PTA’s Sacramento Safari Enters the Twilight Zone

The Fourth District PTA, representing Orange County schools, dubbed our lobbying trip to the capital the Sacramento Safari, but it quickly morphed into something closer to the reality show “Fear Factor.” Why did I commit to it? I’m a mother with five children who is seeking to protect students from being hurt further by the budget crisis.

My bags were filled with documents describing class-size reduction, equalization and a bill to decrease the threshold needed to pass a parcel tax (a tax on property owners that can be used for school programs) from a two-thirds vote to a majority. Our 36-hour itinerary was packed with meetings with legislators and lobbyists.

At worst, I feared a pat on the head and best wishes on our PTA bake sale. But we brought a sense of urgency to every meeting. Leaders who expected to deliver politically safe mantras and skate out amid applause were greatly disappointed. We demanded answers and were not shy about putting anyone on the spot.

Class-size reduction was at the top of our agenda. Our most inspiring meeting was with Assemblywomen Lynn Daucher (R-Brea), whose bill, AB 42 , would give districts the flexibility needed when an unexpected student or two shows up looking for a spot on a kindergarten classroom’s rug.

Our family already is paying the price for the Legislature’s inability to get its job done. To decrease spending, our children’s school is being closed and relocated. While legislators squabble, parents are being asked to donate copy paper because of a freeze on district spending. Perhaps countless hours invested selling cookie dough and wrapping paper would be better spent directly lobbying our elected officials.

No one wants more taxes. But something has to give. It’s impossible for school districts to get more money. And, unless the parcel-tax threshold is lowered, it will be nearly impossible to continue to fund our needed programs.

Despite my expectations, I did not feel patronized by our representatives. I learned that the PTA is an extremely powerful lobbying group because it represents an enormous number of volunteers and, more important, votes.

Unfortunately I left far more discouraged than I dreamed possible.

Last year I worked with a team of Irvine parents to raise more than $950,000 to keep smaller classes. Our celebration was cut short by impending cuts. Last year’s optimism has been replaced with dizzying frustration at the prospect of bailing out our public schools.

Our children are shouldering the burden of this budget fiasco. How have we lost control over something as important as education funding? To make matters worse, our governor appears more concerned with a potential recall effort than with this ticking time bomb.

My first venture into state politics is captured best by the directions we received as we left one meeting and headed off for another: “Take the elevator up to the third floor, then take the stairs down to the fourth floor.” The Twilight Zone lives on.

Julie Hudash is a writer in Irvine.