Association of California School Administrators - Web site gives budget cut info

Web site gives budget cut info

As part of the Education Coalition’s efforts to protect students from the draconian budget cuts proposed by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, the coalition has set up a Web site as a kind of information clearinghouse on the education side of the debate.

The site can be accessed at www.protectourstudents.org. There, visitors can access the latest information on the Ed Coalition’s efforts. So far, the campaign to protect students from suffering through an evisceration of Prop. 98 is having some success in getting the word out.

Schools have started communicating exactly how the budget cuts would hurt in the classroom. In turn, some media outlets are beginning to pick up on the fact that, if enacted, these budget cuts would have a severely detrimental effect on the quality of education offered to California students.

Articles found at protectourstudents.org show that districts are either planning for, or have already implemented, spending and hiring freezes, and cutting such “non-essential” programs as high school sports.

In addition, districts are gearing up for closing some schools and sending out layoff notices.

“There isn’t a whole lot of fat left to squeeze,” Bill Hedrick, president of the Rialto Education Association told the Los Angeles Times. “You squeeze now by cutting jobs and teachers. We expect some of our members not to have jobs next fall. That’s the reality of the situation.”

This just confirms the point already raised by the Education Coalition. In January, it released statistics showing that the governor’s proposal to cut $4.8 billion from schools would equate to:
• Shutting down every school across the state for nearly one month.
• Laying off more than 107,000 teachers.
• Increasing class sizes statewide by as much as 35 percent.
• Laying off more than 137,000 bus drivers, janitors, food service workers, maintenance workers and other education support professionals.
• Eliminating all music, art and career technical education programs statewide with room to cut even more.

For more information, visit www.protectourstudents.org.

You may also be interested in...

Investing in our Public Schools
By Bob Wells, Kevin Gordon and Dick Hamilton
Other states wooing CA teachers away
There are signs that Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger’s proposed huge cuts to education funding may be having an immediate impact in the classroom.
Ed Coalition decries proposed budget cuts
As the Legislature scurries to address the issue of mid-year cuts, the Education Coalition recently held a press briefing on the governor’s proposed budget. Representatives of the state’s top education organizations raised a number of telling points to show how the proposed budget would hurt students.
Finding Answers to Questions about School Finance
From EdSource
Education outcry influences May Revise
Parents and educators have voiced their strong opposition to all cuts to schools and students. And while the governor’s revised fiscal year 2008-09 state budget proposal avoids suspending Proposition 98, the state’s minimum school funding law, it still cuts billions of dollars from public education.
CA turns thumbs down on May Revise
A recent poll from the Public Policy Institute of California shows that most Californians dislike Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger’s latest May Revise budget plan and oppose his proposal to borrow from the state lottery.
Cash deferral plan adopted by Legislature
Although a final state budget still appears beyond the horizon line, one budget issue that will potentially have a huge impact on LEAs has been addressed. On June 20 the Joint Budget Conference Committee of the Legislature unanimously adopted an LAO compromise version of a cash management plan for the state.
Budget woes: Gov's approval rating dips
The devastation of the tidal wave of March 15 notices is still being felt and the reverberations have reached all the way to the top.

From:
Email:
To:
Email:
Subject:
Message: