History of IDEA
Jeannie Oakes, Founder and Former Director
Youth Voice in School Finance
NEW REPORT: Los Angeles' road to A-G for all
Without Dollars and Sense Powerpoint
Past Educational Opportunity Reports
California policymakers must help public education
- 04-06-2011
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Opinion by Jack O'connell/ Santa Barbara Daily Sound
Jack O'connell served as State Superintendent of Public Instruction from 2002-2010 and as a state senator and assembly member.
At one point in the children’s classic, Alice in Wonderland, Alice is told, “We’re all mad here.” Alice could be in California speaking to teachers and students in our classrooms. In a global economy dependent upon out-educating competitors, the state has cut funding to K-12 schools for almost a decade and is now also cutting community colleges and the state university systems. Districts have reduced staff and salaries, increased class sizes, cut arts, sports, debate, and other extracurricular activities as they struggle to stay solvent. Many districts are also shrinking their school year from 180 days to 175 days, a year already among the shortest among industrialized countries. To add insult to injury, school districts are also confronting the challenge of paying interest on loans necessitated because the previous governor deferred “guaranteed” payment obligations owed to our schools. (more...)
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