Ever since Hiram Johnson and his fellow Progressives made ballot initiatives a part of the California political landscape 100 years ago, the state’s voters have been obliged to grasp some fairly slippery policy issues before casting their votes. Propositions 30 and 38 on the November ballot are representative of the thorny problems other states assign to their legislators, but in California are punted to voters as popular referendums.
Both propositions aim to send more money to the state’s public schools, but that’s pretty much where the similarities end. For typical voters, even those who care deeply about public education, deciphering the long-term consequences of a simple for or against vote could require hours sifting through the arcana of school finance.
Fortunately, the folks at EdSource did the hard work for us. They’ve prepared an infographic to explain the two propositions in a clear and illustrative format. As EdSource’s executive director Louis Freedberg noted in his accompanying blog, when voters are confused, they tend to vote against propositions—even propositions they might have supported had they possessed more knowledge.
Voters seeking yet more info on the initiatives can visit the Official Voter Information Guide, as well as analyses from the Legislative Analyst’s Office, the California Budget Project, the League of Women Voters, and the Silicon Valley Education Foundation. They can also go to the official campaign websites of Prop. 30 and Prop. 38.
This is America. Since when do teachers give up their freedom of speech rights? If they choose to purchase a button and wear it they have a right to do so. What they cannot do is use their teaching as a bullly pulpit and proselytize. That is against the law. Teachers and administrators are free to express their opinions outside of the classroom itself via parent meetings, etc.
Maybe you need to go back to Civics class?
Back when schools had their own bus service and bus drivers. My dad went to the school board to confront the pay scale affecting his ability to hire qualified teachers for the Science dept. His issue? Simple the school bus drivers were actually being paid more than what his science teachers were being paid. That was back in the 80's.
You are mixing up teaching a state and school board approved curriculum with a teacher using the classroom to espouse his or her private views- that's proselytizing. And it's an Ed Code violation and can get a teacher fired.
Decisions you make on Nov 6 determine California’s course for years. We are kidding ourselves by believing that education funding shortfalls disappear with Prop 30, Prop 38. Prop 30, Prop 38 levy significant taxes on each one of us. The wounds that Prop 30, 38 are to heal have been self inflicted largely by our elected Sacramento politicians who simply do not say no to any influential interest group be they, University of California (29% increase in salaries last 6 years), public employees, business, teachers, or other unions or lobbyists. And now Prop 30, 38 are used by Sacramento politicians and lobbyists to blackmail us.
Back when Californians overwhelmingly passed prop 187, we told you this was going to happen.
Prop 30, Prop 38 levy significant taxes on each one of us. The wounds that Prop 30, 38 are to heal have been self inflicted largely by our elected Sacramento politicians who simply do not say no to any influential interest group be they, University of California (29% increase in salaries last 6 years), public employees, business, teachers, or other unions or lobbyists. And now Prop 30, 38 are used by Sacramento politicians and lobbyists to blackmail us.
Notes: this was architected by the marketing department, not the policy department. The anomaly is due to the CHOICE to include in the budget the one-time "catch up" of prior deferrals that, in realty, could be rolled indefinitely. In future years, you won't see this effect. In fact, the math would allow for 15%-20% increases in per-public spending in 2014, but they are careful to not promise this. Why? Because this is NOT hard wired, Sacramento could choose this outcome or choose to shift money out of Ed. Also: With the economy recovering, the overall revenue outlook for the state is already improving. This means that, even without Prop 30 or 38, we almost certainly have seen the bottom. There is no (fresh) crisis. We have time to comprehensively fix the system instead of being duped by a gimmick that will allow the dysfunctional status quo to persist.
As the person above said, you get what you pay for. Calufornia has cut spending in public education where we have gone from 1st in nation in spending per capita to 48th. If prop 30 does not pass, kids will very likely lose 15 days, 3 weeks , if class days. That is very real. These kids will never get to be kids again. We need to recommit with our pocketbooks to public education.
Robert J Birgeneau and Provost forget they are public servants, stewards of the public money, not overseers of their own fiefdom. Let’s review how they used tax funding: Pay ex-politician $300,000 for several lectures; Recruit affluent foreign & affluent out of state students who displace qualified instate applicants; Spend millions (prominent East Coast university accomplishing same at 0 cost) for OE consultants to remove Chancellor, Provost created inefficiencies but prevent OE from examining Cal. senior management. Email marsha.kelman@ucop.edu Calif. State Senators, Assembly Members (The author has 35 years’ management consulting, taught at Cal. where he observed the culture & ways of senior management & yes was not fired).
Robert J Birgeneau and Provost forget they are public servants, stewards of the public money, not overseers of their own fiefdom. Let’s review how they used tax funding: Pay ex-politician $300,000 for several lectures; Recruit affluent foreign & affluent out of state students who displace qualified instate applicants; Spend millions (prominent East Coast university accomplishing same at 0 cost) for OE consultants to remove Chancellor, Provost created inefficiencies but prevent OE from examining Cal. senior management. Email marsha.kelman@ucop.edu Calif. State Senators, Assembly Members (The author has 35 years’ management consulting, taught at Cal. where he observed the culture & ways of senior management & yes was not fired).
Cal tuition triples last decade, Californians income went stagnant. Birgeneau, Provost Breslauer do not have a grip on financial realities. Pay ex Michigan governor $300,000 for lectures Tuition increases exceed national average rate of increase. University accrues $150 million of inefficiencies over last 8 years Recruits foreign students who pay $50,600 and displace qualified Californians. Spends $7,000,000 + for OE consultants to do the work of senior Cal. management. (Prominent East Coast University accomplishes same, 0 costs). In procuring $7,000,000 consultants failed to receive proposals from other firms (Consultants do their thinking for them, who they then can blame for all unpopular but necessary decisions)
Have the innovative, thoughtful, insightful, creative teachers and faculty create methodologies to increase learning with significantly reduced resources $. Be American do more with less! No on 30, No on 38 and No on 32
Teachers are greatly limited in the types of activities they can do based on the nature of the class they have. One class will function well and do exceptionally well with a particular activity the next class might implode with the very same activity due to behavioral issues or learning disabilities etc. Teachers who have taught for many years have a bag of activities and tricks they draw from based on the classroom dynamic and the kids they have. My dad did a lab activity last month that he had not done in over 15yrs. How does he know that? Simple when he pulled his file on the activity the last time he used it was 15yrs ago. Two other science teachers were amazed by the activity and wanted to know where he had read about it etc. He just laughed and said Oh I've been doing that lab for years but hadn't tried it in the past 15yrs because the classes he had were just a bad match to the activity. A skilled teacher knows what order of events and activities they can run in a class for a successful experience vs one that simply implodes and becomes just a wasted hour etc.