[courtesy of The California Majority Report]

Parents and educators have voiced their strong opposition to all cuts to schools and students. And while the Governor’s revised budget proposal avoids suspending Proposition 98, the state’s minimum school funding law, it still cuts billions of dollars from public education. It makes cuts to the many vital programs that help student achievement, like class size reduction. It also fails to include a cost-of-living adjustment for schools, despite the steadily increasing operating costs for local districts. With this budget, schools and students are once again being asked to “do more with less.”
 
With more than 20,000 layoff notices already sent to teachers, custodians, school bus drivers, principals and other school employees around the state, California's schools and students have paid a steep price for proposed budget cuts. Many teachers have already been recruited to leave the state. In addition, many school districts have already been forced to cut music, arts and career technical education programs.

by Julia Rosen [courtesy of Calitics - Front Page]

Laying off tens of thousands of teachers and other educational professionals will have a long lasting impacts, due to the reduction in the quality of education for California's children.  The end result will be a less prepared workforce that will weaken California's economy.  The layoffs may also have an exponential effect on the overall ability for California to staff its schools with enough qualified teachers for years to come.

Baby boomers are and will be retiring in massive numbers in the coming years.  California will need to hire at least 100,000 replacement teachers.  There is a reasonable fear that the layoffs this year will drive these potential replacements away from the field.  SDUT:

by Robert in Monterey [courtesy of Calitics - Front Page]

[courtesy of The California Majority Report]

The same week thousands of layoff notices were delivered to teachers and school staffs throughout California Assembly Democrats voted for new legislation that would have reduced the number of layoffs by closing the "gusher giveaway" tax break for oil companies. But Assembly Bill 9xxx failed to get the two-thirds vote needed for passage because Assembly Republicans voted against education and for Big Oil. Just last month the Assembly Republicans also killed an effort to close a tax loophole for wealthy yacht owners. Democrats insist the state’s multi-billion dollar budget deficit be eliminated with a mix of cuts and new revenues, not through the "across the board, spending cuts only" approach proposed by the Governor. There’s more in this Assembly Web Report...

by David Dayen [courtesy of Calitics - Front Page]

[courtesy of California Progress Report]

Policymakers should safeguard gains to ensure every student has a fully prepared and effective teacher

By Margaret Gaston

Once again, California schools are scrambling. Faced with a budget crisis, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger has proposed cutting $4.8 billion from the state’s education budget. To make ends meet, local school districts are considering program cuts, and contemplating laying off employees, including teachers. State law requires that school districts must send preliminary “pink slip” notices of potential layoff by March 15. These threats of teacher layoffs are harmful to the morale of local school personnel and greatly complicate the challenge school districts face in retaining and hiring staff to meet student needs.

by Robert in Monterey [courtesy of Calitics - Front Page]