Issue link: http://educator.cta.org/i/2868
T Schwarzenegger has called legislators back for an emergency budget session to deal with the mounting state deficit, and has said that schools should be prepared for the possibility of another $2 billion to $4 billion in midyear cuts in addition to the $3 billion that has already been cut. The worst may be yet to come. Gov. California is 46th in the nation in per- pupil spending and is now likely to slip even further. “Presently we have a budget that provides no new revenue sources and locks school funding into the bottom of the nation,” says CTA President David A. Sanchez. “New sources of revenue are needed. Our state is facing serious problems, and that means we need serious solutions from our leaders to in- vest in our future. Any further cuts to educa- tion would be catastrophic for California’s students.” CTA members say schools are already reeling from this year’s cuts, and additional cuts will devastate public education as we know it. What is happening in the following school communities reflects what is hap- Below: Bob Winford at Folsom Cordova with his crowded third-grade class. Top: Ali Rabiei of the Torrance Unified School District talks with a student. pening throughout much of California. Torrance Classrooms are bursting at the seams in Torrance, which has eliminated 38 teaching positions. The Torrance Uni- fied School District increased class sizes in grades 6-12, so most classes have 38 students per teacher, with many classrooms in the low 40s. The district has been forced to cut its en- tire night custodial crew, as well as food and health services. Torrance Teachers Association members and students at North High School are defi- nitely feeling the stress. “I find myself jump- ing around the classroom from one end to an- other,” says Ali Rabiei, who has more than 40 students in his geometry classes. “Overcrowd- ed classes diminish the quality of instruction. If I could somehow figure out how to clone myself, it would solve the current crisis.” Geometry teacher Anh Nguyen is also struggling with 40-plus students in her class- es. She arrives at the campus for zero period (at 7 a.m.) and stays until 5 p.m. or lat- er to grade the glut of pa- pers. “With so many stu- dents I have no time in class to do anything,” she says. “It’s crazy.” In the past she has been able to offer individual at- tention to struggling stu- dents. Many have to relearn algebra fundamentals while also taking geometry. Dur- ing a recent class period, Nguyen darted from student to student to offer assistance. But even though she works as fast as she can, it may not be enough. “My fear is that I’m not going to be able to reach all of them,” she confides. In the past, Spanish instructor Kennya Valle enjoyed games and student presenta- tions in her classes. “But my room is so crowd- ed there is no room to move around, and it would take two or three days for presentations with so many kids.” Students agree that having more per class is not merrier. “It’s hard to concentrate because it gets so loud,” says Michael Orrantia, a freshman. “It feels really hectic when you have larger classes.” “When my class is more packed than a Ta- co Tuesday, it’s hard to put thoughts together,” says Melvin Caballero, also a freshman, refer- ring to the Mexican restaurant tradition of of- fering free tacos on Tuesdays. “It’s a treacher- ous learning environment.” The low-wealth district has already suf- fered $25 million in cuts over the past decade, and this year $9.5 million was cut. Music pro- grams have been decimated, and there are six school nurses for 33 schools. And projections