Issue link: http://educator.cta.org/i/81027
CAMPAIGN 2012 PREVENT MORE CUTS — YES ON PROP. 30 By Dina Martin Photos by Dina Martin and Mike Myslinski IN THE FIRST OF SEVERAL news conferences, Gov. Jerry Brown last month joined educators, parents, school employees and a group of students in front of New Technology High School in Sacramento to urge voters to support Proposition 30 and prevent $6 million in new budget cuts to education. "If we cannot pass Prop. 30, we are taking a half billion out of our colleges and universities and five and a half billion out of our schools. It doesn't make sense, tion Act, prevents deep school cuts and provides billions in new funding by asking the wealthiest in California to pay their fair share to keep classrooms open and police on the street. All tax increases are temporary, and all money goes into a special account that the Legislature can't touch, requiring annual audits with strict Proposition 30, the Schools and Local Public Safety Protec- " Brown said. accountability. If Prop. 30 fails, public schools and colleges will be cut by another $6 billion this year. That's the equivalent of cutting three weeks of instruction off the school year. School districts around the state have already endured deep cuts, noted Shannan Brown, a California Teacher of the Year in 2011 and president of the San Juan Teachers Association. "Over the last year, in my school district alone, budget cuts have resulted in hundreds of layoff notices to teachers, dramatic increases in class size for kindergarten through third grade from 20 to 31 students, and a loss of counselors, nurses and librarians," she said. "And can you even imagine a caseload of 3,000 to 1? Our nurses can, because that's what they work with every day. She explained that San Juan teachers are already taking two " furlough days to help the district remain financially solvent, and will have 11 more added if Prop. 30 isn't passed in November. "This is instruction time our students will never get back, and this will be happening all over the state. " Above: Pink-slipped New Haven Unified teacher Quyen Tran Bullard, with her baby daughter Madison, was pleased by the support shown during a Prop 30 news conference at San Francisco's James Lick Middle School. Right: Diane Brown, United Teachers of Richmond, urges you to vote yes on Proposition 30! For details visit www.cta.org/campaign2012. 28 California Educator September 2012