Letter to State Sen. McPherson Re: Budget Crisis and Schools
Dear Senator McPherson:
I am writing to thank you for your long standing support of education in
California, and to urge you to continue that support by refusing to allow
any further cuts to California’s public schools. In our local district,
budget reductions have essentially gutted our schools of all but the most
essential staff and support services; this is bound to have a direct and
immediate effect on student achievement. Cuts have even reached the
classroom, with the loss of class size reduction in several upper grades,
and the elimination of dedicated P.E. specialists in the elementary schools.
The goal of a living wage for district staff fades ever further into the
distance, with playground supervisors making as little as $9.50 an hour
according to recent job postings. The erosion needs to be halted, otherwise
we will have deprived an entire generation of access to the fundamental
American equalizer: a quality publicly funded education.
California voters have over and over again demonstrated their support for
public education, even at the cost of higher taxes. Nearly half the school
parcel tax measures on the June ballot received the 66.7% super-majority
needed to pass, despite the current recession and the regressive nature of
parcel taxes. More importantly, all but one of those tax measures received
the support of more than half of those voting, and most received over 55% of
the vote. Locally, Santa Cruz City Schools has passed two parcel taxes, and
a school bond measure, in the past few years - this despite the fact that we
live in one of the single most expensive housing markets in the country.
Californians want to see their public schools adequately funded. They are
convinced that investing in the education of California’s children — its
future — is a worthwhile expenditure. Now is not the time to shortchange
young people and older students returning to school to build their job
skills - please don’t buy into an ideology that says “no new taxes” under
any circumstances; your constituents will support you in this.
Regards,
Thomas Leavitt
