We're in this together

As CTA president, I have the honor to represent you at various events and speaking engagements. This means that I have had the opportunity to do many things I never thought I would do. One such opportunity occurred last month. For the first time ever, CTA was invited to address the California Chamber of Commerce.

I felt it was important to talk to these business leaders because, even though we have certainly had our differences over the past year, I believe we share some common goals, and we must keep the lines of communication open.

After all, a quality public education system that educates all children — regardless of their race, their native language or their family's wealth — is the key to building a strong economy. Public education is the key to attracting businesses to this state and to providing a well-prepared workforce.

For that reason, I told the group, educators are so disappointed when the California Chamber leads efforts to change the successful class size reduction law or sponsors an initiative that cuts $4 billion from our public schools. It's why we're disappointed when the Chamber supports state budget proposals that raise college tuition fees or break an agreement that was made in good faith to help reduce the state's budget deficit.

Those decisions are hard to understand for teaching professionals who are struggling with a class of 40 fifth-graders who are sharing textbooks and don't have enough paper and pencils, much less computers.

Despite being the fifth-largest economy in the world and having once had an education system that was the envy of the nation, California now lags behind Mississippi in per-pupil funding. In the mid-1970s, Californians spent about the same share of their personal income on public education as the rest of the country did — about 4.5 percent. That share has since fallen to 1.2 percent below the national average. We have the largest class sizes and rank dead last in the number of counselors and librarians per student.

Recently, I read an interesting comment by John Gage, a Sun Microsystems vice president and chief researcher. He said, "Other countries see education as an investment, but we see it as a cost. We're in a knowledge economy, and we've known about that for years. But for some odd reason, we take it for granted. That's fundamentally flawed."

Gage hit the nail on the head. Public education is not a cost of doing business. It is an investment in our children, in their futures and in the economic stability of our state. And we, as adults, have a responsibility to make that investment. It's time that we get beyond the rhetoric and put public education at the center of our economic policies.

I talked to the Chamber about CTA's efforts to improve our schools — the proposals for educational change that are featured in this issue — and I challenged them to join us in supporting meaningful changes that will truly help our students and schools. Because in the end it's not what CTA can do or what the Chamber can do that matters, it's finding out what we can do together.

Another way for us to truly make a difference for our students is to get out and vote in the June primary election. Phil Angelides is the one candidate running for governor who has a real plan to fully fund public education. He will put our students and schools first. And his proposals to roll back tuition fees and increase scholarships will allow more kids to attend college.

I also ask you to vote for Proposition 82, the Preschool for All initiative. Providing quality preschool to every 4-year-old will help ensure that kids come to school ready to learn. Prop. 82 has strict accountability provisions, requiring annual independent audits and criminal penalties for misuse of funds. Investing in preschool saves money and reduces crime in the long run.

Voters want to hear from teachers. So, just as you did last November, make your voice heard on June 6.