Historic gains for public schools weigh against a $3.9 billion diversion from the constitutionally-guaranteed public school funding minimum

BURLINGAME – California Teachers Association President David Goldberg released the following statement regarding the governor’s May Revise announcement:

“The governor’s proposed budget revision clearly ignores the will of voters by proposing to withhold $3.9 billion from California’s constitutionally-guaranteed Prop. 98 funding minimum, but rightfully includes significant and long-fought-for wins for educators, students, and families. That said, for more than 40 years, we have followed the law and invested a minimum guarantee into public schools. Violating that guarantee in proposed budgets causes serious harm to public schools. This means overcrowded, under-resourced, destabilized classrooms.

“The same week that Gov. Newsom provides a May Revision to his budget, more than 2,000 educators will find out if their layoff notice is permanent heading into the next school year. These are public school educators who have devoted their entire career to educating California students, and their future is in jeopardy with threats to withhold vital funds from our local school districts. In Pasadena, there’s a former Teacher of the Year who is being laid off. A school librarian was honored at the same school board meeting when they found out their layoff notice is permanent. California is the fourth largest economy in the world. Our schools should reflect that dominance – there is no reason for public school educators to be facing layoffs.

“Aside from the proposed withholding of Prop. 98 funds, today’s newly announced May budget revision includes critical investments and huge victories for California schools and communities. There is a proposed $2.4 billion increase in special education funding, $1.5 billion in funding for community schools, increased investment in expanding the teacher pipeline, and a cost-of-living adjustment that totals six percent for local educational agencies (LEAs). The revision also includes a historic step forward in the long-fought battle for paid pregnancy leave for educators. The revision includes proposed funding for 14 weeks of paid family leave for public school educators, central to our sponsored legislation AB 65 with Assemblymember Aguiar-Curry, who has been a partner in this struggle from the beginning. Educators have been fighting for reproductive justice in our workplaces for years – fighting back against a system that forces women to pay for their own substitute teacher when taking pregnancy leave. It’s clear the governor heard educators’ voices on several of our priorities in our fight to Fully Fund Schools.

“These are historic gains and we are eager to see them reflected in the final June budget. Efforts to increase revenue in the state are a step in the right direction and it’s clear that we must go further. It should never be the case that working people are forced to choose between healthcare or rent. According to Gov. Newsom’s own words, our state is unmatched in its economy, the resources to fund public services for working people exist, funding discussions should not be “either, or” they should be “both, and.”

“The California Senate and Assembly have both released plans that honor the Constitution and protect Prop. 98 funding for schools. We demand the governor and the Legislature work together on a final budget that fully funds our schools and invests every dollar of Prop. 98 funds owed to California students. We are living in an era of unprecedented wealth, where the rich continue to get richer as the rest of us struggle to make ends meet. The governor and Legislature have the power to ensure the wealthy and corporations pay their fair share and raise revenue to fully fund schools and communities.”

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The 310,000-member CTA is affiliated with the 3-million-member National Education Association.