The Governor of California has proposed cutting nearly $5 billion dollars from California’s education system, sparking the distribution of “pink slips” to over 20,000 teachers this past week. Close to 90,000 more could be sent out.
With California on the brink of financial crisis the state’s governor must look for areas to trim the fat, so to speak.
According to an area news report the state’s $16 billion USD budget failure put the governor is a crunch, proposing a nearly $ 5 billion USD
CUT in school funding.
Last week, over 20,000 lay-off notifications were sent out to educators across the state, and just under 90,000 more are expected to go out if Schwarzenegger’s crafty budget plans go through, according to the California Teacher’s Association.
California’s education system relies upon capital-gains taxes and progressive income tax that creates a dependence upon a “good” economic state. Michael Kirst, a professor emeritus of education at Stanford University in Palo Alto, Ca states that the combination of the two creates wild swings in revenues for the state:
"[So] when times are good they are very good and when bad they are painful"
And right now, times are painful, creating a difficult time for the state and subsequently, the schools. Other states, like Texas, fund their schools through property taxes but California’s capping of its property taxes has created a problem for its public school funding ever since.
What is worse is that California requires a two-thirds vote on any budget issues so whether passing or blocking, a two-thirds vote can stall out any important budget decision pertaining to education. Kevin Gordon, who is the President of School Innovations and Advocacy, alluded to the bipartisan bickering in the state, quoted as saying
"With the state GOP refusing to approve anything with revenue tied to it and Democrats unwilling to pass education cuts, it's a recipe for this year's stalemate"
All government issues aside, what happens to those who are the true victims in all of this political fighting: the children?
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California is already on the low-end of the nation’s educations systems, being in the lower fifty-percentile on student test scores, teacher salaries and how much the education system spends on their students. Teacher shortages are anything but on the mend in the state so cutting back on essential personnel serves to harm those that are the reason the education system exists.
One-quarter of California’s students are already in need of special education in terms of having to learn English as a second language. Combine that with their already above average student poverty rate, and this teacher slashing is the makings of an educational disaster trifecta.
In light of the potential lay-offs, many teachers are expected to head for higher grounds. According to the President of the California School Boards Association, he feels that since budgets are officially approved until August, many teachers will leave in an effort to procure a secure teaching position:
"By fall, the state may have changed its mind about those teachers it just gave pink slips to, but by then it could be too late"
Whether the lay-offs occur full force or not at all, the budget cuts are undoubtedly going to affect the children. Classes are already being doubled up on student size and paraprofessionals such as librarians and nurses are being shared amongst campus locations in an effort streamline current resources and cut costs.
Two salaries are more costly than one would be the methodology here.
The second largest school district in the United States is located in Los Angeles, California and in an effort to conform to the anticipated budget cuts, it will be slashing elective courses and sports programs. It will also be looking at firing arts teachers, counselors, gym teachers and cafeteria staff.
One elementary parent shows his overwhelming concern by saying
"Already the bathrooms stink, the roof is leaking, and we never have enough textbooks. Now the school is going to take away key teachers and personnel," "This can't be right."
Although some speculate this is just an attempt to get public notice, the budget issues and problems with teachers are a real concern for California students. Teachers need a reason to stay and this gives them one more reason to go.
Lets hope that the real victims here don’t have to suffer any more at the hands of California’s budgeting problems.
