- HOME
- About
- Topics
- Angelides
- Arnold Schwarzenegger
- California Attorney General Race
- California Congressional Races
- California Democratic Party
- California Governor Race 2010
- California Legislative Races
- California Lt. Governor Race
- California Secretary of State Race
- California State Budget
- California State Controller
- Campaign Finance Reform
- Campaigns
- Cell Phones
- Children and Families
- Consumer Rights
- Corporate Accountability
- Criminal Justice
- Death With Dignity
- Disaster Preparation
- Discrimination and Civil Rights
- Economy/ Economic Crisis
- Education
- Elections and Voting
- Electoral College
- Energy
- Environment
- Farm Animal Cruelty Ballot Measure
- Flood Control
- Food Safety
- Gas Prices
- Governor's Election Race
- Gun control
- Health Care
- Health Insurance
- Hiram Johnson's Corner
- Housing
- Human Rights
- Humor
- Immigration
- Infrastructure
- Initiative Reform
- Insurance Commissioner Race
- Labor
- Language and Politics
- Legal System
- Media and Communication
- Minimum Wage
- Open Government
- Pharmaceutical Companies
- Politics
- Preschool
- Presidential Election 2008
- Prevention of Farm Animal Cruelty Act Prop
- Prison Reform
- Privacy
- Privitization
- Prop 11-Redistricting/Reapportionment
- Prop 12--Veterans Housing Bond
- Prop 1A--High Speed Rail
- Prop 2--Treatment of Farm Animals
- Prop 3-Children's Hospital Bonds
- Prop 4 Waiting Period and Parental Notification
- Prop 5--Non-violent drug offenses
- Prop 6--Police and law enforcement spending
- Prop 7 and 10-Alternative Fuel and Energy Bond
- Prop 8 and-Marriage Equality
- Prop 85 Parental Notification
- Prop 86 Tobacco Tax
- Prop 87--Alternative Energy
- Prop 9 Parole
- Prop 90
- Prop 91--Transportation Funding
- Prop 92- Community Colleges
- Prop 93--Term Limits
- Props 94-97--Tribal Gaming
- Props 98 and 99
- Racial Disparities
- Responsible Lending
- Retirement Benefits
- Site of the Day
- Solar Initiative
- Structure of California Government
- Taxes
- Toxic Chemicals
- Transportation/Transit
- Water
- Westly
- Workers' Compensation
- Stories
- Proposition 1B: Restoration of Education Funding – NO
- Cavala: Jack D. Maltester – Exemplar of Public Life
- Cal-Cobra Premium Assistance Passes Senate Floor With Bipartisan Support
- Senate Approves Sen. Romero’s Bill Increasing Transparency in Education Policy
- Proposition 1A: State Budget Stabilization – YES
- Local School District Receive Solar Grant
- $634 Million Coming To California For Special Education
- Essay Seven: Props 1D, 1E and 1F
- Running the Show with Wonks and Gurus
- California Needs Propositions 1a-1f to Protect Schools, Health Care And Public Safety From Devastating Cuts And Layoffs
- 33rd California Peace Officers Memorial Ceremony: With Duty and Honor
- Essay Six: Props 1A, 1B and 1C
- Directory
- Donate
- Contact Us
RSS Advertise Here
Deliver your message to thousands of readers every day.
Our readers are influential opinion makers - politicians, journalists and activists.
Our latest headlines
- The Black-White Fallacy of Public Option
- Targeting Obesity Remains A Priority in Tough Budget Times
- Thousands Speak Out Against CA’s Costly and Broken Death Penalty
- Cuts Would Jeopardize Well-Being of Many Disabled Citizens
- Fully Fund Our Schools
- Same Governor, Different Goals
- Assemblymember Evans Sets the Record Straight
About Us
David Greenwald, Editor. (Contact David.)
CFC Education Foundation, Publisher. (Contact us.)
Got a news tip? Want to write a guest column?
Contact David here.
About California Progress Report.
Founded by Frank D. Russo (Publisher and Editor, 2006-08).
Sponsors
Books
California’s Failure to Invest in Higher Education Gives the State Little Hope for Economic Prosperity in the 21st Century Global Economy
by Lillian Taiz
President
California Faculty Association
As California’s leaders continue to wrestle with how to tackle the ever growing budget deficit, cuts to education and in particular public higher education, continue to be mentioned as a solution to economic tumult.
Such cuts would be a blow to a State that already has fallen from “trend-setter” in terms of education and economic prosperity for the country to “bottom of the pack.”
In today's global economy, prosperity is no longer driven by physical strength, but by the brains of college educated workers and the industries that employ them. We've left the Industrial Age for the High Tech Age driven by research and development and creativity. In short, success in the 21st Century Economy will depend on the higher educational attainment of the workforce.
A new report released today by the California Faculty Association reveals that California has slipped into “educational and economic mediocrity,” giving our kids no chance in a global economy and putting our State’s future economic prosperity in danger.
California now Ranks 49th out of 50 states in the number of its adult population with at least a high school diploma -- and the State has fallen from 5th to 47th in the number of its high school graduates that go on to college
Look no further than the State’s massive reduction in higher education funding for the reason for the decline. Over the years, California has substantially reduced its investment in higher education and today ranks 21st among states, down from 11th in 1980 (a 40% drop in funding).
The report, “California at the Edge of a Cliff: The Failure to Invest in Public Higher Education is Crushing the Economy and Crippling Our Kids Future,” raises even more questions about Governor Schwarzenegger’s plans to further slash public higher education funding from the budget, which will prevent thousands of students from admission to college and destroy their American Dream.
This isn’t news to those of us who spend our time in the classroom and on campus and have to face the harsh realities of cuts first hand. We know full well what millions of dollars in budget cuts mean for the future of California.
Fewer kids are going to be admitted to schools and fewer kids are going to be qualified for the jobs that today’s economy has to offer. It is hypocritical for the Governor to utter the words ‘we need job creation’ out of one side of his mouth while he cuts higher education funding from the other side of his mouth because you can’t create jobs when you are cutting the very institution that educates people to do those jobs.
We are facing the worst economic downturn since the great depression. At the same time precious taxpayer dollars are being wasted to preserve bankers’ opulent lifestyles while some leaders claim they can’t find the resources that we all know leads to more jobs and a stronger economy. It is time for leadership in Sacramento and Washington to acknowledge that education is not the problem here, but that it is the solution for digging ourselves out of this crisis. We need a real commitment to education from our elected officials.
To view a full copy of the report, go to http://www.calfac.org/CalAtTheEdge.html
Lillian Taiz is a professor of history at California State University, Los Angeles and President of the California Faculty Association.
Comments
It's not in the cards... CA .. thanks to Reagan... developed a social construct that says public education.. or succinctly.. taxpayer money used to provide it.. is a "mortal sin." early in his first Presidential term he laid out a legislative agenda that called for the complete dismantling of public education, declaring: "No parent should expect the tax payer to educate their kids" Reagan was a "Tory" (AKA devout Calvinist)and his legacy lingers on. No progress can be made until we as a nation abandon John Calvin's theology. Not likely.
Posted by: Gringo Viejo at January 8, 2009 07:03 PM
The deficit could be reduced by over $6 billion if politicians were able to resist politically powerful correctional employee unions. The prison bed shortage could be eliminated by simply increasing the number of contract beds from 4% to 9% of capacity rather than spending $6.5 billion for prison bed construction.
Posted by: richmck at January 10, 2009 07:31 AM
Post a comment
Commenters: You must preview your comment before posting. And please only hit "Post" once; it may take a while, but your comment is being processed. Thanks.
Get Email Updates
Want the California Progress Report by email? Once a week, we'll send you the latest and greatest headlines.
© 2008 California Progress Report Our copyright and fair use policy.
Powered by Mandate Media. Logo design by Jane Norling.
