Thread started by Coe at 05.15.08 - 3:35 pm

Currently the Governor of California is proposing the largest budget cut to education in the history of the state.

We aim to stop it.

Meet at PICO and MAIN in downtown Santa Monica at 11am.
We will be marching/riding to Gov. Schwarzenegger's office at 12pm.

Bring loud speakers, signs, and your voice!!!!





ADDITIONAL INFORMATION::::::::
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UPDATE__MAY REVISIONS

Now that the Gov. has revised his budget, the situation has improved thanks to protests by students all over. The Gov. has decided to give schools minimum funding, this means the education situation has improved by $800 million out of $4.8 billion. A $4 billion loss in education will still occur in July if his budget goes through.

WHY?

Schools lose $4 billion in anticipated revenue because Schwarzenegger's plan would not include Cost Of living Adjustments. (COLA)

Here’s what this means: Every year things become more expensive through inflation, this next year, education will be funded only minimally, without cost of living adjustments (COLA), this means Ca’s education system will now face a $4 billion short fall next year instead of $4.8 billion short fall.

Gov. Schwarzenegger will say he is fully funding education, and in fact has increased education, but in reality, he is not funding anticipated student enrollment growth and inflationary costs, $4 billion will still be cut.

As Of Now:

• CSU will still raise tuition by 10% b/c of weak state funding.
• UC’s will still raise tuition by 7.4% b/c of weak state funding.
• Competitive Cal Grant will still face elimination.
• Transportation, class-size reduction and counseling, still face a 10% cut.
• Tens of Thousands of CC students will not be able to get into their prerequisite classes next year.


HOW WILL CALIFORNIA’S EDUCATION CUTS AFFECT YOU?

-In this year’s proposed budget, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger plans to cut education funding by 10% (4.8 billion) for next year. His justification for this is California’s projected 14 billion deficit. (SMC will protest Sun. May 18th, more info on back)

-Gov. Schwarzenegger also proposes the suspension of voter approved Proposition 98—which guarantees minimum funding for public schools and community colleges.

-If this budget passes, it will be the largest amount of money ever cut from California’s education.

-The Community College system faces a $483 million dollar proposed cut.UC $417 million and CSU $386 million . Public K-12 schools loose over 3 billion dollars.

-An example of cutbacks in financial aid is the Competitive Cal Grant Award; this award serves low income and disadvantaged students. The governor proposes to eliminate new Competitive Cal Grant Awards totaling $57.4 million. This translates into 22,500 students who will not get these awards in the upcoming academic year. Community Colleges are unjustly targeted since 73 % of students who will be denied a new Cal Grant attend Community College. For these students, who depend on Cal Grants, not receiving an award makes the difference between attending and not attending college.

-The Governor’s proposed cuts threaten student services. The proposed cuts to student services are across the board totaling $80 million. Some of the programs that will be reduced include counseling, support for disabled and struggling students, financial aid assistance, and academic support for students needing basic skills. College Counselors are already spread thin with 1,900 students for every counselor.

-The proposed cuts at Community Colleges fund enrollment growth of only 1% vs. the usual expected enrollment growth of 3 %; this translates into $112 million missing. The consequences of not accommodating the usual 3% growth in student enrollment will be a huge deficit in classes and an elimination in course diversity. Community Colleges will not be able to provide classes for 50,000 applying students next year.

-Many students will be faced with not finding enrollment in lasses required for transfer. This will further delay their entry into a UC, CSU or private college. Some students will have their academic career delayed a year or more, or they’ll be forced to move elsewhere to get an education.


-UC and Cal State schools would have to reduce enrollment by 27,000 over the next 2 ½ years, enough students to populate a new campus.

-To maintain the current level of quality at a UC while making up for the proposed cuts, annual student fees would have to jump from $7,511 to $10,500. The system has two options-- raise tuition and become a quasi-private institution, or become a poor state institution.

-In addition, because of student services cuts, 100,000 fewer community college students will be assessed for proper course placement, 46,000 fewer students meeting with counselors, and 43,000 fewer students in academic trouble receiving follow-up counseling to help them complete programs.

-As Schwarzenegger cuts higher and K-12 education, he at the same time proposes a $136 million be used to build a new Death Row Complex at San Quentin Prison.

-To repair the economy we need to invest in California’s educational future. If California’s education is cut, we will only hurt ourselves—In the future we will face a lack of skilled workers such as doctors, nurses, architects, engineers, and teachers. These skilled professionals are essential for maintaining a strong economy.

-According to a recent study by the Public Policy Institute of California, by the year 2020, two of every five jobs will require a college graduate, an increase from one-third of all jobs in 2005. Worded another way, by 2020, jobs requiring a college education are expected to increase by 4.5 million. And according to the National Center for Higher Education Management (NCHEMS), California will need 55% more college educated workers by 2025.



Sources / Resources:

www.collegecampaign.org
(The Campaign for College Opportunity)
www.universityofcalifornia.edu/senate (UC Academic Senate)
www.faccc.org (Faculty Association of California CommunityColleges)
www.blueskyconsultinggroup.com
(The Blue Sky Consulting Group)
www.latimes.com (search for articles)
www.Californiaschoolfinance.org
(The California School of Finance)
www.ticas.org
(The Institute for college access and success)
www.studentsforcalifornia.org
(Students For California’s Future)

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sexy
05.15.08 - 3:38 pm

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sexy
05.15.08 - 3:39 pm

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This happens too often. Teachers are being laid off or getting pay cuts. Students are put on the back of the priorities list. I need a Cal Grant to continue going to school. This affects my future, therefore it affects the future of my wife and daughter. It's a cycle that gets repeated.

This entire country is suffering. The emphasis was placed on war and conquest, not on the citizens of this land and I think it's time we put a stop to it. To lower funding for education is to lower the standard of living for millions of people. Perhaps we need to start to set up our own institutions and stop relying on the government. Perhaps we need new leadership. Perhaps we need to alter the system and culture of capital because we are not focusing on the lives of the masses. Education is a human right and the ones making decisions are denying it to us. We need to stand against this.



pedal_power
05.15.08 - 5:14 pm

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yea think

that the problem, you probably are the only one thinking about this stuff, that is



sexy
05.15.08 - 7:19 pm

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it's true. this will affect all students starting June 08!



Coe
05.15.08 - 10:26 pm

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as a yacht owner i fully support cutting the education budget.



indigis
05.15.08 - 10:55 pm

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hmmm. let me guess who paid for those videos. and that was a very nicely written document up there. do i smell lobbyists from the California Teachers Association trying to protect their interests?

no one is keeping you from getting an education. they're just saying get a job and help pay what it costs. california is going broke.

worse than being a pawn of a lobbyist is not even knowing when you're being used as one.



indigis
05.15.08 - 11:10 pm

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I already see the effects of this by looking at the number of classes that were available this Spring.
Especially with math(ugh) and English(double ugh), there seemed to be little available to fit into my full-time schedule.
Morning classes usually occurred between 6AM and 11AM, with Afternoon/evening classes occurring between 4PM and 7PM.
Leaving a good, five hour gap between anything worthwhile happening.

For now though, I plan to take whatever I can, part-time and on-line.
I've even resorted to getting textbooks for previous taken classes to enhance any math-skills I might've forgotten.
It might take a little longer that way, but I don't foresee anything major happening to hinder the progress.



bentstrider
05.15.08 - 11:24 pm

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no one is keeping you from getting an education. they're just saying get a job and help pay what it costs. california is going broke.

yeah students without skills. Go get a minimum wage job and maybe you might have energy for studies, that if you can afford to pay for it after....... I know you have rent and food to pay for, you don't need to live or eat, you just got to pay for your education, then you can eat and live somewhere.

What, you heard there is a state program that will house you and feed you. And they are having there budget raised, what in the world are you talking about. You say they will always have a spot for you.

Who are you talking to, who is telling this about a free place to live and eat?

The California Correctional Peace Officers Association. That union for the Prison Guards.

I heard of them, they are the most influential lobbyist in Sacramento







sexy
05.16.08 - 12:43 am

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F.Y.I.

The above two video are produced by the Courage Campaign

The first video airing was paid by United Healthcare Workers – West (SEIU-UHW) and Assembly Speaker Fabian Nunez and 558 Courage Campaign donors, and played across California.

The second of the two video was co/produced with The California Nurse Association. Assemblymember Anthony Portantino has put up the starting $5,000 and the courage campaign is looking for
donation to air the spot across California.

I don't think members of the Teachers Union are barred from contributing.



sexy
05.16.08 - 12:58 am

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Yeah, so this one time, the California Teachers Association told me that my house was on fire and I was all like "shyeeaa, like I'm really going to listen to some lobbyist."

I live in a tent now. But at least I didn't let myself be used by a bunch of union dudes.



PC
05.16.08 - 1:25 am

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