We're in this together

Amid a fast-changing whirl of events and the uncertainty of the education funding crisis, California is inaugurating its 38th governor - Arnold Schwarzenegger.

The CTA State Council of Education voted to oppose the recall election, and I don't regret our decision. I still think the California recall process is flawed and sets a dangerous precedent for running state government.

However, I have said many times that teachers can work with anyone who supports students and public education, and we are committed to working with Gov. Schwarzenegger to implement his promise to make children the number one priority in the upcoming state budget. Unfortunately, in making his first education-related decision, Gov. Schwarzenegger ignored teachers completely. We are deeply disappointed that he did not take our advice and abolish the redundant education bureaucracy known as the Office of the Secretary of Education.

The creation of this state agency was purely political, and it does nothing for the students of California. Teachers will not be window dressing for business as usual. In these tight budget times, the $2 million we spend on bureaucrats in Sacramento would be much better spent in our classrooms - buying textbooks, reducing class sizes or restoring courses at our community colleges.

Providing a quality education for our children is the most important investment we can make for the future of our state. That's why CTA is again taking charge to make sure our schools get the resources they need.

When it comes to meaningful improvements that have truly made a difference in our schools, they have always happened because teachers have come together to make them happen. Teachers led the fight for class size reduction. Teachers passed Proposition 98 to guarantee minimum funding for education. And teachers passed the two largest statewide school bonds in California history.

It is in this spirit that CTA is partnering with children's advocate Rob Reiner to file a new education initiative to generate substantial resources for our K-12 classrooms and provide statewide access to voluntary universal preschool.

Since last January, when State Council directed us to explore an initiative to provide substantial new funding to public education, we've been researching ways to raise additional money for public schools. It's taken a lot of time, but we've come up with a solid proposal that voters will support and that will really benefit teachers and kids.

You will be hearing more about this initiative once it is filed, but here is what it does: It establishes a new education fund. Two-thirds of the money is for K-12 education and may only be spent for reducing class sizes (including beyond the third grade), buying up-to-date textbooks and materials, and improving teachers' training and salaries.

The remaining third will be used to establish a system of voluntary universal preschool for children one year prior to attending kindergarten in the public schools.

In order to ensure that all dollars raised go directly to the classroom, the initiative includes strict annual audits and prohibits the use of any funds on administrative overhead. If anyone, including administrators, misuses these funds, they will face fines and criminal penalties.

We added preschool to this initiative for a very good reason. It's the right thing to do. Students who attend preschool do better in math and English throughout their school careers and are more likely to graduate from high school and attend college.

The initiative would be funded by an increase in the commercial property tax rate from 1 percent to 1.55 percent, which is expected to raise another $4.5 billion for our schools. It does not raise the property tax for homeowners.

The funding of public education in California has been below the national average for well over a decade. And in the past two years, funding for California public schools has been cut by more than $4 billion, resulting in larger class sizes and teacher layoffs. The children of this state have waited too long for somebody to do something about it.

I ask you: If not now, when? If not us, who? Together, we will again lead the charge to improve public education in this state.