Bloomberg News (12/15, Palmeri) reports that during a two-hour forum held Tuesday, "California teachers and school administrators asked Governor-elect Jerry Brown (D) to increase taxes and refrain from cutting their budgets." Brown convened the meeting to discuss "closing projected [state] deficits of $28.1 billion" in the next year-and-a-half. Tom Torlakson, superintendent-elect of the Education Department says that "California voters have approved $82 billion of education- related bond issues since June 2003, illustrating 'a sign of support from the local community.'" At the meeting local school officials suggested that more available funds "be devoted to online education" and that Race to the Top funding "be shifted to a national program that aids poorer school districts."
The Los Angeles Times (12/14) "PolitiCal" blog reported that state Treasurer Bill Lockyer, who was also at the meeting, "grew visibly frustrated by some of the comments about increasing funding on programs such as online education, given the gravity of the state's financial hole." Lockyear proposed 25 percent cuts "across the board." The PolitiCal blog added that "Educators appeared shaken by Lockyer's remarks." David Sanchez, president of the California Teachers Association, is quoted as saying, "There is no more meat on this bone to carve, the only thing left is amputation."
The San Francisco Chronicle (12/14, Buchanan) also reported that "Education leaders at the event pleaded for flexibility from the state regulations and laws that force districts to spend money on certain programs. Several people also said that education spending had suffered enough from budget cuts over previous years and that Brown should look elsewhere for savings."
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