Decisions in the voting booth should not be like the dreaded pop quiz.
"Gee… I wish I had spent a little more time studying this so I know the answer."
This November, the children of California are counting on you to have done your homework. You will be deciding on the education and future of an entire generation of children.
The California State Parent Teacher Association helped write and supports Proposition 38 because California needs to start to restore education programs at every public school.
Now--let's pretend you are getting ready to decide how to vote. Over the next couple of weeks, I will be giving you short little quizzes so you know what is in Proposition 38.
The title of Proposition 38 is:
TAX TO FUND EDUCATION AND EARLY CHILDHOOD PROGRAMS. INITIATIVE STATUTE.
Here is the first quiz.
Read the following information copied from Proposition 38 and then answer a few short questions.
e) “Educational program” means expenditures for the following purposes at a K–12 schoolsite, approved at a public hearing by the governing board of the LEA with jurisdiction over the school, to improve the pupils’ academic performance, graduation rates, and vocational, career, college, and life readiness:
(1) Instruction in the arts, physical education, science, technology, engineering, mathematics, history, civics, financial literacy, English and foreign languages, and technical, vocational, or career education.
(2) Smaller class sizes.
(3) More counselors, librarians, school nurses, and other support staff at the schoolsite.
(4) Extended learning time through longer school days or longer school years, summer school, preschool, after school enrichment programs, and tutoring.
(5) Additional social and academic support for English language learners, low-income pupils, and pupils with special needs.
(6) Alternative education models that build pupils’ capacity for critical thinking and creativity.
(7) More communication and engagement with parents as true partners with schools in helping all children succeed.
Here are the questions:
1. Does Proposition 38 tell you what the money can be spent on at our schools?
2. Can Proposition 38 be used to pay for extended learning time?
3. Can Proposition 38 be used to pay for smaller class sizes?
Answer: Yes for all questions.
Find out what your school will receive at www.prop38forlocalschools.org/restore.
Now that you’ve taken the first quiz, check back next week to learn more about Prop 38.
Carol Kocivar is the president of the California Parent Teacher Association.
Schools grab more of taxpayers money than any other program. 45% of our state taxes are to schools. Our parcel taxes and bonds take another chunk. and yet is not enough. No corporation takes my money. Schools get enough and most do not spend it as they say. Classic example. San Mateo CC. They spent a huge chunk of my money building a state of the art gym that rivals most Universities. They spent money re-vamping the office's of upper mangement and who knows what else, so when they came back last yeat for another 500 Mil bond, please wised up. San Carlos. We have an expensive bond passed in 2005 and I have yet to find anywhere that states what this money is being spent on, and now they want 72 mil more, using the same language as the on in 2005. Plus our 2 parcel taxes. All this for 7 small schools. The system need to be changed. I suspect Pensions have alot to do with all of this. All this money taken from taxpayers all these years and look where we stand. It's like Chicago. Worst system in the country yet the highest paid and shortest work year. If the teachers union was dissolved, I would re-consider my stand.
And based on past comments, Even if the union was dissolved and teacher pay was cut to minimum wage, you would still complain with out basis of fact.
Did you know the average teacher is required to work 210 days not 250 days like in the private sector? Did you factor this to use apples to apples on salaries? How many days does a CEO typically work? Do you know the average salary for a Burlingame resident is $65,000 per year typcially working 245 days a year with no guaranteed pension? The bigger problem is not the teachers it is the adminstratiors. Why should Burlingame School Admin make $100,000 plus a year ( Working 205 to 214 days a year-less than the private sector who are paying the bills) and later retire at $10,000 per month? Lou, How much is your pension?
After spending billions and billons of dollars why do only 76% of California kids graduate? http://blogs.sacbee.com/capitolalertlatest/2012/06/californias-high-school-graduation-rate-edges-upward.html Lou, It appears as though you love to lower the standards and accept subpar performance? If a public employee wants more money how about being noble and starting a private school? We are still in a partially free country with the expection of people like you wanting to take others money.
Due to the fact my daughter was accepted to Cal Poly this year and my son is a 4.0 student and former class President at BIS I am not sure why you want to put me down in regards to school advice, but please feel free to continuing to express yourself. Now I need to get back to you. Enjoy your day my Patch friend!
We need to put the dynamics of the free marketplace into play vis-a-vis education. We must privatize the entire system. This will result in a merit based pay structure, one where competition is fostered amongst educators. No more self-serving seniority/tenure based system as we now have in the public schools. Education CEOS will be rewarded for meeting their budgets in this privatized paradigm, as they are in the private sector corp. world. The best education CEOs will receive total compensation commensurate with their accomplishments - much like their corp. CEO counterparts. Granted, this will eliminate the gifting of A's and trophys to every student just so they can feel good about themselves. It may also mean that the students will once again have a football team to cheer for, rather than a football field that has been converted into a restored wetlands/native plant garden where students sit in the stands rooting for extirpated endangered species to reappear. It also means a return to the 3 R's and no more "Sally Has 2 Mommies"!
The poor results in public schools currently comes not from the inefficiencies of the organization or teachers or administrators, but on the regulatory burdens placed on them from State and Federal bureaucracies. Testing standards are established by political appointees that have no experience in the classroom. Their information is based on outdated and inaccurate research.
Why is it that the private schools (e.g., St. Ignatius High in SF) have higher test scores? Actually many private high schools have lower scores than the better public schools. Of course schools like SI should reflect better performance than public schools because they select their students - they screen the students with tests. As for better facilities and extra programs? - SI charges about $18K per year while the average public high school cost per student (CA average) is less than $10K - no wonder why SI can afford to do more. So yes money does matter - Calif currently ranks about 35 compared to other states in spending per student and we really need to prevent the removal of another $6Bil from the numerator of the that equation.
And seriously, a quiz?
Robert J Birgeneau and Provost forget they are public servants, stewards of the public money, not overseers of their own fiefdom. Let’s review how they used tax funding: Pay ex-politician $300,000 for several lectures; Recruit affluent foreign & affluent out of state students who displace qualified instate applicants; Spend millions (prominent East Coast university accomplishing same at 0 cost) for OE consultants to remove Chancellor, Provost created inefficiencies but prevent OE from examining Cal. senior management. Email marsha.kelman@ucop.edu Calif. State Senators, Assembly Members (The author has 35 years’ management consulting, taught at Cal. where he observed the culture & ways of senior management & yes was not fired).
Have the innovative, thoughtful, insightful, creative teachers and faculty create methodologies to increase learning with significantly reduced resources $. Be American do more with less! No on 30, No on 38 and No on 32
FYI - if you make between 48 K and 100 K you will be billed between $368 and $400 EACH year for 12 years PLUS a 1.6% add on. NOTE this is a 12 year plan until 2025 Prop 30 is a 4 year plan - 1/4 cent sales tax increase and "marginal" (less than 1%) increase in income tax for those who make $200 000 or more. Most middle and lower income people will ONLY have to pay the sales tax. (Which is a Penny = 0.01 more on every $4.00) Yes the Prop 38 money goes to schools but it is K-12 ONLY. the state's colleges and universities will become unaffordable for a vast majority of CA "in state tuition" payers. as they have said that if Prop 30 is not passed they WILL have to raise tuition by 10-25%. Also State based aid will dry up too. While Prop 38 has many good ideas, now is not the time to pass this with Brown having to make cuts if Prop 30 does not pass. ALSO know that BOTH can't pass. Whichever one has the most votes goes into effect and overrides the other.
http://www.usdebtclock.org/state-debt-clocks/state-of-california-debt-clock.html Vote No on Prop 30 and 38!