California School Counselor - Summer 2008 - (Page 7)

Executive Director’s Report By Loretta Whitson CASC Executive Director With Crisis in Sight, CASC is Armed California is on the brink of what may be the largest public education crisis in state history. The state is facing a $16 billion budget shortfall, and Gov. Schwarzenegger has proposed immediate across-the-board cuts, which includes an unprecedented $4.8 billion reduction in school funding. Rather than being the “year of education” that the governor pronounced less than six months ago, this year now may go down in history as the “year of devastation” for public education. California is home to one in nine American school-age children, so when the state falls short ﬁnancially, the nation suﬀers too. campus, or wonder when building and equipment repairs are going to occur because the maintenance and operation staﬀ has been cut to bare-bone minimums. Can you imagine the diﬀerences in stress levels to not have those concerns! According to Scott Plotkin, executive director of the California School Boards Association, “The governor is saying that we are not going to have any kind of conversation about revenues and that it’s all going to be visited upon in terms of cuts.” Unfortunately, the governor’s hard stand on “no new taxes” rests on the backs of the children rather than on the policymakers to make meaningful provisions to solve California’s long-standing budget issues. Zealous over-spending in the good years is what is blamed as the culprit; however, when past GOP governors were faced with budget crisis issues they raised taxes to help compensate. In 1967 Reagan raised taxes by $1 billion and in 1991 Pete Wilson raised taxes by $7 billion. At the core of the problem is that the state budget requires a two-thirds majority to pass. In essences a handful of GOP politicians have continued to refuse to approve anything continued on page 21 Riding the rollercoaster of this financial system economy with all of its ups and downs every few years has left many of us overwhelmed. What is wrong with California’s funding for education? Economists continue to give a very depressing view of California’s economy. Riding the rollercoaster of this ﬁnancial system economy with all of its ups and downs every few years has left many of us overwhelmed. It is mindboggling how the conclusion of one year with such promise and hope can lead to a year with such devastating predictions! CASC joins education leaders throughout this state in a cry for reform. The harsh reality is that California fails to invest in their children even in good years to a level to be able to compete in the global marketplace. A 2003 report indicates that California spends $300 less per pupil than the national average (Rand Report, 2005). So what is the point I am making? Even in good years California lags behind other states with high student ratios for teachers, administrators, librarians, nurses and most other school personnel. Until I started traveling to other states and talking to other educational leaders, I did not realize what solid ﬁnancial support for education really looks like. I found that school personnel in other states do not have to scrounge for oﬃce supplies, question whether there is going to be school counselors, nurses or other support staﬀ on their school Executive Director Loretta Whitson talks with Secretary of Education Dave Long and Jack O’Connell, state superintendent of public instruction, during the recent Governor’s Fitness Challenge Competition celebration. The 2008 Governor’s Fitness Challenge Competition is a contest among all K-12 schools in the state to help California students get active, healthy and fit. The California School Counselor | summer 2008 7

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of California School Counselor - Summer 2008

California School Counselor - Summer 2008 Contents Presidential Perspectives Jackie’s Jottings Executive Director’s Report Cyberbullying and Equal Access Northern California Conference Highlights Book Review Making a Difference One Family at a Time An AB 1802 Success Story Legislative Update CASC Members Honor Assemblywoman Linda Sanchez Pics, Clicks and Technics Calendar Index to Advertisers

California School Counselor - Summer 2008

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