SACRAMENTO – On Friday, May 17, the California Teachers Association (CTA) hosted a virtual press briefing to provide an analysis of Governor Newsom’s May Revise.

David Goldberg, CTA President, issued the following statement:

“While our state is facing a massive deficit, we refuse to accept that our students’ educational experience will be defined by years of cuts. Students deserve more resources today – smaller class sizes, school counselors, nurses, and librarians – not less. Together, Californians overwhelmingly passed Proposition 98 to protect school funding in good times and bad – back in 1988. Californians are still committed to funding our schools today.

“The Proposition 98 maneuver proposed in the May Revise threatens public school funding. Eroding this guarantee would harm schools for years to come and create the conditions for larger class sizes, fewer counselors, school nurses, and mental health professionals, cuts to essential school programs and potential layoffs. We will be calling our elected leaders in the coming weeks to demand protection of school funding. We are also launching a public media campaign to ensure that our communities understand what’s at stake.

“Proposition 98, passed by California voters and enshrined in the California constitution, provides protections and mechanisms that have been used in the past to ensure that, even in times of economic downturn, funding for California’s schools is secured. While purporting to protect education funding for the 2023-24 budget year, the May Revision’s solution to the State’s current and ongoing budget deficit is premised on a substantial cut in public school funding. Specifically, the May Revision proposes an unconstitutional reduction to the Proposition 98 minimum funding guarantee of nearly $12 billion (background and more details HERE). This proposal will lower school funding this year and for years to come and will open the door to future manipulation of the Proposition 98 guarantee.

“Essential services are on the chopping block. Educators are getting layoff notices. And now the floor of our public-school funding system is under threat. At CTA, we are committed to rectifying these deep inequities. We all deserve stronger, more robust and consistent revenue in our state to fund the public institutions that are the bedrock of our society. We are going to explore all paths forward to ensure that public school funding is protected for our students and communities.”

“We call on the Governor and our Legislature to stand with us to protect public school funding and uphold the will of California voters.”

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The 310,000-member California Teachers Association is affiliated with the 3 million-member National Education Association.