This story was reported for San Diego News Network on December 10, 2009.
Here’s another California Budget Crisis Diaries (CBCD) entry devoted to one of the biggest issues facing the state: lack of funds for education. We’ll start with hopeful news then move on to more angry students.
Race to the Top update: Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger called on the State Assembly to pass a massive education bill that would allow California to compete for federal dollars.
In a press conference Tuesday at a Sacramento elementary school, Schwarzenegger praised the Senate for passing its version of the bill last month and asked the Assembly to immediately do the same.
“The Senate has already shown great leadership and they have passed our education reform package that we proposed,” Schwarzenegger said. “Now it’s time, of course, for the next step. It is time for our State Assembly to pass the comprehensive package. So we want to put the pressure on them and want to let them know that it is very important to go and to pass what they have already passed in the Senate and anything less is jeopardizing additional funding and ultimately hurt(ing) our students.”
Race to the Top is a part of the Obama’s Administration’s American Recovery and Reinvestment Act offering states education dollars contingent on certain changes.
Reacting to President Obama’s offer, Schwarzenegger called both houses of the Legislature into a special session to discuss its revamp of California’s education system. He asked that the Legislature make the following changes: take the cap off of charter schools and allow for more to be built; allow students to attend other schools, not just the school in his or her district; and increase transparency so that it’s clear to Californians how teachers are doing in the classrooms.
In July, California saw a cut of $6 billion in 10,000 schools. The State Assembly could vote on the comprehensive package as early as Thursday.
March protest: A grassroots effort is in the works at college campuses throughout the state. A Facebook group called, CA Statewide Student Walkout, is asking all 3.5 million California college students to walk out of their classes and protest on March 4.
“Come out all you students, and bring the teachers too,” someone writes on the Facebook event page. “All you moms, dads, cousins, sisters, business owners, politicians, alumni, activists, artists, media types – $1 spent on education = $3 out! That is good business. California’s got to lift itself up by the bootstraps, and climb out of this hole. EDUCATION IS THE MEANS TO THAT END!”
The UC system is faced with a budget spending gap of $1.2 billion while the CSU system is faced with about $600 million in cuts.
Other student events are planned in February and at the end of March.
SFSU protest: Police have arrested several San Francisco State University students who barricaded themselves inside a campus building to protest budget cuts and fee hikes.
University spokeswoman Ellen Griffin says university and San Francisco city police entered the Business Building at about 3:15 a.m. and arrested 23 people for misdemeanor trespassing.
Ten protesters outside the building were arrested for misdemeanor unlawful assembly and resisting arrests.
The students entered the building early Wednesday and blocked the doors with furniture. Most classes in the building were canceled but Griffin says they’ll resume Thursday.
The school is part of the California State University system which increased undergraduate fees this year, cut enrollment and reduced course offerings.
Associated Press contributed to this report. Hoa Quach is the political editor for the San Diego News Network.