FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
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Flanked by other members of the statewide Education Coalition, CTA Board Member Paula Caplinger stresses that Gov. Arnold Schwarzengger's proposed budget cuts and Proposition 98 reform will devastate classrooms that have already been hard hit by more than $9.8 billion in funding reductions. The Board Member's remarks came during a news conference on February 9 at Crocker Riverside School in Sacramento at which the Coalition unveiled new radio spots. The spots urge the public to contact the governor and lawmakers to urge them to restore the billions in funding they promised schools.
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SACRAMENTO - Members of the California Education Coalition unveiled a radio ad today as part of their campaign to protect basic school funding in California.
The 60-second radio spot, entitled "Guaranteed," highlights the fact that Governor Schwarzenegger has broken his word to California's students and schools on two fronts, withholding $2 billion in this year's budget and proposing changes to Proposition 98 which would eliminate the minimum funding protections for schools passed by California voters.
The ad will play heavily on radio stations in every media market in California.
"Our students and schools sacrificed last year with a promise from the Governor that the money would be restored and that our schools would get their fair share of any additional state revenues. Parents, students, teachers and the entire education community are certainly disappointed that he has broken that promise," said Carla Nino, president of the California State PTA. "These radio ads are intended to send a clear message that our leaders should take education as seriously as we do."
The ad features a man asking questions of an operator in the Governor's office. He inquires about the Governor borrowing $2 billion from the education budget last year and expressing curiosity about why the Governor has no intention to put that money back.
Governor Schwarzenegger's budget proposal under-funds Proposition 98; it reneges on his promise to our schools and students by withholding $2 billion; and will only lead to more school closures, larger class sizes, additional layoffs of teachers and school support personnel, and the elimination of key student programs.
The man also notes that when he was campaigning for Governor, Schwarzenegger promised to protect Prop. 98, a law passed by voters that guarantees minimum funding for our schools and "now he wants to gut Prop. 98, and stiff our kids for $2 billion every year!"
The Governor is proposing changes that would eliminate the funding protections put into place when the voters of California passed Proposition 98 to provide minimum funding to our schools in the state budget every year.
The ad ends with the operator asking the man what did he expect?
The man replies, "Well, I guess I expected the Governor to keep his word to our students. See...that's why you should call the Governor and tell him our children depend on us for their future. And politicians should take it as seriously as we do."
Click on the link to hear the radio spot.