Your sitting in a math classroom filled to capacity for an hour. The bell rings and instead of going to art class or band, you are headed straight for another student-over-filled room for an English lecture. After school you walk straight home because soccer practice was canceled and the chess club is diminished.
In order to address California’s budget shortfall, billions of dollars are being cut from education in the next school year. More than $865 million are being directly taken from K-12, potentially eliminating programs that enrich children.
On Jan. 10, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger released his proposed budget for 2008-09 that includes cuts and many changes for most state programs. Education is one area being hit hard.
The purposed cuts, weighing in at $4.8 billion, are substantially large for public schools in California according to EdSource, a not-for-profit organization whose mission is to clarify complex education issues about public school improvement.
Approximately 14,000 teachers have received notices that they may not have jobs next year due to the proposed cuts, according to the California Teachers Association, California’s largest professional employee organization, representing more than 340,000 public school professionals.
“Teachers are discouraged. They look at their pink slips not knowing if they have job security. Young teachers wanting to educate are being forced to come up with back up plans not knowing if schools will be hiring in the fall,” Dina Martin, a member of the California Teachers Association, said.
As layoffs occur, the number of people taking the state entrance exam to become a teacher has declined by 32 percent in the past five years, according to an article in the San Diego Union Tribune.
“I’m trying to pay off my debt from putting myself through Cal Poly’s masters program, the last thing I want is a pink slip,” said Lauren Stroud a second year teacher.
“California's economy is only as strong as the education and skill levels of those who live and work here. Many California industries—medical, finance and telecommunications—desperately need well-educated workers to keep California companies competitive and to keep our state economy strong,” taken from an article on EdSource’s website, California School Finance, titled Today’s Students are California’s Future.
Along with purposed budget cuts Schwarzenegger also purposed to suspend Proposition 98, which is a voter-approved guarantee for minimum funding for schools.
The Proposition 98 Guarantee is determined by three tests. The first is related to property tax changes. When property tax changes the percent given to schools changes as well. The second test is based on statewide income.
The third test is used when General Fund revenues decline. In this test funding is adjusted to available resources, so education will not suffer in low revenue years.
Administration wants to suspend Prop 98 and give $4 billion less than would have been required.
California is below the national average in spending per student. Per pupil spending has repetitively been cut over the years, which has sunk California’s educational rating to the bottom. The effect is about $750 les per student then K-12 education would normally receive.
“Kids today have no manners. These things were taught to children along with art, music and other subjects that promote self-explorations,” Mary Ann Lawson a former elementary school teacher.
What do these cuts mean for the students? Students may have larger classes, fewer elective courses to choose from and a reduction in school-sponsored sports.
“These cuts mean my child won’t have opportunities and experiences that they need to become successful adults in the future,” Chris Bussman new father and taxpayer said.
Taxpayers without children are also being affected because they’re worried about the future.
“I think it will significantly change the future,” Todd Pollack, a single man with no kids, said. “I wish we could cut from corrections who want $11 billion for prison hospitals. I would like them to squeeze the money from other areas of the budget, increase sales tax and state college tuition,” Pollack added.
When Susan Griswold, a mother of a Bay Area child, was asked if she would pay a tax increase to combat cuts she said, “No, I definitely would not because the government needs to cut the managements spending and not take it out of my pocket. School management makes a ton of money, and isn’t spending money on the necessary things. That’s why there is never enough money.”
To combat these cuts, groups like the California Teachers Association are holding rallies, news conferences and anything they can to call attention to the issues.
“These cuts are real and they have to happen but they shouldn’t come from education,” Martin said. “Just last year we were fighting for more art classes and now this year there are fewer art classes due to more cuts,” she added.
To oppose the cuts the California Teachers Association has launched the ‘Cuts Hurt’ Bus Tour through April and May to take on the fight against the governor. The ‘Cuts Hurt’ Bus Tour is a statewide tour to different schools with a goal to bring attention to the effects of cuts on education.
“Our goal is to make the public aware that these cuts are hurting schools,” said California Teachers Association President David Sanchez.
The bus has already visited Inglewood and Rialto and is headed to San Diego. It will be stopping in Sacramento on May 20.
Parents and community members across California are calling, writing, faxing or e-mailing their representatives to encourage them to figure out an alternative to the education cuts.
"While I understand the Governor and the Legislature have tough decisions to make, these cuts to public education impact the morale of our education professionals, will increase class sizes, and leave our schools with fewer resources just when we are asking more of them than ever before," State Superintendent of Public Instruction Jack O’Connell said in a press release from the California Department of Education. "These budget cuts ultimately are a direct hit on the quality of the education we offer our students."
