Glendale teachers rally for propositions 52, 55 and 58
Local teachers and administrators stood in front of Glendale Unified’s 30 schools on Thursday before classes started to make passersby aware of three propositions on the Nov. 8 ballot that educators hope voters will approve.
All three propositions — 55, 52 and 58 — will benefit the school district’s students, said Taline Arsenian, president of the Glendale Teachers’ Assn.
She rallied with other teachers, along with Glendale Unified Supt. Winfred Roberson Jr., in front of Glendale High School.
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“Those three initiatives are going to be most beneficial for our schools,” she said. “It’s important for our local educators to ask our community to support our public schools.”
Passage of Proposition 55 would extend the current income tax on the state’s wealthiest earners, including couples who make about $525,000 or more per year, or individuals who earn roughly $265,000 or more annually.
The proposition could send anywhere from $5 to $11 billion each year into K-12 schools and community colleges in California through 2030.
Critics of the initiative take issue with state officials relying heavily on the state’s highest earners to pay for key services. Local teachers, however, worry that without its passage, they could face future budget cuts.
Meanwhile, teachers are also advocating for voters to pass Proposition 52, which would provide $3 million annually in federal dollars to provide healthcare services for low-income families, children and seniors.
The third initiative, Proposition 58, won backing from local teachers because it authorizes school districts to establish dual-language immersion programs for English learners and non-English speakers alike.
Arsenian pointed to Glendale Unified’s many dual-language immersion programs as the major impetus for getting behind the initiative.
Currently, students can participate in one of seven dual-language immersion programs, meaning they can spend the majority of their school day in elementary school learning in Japanese, Spanish, Armenian, French, German, Italian or Korean.
Without the proposition’s passage, public schools would be required to teach most English learners in classes taught in English, according to the state’s voter guide.
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Kelly Corrigan, kelly.corrigan@latimes.com
Twitter: @kellymcorrigan
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