Issue link: http://digital.copcomm.com/i/29842
STATE OF “ TAKE ACTION EMERGENCY We haven’t had a GATE [Gifted and Talented Education] program since 2008. Class sizes in K-3 have increased to 25 students per class and will be going up to 30 next year. We haven’t had any fi eld trips since 2008. We no longer have assemblies. We have no funding for after-school tutoring. Our intervention aides have been cut. Our site offi ce staff has been cut. Maintenance has cut back. We haven’t had any furniture replaced for the past several years. And our library books are wearing out. by Dina Martin This is how fifth-grade teacher Danielle Stigthans describes the impact of budget cuts on Kendrick Elementary in Bakers- field. That’s why Stigthans, co-president of the Greenfield Educators Association, will be urging the 400 members of her chapter to participate in CTA’s “State of Emergen- cy” week of action May 9-13. ” Greenfield is not alone. School districts throughout California are eroding in all sorts of ways. It’s going on three years that California’s schools have been drained of the resources they need to carry on. In that time, $20 billion has been cut from state public education funding and 30,000 teach- ers have been laid off. This year, another $2 WHAT YOU CAN DO • Print materials from the “State of Emergency” website: castateofemergency.com. • Share materials with your friends and colleagues. • Use posters, fliers, buttons and other resources to get everyone informed and on board. • Use e-mail, Facebook, Twitter, etc. to reach as many people as possible. • Work with your local chapter to plan a community event. • Find more information and resources at castateofemergency.com. • Post your messages on CTA’s Facebook page: facebook.com/californiateachersassociation. 8 California Educator | APRIL 2011 billion to $4 billion may be cut, forcing an- other 20,000 teachers to leave the profession. In addition, more than 1 million students are losing up to five instructional days as districts struggle with their budget short- falls. As an entire generation of students goes without the educational opportunities they deserve, some California lawmakers are still hijacking the state budget process by refusing even to vote on the tax extension portion of Gov. Brown’s budget package. “We are living in a state of emergency,” says CTA President David A. Sanchez. “We need to take bold action that sends a crystal clear message to Sacramento. We aren’t going to sit back while the negli- gence of some lawmakers bankrupts our schools, closes our parks, abandons our sick and elderly, and puts entire communi- ties at risk.” CTA declares ‘State of Emergency’ For the past four months, CTA and its Education Coalition allies — admin- istrators, school boards, school staff and the state PTA — have urged the state Legislature to adopt the budget proposal presented by Gov. Brown in January. Be- CALL 1-888-268-4334 E-MAIL YOUR LEGISLATOR