“The California Teachers Association applauds Democratic leaders of the Assembly and Senate for proposing a responsible budget solution that includes additional revenues to help protect California’s students and public schools, and provides some relief from the $4.3 billion in education cuts proposed in the Governor’s revised budget plan.
“The Conference Committee budget would restore nearly $2.5 billion in cuts to public schools that are part of the Governor’s final budget proposal. While any cut hurts, the Conference Committee plan restores funding to critical programs such as Class Size Reduction and those that target low income students and schools that need help the most. It also provides a partial cost of living adjustment to help local districts retain qualified teachers and deal with increasing transportation costs.
“Continuing to close the state’s budget deficit with a cuts-only approach that hurts schools and vital services that all Californians need and deserve is not the answer. More than $500 million was cut from public education earlier this year and California continues to rank 46th in per student funding. This plan moves us in the right direction. Because education isn’t a Republican or Democratic issue, we call on all lawmakers to put politics aside and work together to approve a responsible state budget that includes increased revenues to protect our schools and invest in our students’ future.”
CTA launched a statewide television advertising campaign today urging lawmakers to find a real budget solution that protects students and schools. Watch the ads at www.cta.org.