Deukmejian’s Education Budget

I was appalled to read about Deukmejian’s spending plan for public education. As the mother of two children in the public school system, I, too, share Supt. Honig’s sense of betrayal by the governor. How tragic that California is one of the wealthiest states and yet has one of the lowest budgets in this country for public education.

If we are unable to pay our teachers better salaries than they are now receiving, well-qualified college students will be discouraged from entering the field of education. Instead, they will find jobs in the private sector, where wages are in better keeping with inflation.

Without adequate funding, school districts will be unable to build desperately needed new schools to relieve overcrowding. And those same school districts will not be able to air-condition existing schools that function year round. It is unrealistic to expect children and teachers to function at maximum capacity when temperatures are soaring during the hot summer months.

Our schools desperately need textbooks, educational equipment and enrichment programs. Without a bigger budget, who is going to provide our students with these materials?

I personally agree to join Honig in his campaign to get better financing for our school system. Our children are our future. We owe them the best possible education this state can offer.

Gov. Deukmejian, we have just begun to fight!

LINDA ROSEN

Los Angeles