The following information has been reprinted from the State PTA website and the August 14th Legislation Action Alert.

There has been a lot of negotiations, talk and rumors inside the state capitol in the past few days about the state budget. The Assembly may call for a vote soon (as early as Sunday) on the Legislative Conference Committee’s budget proposal. California State PTA supports this Conference Committee Budget because it takes a balanced approach and prevents deeper cuts to education and children’s programs.

PLEASE phone or email your state legislators and the Governor IMMEDIATELY and urge them to:

To find your legislators’ email address, please go to Find Your Legislator.
Read the rest of this entry »

Word is out in Sacramento: there may be a vote on the state budget in the legislature next Tuesday, July 29.

We urge you to contact your state assembly member and senator before then to
communicate the following:

• Stand up for children!
• Support the conference committee budget because it takes a balanced approach and prevents deeper cuts to education and children’s services.
• Any final adopted budget package must include revenue enhancements.

Please call right away! It will only take a few seconds to lend your voice. If you’re feeling shy, you can write or type your message to your legislators and fax it to them. If you don’t know your elected state representatives’ phone, fax or address, you can find it here.

For more information and background on the budget and the Conference Committee’s budget proposals, along with more key points, see this Budget Alert from State PTA.

The California State PTA is urging all legislators and the Governor to Stand Up for Children. Below are additional talking points for PTA members to communicate to their elected officials.

We are at a critical crossroad in California. The California State PTA is calling on our legislature to invest in our children. It’s time to take a path that reflects the values of our society, a path that will take our children and our state into the future.

We must pass a budget that does not compromise our most important obligation—to support the education and welfare of children.

A budget compromise that cuts education and children’s services is a budget that flunks the test of good government: It hurts our children.

Our legislators must agree on a budget that we can ALL be proud of— a budget that ultimately ensures California is a vibrant economic force.

• A budget that makes severe cuts to children’s healthcare, foster care and other support services fails that test.
• A budget that cuts education funding fails that test.
• A responsible budget doesn’t make people choose between the health of children and their education – both are essential.
• We must focus on how much we need to invest in our children, not how much we can afford to cut.
• Only by adequately investing in our children today, can we ensure that California has a viable economy in the future.
• If there is not enough money in the budget now, just imagine how little there will be when we have an uneducated California.
• Just imagine how strong, vibrant and successful California will be if we are willing to invest in our children today.

The California State PTA urges all legislators and the Governor to Stand Up for Children.

Links and Resources:
Find Your Legislator
California State PTA Flunk the Budget/Stand Up for Children
Other District/State News Concerning the Budget
State PTA Legislative Alerts (send your name and e-mail address to leginfo@capta.org to subscribe)

The following are a series of Legislation Information Alerts sent out by the California State PTA. To receive these and other Legislation Information Alerts, please send your name and e-mail address to leginfo@capta.org.

State Budget Slashes Summer Schools

Today members of the Education Coalition, including Cynthia Clark, Principal of McClatchy High School; David W. Gordon, Sacramento County Superintendent of Schools; Paul H. Chatman, President of the California School Boards Association; Dana Dillon of the California Teachers Association; Pat Dingsdale of the California State PTA; and Dean Murakami, President Los Rios College Federation of Teachers-AFT Local 2279 joined State Superintendent Jack O’Connell for a press conference to detail the devastating impact of budget cuts on summer school programs.

According to the California Department of Education, many school districts are cutting remediation summer classes, as well as enrichment and achievement programs. At Sacramento’s McClatchy High School, where the press conference was held, there are 200 fewer students enrolled this year in summer school programs compared to last year.

“The elimination of summer school courses threatens to significantly affect students already behind in their schoolwork because they will miss out on the chance to catch up on their peers over the summer break,” O’Connell said. “Some districts that offer summertime intervention programs for English learners cannot afford to keep their classrooms open. Even schools that are just scaling back what they offer will begin offering classes only to students who need to complete courses in order to graduate. This means that students looking to get ahead or improve their grade point average will not be able to do so.”

To learn more, please visit: www.protectourstudents.org.

Pat Dingsdale (California State PTA) joins State Superintendent Jack O’Connell in Sacramento to talk about the impact of budget cuts on summer school programs.

Education Coalition Launches Statewide Radio Ad Campaign

Sacramento – Today the Education Coalition released a statewide radio ad campaign to urge the Governor and lawmakers to invest in education and to find common-sense budget solutions that increase revenues. Transcripts of the ads are below, and audio versions can be found on the web site at www.protectourstudents.org. “The Education Coalition wants our elected leaders to know that the time has come to put aside partisan politics and to invest in our children’s future,” said David A. Sanchez, President of the California Teachers Association. “Delaying and cutting school funding through the state budget process only hurts our students.” “Our state leaders need to put our students’ education at the top of their agenda, and pass a responsible budget that rejects cuts to schools,” said Pam Brady, President of the California State PTA. “We need to give students the tools and resources they need to succeed. The time to act is now.” “Schools are already suffering from the impact of cuts and delayed funding,” said Paul H. Chatman, President of the California School Boards Association. “It’s time to move forward and invest in our kids. California business leaders say the best way to improve our economy is to make sure we have a well-educated work force – let’s work together to achieve that goal.”

http://www.protectourstudents.org/education-coalition-launched-statewide-radio-ad-campaign/

California State PTA recently released some questions and answers about the May Revise and State PTA’s stance on the May Revise. Please use these whenever you’re answering people’s questions about Flunk the Budget, and continue to contact your legislators on Fridays!

On May 14, 2008, the Board of Managers of 17th District PTA adopted the following resolution. We also encourage units and councils to adopt a similar resolution at their meetings. There is a sample resolution available and you can also see others who have adopted it.

Resolution in Opposition to the Proposed 2008-09 Budget

WHEREAS, The California State PTA advocates for adequate and stable funding to support student academic achievement and to promote programs for the health and safety of all children and families; and

WHEREAS, The California State PTA and the voters of California strongly supported the passage of Proposition 98 to guarantee a minimum level of funding for the State’s public schools; and

WHEREAS, California has the most rigorous academic standards and one of the most stringent accountability systems in the nation, but is currently ranked 46th among the 50 states in K-12 spending per student; and

WHEREAS, California is near the bottom in the nation in almost every category of school funding, including school nurses, librarians, counselors, and other critical support staff per student; and

WHEREAS, The governor’s proposed budget for 2008-09 recommends a $4.4 billion cut to K-14 education (which would require the suspension of Proposition 98) on top of a $400 million reduction for education in the current year, with a net effect of approximately $800 less per K-12 student; and

WHEREAS, The Governor’s proposal would lead to dramatic reductions in support staff at schools as well as widespread teacher layoffs and increased class sizes; and

WHEREAS, The California State PTA believes that new revenue sources must be considered to balance the state budget and avoid harmful cuts; now therefore be it

RESOLVED, That the Seventeenth District PTA OPPOSES the proposed budget cuts to education and to programs that ensure the health and protection of ALL of the state’s children, youth, and families.

The California State PTA has issued a Legislative Alert concerning the May Revise. Today is “Flunk the Budget” Friday so please contact your legislators TODAY to tell them that the revised budget continues to flunk the basic test of good government: it hurts our children. Additional points about the revise can be found in this Leg Alert.
Download the Leg Alert [PDF]

You can find this and other past California State PTA Legislative Alerts on their website. There are also instructions on there on how you can subscribe to these Leg Alerts by e-mail.

Cross-posted from California State PTA Press Release

SACRAMENTO, CA- The California State PTA, representing nearly one-million volunteer members across the state, announced it will intensify efforts calling for a state budget solution that does not jeopardize children or California’s future. The announcement comes in response to the release of the May Revision to the state budget on Wednesday by Governor Schwarzenegger. “We truly appreciate the Governor’s desire to try to mitigate some cuts to schools, and his desire to think about long-term fixes, but the fact is our children need more resources right now in order to have the best chance at success in school and in life,” said Pam Brady, California State PTA President. “As the state’s largest volunteer children’s advocacy organization, PTA has a responsibility to speak up for the safety and welfare of all children, and to advocate for a quality public education for each child. This budget still does not meet the needs of our children or our state; therefore, we will continue to raise our voices in strong opposition to the proposed cuts.”

Initial analysis of the May Revision show that as much as $4 billion in cuts to education continue to be proposed, as well as severe cuts to children’s health and other support services. The PTA’s Board of Directors is scheduled to meet with the Governor next week to discuss its concerns about the cuts affecting children.

“These cuts would be devastating to the health, safety and education of our children and our future workforce,” Brady said. “In addition to the education cuts, a huge concern for us is the proposed hit on health and support services for children. We know for a fact that healthy children are more likely to attend school and be ready to learn – and that helps us raise achievement for all students. A responsible budget doesn’t make people choose between the health of children and their education – both are essential.”

PTA acknowledges that the latest proposal meets minimum education funding requirements. “But, more importantly,” Brady noted, “the proposal still makes drastic cuts to many vital programs that help student achievement, like class size reduction, instructional materials and career technical education programs. The conversation that needs to occur at the Capitol and across the state is, how do we get a balanced budget solution that does not jeopardize our children’s future or our future workforce? We need our legislators to ask: how can we make sure we’re investing properly in our future, not what can we afford to cut right now?”

Since January, California State PTA and parents throughout the state have voiced strong opposition to the damaging cuts to education and children’s services proposed in the state budget. Brady said that effort will continue.

Today in Los Angeles, PTA and other parent groups will hold a rally downtown calling for a greater investment in education. PTA’s across the state will continue holding similar rallies, as well as contacting their legislators and the Governor, and delivering thousands of letters and postcards. “The response from parents since January has been overwhelming,” Brady said. “Parents and the public are ready to fight for what is right for our state’s future.”

The California State PTA is a branch of the 110-year old National PTA, with over a million members statewide. The PTA is the nation’s oldest, largest and highest-profile volunteer organization working on behalf of public schools, children and families, with the motto “Every child, one voice.” PTA volunteers work in their schools and communities to improve the education, health and welfare of all California children and youth. The PTA also advocates at national, state and local levels for education and family issues. The PTA is non-profit, nonpartisan, non-sectarian and non-commercial. For more information, go to www.capta.org

Cross-posted from California State PTA Press Release

SACRAMENTO, CA- Pam Brady, President of the California State PTA, issued the following statement today in response to the Governor’s revised budget proposal: “Since January, parents and community members throughout the state have raised their voices in overwhelming opposition to the damaging cuts to education and children’s services proposed in the state budget. The May Revise appears to reflect some of those concerns by not suspending the minimum education funding guarantee. However, there is still much work to be done by the Legislature and Governor to ultimately ensure a balanced budget solution that does not jeopardize the health, safety and education of our children and our future workforce. Many essential programs and services are still extremely vulnerable. California State PTA will continue to carry the message that shortchanging education funding and services to children is the most expensive mistake California can make.

The dialogue at the Capitol needs to continue moving towards how much we should invest in our children and California’s future, not how much can we afford to cut. California has been operating for too long with a broken, outdated budget process. By adequately investing today, we can ensure that California has a viable economy in the future. Now is the time to invest in our children and in the future of California.”

The California State PTA is a branch of the 110-year old National PTA, with over a million members statewide. The PTA is the nation’s oldest, largest and highest-profile volunteer organization working on behalf of public schools, children and families, with the motto “Every child, one voice.” PTA volunteers work in their schools and communities to improve the education, health and welfare of all California children and youth. The PTA also advocates at national, state and local levels for education and family issues. The PTA is non-profit, nonpartisan, non-sectarian and non-commercial. For more information, go to www.capta.org.