Pink Friday...

Today is a hard day.  Not because of anything going on at home... or with Swee'Pea... or with Popeye.  Mostly because of the heartbreak I am experiencing due to what is going on in our country and our state.

Today is Pink Friday.

Now, I don't normally get political on this blog.  Quite frankly, I don't think I have ever been political on this blog.  But due to today's events, my heart has just been heavy with the need to share what has been on my mind of late.

For those of you who either A) don't live in California, or B) haven't listened, read, or watched the news in the past few weeks, Pink Friday is the official day when teachers across the state will be receiving layoff notices due to the insane budget cuts congress recently passed.  The budget, which was passed on February 19th, included $11.6 billion in cuts to K-12 schools.  

These cuts are the equivalent of: 

Shutting down every school across the state for 40 days, or
Increasing class sizes statewide by 55%, or
Reducing per-student spending by nearly $2,000, or
Laying off 290,000 bus drivers, janitors, food service workers, maintenance workers, and other education support professionals, or
Laying off more than 165,000 teachers, or
Cutting more than $49,000 per classroom, or
Cutting nearly $19.7 million per school district (assuming 10,000 students in the school), or
Eliminating all music, art and career technical education programs statewide with room to cut even more.

While I let those numbers sink in, let me remind you that California already ranks 47th in the nation in per-pupil spending.  We also rank as one of the lowest states in the country for student test scores.

And the hope for improvement just gets more dismal with the newest financial plan laid out by our state legislators.

But what does this mean for schools locally?  How does this break down by district?  For space sake, I am going to list the impact of just a few districts here.  I am most interested in these numbers because they include the district I work for, as well as the district that many children from my family and my church do/will attend:

Kern High School District pink-slipped 85 first and second year teachers and counselors, and must shave off $22 million dollars for its budget in the next year.  They are also considering cutting frosh/soph sports and reducing $1.4 million dollars by cutting library services.

Rosedale School District pink-slipped 32 teachers, and is most likely increasing class sizes for K-3.  They plan on negotiating reduced teacher salaries and benefits, as well as the elimination of music and choir in all elementary schools.

Panama-Buena Vista Union School District pink-slipped 77 teachers, and must reduce their budget by well over $20 million dollars over the next two years.  They plan on making $2.9 million dollars in cuts to field trips, maintenance, extra-duty pay, bus transportation, recess aides, classroom aides, and by increasing class sizes.  They have also canceled all 8th-grade graduation ceremonies.

Is anyone else as scared as I am about the future of education in our state?

I have gotten several mailings from the California Teacher's Association, encouraging me to wear pink today as a way to support their cause and to show my outrage at these budget cuts and pink slips.  I have been given listings of rallies and meetings I can go to in order to show my support for the CTA and for what they are fighting for.

Now let me be absolutely clear.  I will not be wearing pink today because I stand behind the CTA.  I disagree with much of what the CTA represents.  Yes, I appreciate the way they support fair pay and benefits for teachers, and encourage teachers to further their educations and learn new and valuable techniques for the classroom.  But I disagree with the fact that they used millions... millions of my union dues to support political candidates and causes that I morally am against.  I am flabbergasted that they can support political candidates who blame all of the countries educational problems on teachers rather than the lack of parental support, funds, adequate materials, language barriers, and poor student participation and behavior.  I am outraged that a union that represents teachers and education donates money to causes that have nothing to do with schools or the well-being of our students.

Today, I will not wear pink because I support the CTA.  I will not wear pink to show that I agree with what they stand for.  I will not wear pink because I am an uneducated teacher who just does what the pamphlets in the mail tell me to.

But yes, today I will wear pink.  

I will wear pink...

For my best friend who has been teaching for three years and will lose her job because of these budget cuts.

For my co-workers who spend countless hours coaching, prepping, training, tutoring, and loving on kids who no one else wants to, but will find themselves without a job next year.

For my friends who cannot work full-time next year and are stuck in a part-time position due to budget restrictions.

I will wear pink...

For the 8,800 teachers of the LA Unified School District who are losing their jobs today.

For the music, PE, health, and band teachers who will see their programs shut down.  

For the countless men and women who dedicated their lives to the youth of American and who now will go without jobs when they are so desperately needed.

I will wear pink...

For my students who will now have to sit in cramped classes of 42 students.

For my nieces and nephews who may never have the thrill of playing on a 4th-grade flag football team, visiting the zoo or aquarium with their classmates, or performing in their first band or choir performance in a elementary school cafeteria.

For the students who will be bullied and teased on the playground simply because their aren't enough eyes or hands to watch out for them during recess.

Today I will wear pink. 

 

For the future of our children.

For the heartache of our teachers.

For the hope I have that someday, somewhere, there is a politician brave enough to battle this budget crisis in a way that does not hurt our children in the one place we are really supposed to keep them safe.

Today I will wear pink.