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Governor Proposes More Raids of Public Education Dollars
In the wake of the Governor’s failure to sign a budget that would make the state solvent in terms of cash flow, the Governor has made a number of proposals to find money. One of these proposals is to suspend Proposition 98, the minimum funding law designed to provide funding protections for our schools.
This proposal triggered a quick response from the State Superintendent of Public Instruction Jack O’Connell on Wednesday.
“The Governor continues to attempt to balance the budget on the backs of our students and our schools. Suspending Proposition 98 is a shortsighted approach that drops school funding into financial quicksand and will harm a generation of students.
“Our schools already have absorbed nearly $12 billion in cuts from a budget passed just months ago. As a result, schools have had to cut summer school; class sizes are going up; teachers and support staff have been laid off; and art, music, and sports programs are being eliminated. The list of tragic consequences of our budget crisis continues to grow.
“California needs a well-educated, critically thinking, and problem-solving workforce in order to improve and grow California’s economy. Public education is the key to unlocking the potential for success that our students possess. It is wrong-headed to cut education when we desperately need to nurture and support the students in our schools today who will be the backbone of our economy in just a few short years.
“Proposition 98 was passed by the voters of California to provide a floor of funding for our schools. Suspending it simply pulls the rug the out from under our students and the future of our state."
In addition to Mr. O’Connell, one of his potential replacements, Assemblymember Tom Torlakson who was a long-time teacher also spoke out strongly against the proposal.
“I am adamantly against suspending Proposition 98. The students of California and our schools have suffered far too much already. The Governor had the option to avert a suspension of Proposition 98 and an additional $3 billion in further cuts. Instead he chose to put our schools and the education of our kids at risk. There are many other solutions to the budget crisis that would not hurt the children of California.”
Under Proposition 98, the state is required to devote a specific proportion of the budget to education programs. Already, education funding has been slashed by over $12 billion. Proposition 1B was designed to restore just under $10 billion that has already been raided from education. That measure failed and now the governor is talking about taking even more money.
Comments
California probably does need a well-educated, critically thinking, and problem-solving workforce, but it is not at all certain that public education is the key.
Innate ability and nurturing parents are much more important.
Where is the profound and comprehensive analysis that quantifies the effect of innate ability, nurture, and public schooling on critical thinking and problem solving?
"When you measure what you are speaking about, and express it in numbers, you know something about it; but when you cannot measure it, when you cannot express it in numbers, your knowledge is of a meager and unsatisfactory kind . . . ." William Thomson, Lord Kelvin
(with apologies to Ernest Rutherford; one does need to measure the right things)
Posted by: Erik Kengaard at July 2, 2009 08:59 AM
The decline of public education in California is sad and disheartening. It is directly tied to the failure of the Governor and the Legislature to adequately fund our schools.
We simply can not have a quality standard of living for Californians and a low quality, ranking 47th. public school system.
See more at www.choosingdemocracy.blogspot.com
Posted by: duane Campbell at July 3, 2009 11:02 AM
public education is crap in california. I say get rid of the public education or at least get rid of teachers union (CTA). They have drained the public funds and our schools are rated worst in california.
Create school boards that are independent of unions and bureaucrats. Let the board hire the teachers based on qualifications and the amount of public funds are tied with the performance.
Posted by: Don at July 3, 2009 02:45 PM
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