Hundreds of ACSA members gathered in Sacramento last week to participate in the association’s Legislative Action Day.

After briefings March 9 and early March 10, the school leaders made their way to the state Capitol for a rally, where parents, students, legislators and Superintendent of Public Instruction Jack O’Connell joined them. The activities actually began much earlier, though, as LAD participants gathered Sunday afternoon for a session with new Senate Leader Darrell Steinberg to get his take on the budget and tips for how to deliver the message to other legislators on Monday.

“There is a huge distance between the rhetoric of deep cuts and the reality,” Steinberg said. He urged ACSA administrators to share their personal stories of how the cuts would affect their own schools to bring the point home.

He also shared a little of his personal beliefs on the issue, saying, “We don’t just have a budget deficit, we have an investment deficit.”

Activities got off to an early start on Monday, as a contingent of ACSA members convened on the Capitol steps to be interviewed by local TV news media about why they were there. Approximately 40 school leaders arrived at 5 a.m., eager to share how strongly they believed in the issue.

The message they gave the media was the same one they would go on to deliver to legislators and policymakers later that day: If the governor’s proposed $4.8 billion cuts to education go through it would have a devastating effect on students and schools.

That message rang out again and again at the rally later that morning.

“More than 400 school leaders and parents are meeting with lawmakers today to send a message loudly and clearly, ‘Our students did not create California’s budget problem and their school funding must not be cut to solve it,’” said ACSA Executive Director Bob Wells.

“With schools facing such draconian cuts, it’s our responsibility to stand up for students and share stories from local districts about how many educators and educational programs will be lost, how large class sizes will grow and how student achievement will fare if these cuts are enacted,” added ACSA Vice President for Legislative Action and Assistant Superintendent of Glendale USD Alice Petrossian.

“ACSA strongly opposes the governor’s proposal to suspend Proposition 98 and opposes any attempt to manipulate the Proposition 98 funding guarantee,” said ACSA President and Senior Director of Secondary Education for Manteca USD Bob Lee. “California voters have repeatedly reaffirmed their support for this constitutional funding guarantee. Proposals to suspend Proposition 98 conflict with the will of the voters and should be soundly rejected.”

“For California’s 6.3 million students and their families, the governor’s proposed $4.8 billion cut means increased class sizes, closed libraries, decimated art and music programs and more,” said ACSA President-Elect and Superintendent/Principal of San Pasqual Union Elementary School District Frank Gomez. “In the midst of progress in student achievement throughout California, this budget represents a giant step backward.”

“To date, thousands of teachers, administrators, librarians, counselors, food services workers, bus drivers, custodians and more have received layoff notices indicating that districts may no longer be able to afford their services if the governor’s proposal is enacted,” said ACSA Vice President and Ventura County Superintendent of Schools Chuck Weis.

“The forecast is grim for students and schools throughout California,” said ACSA Past President and Director at the Santa Cruz City School District Toni Hyland. “Lawmakers must step up and join us in our efforts to protect students and schools in the budget process. Together we must invest in the future of California. Doing anything less is inexcusable.”

The same message was quite clearly demonstrated at the rally, as superintendent after superintendent got up to the podium and told how the budget cuts would cripple the recent progress that has been made in their districts.

LAUSD Superintendent David Brewer harkened back to his past experience as a three-star Admiral in the U.S. Navy, and the battles our country has fought and won.

“But, we can be defeated domestically if we mortgage our future by balancing the budget on the backs of our schoolchildren,” he said.

Superintendent Robert Watanabe of Bassett USD noted the progress in his district’s Torch Middle School, which went from a decile 1-3 school to being named a California Distinguished School and a School to Watch. Yet, if the budget cuts go through he will have to lay off about one-third of the school’s staff.

Carmella Franco, superintendent of Whittier City ESD, noted that her district has already had to cut its budget 15 percent since 2002.

“These (proposed) cuts would mean we’d have to cut another $2.5 million,” she said. This would mean such things as eliminating third grade class size reduction, closing a school, eliminating bus service and laying off 15 percent of the district’s teachers, she said.

Michael Escalante, superintendent of Glendale USD, recalled a time when California was ranked fifth in the nation in school funding, as compared to today’s 46th rank.

“These cuts are immoral, because they victimize the most defenseless, our children,” he said.

Darline Robles, superintendent of the Los Angeles COE, also noted the already dismal state of education funding in California.

“For the eighth largest economy in the world to have funding that’s 46th is just not acceptable,” she said. Superintendent Carlos Garcia of San Francisco USD also noted the continuous drop in funding over the years.

“We’re about to win the limbo contest,” he said. He urged the Legislature to reject the budget cuts and to give education the funding it needs to provide a high quality education to California students, matching the high quality of the education standards the state has set for them.

“Our children and our future are worth every nickel of it!” he said.

State Superintendent of Public Instruction Jack O’Connell added his voice to the chorus.

“This budget would be a giant step backwards,” he said. You’ve heard of No Child Left Behind. Well, this budget would leave all students behind.

“The problem isn’t a spending problem, it’s a priorities problem. This was supposed to be the Year of Education, but it has become the Year of Education Evisceration. We have a values problem, and we need to step up. If you want to shortchange our future then you shortchange education.”