California Republican Teachers Speak Out Against Governor's Election Agenda to Hurt Schools, Students
Contact: Mike Myslinski at 650-552-5324.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 29, 2005
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Chair of the CTA Republican Caucus Ron Edwards expresses his disappointment at Fresno news conference, telling the group, "Gov. Schwarzenegger's become just another politician." |
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Fresno Teachers Association and GOP member Patty Roberts addresses the media at news conference. |
BURLINGAME – Many California Republican educators spoke out Wednesday at news conferences in Orange County and Fresno against Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's special election fight for Propositions 74, 75 and 76 – a political agenda that hurts our public schools, students and teachers.
"We're certainly disappointed. After working with teachers and parents before he was elected and promising to do things differently in Sacramento, Gov. Schwarzenegger's become just another politician," said Ron Edwards, a Stanislaus County sixth-grade teacher and chair of the CTA Republican Caucus. "He's broken his promises to our students and schools and he's pushing bad ideas that will put education, health care and public safety at risk."
Speaking in Fresno to media with Edwards were several Central Valley Republican educators, including Linda Kraus, a first grade teacher in Oakdale, and teachers Kathy McDonnell and Patty Roberts from the Fresno Unified School District.
At the Buena Park news conference in Orange County, more strong disappointment was expressed by Shawna Adam, a Hacienda La Puente Unified School District kindergarten teacher and chair of the National Education Association's Republican Caucus. "We had high hopes that after being elected he would continue to work with teachers and parents to improve our schools," Adam said. "Instead, he's backing a special election agenda that would severely hurt our schools and students."
Educators speaking out with Adam included Heidi Chipman of Yorba Linda, Andy Megaw of Alta Loma (San Bernardino County), and Davina Keiser of Long Beach.
The news conferences were held at new or modernized schools because the governor-endorsed Prop. 75 would make it harder for CTA and local teachers to support efforts like the community and state school bonds that funded these schools and so many others in the state. Prop. 74 unfairly blames teachers for the problems in our schools by extending the probation period from two to five years. Prop. 76 would gut school funding by dismantling voter-approved Proposition 98, the state's minimum education funding law, and would give the governor broad new powers to cut schools, health care and public safety.
The CTA is affiliated with the 2.7 million-member National Education Association.