Stabilizing school funds

Creating a reliable funding stream would save schools from budget cuts.

By Dave Long
April 11, 2008

» Discuss Article (3 Comments)

In response to Akifa Khan's Blowback, "Thank you, teachers," I'd like to stress that Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger knows that education is a top priority for all Californians and that our future is only as strong as our schools. And he understands that the reduction he has proposed to total education spending, from $70.7 billion in the current year to $68.5 billion for the next budget year, hurts. Good teachers should not have to receive pink slips; school districts should not have to face this kind of budget uncertainty; and communities should not have to fear that the quality of education in their classrooms will decrease because of a broken budget system.

Since taking office, Schwarzenegger has increased K-12 General Fund education spending $10.1 billion, or 34%; has increased per-pupil spending more than $2,000, or almost 22%; and has fought tirelessly for the passage of Proposition 1D, which includes $10.4 billion in new funds to modernize K-12 and higher education facilities. Schwarzenegger would like nothing more than to continue to invest more in our schools. But until we fix our broken budget system, California's education system will remain vulnerable to the same devastating budget cuts for years to come.

Schwarzenegger believes that we must take action now to protect the future of California. That is why he has introduced common-sense reforms to stabilize our budget system and ensure that our state's school districts never again have to make these difficult decisions. Under these reforms, the governor will provide a long-term, reliable and predictable funding stream to California's schools by creating a real budget reserve. This rainy-day fund will take in and save money in the good times to cover shortfalls in the bad times. Revenues would be smoothed out. The governor has also proposed restoring the ability to adjust the state's budget midyear, so when we see a deficit coming, cuts will be moderate rather than severe.

For years, our broken budget system has taken California's children on a roller coaster ride of increased funding when revenues are flush and cuts when revenues slow down. This feast-or-famine cycle is not sustainable. It hurts our schools, and Californians deserve better. It is time to end volatility and restore some stability to the state's budget system for the future of our children, our schools and our state. While we can't avoid the tough choices this year, there is something we can do about the future. The time for action is now.

Dave Long is the California secretary of Education.

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1. No, is is not generous. Teachers are not respected by the crappy kids that are not taught to respect thier teachers. One reason it is hard to get good teachers is the low pay, no housing, and crap kids. Who by the way are entitled liitle jeks like thier parents. I was a sub for a year, and It put me off children and thier ignorent perents for good. You could not pay me to teach children of parents now a days, as they say. And by the way, almost EVERYONE in Europe goes on vacation for three months. Only we are so stupid as to work like dogs and get diseases from it and wonder why so many of us are on pharmacuticals. Wake UP!!!
Submitted by: economics
2:06 PM PDT, Apr 11, 2008

2. I appreciate the piece written by Mr Long. I must admit that I don't understand the financial problem. Mr Long writes about the present system as being broken. How does he want to fix it? Pass Prop 1D? Gee where is the money coming from to make this a reality? The problem seems to be that Californian's think education is free. Maybe we need to go back to the previous system where property taxes went to the schools. Hmmm... you know local financing with Sacramento providing a baseline support. But then education wouldn't be "free" would it.
Submitted by: Roman
12:08 PM PDT, Apr 11, 2008

3. LAUSD teacher WORK 192 days? It appears they are paid for 204 on the website. I encourage readers to go that site and see what teacher earn in salary and benefits. I would argue its quite generous.
Submitted by: anayeli
7:44 AM PDT, Apr 11, 2008

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