The Key to School Funding

In the article on how Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger lost the support of the teachers union, Joe Mathews talks about how powerful the California Teachers Assn. is (“Deal Breaker,” July 30). Yet little is mentioned of what the union fights for. It is harder than ever to be a teacher now. The requirements to obtain a credential are increasingly rigorous, expensive and time-consuming--and wages are modest at best. Teachers must also adapt to a shortage of materials, unprepared students and increasingly overcrowded classes.

Budget cuts, like the withholding of Proposition 98 funding, directly affect these conditions. The CTA works to maintain or increase funding for schools because poor work environments for teachers are also poor work environments for children. The governor could show true foresight and leadership by realizing the value of education and funding it appropriately.

Lauren Siadek

Hawthorne