FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:  Tuesday, June 16, 2015

CFT urges Gov. Brown to sign budget that will help pull children out of poverty, create more full-time community college faculty positions, prevent UC tuition

Statement from the California Federation of Teachers:

The success of Proposition 30 and a growing economy are reflected in the 2015-2016 budget approved Monday by the Legislature and headed for Governor Brown’s desk.

The Legislature built a budget based on Legislative Analyst Office projections, revenue estimates that have historically been spot on. Unfortunately, so far the Governor has chosen to rely on Department of Finance projections that have consistently underestimated revenues. His “live within our means” mantra is political code for “leave too many behind.” The Governor should appropriate the revenue that the state collects and allocate it to social services and the populations they serve who are still suffering from budget cuts of the Great Recession.

The $117.5 billion budget passed by state lawmakers will help lift children out of poverty and improve public education for every student. Repeal of the Maximum Family Grant rule will reduce deep child poverty and set the most vulnerable children on the right path as they start out in life. Community college students will see more full-time faculty on their campuses, and part-time faculty will be able to offer more office hours. K-12 teachers will be provided with enhanced professional growth opportunities, and the University of California system will have more funding to avoid tuition hikes and continue to be a world-class system of higher education. We are hopeful that trailer legislation will address the needs of adult education.

This is also a time the Governor should keep an eye toward the future. Proposition 30 revenues will expire in two phases over the next few years, without a plan for replacement. Despite its status as seventh largest economy in the world, California’s per student education funding is still embarrassingly low compared to other states. We need a renewed commitment from the Governor to secure our future and the future of California’s youth through fair, progressive tax policies.

We applaud Senate President pro Tempore Kevin de Leon and Assembly Speaker Toni Atkins for their work in assembling a budget that will better all of California. We strongly urge Gov. Brown to sign the budget with no reductions.

#####

The CFT represents over 25,000 faculty in thirty community college districts, and 120,000 educational employees at every level of the education system, from Head Start to UC. More info: www.cft.org