| Students Sue Over Disappearing Teachers |  |  |
| Education |
| WRITTEN BY RUPA DEV - COURTESY OF NEW AMERICAN MEDIA |
| MONDAY, 07 JUNE 2010 08:47 |
| Natalie Robinson, 10, won’t be returning to Cordova Lane Elementary School next year because her school was shut down last week. “It’s sad because my school is closing after 51 years,” said Natalie. “I’m going to miss my teachers; they were all really nice and creative.” Cordova Lane Elementary, which takes its name from the Sacramento suburb where its located, shut down due to low enrollment, and this is just one of many changes the Folsom Cordova Unified School District has already implemented as a result of $14.7 million slashed from the 2009-2010 budget and $14.1 million more for the upcoming school year’s budget. “We will increase class sizes and reduce the number of teachers, custodians, librarian assistants, counselors, principals, vice principals, and sports program,” said Steven Nichols, spokesperson for Folsom Cordova Unified School District. “These cuts are very uncomfortable for us because we never thought we’d have to make them.” Massive cuts in schools may not surprise Californians these days, but that doesn’t mean residents have become complacent. In late May, a broad coalition of families, students, teachers, school districts, administrators, and advocacy groups filed a lawsuit against the State of California, asking a Superior Court Judge to declare the state’s system for funding public schools unconstitutional. The Robles-Wang, et al. v. California lawsuit, which is supported by State Superintendent Jack O’Connell, argues the amount of state funding provided to education isn’t sufficient enough to deliver the programs required for students to meet the state’s educational requirements. |