my gosh!
http://www.californiarepublic.org/archives/Columns/CampbellJ/20050322CampbellTeachers.html
Contributor
John Campbell
John Campbell (R-Irvine) is a California State Senator representing the 35th District in Orange County. He represents the cities of Newport Beach, Laguna Beach, Irvine, Costa Mesa, Huntington Beach, Seal Beach and Cypress. He can be reached through his Senate website and through the website for his California Senate campaign. [go to Campbell index]
Teachers Union vs. The Governor
Building a war chest to battle the administration..
[John Campbell] 3/23/05
On Friday, it was released that the California Teachers' Association (CTA) will vote next month to increase their dues by $180 per teacher over 3 years. (source: Sacramento Bee weblog by Dan Weintraub, 3/18/05) This will raise an additional $54 million which they would specifically target to oppose the Governor's education proposals. They will borrow against this stream of revenue to be able to spend much of the money this year. The vote will be made by an 800-member union council which has to ability to compel 350,000 teachers around the state to pay the dues, whether they want to or not. Teachers’ dues are currently $533 per teacher, per year.
You may have seen that there have been a lot of protesters at every event which Arnold has attended in the last few weeks. This is all very reminiscent of similar protests against then-Governor Ronald Reagan in the 1960's as he, too, fought forces that would socialize our economy and our nation. These protesters are placed there entirely by the various unions who oppose the Governor's proposals. One of the advantages the unions have is that they can pay people to be protesters at these locations. On the Governor's side however, there is no organized paid workforce for parents who want better schools for their kids or for people who oppose even higher taxes.
So, we need you. A lot of people ask me, "John, is there anything I can do to help you and Arnold with the things you're trying to do?" The answer is yes. I have attached materials consisting of an outline of the Governor's legislative education agenda and some materials which will help get the message out that real people and parents want to see change in our system and are not happy with the status quo.
I'm sure you've seen the multi-million dollar ads on TV. I'm sure you've heard about the protests. Now, common-sense reform may be up against another $54 million worth of propaganda, now that CTA wants to raise teacher dues. But the majority of people are with us. Thanks for your help in getting the word out. CRO
SETTING THE RECORD STRAIGHT ON EDUCATION
Governor Schwarzenegger’s Plan for Our Schools You can rarely read the newspaper or turn on the radio these days without hearing the California Teachers Association’s “big bosses” falsely attacking the Governor in an attempt to mislead the public about education dollars.
- Don’t be fooled. This fight is not about money. The truth is, since 1988 public schools have been guaranteed 40% of California’s budget. However, student achievement has not improved, and - despite the wonderful efforts of our teachers, administrators and school board members - California continues to remain at the bottom of national rankings. Our system is broken - it shortchanges educators, parents, students and taxpayers.
- The truth is, Governor Schwarzenegger has the courage to challenge the status quo. He is increasing California’s investment in public education by almost $3 billion and focusing on improving our public schools. He is standing up for local educators who on a daily basis put our children’s interests ahead of special interest politics.
- We need YOUR help to build a strong coalition to support this Governor’s education reform.
- STANDING TOGETHER, we will make a difference and help public schools deliver the finest academic programs in the world.
- The FACTS are:
o Governor Schwarzenegger’s proposal actually INCREASES state general fund public education spending nearly $3 BILLION. This is the largest increase for any program in California’s budget and comes at a time when the state is facing a multi-billion budget deficit. This means that even in hard budget times, the Governor is ensuring that our schools - and our kids - receive what they need.
o Spending per pupil will actually INCREASE next year by $362, to a total of $10,084 per pupil. (This is the first time in history that the per-pupil amount has exceeded $10,000 from all fund sources).
o The issue is not about a lack of funding, but rather how that money is spent on our students and in the classroom.
o The Governor’s proposal actually goes one step further, protecting future education funding by prohibiting politicians from borrowing from K-12 schools as well as from dedicated special funds. This will ensure that proposition 98 is upheld once and for all.
- The Governor’s education proposal also proposes:
o Rewarding and retaining good teachers
In most other professions, the best and brightest are rewarded for their efforts. Unfortunately, our teachers are not. This means that the best and the worst teachers are receiving the same pay. This is unfair to dedicated teachers who go above and beyond for their students. The new plan would link compensation to performance reviews and student achievement, to ensure that our good teachers are valued and our children receive the best education possible.
o Spending money wisely and allowing parents & taxpayers to see where the money goes
There is actually a state law prohibiting school districts from saving money and reinvesting the savings back into classrooms. The Governor is also committed to removing the restrictions and allowing schools to save money by using a competitive bidding process for non-classroom services like maintenance and transportation. This kind of fiscal accountability will help ensure schools districts spend their money wisely, efficiently, and where that spending is needed most.
Similarly, parents, school board members and taxpayers deserve to know that education dollars are being spent well. Under the Governor’s plan, school budgets would be publicly available instead of being hidden under a cloak of secrecy.
The bottom line is that no one knows better where funds are needed than the schools themselves, despite all of the lip service from special interests. The Governor wants to shine the light on the true budget problems by facing our state, and the only way to do that is to reveal the numbers behind all of the rhetoric.
o Allowing more school choice
The Governor’s proposal would allow the expansion of the number of charter schools in order to promote innovation and greater flexibility in teaching. No parent should be forced to keep their child in an underperforming school. Competition creates better performance in every industry, and our schools are no different.
THE BOTTOM LINE:
- This fight is not about money. Don’t believe the “fuzzy math” that the CTA is selling. Our system is broken and it needs repair so that our teachers, administrators and school board members can get back to the business of educating our children.
- The Governor has the courage to stand up for our children, despite nasty attacks from California’s largest special interest group (the CTA).
- We MUST break the stranglehold that the CTA has over our local school boards, administrators, parents and students, so that our high-quality teachers, principals, and superintendents can be empowered to succeed.
- We must remember that the groundbreaking reforms the Governor has proposed will ultimately STRENGTHEN our state’s education system.
- The Governor cannot fight this fight alone. There is strength in numbers. If we stand together, we can win --- for the sake of our children and their futures. ALL of California’s children deserve the best education system we can provide them.
To join our statewide coalition for education reform, put students first and fight the special interests with us, support the following bills which are part of Governor Schwarzenegger’s education package: SCAX1 1 ((Runner), SB 844 (Poochigian), SB 337 (Maldonado), ABX1 1 (McCarthy, Benoit) and ACAX1 2 (Daucher).