2008-2009 Legislative and ACE Alerts

April 2, 2009

Dear Courreges Community:
As your PTA President, I know you are all very concerned about the massive cuts to the State Education budget and how it may affect our children at Courreges and the Fountain Valley School District. I urge you to be informed and be involved.

Be Informed: I recently returned from the PTA Sacramento Safari during which I met with several State Legislators. Please click here to read my notes from that trip.

Be Involved: Write to your State Senator and Assembly Member now, before the State Legislature votes on these cuts to Education. Act now, by clicking here.

NOW is the time to voice your concerns to your elected representatives. Please get involved now.

Have a fun and safe Spring Break with your families,
Nicola Weiss
President, Courreges PTA
 

Summary of our May 19 Election items:

Proposition 1A: Rainy Day Budget Stabilization Fund

-          Extends tax increase up to 2 years.

-          Establishes larger “rainy day” fund and formulates rules for its use.

-          Gives Governor more authority to cut spending mid-year.

Proposition 1B: Education Funding. Payment Plan

-          Restores $9.3 billion to education in future years.

-          Uses funds collected in Prop 1A above.

Proposition 1C: Lottery Modernization Act.

-          Allows state to borrow $5 billion from future Lottory profits.

-          Lottory profits no longer paid to education. Payments to education from the State General Fund would increase to make up for the loss of Lottory payments.

Proposition 1D: Children’s Services Funding.

-          Temporarily allowes part of Proposition 10’s Tobacco Tax revenues for the First 5 Programs to be spent on other children’s health and human services programs.

Proposition 1E: Mental Health Funding, Temporary Reallocation.

                - Temporarily redirects some of Proposition 63’s Mental Health funds to support the federally mandated Early and Periodic Screening, Diagnosis and Treatment program.

Proposition 1F: Elected Officials’ Salaries. Prevents Pay Increases during Budget Deficit Years.

-          Prevents salary increases of 132 elected officials when the State General Fund is expected to end with a  deficit.

PTA strongly supports SCA 6 (Simitian) which would lower the treshold to pass a parcel tax to a super majority of 55%. If Sacramento is not going to provide sufficent funding for education, then we need to ensure communities that wish to do so, are able to pass a local funding measure.

PTA believes there is a need to work towards a long-term solution for adequate and stable education funding to provide a quality education to every child.  PTA supports AB8 (Brownley) to lok at restructuring California’s schol fincance system. 

What you can do:

    * Write to the legislators listed below. A hand written letter is best, an email is considered least "weighty". For every letter a legislator receives, they assume that there are 100 more people out there who are concerned but not writing letters.

      Not sure what to write? See suggestions and sample letters below.

      IMPORTANT: Since the Republican legislators have signed a "no new tax" pledge, it is very important that both Democratic and Republican legislators hear from large numbers of people who support a tax increase.

Let's to pull together and fight these cuts.

Suggestions for Writing Letters

Written in your own words, a personal, thoughtful and well-written letter to your elected officials is powerful and can make a difference. In your letter, educate your elected officials on the impact the governor's budget proposal will have on you and your students by sharing specific local concerns and examples. Alert them to the types of programs that would be cut if education funding is taken away.

When writing, you should:

    * Be brief, creating separate letters for each issue or measure;

    * Include bill number, author, and brief description of the bill;

    * Be specific about how the legislation would affect your school district and/or community;

    * Be willing to share any expertise and explain your connection with the subject;

    * Be positive and don't ask for the impossible;

    * Address the letter with proper titles; and

    * Sign your full name and give your complete address including telephone number

Letters should be no longer than one page.

Sample Letter

(Date)

The Honorable (Full Name of Legislator)

California State Assembly or California State Senate

State Capitol, (Room #)

Sacramento, CA. 95814

Dear Senator (Last Name) or Assembly Member (Last Name):

As a parent of a child in (grade level) I know that Governor Schwarzenegger's funding cuts would severely damage the quality of public education. Our students need and deserve the best education possible so that they can be active participants in our democracy. We call upon you to work to increase state revenues so that more devastating cuts are not needed.

The Governor's budget cut has already severely damage the quality of education in our state. California is already 49th in the nation in K-12 per-pupil spending. Clearly, we do not have a spending problem, but rather a revenue problem.

In Fountain Valley the proposed cuts could lead to the loss of most of our Reading Clinicians, PE Teachers, and increase our class sizes. The progress we have been making in math and reading will likely disappear.

As a parent, I understand the challenges inherent in balancing a budget, but I strongly oppose Governor Schwarzenegger's 2009-10 budget and plans to eviscerate funding for students and schools. Our kids and our schools did not create this budget problem, and their education and future progress shouldn't be undermined because of it. My child, my student, deserves better than this. We urge you to please consider to close loopholes, not schools!

Sincerely,

Parent at Courreges Elementary School

Fountain Valley

714-999-9999

Our something more short and still with impact:

Date)

The Honorable (Full Name of Legislator)

California State Assembly or California State Senate

State Capitol, (Room #)

Sacramento, CA. 95814

Dear Senator (Last Name) or Assembly Member (Last Name):

As a parent of children at Courreges Elementary School in Fountain Valley, I am terrified of what will happen to their Public education.  I fully understand that the economic situation is not at a high for the State of California and that some Budget cuts were necessary but I urge you to please not cut our education funding any further.  We are laready in 49^th place of per student funding.

Our District had to cut our Reading Clinician and Night Custodians are reduced to two nights a week.  These things are impacting our students in a severe matter.  Our reading scores will suffer and students will fall through the cracks.  Our classrooms are dirty and we have developed a rodent issue. 

I beg you to stand up for the rights of our students and not allow any more cuts to be made to the Education Budget!

Sincerely,

Parent at Courreges Elementary School

Fountain Valley

714-999-9999

Contact Information for Elected Officials

Note: Most of the elected officials listed are strong supporters of public education, but we need to communicate our need for support to all of them, so that they can say they are hearing from their constituents.

State Assemblyman Van Tran 68^th District

1503 South Coast Drive

Suite 205

Costa Mesa, CA 92626

Phone: 714-668-2100

Fax: 714-6682104

 OR

Capitol Building

Room 4130

Sacramento, CA 94249

Phone: 916-319-2068

Fax: 916-319-2168

State Senator Tom Harman 35^th District

950 South Coast Drive

Suite 240

Costa Mesa, CA 92626

Phone: 714-957-4555

Fax: 714-957-4560

  OR

Capitol Building

Room 2052

Sacramento, CA 95814

Phone: 916-651-4035

Fax: 916-445-9263

Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger

State Capitol

Sacramento, CA 95814

916-445-2864