Strong Public Schools and the State Budget

By Robyn Ritter Simon

As your councilmember I assure you that I will fight for our children and their education. I will use my office to make education a priority and work to preserve our education funds.

I believe trying to solve the California Budget Crisis by subtracting additional school days from our already short school year is completely shortsighted and embarrassing.

Gov. Schwarzenegger is suggesting that we shave five days off the academic school year to save our state 1 billion dollars. California already has one of the shortest school calendars offered to students and reducing the schedule by five more days would rank California in the bottom of State's offering the shortest school days. As it is, our teachers and students are challenged by the volume of work that needs to be cramped into a short school calendar and shortening this calendar will further penalize the education our children receive. Eliminating five more days will surely be a disadvantage to our children and the future of California. A well educated population is the cornerstone of democracy and needs to be a priority.

Why do our children have to bear the burden of out of control spending made by adults serving in the Legislature? Gov. Schwarzenegger campaigned on a platform of improving education. This action does nothing but harm our children. In order for California to compete globally we need to make education the number one priority and find alternatives to balancing the budget.

Take action. Call your Legislator, call the Mayor, call your Councilperson, and your School Board member and demand that cuts not be made to education. For the sake of our children.

As your councilmember I assure you that I will fight for our children and their education. I will use my office to make education a priority and work to preserve our education funds.