax breaks handed out earlier this year!

Big Oil and Big Tobacco need to pay, too!

Stop the political games! The partisan politics and gridlock are destroying our state.

Call Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger at 916-445-2841

Call Our Friends in the State Senate:

Elaine Alquist SD13	(916) 651-4013
Ron Calderon SD30	(916) 651-4030
Gilbert Cedillo SD22	(916) 651-4022
Ellen Corbett SD10	(916) 651-4010
Lou Correa SD34	(916) 651-4034
Mark DeSaulnier SD7	(916) 651-4007
Denise Moreno Ducheny SD 40	(916) 651-4040
Dean Florez SD16	(916) 651-4016
Loni Hancock SD9	(916) 651-4009
Christine Kehoe SD39	(916) 651-4039
Mark Leno SD3	(916) 651-4003
Carol Liu SD21	(916) 651-4021
Alan Lowenthal SD27	(916) 651-4027
Gloria Negrete McLeod SD32	(916) 651-4032
Jenny Oropeza SD28	(916) 651-4028
Alex Padilla SD20	(916) 651-4020
Fran Pavley SD23	(916) 651-4023
Curren D. Price, Jr. SD26	(916) 651-4026
Gloria Romero SD24	(916) 651-4024
S. Joseph Simitian SD11	(916) 651-4011
Darrell Steinberg SD6	(916) 651-4006
Patricia Wiggins SD2	(916) 651-4002
Lois Wolk SD5	(916) 651-4005
Rod Wright SD25	(916) 651-4025
Leland Yee SD8	(916) 651-4008

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

Press Release: Education Coalition Calls For Comprehensive Budget Solution, Supports Repaying Schools Funds Owed Under Proposition 98

Thu, 25 Jun 2009 07:00:00 GMT

As billions more to cuts in public education are proposed, including cutting $1.4 billion from a school year that has already ended, the Education Coalition is calling for the Legislature to enact a comprehensive budget solution and supports provisions repaying schools the funding they are owed under Prop. 98.

The Education Coalition also wants to remind our state’s leaders that there are no federal stimulus dollars remaining to “back-fill” any further cuts. With school doors closed for the year and summer school programs canceled, lawmakers are proposing additional cuts to school budgets that have already been spent from sources that have already been drained. School districts simply don’t have a time machine to go back and make cuts to a school year that has already ended.

As a result of the unprecedented cuts to education made over the past year, California’s schools are planning to increase class sizes, cut programs critical to student learning and cancel bus routes in the coming school year.

California’s students – who already live in a state that ranks 47th in the nation in per-pupil spending – have been subjected to unprecedented cuts, wiping out programs that help student achievement and robbing an entire generation of the quality education our children deserve.

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

During the past week, local schools have been forced to make even deeper cuts:

Schools feel cash crunch (Monterey County Herald 6/25/09)

As the June 30 budget deadline for school districts approaches, only one thing is certain: What is on the books at the end of the month may not be what is on hand this fall.

The cumulative cuts for all county school districts for the current and upcoming fiscal year amount to $54 million.

SRJC to cut 430 classes in fall semester (Santa Rosa Press Democrat 6/24/09)

Santa Rosa Junior College is cutting 15 percent of its fall course schedule, a move that will eliminate about 430 classes and save $2.5 million.

“We are looking at a fairly significant number of classes,” said college president Robert Agrella. “We are getting much closer down to bare bones.”

L.A. Unified OKs $1.6 billion in cuts over three years (Los Angeles Times 6/24/09)

The Los Angeles Board of Education on Tuesday approved nearly $1.6 billion in cuts over the next three years that will result in layoffs and increased class sizes and could one day mean the elimination of such key programs as all-day kindergarten and summer school. The action also makes it increasingly likely that many of those targeted for layoffs, including about 2,200 teachers and up to 2,000 school staff, such as custodians and cafeteria workers, will be dismissed, although union leaders said they are still negotiating to save jobs.

Districts approve reduced budgets (The Desert Sun 6/24/09)

Two Coachella Valley school districts on Tuesday approved budgets for the 2009-10 school year that were slashed by tens of millions of dollars in state funding.

The boards of education for both Palm Springs and Desert Sands unified school districts unanimously passed the budgets, $194 million and $219 million respectively.

Both districts have cut teaching and administrative employees, left vacant positions unfilled, increased class sizes, cut back on programs and decreased funding to school sites, among other changes.

Buses cut, teachers’ pay may be next (Novato Advance 06/25/09)

Responding again to the state of California’s economic woes, the Novato Unified School District board of trustees Monday night approved a resolution that reserves the right to negotiate for reduced 2009-10 compensation for all employees.

Sports fees spread at capital-area schools (Sacramento Bee 6/21/09)

Meanwhile, some districts are considering closing the doors on middle school athletics and freshmen teams.

"It's been a real challenge to work through," Colfax athletic director Rob Hitchcock said. "Things have changed daily because of the state budget."

Red Bluff Union High School auto shop chopped (Red Bluff Union 6/21/09)

The school board is considering cuts to numerous programs and classes as it struggles to close a projected $530,000 deficit for Fiscal Year 2009-2010.

Even facing declining enrollment and shrinking state funding, cutting the auto shop class was never considered until now and Wednesday night the board said the program would not be renewed in the fall.

Alert: Urge Lawmakers to Repay Funds Owed to Schools

Thu, 18 Jun 2009 00:37:00 GMT

6/16/09

Protect Billions in Prop. 98

Your help is needed right away to secure the rapid approval by the legislature and Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger of a measure that will restore at least $9.3 billion in desperately needed Proposition 98 funding.

Both the state Senate and the Assembly are expected to vote as early as Monday, June 23, on a budget compromise crafted by a two-house budget conference committee.

Please contact your state Senator and Assembly Member right now and urge them to vote for the public school repayment in the conferees’ budget compromise.

Then contact Gov. Schwarzenegger and urge him to sign the compromise plan.

Background

With the state in the grips of the greatest economic downturn since the Great Depression of the 1930s, CTA, the Education Coalition and other pro-education groups have been battling to defeat the worst education cuts in the state’s history.

Education supporters have been able to win guarantees in the conferees’ plan that would give back to schools at least $9.3 billion in restoration funding when the economy turns around.

These victories are contingent upon the full legislature approving a budget trailer bill compromise reached by the two-house budget conference committee on June 16.

Public education’s foes, including those who would like to replace public schools with tax-credit funded private schools, would love to see these funds cut from public education forever.

Work to gain approval for the public school repayment is only the first part of CTA’s action plan.

CTA also supports rescinding the corporate tax breaks given to businesses over the past two years and giving local school districts the ability to spend down their reserves in these times of need.

Contact Lawmakers

Get in touch with your state Senator and Assembly Member now. Then deliver the same message to Gov. Schwarzenegger’s office.

Urge them to support the repayment of the money owed to K-14 schools under state law that is contained in the conference committee budget compromise.

Organize other CTA members and school supporters in your area to contact their state Senators and Assembly members and urge them to support the school repayment.

In this economic environment, all lawmakers need to hear from their education constituents about how cuts are hurting our students.

Read and use the key points below.

KEY POINTS

Our public schools and students have endured too much already. Public education has taken more than 60 percent of the state budget cuts. The governor is proposing additional education cuts of $1.6 billion this school year and another $4.6 billion in the state fiscal year starting July 1. This is in addition to the crippling $11.6 billion in cuts made to schools and colleges in February’s budget deal. The total cuts to education would add up to nearly $3,000 per student.

California students and our public schools must be priorities. Support school repayment provisions contained in the conference committee budget compromise. This will help restore some of the drastic cuts to education.

In addition, increased revenues must be part of the solution. This includes passing majority-vote fee increases; allowing local school districts to raise revenues by lowering the vote requirements for parcel taxes from two-thirds to a majority vote; and rescinding corporate tax breaks approved in the February budget agreement. Rather than giving tax breaks to big businesses, lawmakers need to invest in our future – our children. Rescinding these tax breaks would save $2.5 billion a year.

Our students are the ones who are suffering. We ask them to meet some of the highest academic standards in the nation, and then fund their education at an embarrassing level, currently 47th in the nation. We can’t expect our students to continue to make improvements and meet our standards when the state refuses to provide the resources necessary to help students succeed. Maybe it’s time for the state to temporarily suspend the state’s testing and accountability system until it can provide adequate funding.

Local schools also need flexibility on reserve requirements. Schools need the ability to spend down their reserves without penalty to keep further cuts away from students. Schools would then have five years to rebuild those reserves.

Please share your own stories about what is happening in your local school district.

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

Press Release: Cuts to School Bus Service Risks Students' Lives; Potentially Increases Drop-Out Rates

Mon, 15 Jun 2009 07:00:00 GMT

As the Legislature’s budget conference committee considers cutting schools an additional $6 billion on top of the $11.6 billion in cuts already enacted, school bus routes are one of the many resources on the chopping block, with potentially tragic consequences.

The fewer options there are for children to get to school, the more likely it is that students without transportation will drop out, while those who do try to find an alternative will often resort to dangerous options, including driving with teenage friends or walking in dangerous neighborhoods or along treacherous routes.

According to the national Transportation Research Board: “Children are at far more risk traveling to and from school in private passenger vehicles – especially if a teenage driver is involved – than school buses.”

The Los Angeles Times also detailed some tragic consequences of school-to-home travel (7/28/08, “California school districts ending or reducing bus service for students,” by Seema Mehta). Mehta reports that according to a study by the National Research Council, “about 800 children are killed and 152,000 are injured annually during school travel hours.” Only 2% of the deaths and 4% of the injuries involve school buses, according to the Research Council study, while the rest occur when children are walking or bicycling to school, or in family cars, particularly if a teen is driving.

The National Safety Council reports that school buses are 172 times safer than the family automobile and 8 times safer than scheduled airlines.

Teachers, parents and administrators have also expressed concern that many students who don’t have any other options will simply drop out of school altogether, and State Superintendent Jack O’Connell has confirmed that realigning bus routes can contribute to lower attendance and a higher dropout rate.

Last year, California schools continued the steady academic progress that has been achieved since the inception of the state’s accountability system 10 years ago. The percentage of schools at or above the API target of 800 was up from 2007 at all school levels – up 3.3 percentage points for elementary schools, up 5.7 percentage points for middle schools, and up 2.8 percentage points for high schools.

The fact remains that there is no way that California’s schools can continue to maintain the progress in student achievement made in recent years, including improved Academic Performance Index (API) scores, in the midst of devastating statewide cuts, particularly if students are denied transportation options to get to school in the first place.

California already ranks dead-last in the nation in per-pupil spending, and there’s simply nowhere left to cut. 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 Responds to Governor’s Budget Crisis Speech

Wed, 03 Jun 2009 07:00:00 GMT

BURLINGAME – David A. Sanchez, president of the 340,000-member California Teachers Association, issued this response to the governor’s speech yesterday to the Legislature on the state budget crisis:

“The governor talked about putting California back on the road to prosperity. But by proposing billions of dollars in new cuts to our schools and colleges, he’s putting the state on the road to academic ruin. The state is setting our students up for failure. Laying a new foundation for our future means investing in our students, who are our future.

“There are tough decisions to be made, but we can no longer afford the reckless cuts that prevent teachers and school districts from providing students with the well-rounded education they deserve. CTA urges the governor and the Legislature to reject a cuts-only approach to closing the budget deficit. Additional revenues must be part of the solution, and it starts with repealing the tax breaks given to big business earlier this year.”

Press Release: Governor Addresses Legislature to Propose Cutting Schools By Billions More, But Hundreds of Parents, Teachers, School Bus Drivers and Others Made Their Voices Heard at Budget Committee Hearing

Tue, 02 Jun 2009 07:00:00 GMT

Advocates Say Cuts Will Change the Face of Public Education in California, Undermine Our State’s Future

Governor Schwarzenegger addressed the California State Legislature today in an attempt to garner support for his plan to make further devastating cuts to our public schools, but education advocates yesterday spelled out the disastrous consequences of those cuts to our students. Hundreds of concerned parents, teachers, bus drivers, custodians, administrators, school board members and other concerned citizens lined up to give testimony for hours at the legislative committee hearing on the budget.

Douglas Bell, a San Mateo student, who graduated only three days ago, asked the Governor not to take away the resources students need to succeed. “Students are the future of California – please don’t undermine our education,” he said.

Representatives from the PTA also expressed their concerns. Laura Kieffer, a council president of the PTA from South Pasadena PTA schools have lost class size reduction programs, librarians, art and music classes, summer school classes and many other programs that help student achievement.

“The cut-backs in transportation mean that students in rural areas can’t get to school,” said Rebecca Scheel, a school bus driver from Gilroy. Richard Romero, a custodian from Fresno, said he’s worried about student health as cleaning crew cutbacks leave more germs and bugs circulating in classrooms for longer periods of time. Norma Pyle, a school employee from Sacramento, also expressed concern that adult supervision on school campuses is at an all-time low, including cutbacks in the campus safety monitors who prevent intruders from gaining access to school campuses.

Mike Bustos, a math teacher from Sacramento, said that with increasing class sizes, it is increasingly difficult to help students struggling to learn basic skills. “We simply can’t keep depleting resources from our students and expect them to learn. It’s time to make an investment in our future.”

“The entire music program in my school has been terminated,” said Art McGaw, a music teacher from Millbrae. “That means 400 music students no longer have the option of music education. These are the very classes that promote creative and abstract thinking – how can our leaders be so shortsighted?”

Representatives from community colleges also talked about the fact that the increasing cost of higher education is placing a college degree out of reach for many students. School board members and administrators spoke about the terrible decisions they must face as school budgets are obliterated by the lack of state funding.

Governor Schwarzenegger’s May Revision proposal includes more than $6 billion in additional cuts. These devastating cuts come on top of the $11.6 billion in cuts already enacted. That means that California’s students, who already live in a state that ranks 47th in the nation in per-pupil spending, will be subjected to cuts totaling $3,000 per student, wiping out programs that help student achievement and robbing an entire generation of the quality education they deserve. (Not to mention moving California toward the dubious ranking of dead- last in the nation in per-pupil funding.)

The Education Coalition remains committed to finding long-term solutions to the chronic underfunding of our public schools, and to addressing the needs of all students. Increased revenues must be part of the solution, including majority-vote fee increases and local revenue raising authority. In addition to looking at program reductions, the Legislature needs to review and reduce tax expenditures including the new tax breaks that were approved just this past year.

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. We want them to work with educators who have access to ongoing training and mentoring to ensure that they are able to do the best job possible of motivating our students to learn. We hope to create a prevailing and contagious outlook that all students deserve a chance to succeed, with the financial resources to make it happen.

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: Revised Budget Plan and Proposed Education Cuts Will Bankrupt Future of 9.8 Million California Students

Fri, 29 May 2009 07:00:00 GMT

BURLINGAME – The billions of dollars of new cuts to public education proposed by the governor today in his May Revision budget will bankrupt the academic futures of California’s 9.8 million students in schools, colleges and universities, California Teachers Association President David A. Sanchez warned.

“California can’t climb out of this financial hole if we continue to rob our children of a well-rounded education,” Sanchez said. “The future we want for our students and our state can only be achieved by investing in our children today. The latest round of proposed cuts will impact a generation of students. The education of our children must be the state’s top priority if we are going to reach a better future.”

Following the voters’ rejection of five ballot measures designed to help the state navigate through a difficult economy, the governor is proposing additional education cuts of $1.6 billion this school year, and another $4.6 billion in the fiscal year starting July 1. This is in addition to the crippling $11.6 billion in cuts made to schools and colleges in February’s budget deal. Combined, this means a cut of nearly $3,000 per student.

“Our public schools and students have endured too much already,” Sanchez said. “Around the state, art, music and sports and vocational education programs have been cut. Dropout prevention programs, summer school, advanced placement courses and adult education classes have been eliminated. More than 27,000 teachers, counselors, nurses and education support professionals have already received layoff notices, and with these additional budget cuts more layoffs are expected in August. This means students will be facing class sizes of 35 to 40 students next year.”

“Our students are the ones who are suffering here. We ask them to meet some of the highest academic standards in the nation, and then fund their education at an embarrassing level, currently 47th in the nation. We can’t expect our students to continue to make improvements and meet our standards, when the state refuses to provide the resources necessary to help students succeed. Maybe it’s time for the state to temporarily suspend the state’s testing and accountability system until it can provide adequate funding.”

“In these tough economic times, there are tough decisions to be made. Rather than giving tax breaks to big businesses, lawmakers need to invest in our future – our children. CTA will continue to fight to make sure that all students get the quality education they deserve and that schools get the resources they need to help students succeed,” concluded Sanchez.

Press Release: California's Students Suffer Death By A Billion Cuts -- As Talk Of Total Cuts To Education Reaches $17.4 Billion

Fri, 29 May 2009 07:00:00 GMT

As cuts to California’s students continue to be rolled out a dizzying pace, some may have trouble keeping up with the staggering total of cuts to education, which has now reached an unimaginable $17.4 billion.

Governor Schwarzenegger’s May Revision proposal includes an additional $1.6 billion in cuts for 2008-09 and $4.2 billion in cuts for 2009-10, for a total of $5.8 billion in additional cuts. These devastating cuts come on top of the $11.6 billion in cuts already enacted.

That means that California’s students, who already live in a state that ranks 47th in the nation in per-pupil spending, will be subjected to cuts totaling nearly $3,000 per student, wiping out programs that help student achievement and robbing an entire generation of the quality education they deserve. (Not to mention moving California toward the dubious ranking of dead- last in the nation in per-pupil funding.)

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. Although education only represents 40 percent of the state budget, our schools have been subjected to 60 percent of the cuts. As a result of the unprecedented cuts to our schools, class size reduction programs have been virtually eliminated, while arts, music, sports, advanced placement, special needs and other essential programs are on the chopping block.

Progress in student achievement made in recent years, including improved Academic Performance Index (API) scores, will be impossible to maintain in the midst of devastating program cuts. In 2008, California schools continued the steady academic progress that has been achieved since the inception of the state’s accountability system 10 years ago. The percentage of schools at or above the API target of 800 was up from 2007 at all school levels – up 3.3 percentage points for elementary schools, up 5.7 percentage points for middle schools, and up 2.8 percentage points for high schools. The historic cuts being enacted by the Governor and the Legislature will undoubtedly reverse these positive trends.

The Education Coalition remains committed to finding long-term solutions to the chronic underfunding of our public schools, and to addressing the needs of all students. Increased revenues must be part of the solution, including majority-vote fee increases and local revenue raising authority. In addition to looking at program reductions, the Legislature needs to review and reduce tax expenditures including the new tax breaks that were approved just this past year.

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. We want them to work with educators who have access to ongoing training and mentoring to ensure that they are able to do the best job possible of motivating our students to learn. We hope to create a prevailing and contagious outlook that all students deserve a chance to succeed, with the financial resources to make it happen.

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: Teachers, Administrators Speak Out in Sacramento To Protect Adult Ed Schools, ROP Centers From Cuts

Thu, 28 May 2009 07:00:00 GMT

SACRAMENTO – Teachers and administrators lobbied lawmakers in Sacramento this week to protect valuable adult education programs and career technical education classes from the massive public education cuts being considered by the Legislature in response to the state budget crisis.

The lobbying effort was a joint push by members of the California Teachers Association and the Association of California School Administrators. The strong message was that these programs should be removed from a “Tier III” (or bottom) category of more than 40 public education categorical programs. The designation – set by legislators as part of the February state budget package – allows school districts to raid funds for these programs and shut them down.

“With California’s unemployment rate at 11 percent, these kinds of programs offer people a chance to get back into the workforce,” said David A. Sanchez, president of the 340,000-member CTA. “Efforts to cut these programs are extremely shortsighted. They need to be removed from the ‘Tier 3’ list and protected, not abandoned.”

Teachers taking part in the lobbying included the CTA Alternative, Career and Technical Education Committee of the association’s State Council of Education, its top governing body. Cris Johnson, chairperson of that committee, took part because he said he sees the cuts first-hand where he teaches, the Sacramento City Unified School District.

“In my district, they are closing all the adult school evening programs,” Johnson said. “This includes a lot of career and technical education programs, such as those that teach students to be bus drivers and to organize medical records.”

The effort this week to protect these programs is part of CTA’s ongoing battle to remove adult education and Regional Occupational Program (ROP) centers from Tier III status and place them into what is known as Tier II status, where they would be protected from funding raids by school districts. For more background, see the CTA Educator magazine story on this fight at this link: www.cta.org/media/publications/educator/current/0509_mad_07.htm

Press Release: CTA Announces 16 Winners of its John Swett Awards Honoring Media Coverage of Education in California

Fri, 22 May 2009 07:00:00 GMT

Media stories ranging from a look at homeless students in one San Francisco Bay Area school district making academic gains to an investigation of contaminated water in the Los Angeles Unified School District to a look at how the foreclosure crisis is uprooting public school students are among the works honored by the California Teachers Association’s 50th annual John Swett Awards for Media Excellence.

Sixteen entries in the prestigious CTA awards contest were chosen by an independent panel of media professionals. The awards honor individuals, publications, websites and television and radio stations for their outstanding achievements in reporting and interpreting public education issues during 2008.

“These winners have demonstrated their ability to capture the struggles and successes in our classrooms with candor and compassion,” said David A. Sanchez, president of the 340,000-member CTA. “These journalists and editors helped tell the compelling story of public education in California. All of this year’s winners showed the kind of insight that deserves special recognition.”

There were 54 entries this year. The winners received their awards during a reception in their honor at the CTA State Council of Education meeting in Los Angeles on May 15. CTA also will take out a full-page advertisement in the July/August issue of Columbia Journalism Review magazine to list the winners and give them national recognition.

The award is named in honor of the founder of CTA, who was California’s fourth superintendent of public instruction. This year’s 16 John Swett Award winning entries:

Newspapers

Nanette Asimov,the San Francisco Chronicle, for her investigative news story about the falsehoods in the resume of the Emery Unified School District superintendent, Stephen Wesley. He resigned soon after the story was published.
Ruben Moreno, La Opinion newspaper, for a feature story about the long-delayed opening of the Edward R. Roybal Learning Center in the Los Angeles Unified School District, which helped relieve overcrowding in the nearby Belmont High School.
Jason Song, the Los Angeles Times, for a spot news story in March 2008 about the massive cuts and layoffs in the Rialto Unified School District.
Kimberly Wetzel, the Contra Costa Times, for a sensitive feature story about the academic success of homeless students enrolled in the West Contra Costa Unified School District.
The Los Angeles Daily News won in the category of a series by a publication. Its investigative series looked at salaries in Los Angeles Unified and found what it called a “bloated bureaucracy” of highly paid administrators, while teachers earned comparatively modest salaries. The series was reported by Beth Barrett, George Sanchez and Justino Aguila, and was edited by Judi Erickson.
J.M. Brown, the Santa Cruz Sentinel, for a news story about the tense relations between Scotts Valley Unified School District teachers and the superintendent, one year after teachers announced a vote of no confidence in the administrator.
Mayra Flores De Marcotte, the Willow Glen Resident, a weekly in San Jose, won two John Swett Awards. The first was for continuous coverage of education issues, stories last year that ranged from a look at how San Jose Unified was expanding its bilingual immersion program to how the San Jose Teachers Association awarded $2,000 scholarships to three local high school students. She also won for her news story about an undocumented college student who is part of a movement to change laws so that education opportunities are not denied to undocumented immigrants who are brought into this country as children.
Anne Gelhaus, the Willow Glen Resident, was honored for her news story about a high school graduate’s relentless search for scholarships and grants to pay for her tuition at UC-Santa Cruz.

Journals, Magazines, Websites

New America Media, based in San Francisco, won for coverage of education issues on its website: www.newamericamedia.org. The organization, which advocates for ethnic media in the U.S., won for stories and videos that included a look at anti-gay harassment in high schools and an Oakland high school for immigrants and refugees. Some entries were by Carolyn Ji Jong Goossen, the New America Media education editor, writer, and multimedia content producer.

Radio

Ronn Owens,KGO Radio, San Francisco, for a lively one-hour talk show in March 2008 with CTA President David A. Sanchez that covered a range of education issues.
Bruce Robinson, KRCB Public Radio in Rohnert Park, Sonoma County, for a feature story about the “Safe Schools Ambassador Program.” The program teaches kids how they can stand up to students who are mistreating each other.

Television

Lyanne Melendez, KGO-TV in San Francisco, an ABC affiliate, for continuous coverage of education issues. Her stories ranged from how the foreclosure crisis in Contra Costa County is uprooting students from classrooms to an examination of the costs of Bay Area school lunches.
Elyse Miller, KESQ-TV in Palm Desert, an affiliate of ABC, was honored for a feature story about local schools going green. Her story showed energy-saving ideas in the Palm Springs Unified School District that included serving students cold foods one day a week to save on kitchen energy bills.
KTVU, a Fox affiliate in Oakland, won as a station for its continuous coverage of education issues, with stories focusing on how state budget cuts last year impacted public schools.
Joel Grover, KNBC Channel 4 in Burbank, won for a locally produced investigative story about water in Los Angeles Unified School District schools being contaminated with lead. The three-month investigation prompted testing and examination of school water fountains.

Press Release: California Voters Still Want to Invest in Students and Schools, Despite Ballot Package Defeat in Low-Turnout Election

Wed, 20 May 2009 07:00:00 GMT

Though Prop 1B, which would have restored $9 billion of the funds cut from our public schools, did not escape Californians’ rejection of the budget package due to their frustration with a bad budget process, the majority of voters in our state remain unequivocal about their support for our schools and students.

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. A PPIC poll released this year concluded that 60 percent of Californians would most like to protect K-12 public education from cuts and that “more Californians say they would rather pay higher taxes and have a state government that provides more services than pay lower taxes and have a state government that provides fewer services.”

Though our students did not create this budget mess, they are already paying an unfair price for it. With California schools already ranking 47th in the nation in per-pupil spending, the Governor’s May Revise proposal to cut an additional $5.4 billion from education would drop our state to dead last in the investment we make in our students. Although education only represents 40 percent of the state budget, our schools have already been subjected to 60 percent of the cuts.

In the mean time, class sizes are on the rise, while arts, music, sports, advanced placement, special needs and other essential programs are on the chopping block, being eliminated from the curriculum. School bus service has been eliminated and parents will now have to find other ways to get their children to school. Para-educators are being cut, leaving our most vulnerable students without the one-on-one assistance that helps them catch up to their peers. And with historic numbers of teachers, administrators and school employees facing unprecedented layoffs, more and more students are being left behind.

Further cuts are simply unimaginable. After decades of budget cuts and being forced to do “more with less,” California’s schools now rank at the very bottom of all 50 states in staff-to-student ratios, and nearly last in the nation in per-pupil spending. Currently, the typical American school has 30 percent more teachers than California, 61 percent more school site administrators and 92 percent more counselors.

With California ranking nearly last in the nation in per-pupil funding, the Education Coalition remains committed to finding long-term solutions to the chronic underfunding of our public schools, and to addressing the needs of all students.

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. We want them to work with educators who have access to ongoing training and mentoring to ensure that they are able to do the best job possible of motivating our students to learn. We hope to create a prevailing and contagious outlook that all students deserve a chance to succeed, with the financial resources to make it happen.

Press Release: Students and Schools will Suffer as Result of Defeat of Special Election Ballot Measures

Tue, 19 May 2009 07:00:00 GMT

CTA Moving Forward With Legal Action to Get Back $9.3 Billion Owed to Schools

CTA President David A. Sanchez released the following statement about the defeat of May 19 ballot measures:

Burlingame – “California teachers are deeply concerned about how the failure of Propositions 1A-1E will impact students, schools and California’s future. We understand that voters are very frustrated with the economy, the state budget process, and with some lawmakers - so are educators. But the failure of these initiatives only hurts the more than 9 million students in our public schools and colleges.

“Our public schools have already taken more than $11.6 billion in cuts – more than 50 percent of the total state budget cuts and the single largest cut to public education since the Great Depression. Taking more funds from our schools will only mean larger class sizes, more school closures, more cuts to vital student programs, higher college fees and fewer educators to give students the help they need. In March over 27,000 pink slips were issued to teachers, and hundreds more are being prepared. It’s time for lawmakers to make public education and protecting our children’s future a top priority.

“The defeat of Proposition 1B is particularly disappointing for the future of our students and schools. The $9.3 billion that was scheduled to be repaid to schools in Prop. 1B is still owed to education. This was a manipulation of Proposition 98, the minimum school funding law passed by voters over 20 years ago, and CTA will be taking all legal action required to ensure students, schools and community colleges get the funding required by law, and that they deserve.”

Press Release: Governor's May Revise Proposal to Cut an Additional $5.4 Billion Would Cause Irreparable Harm to California's Schools and Students

Fri, 15 May 2009 07:00:00 GMT

As more details emerge about cuts proposed in Governor Schwarzenegger’s May Revision budget – including up to $5.4 billion in additional cuts to California’s public schools, on top of $11.6 billion in cuts already enacted – it has become painfully clear that our students are paying an unfair price for the state’s budget crisis.

Our students did not create this budget mess, and their education should not be shortchanged because of it. School districts across the state have already had to cut critical programs and services for students, increase class sizes, and lay off thousands of teachers, administrators and education support staff. Further cuts are simply unimaginable.

With California ranking nearly last in the nation in per-pupil funding, the Education Coalition has always remained committed to finding long-term solutions to the chronic underfunding of our public schools, and to addressing the needs of all students. We will continue to do so.

As part of the solution, the Education Coalition also supports Prop 1B on Tuesday’s statewide ballot. This proposition restores $9 billion of the funding cuts to our students that are owed to schools under the state’s minimum school funding law. It sets out a schedule for repaying our schools, and corrects a manipulation of Prop 98 that shortchanges our students of billions that they are owed. Voters have affirmed their support for the minimum school funding guarantee under Prop 98 time and again, and continue to say that providing adequate funding for our schools is their top priority.

Without restoring the cuts, devastating layoffs of teachers and other educators continue to hurt our students:

Mt. Diablo school board votes to lay off more than 400 teachers
By Theresa Harrington, Contra Costa Times, 5/14/09

CONCORD — More than 400 final layoff notices for teachers in the Mt. Diablo school district will be mailed out by today.

"I'm sad," said Linda Ortega, a fourth-grade teacher at El Monte Elementary whose job is secure. "A lot of good teachers are going to be laid off and the kids have come to love these teachers."

249 valley teachers find themselves jobless - Districts each trim $8M; cuts equal bigger classes
By Michelle Mitchell, The Desert Sun 5/14/09

Justin Martin received the news he had been dreading Wednesday. The third-grade Indio teacher became one of 249 Coachella Valley teachers who lost or will lose their jobs this week because of millions of dollars in budget cuts.

The Desert Sands Unified trustees voted Tuesday to lay off Martin and 119 more teachers, or roughly 9 percent of its teaching staff.

The three valley school districts each face at least $8 million in cuts during this struggling economy because of an ongoing California budget crisis that could worsen on Tuesday if several state propositions fail.

The loss of the 249 teachers locally will lead to larger class sizes in valley schools this fall.

Sacramento area school districts consider second round of layoffs
By Diana Lambert, Sacramento Bee 5/15/09

School officials will be watching state budget revisions and the May 19 special election to decide whether to take advantage of a unique situation that allows them to issue more pink slips.

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: Governor’s May Revision and Looming Budget Deficit Further Demonstrates Importance of Passing May 19 Ballot Measures

Thu, 14 May 2009 07:00:00 GMT

CTA President Says Supporting Ballot Measures Will Help Protect California Schools and Students

CTA President David A. Sanchez Released the Following Statement:

Burlingame – “The governor’s announcement today that the state budget deficit is billions worse than expected and even more painful cuts are on the way for California schools, magnifies why voters must approve Propositions 1A-1F on next Tuesday’s statewide ballot.

“There is no wolf in sheep’s clothing. The impact of these budget cuts is very real to the students and educators of California. To the 27,000 teachers who received pink slips this year, this is not a scare tactic. To the students whose dropout prevention program was eliminated, this is not a scare tactic. To the students who have already had their music, art, physical education and sports programs cut, this is not a scare tactic.

“If voters fail to approve the propositions, our schools will undergo another round of massive cuts—further unraveling public education in this state and hurting our kids.

“Our students and our schools deserve better than this. We all have to stop and think before we vote in Tuesday’s election about whether this is what we want for our students and our future. It’s time for Californians to stop things from getting worse. And that means doing what’s best for California and passing Propositions 1A-1F.”

Press Release: CTA President David A. Sanchez Hails the Release of $2.56 Billion in Federal Funds for California

Wed, 13 May 2009 07:00:00 GMT

CTA President David A. Sanchez Released the Following Statement:

“We are pleased that $2.56 billion in preliminary entitlements of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act has been released for California schools. These funds from the federal stimulus package are designed to help local school districts prevent further layoffs of teachers and education support professionals, and to continue the important progress we have made with our students. We certainly hope the funds will be used for this purpose, the way President Barack Obama intended.

“These funds come at a time when our schools rank 47th in per-pupil funding and more than 27,000 layoff notices have been issued to educators. At times, eliminating a teacher means eliminating an entire music, art or sports program from a school and robbing students of a well-rounded education. When an educator is laid off, it is the students who suffer.

“Federal stimulus dollars have already begun to reach local districts and should be used to rehire educators, which will help keep class sizes from soaring and more programs from being eliminated. While the funds will not prevent the devastating budget cuts that will occur should California voters fail to approve Propositions 1A-1F on May 19, they will save many of the educators and programs on which California students depend.”

More about federal stimulus dollars for California school districts, use this link: http://www.cde.ca.gov/fg/aa/ar/

Press Release: Teachers, Parents and Public School Supporters to Celebrate ‘Day of the Teacher’ and Rally Voters to Support May 19 Special Election Props. 1A-1F

Wed, 13 May 2009 07:00:00 GMT

Educators across the state will spend today’s 27th annual California “Day of the Teacher” holding rallies, calling voters and staging protests over school cuts to focus the public on why it’s so critical to pass Propositions 1A-1F on the May 19 special election ballot.

The state’s economy is reeling. California already ranked 47th in the nation in education spending before the new state budget was approved in February and our schools and colleges were cut more than $11 billion in vital funding. More than 27,000 teachers received pink slips in March. If all five of the budget-related propositions fail on May 19, the state will lose about $23 billion in revenue over the next four years – meaning more drastic cuts to education, children’s health care, public safety and programs for seniors and the disabled.

“The Day of the Teacher theme this year is ‘California Teachers – Standing up for a Better Tomorrow’ and that’s why teachers are spending the day continuing to get out the vote for this critical election,” said David A. Sanchez, president of the 340,000-member California Teachers Association. “We can’t have a better tomorrow if we ignore the funding crisis our schools face today. Propositions 1A and 1B especially need to pass if the state is to begin repaying our schools the more than $9 billion they are owed by law.”

CTA President Sanchez is available for interviews on this critical election. Contact Mike Myslinski at 408-921-5769 for information. All of the events listed below are on Wednesday, May 13. For media planning purposes, here is a sampling:

Greater Bay Area Day of the Teacher Events

SAN JOSE: CTA Vice President Dean Vogel will join hundreds of Santa Clara County teachers at a Day of the Teacher rally in support of the May 19 propositions. The rally is 3:30-5 p.m. at Quimby Road and Capitol Expressway, near Eastridge Mall, Wednesday and will feature a row of empty chairs representing local teachers laid off because of state budget cuts. Contact: Mike Myslinski at CTA at 408-921-5769 (cell).

FOSTER CITY: Teachers from San Carlos and Belmont school districts will join parents in phone-banking for Props. 1A and 1B. The event is 4-6 p.m. Wednesday at the CTA Regional Resource Center, 333 Hatch Drive, Foster City, 94404. Contact: Rick Wathen at CTA at 650-577-5150.

SAN LORENZO: Teachers and parents from San Lorenzo Unified School District in Alameda County will hold a rally at 3:45 p.m. against school cuts at corner of Hesperian and Lewelling boulevards in San Lorenzo. They will call for a yes vote on the May 19 propositions to save school programs and jobs. Contact: San Lorenzo Education Association President Cathy Lee at 510-378-9106 (cell).

SALINAS: Educators from all over Monterey County will join parents in a night of community phone-banking for all measures on the May 19 ballot. The event is 5-8 p.m. Wednesday at the CTA Regional Resource Center, 928 E. Blanco Road, Suite 100, Salinas, 93901. Contacts: Alisal Unified teacher John Aaron at 831-262-9181 (cell) or Jim Gutman at CTA, 831-783-3200.

Southern California

MANHATTAN BEACH: A media availability about a parent video concerning saving pink-slipped teachers in Manhattan Beach Unified School District will be held from 11 a.m. to noon at Grand View Elementary, 455 24th St., Manhattan Beach, 90266. Teachers will discuss why school cuts make voting yes May 19 more critical. Parents working with an education foundation will discuss the video they made of rapping students to save teachers’ jobs at Grand View. Parents posted the video on YouTube at this link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yi_mkkZTAcg Contact: Manhattan Beach Unified Teachers Association President Rachel Thomas at 310-722-6962 (cell).

TUSTIN: Teachers represented by the Tustin Educators Association will join community supporters in rallies for Props. 1A and 1B from 3:30-5 p.m. Wednesday at three intersections: the corner of Irvine Boulevard and Newport Avenue; Irvine and Jamboree; and the intersection of Redhill and Walnut. Visuals include banners and posters. Contact: Teacher Lisa Hickman, the TEA political action chair, at 949-378-6723 (cell).

OCEANSIDE: Teachers from Oceanside Teachers Association and Carlsbad Unified Teachers Association will unfurl banners and wave signs urging a yes vote on Props. 1A-1F from two Highway 78 freeway overpasses, at El Camino Real and at Jefferson. The time of the actions is 4-5:30 p.m. Contact: Oceanside Teachers Association President Terry Hart at 760-978-7406 (cell).

SAN MARCOS: Educators from San Marcos Educators Association and the Escondido Elementary Educators Association will gather from 4-5:30 p.m. to urge a yes vote on the May 19 propositions from the Highway 78 Twin Oaks overpass. Contact: Mike Devries, president of San Marcos Educators Association, at 760-846-1724 (cell).

FALLBROOK: Scores of teachers will march from several different schools and rally together for the May 19 measures from 3:15-4:30 p.m. Wednesday at the Northgate Plaza, corner of Los Ranchitos Road and Las Gallinas Avenue in Fallbrook. Contact: Laura Dupre at 760-586-8006.

Central Valley

SACRAMENTO: Parents will join teachers in phone-banking about the urgent need to vote yes on May 19. Hosted by Sacramento City Teachers Association, 5300 Elvas Ave., Sacramento, 95819. Times are 4-6 p.m. and 6-8 p.m on Wednesday. Refreshments will be served. Contact: Linda Tuttle, president of SCTA, at 916-452-4591.

BAKERSFIELD: About 1,500 teachers, parents and students are expected to attend a Day of the Teacher picnic honoring all Kern County educators at Yokuts Park off the Truxtun exchange and Empire Drive in Bakersfield. High school choirs and jazz bands will perform. Information about supporting Props. 1A-1F will be provided. The event is 4-7 p.m. Contact: Mitch Olson, president of the Kern High Faculty Association, at 661-706-6034 (cell).

CHICO: Teachers in the Chico area will also observe Day of the Teacher with a joint phone-banking about the special election effort at the CTA Regional Resource Center, 1430 East Avenue, #1, Chico, 95926. Educators from Butte County Teachers Association, Chico Unified Teachers Association and Thermalito Teachers Association will be making phone calls to voters on behalf of Props. 1A-1F between 5-7:30 p.m. Contact: Brian Stafford at 530-345-9743

Press Release: Education Coalition Continues to Push for Passage of Prop. 1B as More Layoffs Loom in California's Public Schools

Fri, 08 May 2009 07:00:00 GMT

As school districts across the state consider budgets for the coming school year and continue to deal with the fallout of $11.6 billion in statewide education funding cuts, many fear a crisis in our public schools if Prop 1B doesn’t pass on the May 19th ballot, and critical programs and services for students are eliminated, class sizes increase, and teachers, administrators and education support staff lose their jobs.

This week’s hearing in the Assembly Budget Subcommittee on Education Finance highlighted many school districts that are already in grave financial situations and could become financially insolvent without restoration of the cuts. The fact remains – without the benefit of a crystal ball, school districts must plan for the next school year and make painful cuts to programs for students.

Prop 1B restores $9 billion of the funding cuts to our students that are owed to schools under the state’s minimum school funding law. It sets out a schedule for repaying our schools, and corrects a manipulation of Prop 98 that shortchanges our students of billions that they are owed. Voters have affirmed their support for the minimum school funding guarantee under Prop 98 time and again, and continue to say that providing adequate funding for our schools is their top priority.

With California ranking nearly last in the nation in per-pupil funding, the Education Coalition has always remained committed to finding long-term solutions to the chronic underfunding of our public schools and addressing the needs of all students, and will continue to do so.

Below please find the most recent examples of the devastating layoffs and program cuts continuing to occur in California’s public schools:

5.8.09 - Santa Ynez Valley News – Solvang lays off 7 of 30 teachers

The Solvang Elementary School Board approved the layoff of seven of its 30 teachers Tuesday night, the final step in staff reductions that began with preliminary pink slips issued in March. The seven teachers taught kindergarten, first, fourth, fifth, seventh and eighth grades, Allcock said. The layoffs mean that class sizes might increase in the higher grades to 23 or 25 students per class.

5.7.09 – Bakersfield Californian – Schools riding another declining budget wave

Rosedale Union School District planned two "tiers" of possible cuts. Now the deeper Tier II reduction options, including raising class sizes in grades K through 3, are more likely.

The Panama-Buena Vista Union School District will raise class sizes to an average of 26 next year, up from this year's average of 20.

Budget reductions also mean the district will suspend its Summer Music Conservatory, which served hundreds of young musicians in a typical summer, according to the district.

The Kern High School District projected a worst case, $40 million budget reduction. That's on top of the $22 million in cuts already identified as needed.

5.7.09 – Riverside Press Enterprise – Layoffs, budget cuts on Alvord school board’s agenda

An overflow crowd packed the Alvord Unified School District board meeting Tuesday with teachers wearing pink shirts to call attention to 155 layoff pink slips. The district still plans more staffing adjustments, including cutting the jobs of three middle school teachers, two counselors, two assistant principals, and paying the salaries of 2.5 other assistant principals from funds previously restricted for specific categories of students. The district also plans to cut an administrator in alternative education. Those staffing cuts total $900,000. Another $600,000 is expected to be cut from school maintenance, and the district expects to offset $1.7 million of special education costs with federal stimulus funds.

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 Educator Magazine Reveals how Students feel about Devastating School Cuts in May Issue

Tue, 05 May 2009 07:00:00 GMT

Stories make a compelling case for passing Props. 1A-1F on May 19th ballot

BURLINGAME – California’s students – the real victims of state budget cuts – are speaking out about what it’s like to be students in the age of cutbacks in the May issue of the California Educator, the magazine of the California Teachers Association.

“We always hear from teachers about the devastating consequences of budget cuts on our schools, but these real-life stories from California students get to the heart of who is really hurt by budget cuts. They offer compelling testimony on the urgent need to prevent deeper cuts to education by voting ‘Yes’ on all propositions in the May 19 special election,” said David A. Sanchez, said CTA president.

The story, “Doesn’t Our Education Matter?” is posted on the CTA website. It looks at budget cuts through the eyes of students in elementary school through college, and how being a victim of budget cuts affects students’ view of school, learning and the world. Some of them question whether society or government really cares about them since they attend overcrowded schools that lack the basics.

Says one Madera high school student: “When you have students in a larger class it’s kind of guaranteed that they are going to talk. In smaller classes students listen to the teacher more. But in a larger class, when someone is disrupting, other students start to think it’s OK and they start talking too. Even me sometimes.”

A fifth-grade student in La Puente worries: “I heard that they will take teachers away. I’m worried because I have a very good teacher, Mrs. Gomez. She said she might be going away next year. I think that it’s not fair … Sometimes I think we’re getting picked on. Maybe it’s because we are a poor school that they’re picking on us and taking things away.”

And an eighth-grade student in Moreno Valley expresses his disappointment: “I love football, so I felt disappointed when they canceled it this year. For a lot of my friends, it was all they had; football was how they kept their grades up. Now their grades are lower. Some of them say, ‘I’ve stopped being competitive anymore.’ The excitement level of our school went down once sports left.”

Other students featured attend some of the following public schools:

A campus in Oakland where a culinary program lacks a kitchen and students use a portable gas range;
A school in La Puente where there is not enough money to purchase paper, pencils, pens or other basic supplies;
A college campus where tuition is being raised, but class selection is being cut, resulting in students needing more time to graduate. Also, administration can’t afford to furnish a recently built library;
A high school in Saddleback Valley where counselors are being cut;

In other articles in the May issue, the California Educator describes how a successful dropout prevention and recovery program in Los Angeles Unified School District is being eliminated for lack of funding; how adult education and vocational programs are on the chopping block due to the brand-new “Tier III” category created in the newest budget agreement; and how school classified employees may be receiving pink slips at an alarming rate.

Press Release: Education Coalition Backs Prop. 1B to Help Alleviate Devastating Cuts to Schools

Fri, 24 Apr 2009 07:00:00 GMT

As California’s public schools continue to grapple with the fallout of $11.6 billion in statewide education funding cuts, educators are looking to Prop 1B on the May 19th ballot to restore $9 billion of the funding cuts to our students that are owed to schools under the state’s minimum school funding law.

Prop 1B sets out a schedule for repaying our schools, and corrects a manipulation of Prop 98 that shortchanges our students of billions that they are owed. Voters have affirmed their support for the minimum school funding guarantee under Prop 98 time and again, and continue to say that providing adequate funding for our schools is their top priority.

With more than 30,000 teachers and administrators already receiving pink slips, and 10,000 school employees laid off, many school districts will be forced to lay off even more educators if the funds to public schools are not restored with the passage of Prop. 1B.

Though the federal stimulus funds released this week under the Education Recovery Act will begin to mitigate a portion of the layoff notices over the short-term, Prop 1B will help schools recover from some of the devastating cuts, ensuring that quality educators and support staff can stay in the classroom, and that programs critical to student learning will not be eliminated from our schools.

With California ranking nearly last in the nation in per-pupil funding, the Education Coalition has always remained committed to finding long-term solutions to the chronic underfunding of our public schools and addressing the needs of all students, and will continue to do so. California’s students are already subjected to the largest class sizes and have access to the fewest librarians, counselors and support staff of any state in the country.

Without restoration of the funds, local schools are being forced to make unprecedented cuts that will shortchange an entire generation of students. Excerpts from the articles below illustrate the grave problems and impossible choices currently facing our schools:

The Beach Reporter 4/23/09: School Board presses on amid budget woes

In times like these, the Redondo Beach Unified School District is not alone in its budget crunch. In fact, all California schools have been dealt the same grim hand from Sacramento.

“We’re all hit hard and that’s the thing that’s very disconcerting, that it’s the entire state’s education system that’s at risk — and it’s a significant risk,” said RBUSD’s Chief Business Official Janet Redella.

As a result, the School District, which has an approximately $68 million annual budget, has had to take a serious look at its operations.

Thousand Oaks Acorn 4/23/09 - Conejo School District starts slashing administrative positions

Conejo Valley Unified School District school board members made their first concrete decision regarding imminent cuts to their budget. CVUSD needs to cut a little more than $5 million from its 2009-10 budget, beginning with the elimination of five district management positions, which will save the district $460,000. $2 million will come from hard cuts to be determined at the board's next meeting on May 5. Class sizes in kindergarten through third grade will likely be increased, as will math and English classes for eighth through 10th-graders.

Monterey County Herald – 4/21/09 – 21 positions eliminated

More than $1.2 million will be cut from elementary education in the Monterey Peninsula Unified School District, with most of the savings coming from changes in the state's Class Size Reduction program. The current program requires one teacher for every 20.4 students. Next year, class size will increase to 22.4 students per teacher for kindergarten, first grade and second grade, and to one teacher for every 24.9 third graders.

This change will eliminate 21 teaching positions. Middle schools and high schools will lose about $473,000, including two high school librarian positions. Restructuring of special education will save more than $1.25 million, though services will increase.

More than $1 million will be cut from transportation services with possibly 13 positions eliminated.

Nearly $364,000 will be cut from athletics by eliminating transportation to games and offering middle-school athletics through after-school programs.

Music education will lose some positions, though more money will be infused into the programs. The district has eight full-time- equivalent music teachers this school year. The changes could eliminate up to two positions.

The Signal – 4/22/09 - Castaic Union to lay off 10, Cuts limited to classified employees

The positions slated for layoffs range from a custodian to a nurse assistant, three bus drivers, a health aid and various instructional aides throughout the district, Gibson said.

Modesto Bee – 4/21/09 - School board OKs plan for cuts

Modesto City Schools trustees Monday night approved a tentative agreement with the Modesto Teachers Association that provides for a slate of reductions in pay, workdays and stipends for the 2009-10 school year. It also increases maximum possible class sizes and the ratio of students per counselor. Officials are staring down $12 million in budget cuts for the next school year. Changes include a 1 percent pay cut for most certificated employees; setting class sizes at a maximum of 38 students in core academic classes, 60 for physical education and 40 in all other classes; and reductions to student activity directors' hours.

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 the Educatoin Coalition website at: www.protectourstudents.org.

Press Release: Education Coalition Applauds California Being First State in the Nation to Receive Federal Stimulus Funds

Sat, 18 Apr 2009 07:00:00 GMT

In the midst of the biggest education funding crisis in California’s history, with an unprecedented 30,000 pink slips issued to teachers and administrators statewide, and nearly 10,000 school employees receiving layoff notices, today the Governor’s office released some much-needed good news: California will be the first state in the nation to receive federal stimulus funds for education.

The $3.1 billion in Education Recovery Act dollars being released today will begin to mitigate the damage caused by the $11.6 billion in cuts to public schools in this year’s budget deal.

These funds will be administered by State Superintendent Jack O’Connell through the California Department of Education, and districts may apply for funding immediately.

Passage of Prop. 1 B on the May 19th ballot is the next critical step toward repaying schools the billions more in funding that was cut. California’s schools are ranked near dead last in the nation in per-pupil funding and have the largest class sizes and the fewest librarians, counselors and support staff of any state in the country.

And as the economy worsens, schools are being expected to provide even more social services to protect students from the cruel realities many face at home. Once again, schools are expected to be doing “more with less,” with so few resources left that they are stretched to the breaking point.
That’s why the Education Coalition supports creating long-term, stable revenue solutions to ensure that we never again rank dead last in how much we invest in our students.

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 Honors Memory of President Mary ‘Lois’ Tinson

Mon, 06 Apr 2009 07:00:00 GMT

Gifted Educator Was First Ethnic Minority President of CTA

The California Teachers Association today honored the memory of Dr. Mary “Lois” Tinson, the first ethnic minority president of CTA, by naming the 340,000-member teachers association’s Flex Center conference room at its headquarters after her.

A gifted educator and an activist in the African-American community, Tinson was president of CTA from 1995-1999. She died during the Christmas holidays in 2003 at a hospital in Los Angeles after an extensive illness.

“Lois Tinson was an inspiration to thousands of teachers and staff during her long career,” CTA President David A. Sanchez said today. “She wanted all children to succeed. She was instrumental in reducing class sizes in the lower grades and fought tirelessly for more education funding for our students and schools. We honor her memory today by the naming of this room after her as a reminder of her leadership.”

During her tenure as CTA president, Tinson led efforts to secure passage of the state’s landmark Class Size Reduction law, which reduced class sizes for millions of students in kindergarten through third grade. She also established CTA as a significant political force on behalf of California public schools and students, leading the association’s fight to defeat Proposition 226 in 1996, which threatened to silence the voices of teachers and working families.

Tinson served on the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing and was listed in Who’s Who in Black America and Who’s Who Among International Women. She was a reading and English teacher at North Park High School in the Baldwin Park Unified School District. Her teaching career began in Arkansas City, Arkansas, before she relocated to the Los Angeles area in 1961. She received her master's and doctorate degrees from Pepperdine University, where she was also an instructor of grade school education.