Issue link: http://educator.cta.org/i/2865
Doesn’t our education matter? members question the budget cuts Students and The state budget’s $11.5 billion cut to schools and colleges is the largest single budget cut ever made to public education in California. More than 27,000 educators in the state have received pink slips so far this year. Analysts may be able to put a dollar figure on cuts to education, but it’s more difficult to figure out the cost to students and society when education is not fully funded. The things we cannot pay for now may be things that will cost us down the line. The first disbursement of federal stimulus money for education was sent to states last month. But even federal funds will not be enough — and won’t arrive in time — to stave off widespread teacher and education support professional layoffs and cuts to programs. And the next round of cuts is coming on top of a year when cuts ran deep. There are more than 9 million reasons to vote yes on Proposi- tions 1A-1F — California’s students. If these propositions fail, it will mean another $23 billion budget hole. And that means more layoffs and more cuts to schools. The following stories look at the impact of both past and future budget cuts — describing firsthand how they are affecting students in public schools. The stories tell what it’s like to be in an overcrowded classroom; to go without basic school supplies; to need counselors who aren’t there; and to lose beneficial programs like music, art and sports. >>> Stories by Sherry Posnick-Goodwin • Photos by Scott Buschman 8 California Educator | may 2009 Val Verde Teachers Association member Steve Brockman with student Micah Hebert, who worries that freshman football will soon disappear.