Educators: Governor Already Breaking Promise Not to Cut School Funding

January 11, 2010

 While Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger pledged to maintain education spending in California as part of this week’s State of the State add ress, many educators say a closer look at the latest budget proposal shows otherwise.

Education administrators and lobbyists say they found additional cuts totaling $2.4 billion.

Kevin Gordon, a lobbyist with School Innovations and Advocacy, said the cut is on top of the $18 billion schools already lost.

"The schools are going to have to shut their doors at some point," Gordon said. "They can’t exist if you can’t make sure the building still stands and some of those basic things are there that set the stage for teaching."

Sacramento County superintendent Dave Gordon, said the solution to education cuts is simple — the governor needs to speak up.

"But until he, or someone, is willing to stand up and say we don’t have enough resources in the pot to do this then we’re going to see this downward spiraling," Gordon said.

According to Gordon, the additional cuts will force changes like additional layoffs, even class sizes of 30:1; and he says that means children won’t get the education they need.

"Our children won’t be suited for the kinds of sophisticated jobs that will be there," he said. "We’ve let the bottom fall out on our commitment to schooling and young children and public education."

Kevin Gordon said up until now, most school administrators have done their best to keep cuts out of the classroom — until now.

"So the $18 billion in cuts we’ve done over the last year have been done as far away from the classroom as possible, up until a point," he said. "And then you have to cut as many things as you can."

Gordon said besides larger class sizes, students will see diminishe d instructional materials, technology and possibly even the end of teacher evaluations.

"When you strike at public schools in cuts of this depth, that basic education product that we’re giving kids at the most fundamental level is going to be eroded," said Gordon.

The funds the Governor is proposing to cut come from per-pupil allocations.

On the surface his proposal doesn’t effect federal Race to the Top funds. However, educators say eventually, administrators will be phased out and then no one will be there to fight for or administer those funds.