Themes in the News

Education Cuts Start in Kindergarten and Don’t Stop, Nov. 16-20

• 11-20-2009
• 

A weekly summary of themes in education news provided by UCLA's Institute for Democracy, Education and Access.

"I Can't Afford It"

By UCLA IDEA staff 

More sobering news from Sacramento this week: legislative budget analysts projected a $21 billion budget deficit, which would lead to “…across-the-board cuts again” (Los Angeles Times). 2010 could be worse than this year when the state issued IOUs for the just the second time since the Great Depression, while cutting billions from education, healthcare, and social services. There is no more to cut from our schools,” said California Teachers Association President David Sanchez. “There is no more meat on this bone…The next step is amputation” (Los Angeles Times).

California Watch finds that many K-3 schools opened this year with fifty percent more students than specified in class size reduction bill passed in 1996. Since that bill, the state has invested over $22 billion to reduce class sizes; including $1.8 billion this year (The California Report, KGO-TV). Before the July budget cuts, school districts would lose a per-student incentive of $1,071 if they exceeded the class size limit. With the current crisis, those restrictions have loosened, and now schools continue to receive class reduction funds for class-size reduction even as class sizes rise to staggering levels. “My worry is that with 30 kids in the class, I won’t be able to reach out and touch, and get to every child in my classroom,” said Cheryl Accurso, a kindergarten teacher at Oliveira Elementary School in Fremont (Center for Investigative Reporting). Even before these recent increases, California already had the largest class sizes in the country for both high schools and middle schools, according to IDEA director John Rogers (New America Media).

Budget cuts have also shaken up California’s higher education. University of California Regents just increased student fees by 32 percent, raising average annual fees for undergraduates ($3,429 per student in 1999) to about $10,300 next year, plus another $1,000 for other campus-based charges. Room, board, and books may cost students an additional $16,000 (Los Angeles Times). Democracy Now! interviewed Laura Nader, professor of social cultural anthropology at UC Berkeley, who provided an historical and social perspective on the links between a vibrant democracy and a strong system of education. “You have the profit model of education, or you have the public model of education. The public model says it’s a public good. … [In] 1868 our university was founded, and it was founded as a public good. Everybody over the age of fourteen of moral character could come to the University of California. It was meant to be free. They didn’t achieve that completely. But even in 1952, it was only $28 a semester” (Democracy Now!). Ananya Roy, also a UC Berkeley professor, took part in the statewide strike to protest the fee hikes. Roy said that the budget cuts have “devastated the infrastructure of public education.” “We’re fighting for . . . .Californians and Americans,” said Roy. “But we’re also fighting for the future of our particular university, the UC system, and we’re fighting to be represented by leaders who believe in and can defend the mission of public education” (Democracy Now!).

Jeff Bleich, chairman of the California State University Board of Trustees says that the fee hikes are a result of many years of neglect towards public education. “To win votes, political leaders mandated long prison sentences that forced us to stop building schools and start building prisons. This has made us dumber but no safer. Leaders pandered by promising tax cuts no matter what and did not worry about how to provide basic services without that money. Those tax cuts did not make us richer; they've made us poorer” (Los Angeles Times).

Students from all across the state came to UCLA on Wednesday and Thursday to protest the fee hikes. Once the UC Regents approved the fee hikes, reality set in for some students. Jasmine Guerrero, a freshman at UC Santa Barbara, feared that she would have to drop out of school. “I can’t afford it,” she told the Los Angeles Times.

Education Cuts Start in Kindergarten and Don’t Stop, Nov 16-20

• 09-23-2009
• 

A weekly summary of themes in education news provided by UCLA's Institute for Democracy, Education and Access.

"I Can't Afford It"

By UCLA IDEA staff 

More sobering news from Sacramento this week: legislative budget analysts projected a $21 billion budget deficit, which would lead to “…across-the-board cuts again” (Los Angeles Times). 2010 could be worse than this year when the state issued IOUs for the just the second time since the Great Depression, while cutting billions from education, healthcare, and social services. There is no more to cut from our schools,” said California Teachers Association President David Sanchez. “There is no more meat on this bone…The next step is amputation” (Los Angeles Times).

California Watch finds that many K-3 schools opened this year with fifty percent more students than specified in class size reduction bill passed in 1996. Since that bill, the state has invested over $22 billion to reduce class sizes; including $1.8 billion this year (The California Report, KGO-TV). Before the July budget cuts, school districts would lose a per-student incentive of $1,071 if they exceeded the class size limit. With the current crisis, those restrictions have loosened, and now schools continue to receive class reduction funds for class-size reduction even as class sizes rise to staggering levels. “My worry is that with 30 kids in the class, I won’t be able to reach out and touch, and get to every child in my classroom,” said Cheryl Accurso, a kindergarten teacher at Oliveira Elementary School in Fremont (Center for Investigative Reporting). Even before these recent increases, California already had the largest class sizes in the country for both high schools and middle schools, according to IDEA director John Rogers (New America Media).

Budget cuts have also shaken up California’s higher education. University of California Regents just increased student fees by 32 percent, raising average annual fees for undergraduates ($3,429 per student in 1999) to about $10,300 next year, plus another $1,000 for other campus-based charges. Room, board, and books may cost students an additional $16,000 (Los Angeles Times). Democracy Now! interviewed Laura Nader, professor of social cultural anthropology at UC Berkeley, who provided an historical and social perspective on the links between a vibrant democracy and a strong system of education. “You have the profit model of education, or you have the public model of education. The public model says it’s a public good. … [In] 1868 our university was founded, and it was founded as a public good. Everybody over the age of fourteen of moral character could come to the University of California. It was meant to be free. They didn’t achieve that completely. But even in 1952, it was only $28 a semester” (Democracy Now!). Ananya Roy, also a UC Berkeley professor, took part in the statewide strike to protest the fee hikes. Roy said that the budget cuts have “devastated the infrastructure of public education.” “We’re fighting for . . . .Californians and Americans,” said Roy. “But we’re also fighting for the future of our particular university, the UC system, and we’re fighting to be represented by leaders who believe in and can defend the mission of public education” (Democracy Now!).

Jeff Bleich, chairman of the California State University Board of Trustees says that the fee hikes are a result of many years of neglect towards public education. “To win votes, political leaders mandated long prison sentences that forced us to stop building schools and start building prisons. This has made us dumber but no safer. Leaders pandered by promising tax cuts no matter what and did not worry about how to provide basic services without that money. Those tax cuts did not make us richer; they've made us poorer” (Los Angeles Times).

Students from all across the state came to UCLA on Wednesday and Thursday to protest the fee hikes. Once the UC Regents approved the fee hikes, reality set in for some students. Jasmine Guerrero, a freshman at UC Santa Barbara, feared that she would have to drop out of school. “I can’t afford it,” she told the Los Angeles Times.

Themes in the News for the week of November 2-6, 2009

• 11-07-2009
• 

A weekly edition summarizing themes in education news provided by UCLA's Institute for Democracy, Education and Access.

Affluent Areas Approve Parcel Tax Measures to Fund Public Schools: Poorer Communities Face Deeper Cuts Due to Election Results

Following a predictable pattern, Tuesday’s election saw the defeat of “parcel taxes” in poorer communities, and passage of those taxes in wealthier ones. Parcel taxes are additional levies on top of property taxes, and require approval by two-thirds of the voters. The taxes have become an important source of local revenue as state taxes are less able to provide for local schools and other services. Parcel taxes are based on a fixed amount of money per “lot,” and are not calculated according to the value of the land itself. It is called a “regressive” tax because everyone, regardless of the value of their property or ability to pay, is charged the same.

Fourteen parcel tax measures were on the ballot across the state; eight passed. All but three of these measures intended to bring funds into public schools. Culver City Unified School District’s parcel tax measure passed. The tax, $96 a year for the next five years, is expected to “to help pay for math, science and technology and music and art programs; update instructional materials and libraries; and keep class sizes small” (Los Angeles Times). The measure is expected to produce $1.2 million annually. Meanwhile Long Beach’s tax failed, garnering only 43% of “yes” votes (Ballotpedia). The Los Angeles Times’ analysis suggested that the Culver City’s “… small size (just over 6,700 students) and relatively affluent population” were factors in the measure passing.

Indeed, the Times also reported earlier this year that “voters in small wealthy communities were more likely to approve parcel taxes than those in larger, less-affluent areas” (Los Angeles Times). For example, earlier parcel tax measures passed in San Marino, South Pasadena, and Palos Verdes, producing millions of dollars for public schools (KPCC).

The Long Beach Unified School District (LBUSD) stood to gain $11.5 million for each of the next five years, which would have softened the effects of its $100 million budget cuts over the last five years. In addition, LBUSD faces $90 million in cuts over the next two years, along with the resulting teacher layoffs and increased class sizes (Long Beach Press-Telegram, KPCC).

"We knew this was a long shot, but we wanted to give voters one last chance before we make some severe cuts," said Chris Eftychiou, spokesman for LBUSD (Los Angeles Times).

Voters in Contra Costa County resoundingly approved a parcel tax for the Walnut Creek School District, generating $1.2 million in revenues. “The parcel tax helps to keep class sizes smaller, classroom computers and technology up-to-date, helps fund school libraries and pay for teachers” (Contra Costa Times).

A UCLA IDEA analysis of the results of the parcel tax measures found that as the proportion of low-income students rises, the chances that a parcel tax will pass falls. 8 out of 9 districts with less than 40% of students receiving free or reduced price lunch passed their parcel tax. Conversely, all 6 districts with more than 40% of students receiving free or reduced price lunch failed to pass the parcel tax.

Next year, the Los Angeles Unified School District, where more than 75% of students receive free or reduced price lunch, is also proposing a parcel tax measure to close its budget gap (KPCC).

Themes in the News for the week of October 30, 2009

• 11-13-2009
• 

By UCLA IDEA staff

Themes in the News for the week of October 23, 2009

• 10-30-2009
• 

A weekly summary of themes in education news provided by UCLA's Institute for Democracy, Education and Access

Stimulus Saves 250,000 Education Jobs, but What Happens Next?

The stimulus funds may have blunted an education catastrophe, but many deep concerns remain about how states will manage as their revenues remain low and the stimulus funds run out.

The White House reports that the economic stimulus package has saved 250,000 education jobs; including 6,000 education jobs in Los Angeles. Still, many people who lost education jobs since the economic crisis began have not been replaced and schools continue to cut programs.

For many districts, San Diego Unified, for example, the stimulus funds helped save some jobs and programs, but the threat of layoffs, larger class sizes, and cuts to critical programs continues. The district cut $200 million from its budget in the past two years and is looking at cutting $119 million to $175 million next year (San Diego Union-Tribune). The Los Angeles Unified School District, already looking at a $258 million budget gap for next year, now faces an additional $221 million in potential cuts (Los Angeles Daily News).

The federal stimulus allocated approximately $100 billion for education nationally with $67 million already spent. Nearly $40 billion was appropriated specifically to stabilize state education budgets. According to the administration, “Filling these budget gaps has allowed the Recovery Act to avert layoffs of educators in school districts and universities across the nation, saving and creating at least a quarter of a million education jobs, while helping school districts make progress on reforms that will improve teaching and learning in America’s classrooms” (Politico). Further, the stimulus funds have enabled many states “to restore nearly all of their projected education budget shortfalls for fiscal 2009 and 2010” (Education Week).

Although, as United States Education Secretary Arne Duncan said, “catastrophic layoffs” (Los Angeles Times) were averted due to the stimulus funds, many educators and policymakers worry about education budgets once the funds run out in 2011. Education Week reports that the stimulus allocates funds over two years and many districts will spend relatively more in 2009-10, to make up for budget shortfalls thus setting up deep cuts the following year and even deeper in 2011-12.

Many states continue to experience deep deficits that threaten further budget cuts, and leave little room for new reform initiatives. While the stimulus funds will run out at the end of 2010-11, many states are predicted to experience declining revenue for many years to come. (U.S. News and World Report). A report released last week by the Nelson A. Rockeller Institute of Government, says that “state revenues are faltering and are likely to remain shaky for the next several years.” The study found that declines in state revenues are roughly twice what states have gained from the stimulus program so far (Education Week).

Kathy Novak, mayor of the Denver suburb of Northglenn, Colorado, and president of the National League of Cities discussed the issue of declining revenue. “…Property and sales taxes, the sources cities tend to rely upon the most, lag far behind the rest of the economy in any recovery. If the economy is beginning to bounce back, as some economists say, it still may take some time for employment, retail sales and property values to recover. And that means it could be two years or more before local government finances begin to stabilize (NPR).

Fresno Mayor Ashley Swearengin expressed the view of many analysts across the nation. “There is little, if any, good news in our budget situation” (KMPH).