School funding was very much on the minds of delegates to CTA's State Council of Education Feb. 1-2.
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Debating various priorities for CTA in the effort to address the budget crisis is CTA Board member David Hernandez, along with the other members pictured below. |
Saying CTA has to find ways to make the pot of money available for school funding bigger or forever face divide-and-conquer tactics at the state and local level, delegates to CTA's governing body decided to look into taking an offensive rather than a defensive approach.
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Ann Marie Duquette from Kern County TA. |
Delegates voted to approve an expenditure from the organization's initiative fund to work for passage of another statewide school facilities bond, set to go to ballot in the spring of 2004, and to fight an initiative that would ban race-based decisions on employment, classification of students or admissions to college. Capped at $2 million, the initiative fund expenditure will also be used to conduct research into the idea of finding new revenue sources for education.
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Bill Higbee from United Teachers Los Angeles. |
At the same time, Council called on the governor and the Legislature "to find a comprehensive, multiyear solution [to the budget crisis] that addresses revenues and expenditures. This solution must protect classroom funding and keep our schools improving."
Council also approved an organizing plan that calls for raising public awareness of the devastating effect the proposed budget cuts will have on local schools. It urges teachers to activate local coalitions to help oppose cuts that will hurt schools.
The plan focuses on legislators as the power brokers in the crisis and urges CTA members to meet with their legislators in their home districts, rather than at the Capitol where they're insulated from the concerns of constituents. Delegates intend for local associations and regions to flesh out the plan.
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Janis Brown from San Luis Coastal TA. |
Council approved a list of budget principles for the 2003-04 budget debate, already underway at the state Legislature. "We believe we will be successful in keeping cuts to a minimum for this year, but next year will be a bloody battle," said CTA President Wayne Johnson.
The list includes the same four priorities that were set in the battle against this year's midyear cuts:
- Protecting the base revenue limit monies, which provide core classroom funding for all schools and community colleges;
- Protecting class size reduction, which, even though it's limited to lower grades, increases students' achievement throughout their education and improves classroom discipline so that more children have a chance to learn;
- Protecting schools of greatest need, which face greater challenges than other schools and must have the resources necessary to improve;
- Protecting special education, which, although it is federally mandated, has never been adequately funded and thus continues to encroach on general fund dollars.
The list of priorities for the budget debate also includes fully funding the revenue limit cost-of-living adjustment (COLA), as well as COLA and growth for all programs, including categorical programs that provide direct instruction to students. Council is recommending consolidation of certain categorical programs to maximize flexibility and provide more direct services to students.
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David Lebow from Montebello TA. |
The budget principles include priorities for community college and California State University programs as well, among them keeping student fees low and maximizing financial aid.
Disappointed at the state Senate's vote to undermine the successful class size reduction program, Council delegates delayed the start of their Sunday morning session to allow time to draft letters to their legislators.
"Increasing class size does not provide our kids with the education they deserve, and it certainly doesn't help balance the state budget," said CTA President Wayne Johnson. All it does is give districts money they can shift to other priorities.
