Special Podcast: Weighted Pupil Funding & California’s Budget Process, 2012 — Call to Action

I just spoke with two impassioned and well-informed high school student leaders and a community coordinator at Californians for Justice about an emergency action to support public schools that they’re conducting in the next 18 hours, ending Friday, June 15, 2012.

You can listen to the podcast here:

California’s budget must be passed by June 30, 2012, which means any legislative manuevers must be completed by end of day, Friday, June 15, 2012.

What Governor Brown proposed as part of his overall budget was to rework the state funding formula for K-12 education so it follows the student, is simpler to understand, and is more equitable. He was not able to come to agreement on the terms of a bill that addresses more equitable Weighted Pupil Funding, AB18, that has already passed the one house of the legislature and has yet to pass the other before it can go to him to be signed into law. His own version of WPF has undergone at least two iterations, becoming more equitable as it has evolved.

However, the California state legislature has thrown up a barrier to the Governor’s attempt to use the budget process to make law.

What students and community members at Californians for Justice are asking is that some version of WPF moves forward as legislation this year if the particular piece proposed by the Governor does not become part of the budget.

Call phone numbers here and urge Assembly and State Senate leaders to keep pushing until WPF passes in 2012. (Some talking points are provided.)

This is necessary to make more efficient and equitable use of current funding levels for K-12, while at the same time we seek additional revenue to make up for over $18 billion cut over the past five years from K-12′s 2007-2008 levels. Both must proceed in order for there to be high quality education in the Golden State.

ACT NOW, BEFORE JUNE 15, 3:00 PM Pacific Time!