Issue link: http://digital.copcomm.com/i/17719
JERRY BROWN FOR GOVERNOR economic prosperity of the state. As Brown said in remarks to CTA’s State Council of Education in June, “When we invest in our people and in our schools, when we pull together, then we know that we don’t just defend the land of our fa- thers — we defend and protect the land of our children.” Higher education faculty also benefit- ed from collective bargaining. “The establishment of bargaining rights under Brown was a huge step forward for educators. We would be in a very different place right now without those rights,” says Community College Association President Ron Norton Reel, a Republican. “Brown’s opponent, billionaire businesswoman Meg Whitman, is the polar opposite. She wants to solve the state budget crisis by eliminat- ing 40,000 jobs and further cutting the state budget. She wants to eliminate our se- cure retirement and put all public employ- ees into risky 401(k) plans.” “This move would be devastating to community college faculty,” CCA Vice President Lynette Nyaggah adds. “Over the years, as I have talked to my colleagues, one of the most reassuring aspects of our job is the prospect of a dependable retirement plan during our retirement years.” Overhaul of state testing system In his plan, Brown has vowed to revamp California’s testing system so that we are not spending $100 million annually on standardized tests that don’t measure learn- ing and force teachers to teach to the test. He also opposes second-grade testing. In- stead of focusing on standardized test scores, Brown wants a curriculum that gives our students a well-rounded educa- tion including history, science and the arts, as well as English and math. Whitman, on the other hand, wants to use test scores to grade schools A through F, and wants to evaluate and pay teachers based on test scores. Debate shows true colors During a recent governor’s debate in Fresno, Whitman proved to be both bit cynical and insensitive to issues of immigration. The debate, televised to a Spanish-speaking audience by Univision, occurred in the days after it was revealed Whitman had employed an undocumented worker for nine years, though she has publicly called for a crackdown of such practices by employers. In a question-and-answer session, a California schools prospered during Brown’s time as governor. They can again. > K-12 budget increased from $2.1 billion in 1974-75 to about $8.2 billion in 1982-83. > State funding for higher education, including community colleges, more than doubled. > The state budget for the University of California increased from $474 million in 1974-75 to $1.15 billion in 1982-83. > The California State University budget increased from $454 million in 1974-75 to nearly $987 million in 1982-83. young woman who said she was a senior at the university and an illegal immigrant asked the candidates about the DREAM Act (Development, Relief and Education of Alien Minors), designed to help those indi- viduals who meet certain requirements have an opportunity to enlist in the military or go to college and have a path to citizenship, which they otherwise would not have with- out this legislation. The young woman said that even though she was at the top of her class when she graduated from high school, she wouldn’t be able to work legally after graduation without a path to citizenship. The California DREAM Act was recently vetoed by Gov. Schwarzenegger. Whitman also opposes the DREAM Act, while Brown says he would sign the law if it came to him as governor. “She wants to kick you out of the school because you are not documented, and that is wrong, morally and humanly,” 14 California Educator | OCTOBER 2010 SPECIAL ELECTION ISSUE ABOVE: Then-Governor Jerry Brown with former CTA Political Director Joyce Fadem. The CTA Action headlines read “Governor bats .750 on CTA bill signing” and “Governor signs 13 CTA approved STRS bills.” Brown told the student. Onstage in Fresno, Brown paused mo- mentarily, listening to a correctional nurse shout about how difficult it was to accept furlough days. “OK, so, furlough days — well, that’s one technique of the current governor, because they ran out of money, and they ran out of money because they didn’t learn to live within their means.” The nurse responded with a cynical statement, but Brown remained on track. “We’re going to have to make some very tough choices,” he said. “But we want everyone at the table and everything on the table. We’ll listen to the correctional nurses and to the teachers, the taxpayers and small businesses. These are very dif- ficult times, and you don’t get anywhere by trying to destroy your opponent. You have to incorporate multiple perspectives and lead everyone to a common path to make California great.” A down-to-earth politician who listens to the voice in the crowd and knows that California’s greatness can be restored if we all come together to figure it out. That’s why CTA believes that Jerry Brown should be the next governor of California. CTA archive photo