Too Many Pink Slips for California Teachers We Need to Keep

[courtesy of California Progress Report]

By Don Perata
President pro Tem
California State Senate

Today, more than 10,100 dedicated public school teachers are receiving pink slips. School districts are required to send the notices by March 15th every year to notify teachers that they may not have a job the next fall.

It is outrageous that teachers are the latest casualty of the Governor's budget cuts.

In January, the Governor proposed slashing $4.8 billion from education. To do that, the state would have to shorten the school year by a month, lay off one-third of all teachers or increase class sizes by 35 percent.

That is unacceptable. Deep budget cuts will devastate our education system, hurt our economy and darken California's promise.

A couple generations ago, California had the reputation for the best public schools in the nation. Our schools produced students who now lead private, non-profit and government agencies. My, how times have changed -- in 2005, our state ranked 47th in the nation in per-pupil spending. I don't know anyone who doesn't want to see the state maintain and strengthen its economy. But doing so requires giving more to our schools, not taking from them.

Teachers are the engines that drive the academic achievements of our children. We already demand so much of our teachers that many leave the profession after a few years. Teacher training enrollment has dropped 13 percent in the past two years. The sad reality is that many talented teachers who receive pink slips today will start looking for new careers tomorrow.

My fellow Democratic Senators and I will not stand for it. If California wants a vibrant economy and a bright future, our classrooms must come first. We are determined to protect school funding.

Please join us in our fight to save our schools and protect California's future.