CTA has reached an agreement with the governor's office that settles the lawsuit filed against Gov. Schwarzenegger last year and restores all the money owed to public education under Proposition 98 and the agreement of 2004.

 

While this is extremely good news for teachers and public schools, there is still work to be done, observed Eureka Teachers Association President David Orphal. For starters, legislators must pass the budget and implement legislation that supports the settlement. And teachers need to share their funding priorities with legislators, too, before it's too late.

 

"That's why I jumped on a 6 a.m. flight out of Humboldt County," says Orphal. He was one of 200 teacher leaders who traveled from around the state to Sacramento May 23 to participate in CTA's Lobby Day at the state Capitol. They came to lobby on behalf of students and public education for the best possible budget.

 

"Things look good, but as a local president, I feel we need more local control than presently exists in the agreement," said Orphal, who shared his views with Assembly Member Patty Berg (D-Eureka). "We don't want the needs of Los Angeles or San Francisco imposed upon a rural district."

 

Orphal and other CTA leaders emphasized that local control would be possible if the $1.2 billion block grant for one-time money is administered by existing school site councils. Money will be distributed more equitably and efficiently to classrooms when decisions are made by school site councils rather than by district administrators in typical "top-down" fashion.

 

Accompanying Orphal to Berg's office was Windsor District Educators Association President Pete Stefanisko, who urged the legislator to vote for the $400 million Teachers' Fund for Classroom Supplies and Materials Grant.

 

"Teachers are paying more and more for classroom supplies," said Stefanisko. "My classroom budget is about $100 a year, which pays for pencils. I supplement many of the supplies we need out of my own pocket."

 

Stefanisko added that most teachers spend hundreds of dollars of their own money on classroom supplies every year, even though the federal tax credit has yet to be reinstated and the state tax credit for teachers has been suspended.

 

Berg listened attentively to the visiting teachers and thanked them for their input. "There will be trades in the budget," she predicted. "The committees are still meeting."

 

Teacher lobbyists emphasized that funding the 5.92 percent cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) and the education programs that it covers is a top priority, including K-12, county offices of education, categorical programs, class size reduction, adult education and special education.

 

Special education costs have risen dramatically in the last few years without extra money from the federal government, as Beverly Hills Education Association President Christopher Bushee told a legislative aide for Assembly Member Ted Lieu (D-Torrance). "School districts have to dip into general funds more and more," said Bushee. "We are hoping some of the money from Sacramento can be used to increase categorical funding in special education."

 

Coachella Valley Teachers Association President Mike Rosenfeld urged Sen. Denise Ducheny (D-San Diego) to support a budget that funds school breakfast grants and Healthy Start. The programs are important because they help students from low-income areas, but there is nothing "solid" when it comes to funding them under the current budget. Hopefully, that will change, he said.

 

Also visiting Sen. Ducheny was San Diego Education Association President Terry Pesta, who urged her not to support Sen. Jack Scott's bill, SB 1655, which would undermine collective bargaining agreements in many school districts.

 

"The bill would give principals complete control over hiring in the lower-decile schools," said Pesta. Under the bill, no public school ranked in deciles 1 through 3 would be required to accept the voluntary transfer of any teacher that is "not acceptable" to the school principal.

 

"What's really going to bring quality teachers to lower-decile schools is smaller class size and quality leadership," said Pesta.

 

In the office of Assembly Member Rudy Bermudez (D-Norwalk), CTA Board member Dan Vaughn spoke out against a mayoral takeover of a school district, which has been proposed by Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa: It would concentrate too much control in the hands of one person and take away power from elected representatives.

 

For the most part, teachers said they felt energized by the lobbying experience. "We're not coming from an underdog position," said Ravenswood District Teachers Association President Dixie Johansen after visiting Sen. Joe Simitian (D-Palo Alto). "The legislators have greeted us with open arms and listened to what we have to say. It's been a very positive experience."

 

"It's important to be active and diligent and make sure that the Legislature funds education," said Martha Hanks, also a member of the Ravenswood chapter in East Palo Alto. "Even with this one-time funding increase, it's not enough for schools to meet all of the state standards. However, it's definitely a step in the right direction."

 

Stefanisko, of Windsor, felt good about the day's visits with legislators and could hardly wait to tell his students about Lobby Day. "I'm going to tell them it was very invigorating to meet legislators.

 

"I definitely think it had an impact."