December 10th, 2009
EEA Members—
We’re in for the fight of our professional lives the next few months. If class size/caseload, your students’ learning conditions, and your salary and working conditions are important to you, then you are going to have to make the commitment to be politically active starting TODAY!
The Governor released her supplemental operating budget yesterday to amend the remaining spending in the current two-year budget period. The State is facing an additional $2.6 billion revenue shortfall, and this is taking place in the context of the state already drastically reducing funding last year because of an almost $9 billion shortfall. Thus, nearly every discretionary program left standing at the end of the legislative session last year now has to be cut.
- In the Governor’s initial budget, the K-12 budget is reduced by $408 million. The major reductions are:
- I-728 funds completely eliminated for the 2010-11 school year: $78.5 million
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K-4 Staff Enhancement eliminated for the 2010-11 school year: $110.6 million
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All day kindergarten eliminated for the 2010-11 school year: $33.6 million
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The remaining LID day eliminated for the 2010-11 school year: $15 million
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Gifted education funding eliminated for the 2010-11 school year: $7.4 million
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Levy equalization eliminated for the 2011 calendar year: $142.9 million
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Various small grant programs from OSPI eliminated: $13.8 million
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Focused assistance to schools reduced about 50%: $1.5 million
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Human services (many of which our students access) reduced by $850 million
What does this mean for you and your students? If these proposed cuts go through, everyone will see an increase of 3-5 students in their classes next year, with K-4 being hit particularly hard. It means another .55% reduction in your salary from the lost LID day. It means less assistant time to help in your classes. It means another 3000-ish certificated jobs lost statewide. It means a whole bunch of other unthinkable reductions, depending on how the school district would decide to reduce the budget.
The Governor was quite clear that she only presents this budget because she is required to propose a balanced budget that contains no additional revenue under law. The Governor acknowledged her concern over this budget and plans to release a second budget in January that will include necessary revenue increases in order to avoid the most damaging cuts. However, none of these revenue increases can happen unless the legislature votes to approve them.
What can you do??
First, starting now, you need to email local legislators to help them find the political will to find new sources of revenue by either closing tax loopholes or proposing some new taxes. Education can not survive an all-cuts budget! Tell them that you support them finding new revenue sources to avoid the worst of these proposed cuts. Describe the impact of larger class sizes, lost collaboration time, and program cuts on the quality of education that we provide. Speak from your heart. It doesn’t have to be a long email—two or three paragraphs will get your message across. Below is an email list of the 9 legislators who cover the Edmonds School District that you can copy and put in the BCC box of your message (put yourself in the “To” box), and it will look like you are sending a personal message to each one. In your email let them know that you are an educator in the Edmonds School District, and they will read your message even if you are not their constituent:
Second, if you have not joined WEA-PAC yet, now is the time to do so! I’m proud that over 50% of our EEA members contribute to WEA-PAC—thank you for contributing! Those of you who haven’t joined yet may not have been asked, so please contact your BR for a form. If you were previously asked and said “no thanks”, you may not understand how important these voluntary contributions to our political action committee are to moving our pro-public education forward in Olympia and locally. Please reconsider. If you’re not sure if you contribute to WEA-PAC, send me an email and I can check for you!
Third, if you aren’t a “fan” of EEA on Facebook, please become one. Things in the legislative arena move very quickly, and this is an effective way for me to get information to you at a moment’s notice. Just search for Edmonds Education Association and you’ll find us!
I will likely be sending updates on a weekly basis. It’s vital that you keep yourself informed of what is happening in Olympia and that you take action to protect your students, yourself, and your profession. Please let me know if you have any questions—I’ll do my best to answer them!
Andi |
