ARE WE WILLING TO BE A CATALYST FOR CHANGE?

By Heidi Brewington, member of the California state pta and LAUSD Parent | by email

This article is posted in Spanish/en Español here: http://bit.ly/VJFWwY

see also: WHAT WILL MY SCHOOL AND MY COMMUNITY GET WHEN PROP 38 PASSES? The question answered with detail for every school and community in LAUSD (in English and Spanish)  http://bit.ly/YAwQpE

 

   Gandhi once said, “… You must be the change you wish to see in the world...” We talk about the importance of education, and how our children need to be able “think outside the box” and to compete both locally and globally in an economy that is constantly changing and evolving. NOW is the time to walk the walk… be the change we wish to see…

The idea behind Prop 38 is simple and straightforward:  Generate significant additional revenue to start to restore the programs and services that have been cut.  Move California out of the basement is school funding (currently we are ranked 47 out of 50).  Make sure new dollars go directly to every single public school (including charter schools) in California to support our children, help our teachers, and improve our schools. 

Prop 38 is the ONLY proposition on the November ballot that guarantees school funding MUST go per student to every school and must be spent at the school.  School sites can use the money to reduce class sizes or restore classes in art, music, math, science, vocational & technical education and college preparation… all based on different needs at different schools…with input from parents, teachers and the community: GUARANTEED.  Schools absolutely may hire back teachers or staff to restore programs, reduce class sizes or expand instructional time.

The measure will raise $10 to $11 billion annually in new revenue through a sliding scale income tax increase that varies with taxpayers’ ability to pay, (keeping in mind, this is income after all deductions have been made. We all share according to what we can afford, and we all benefit from an educated workforce that can think outside the box and compete both globally and locally.

     The new personal income tax revenues would start being collected in early 2013. The $3.3 billion would be a resource that schools could use to offset or mitigate the effects of the trigger cuts in 2012-13.  

     The 30 percent set aside in the measure for debt payments over the first four years will provide significant budget relief (over $4.5 billion through the end of 13-14.

     Neither Prop 38 nor Prop 30 allocates funding directly to the UC or CSU systems. While Prop 30 designates 11% of its education dollars to community colleges, the legislature decides how much of those funds will be used to replace current community college funding. The “trigger” cuts to UC, CSU and Community Colleges that we’ve heard about are NOT included in the language of either initiative.  They were put in place in the state budget that the legislature adopted in June before the election.  The legislature only adopted a scenario for making cuts if Prop 30 fails; the Legislature did not adopt a similar plan for when Prop 38 passes. Most likely what would happen is that the triggers would be revisited after the election if the governor's measure fails and Prop 38 passes.

      I encourage you to take a look at the initiative… you can find it on the website, www.prop38forlocalschools.org

     Someone once said, “"Life has no remote. Get up and change it yourself".  Let’s make the change and REFORM the process! WE need to be the catalyst for change… Our children can’t wait! I urge you, YES on 38!

 

●● smf: California State PTA has taken a position in SUPPORT of Prop 38 and is a sponsor and principal co-author of the proposition, California State PTA has taken a NEUTRAL position of neither support nor opposition on Proposition 30 – members and constituent units are free to (and encouraged to) make up their own minds. If both pass the one with the most votes becomes law. Voting for both does no harm to either and sends the strongest message to Sacramento: Public Education is Important.