California State PTA has endorsed a bold proposal to create a state trust fund dedicated to public
schools. The Our Children, Our Future Act would raise about $10 billion for schools through a
temporary sliding-scale income tax increase. Ninth District PTA has pledged to get 10,000
signatures through a friends and family campaign to get this initiative on the ballot. If you
would like to help on this grass-roots campaign, please Rebecca Hernandez. For more information
about this and other issues concerning the state and our children’s education, log onto www.capta.org

LEGISLATION
Quick Facts: Education in California

1. A recent survey of public education called “Quality Counts 2009” shows California slipped to 47th in the nation in per-student funding. Adjusted for cost of living, California now spends $7,571 per student, compared to the national average of $9,963 per student.

2. Education spending has declined by 4% since Governor Schwarzenegger took office (after adjusting for cost of living & population growth) while spending on criminal justice has increased by 46%. “Where Did the Money Go?” Mercury News Feb 28, 2009

3. California has:

• The largest class sizes in the country.
• The greatest shortages of librarians, school nurses, counselors and other critical support staff.
• 30% less teachers, 61% less school site administrators, and 92% less counselors than typical U.S. schools. “Common Core of Data” National Center for Education Statistics 2004-05.

THOMAS (Library of Congress) provides the full text of bills from the 101st Congress (1989) to the present. Conduct fielded searches by bill number, sponsor, word or phrase. You can also browse a sequential list of all bills and resolutions.