We need to plant a flag in the sand to protect public education
It’s time that someone plants a flag in the sand, and I guess it has to be us.
Public schools in California have been brutalized by a series of funding cuts since 2008 that are worse than anything since the Great Depression. In part, these cuts are completely understandable. The economy has been in a free fall, and it is only natural, then, that schools share in solving the budget problem. However, since 2008, public education has been disproportionally on the receiving end of the State’s budget problems, absorbing 59 percent of the reductions, though we account for about 43 percent of the budget.
This slash and burn approach to public education funding has resulted in schools across California gutting their programs for students. In many cases, students are being denied access to performing arts and athletics, having their instructional year shortened, losing out on the opportunity to attend school in buildings that are modern and well-maintained, and even losing high quality teachers due to lay-offs.
Well I say enough is enough. Our kids deserve better, and if it means we must plant a flag in the sand and fight to preserve their education, so be it. In Clovis Unified we aren’t going to make those kinds of sacrifices. We aren’t going to gut our programs and services to students, or give up on maintaining the world class facilities for which we are known, nor are we going to sacrifice the very people who have made our school district a wonderful place of learning.
Yes, our Governor’s proposed budget leaves us with a $28 million hole to fill before we can claim a balanced budget. And yes, this comes on top of th