Protect California's greatest asset: education

“An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.”

Benjamin Franklin

Just a few years ago, when Gray Davis had gotten California into a severe budget crisis, we used our power as citizens and booted him out of office. We held a special election and opted to throw down the red carpet for a world-renowned celebrity to run our state.

Just five years later, Schwarzenegger has gotten us into the same muck and mire we were in before, yet we aren’t pulling the carpet out from under his feet. We are standing by as he makes big decisions about California’s future, including making a blanket 10 percent cut off the top of every state-funded program.

While the cut would affect dozens of departments and agencies, one department that could have many unintended consequences would be education.

According to the California Department of Education Web site, a 10 percent decrease in funding equals to $4.8 billion in cuts to education. Once the cuts are made, which are already being planned for, every district in Ventura County would be affected. A budget shortfall this year equals to layoffs of more than 120 teachers, combined, in the Oak Park, Ojai and Rio Elementary unified school districts; the cancellation of certain classes, freshman sports teams and summer programs; the closure of University and Meadows schools in the Conejo Valley Unified School District; the elimination of high school bus service in the Moorpark and Pleasant Valley unified school districts; and cutting special education discretionary funding by $30,000 in the Conejo Valley Unified School District. Some enrichment courses, instructional support programs and intervention classes would also be cut. Never mind all the custodial and clerical positions that would be eliminated.

In short, the cuts could mean a number of good teachers will leave California to pursue jobs in other parts of the country; students will be redistricted and bussed around the county; some students will not even be able to get to school if they are dependent on buses; special education students will suffer; and special programs that helped kids stay in school won’t be around any more.

Recently, Schwarzenegger exacerbates the problem by threatening that all state workers’ wages be cut down to federal minimum wage.

The reality that Californians face is that cutting education will not only affect today’s society, but also tomorrow’s. Education is known to be the best method of crime prevention, says many crime prevention advocacy groups across the country.

When Camarillo cries out, “No prison hospital here!” Or when taxpayers say, “We shouldn’t pay for more prison facilities!” we should actually be saying, “Keep education strong!” and “More funding for our schools!”
California is suffering from a $15 billion budget gap this year. The proposed budget allocates $10.6 billion in funding for corrections and rehabilitation (prisons), and the Federal Receiver J. Clark Kelso plans to seize another $8 billion over the next several years for the proposed prison health care system. The governor is proposing to allocate $48.3 billion for education.

To put it into perspective, the California public education system, which includes K-12, had 6.2 million students enrolled for the 2007-08 school year. The California prison system is currently housing 171,754 inmates. The education system will cost taxpayers $7,800 per year per student; and housing and rehabilitating prisoners, without factoring in Kelso’s $8 billion, will cost taxpayers $61,716 per inmate.

The math simply isn’t adding up. Why are we spending so much on prisons and not boosting funds for the one thing known to help prevent crime? Throwing convicts away into the prison system isn’t a cure.

We need to appeal to our governor because crippling the education system will be more detrimental to our budget in the long run than the benefits of just a quick fix today.

Superintendent of the California Department of Education Jack O’Connell is an adamant believer in school programs including not cutting costs when it comes to nutritional meal programs, art courses and transportation services. When the administration adjusts to fewer funds, these programs are always the first to go. O’Connell also said private education is losing ground as parents struggle to find enough money to cover tuition. Keeping our public schools strong is vital to California’s future!

O’Connell urges the public to contact our local representatives to urge them to not touch education funds that are critical to California’s and Ventura County’s future. To make a difference and stop a crisis in the making, contact Ventura’s Assemblymember, Pedro Nava, at (805) 483-9808 or call Schwarzenegger’s office at (916) 445-2841. To reach O’Connell for more information, call the California Department of Education at (916) 319-0800.