Op-Ed: Funding Public Education

Patch asked  Newark School Board Member Janice Schaefer to respond to Gov. Jerry Brown’s Jan. 31  address, which outlined his proposal to fund kindergarten through 12^th grade education by asking voters in June to approve an extension of taxes. 

By Janice Shaefer

 I came across this quote:  "Every political system is an accumulation of habits, customs, prejudices and principles that have survived a long process of trial and error and of ceaseless response to changing circumstances. If the system works well on the whole, it is a lucky accident — the luckiest, indeed, that can befall a society,” from Edward C. Banfield.

I am sure that Gov. Jerry Brown is cognizant that a public  is the only viable option to break the gridlock of frozen positioning and party-aligned obstruction. Popular politicians are known to garner the heart of the public, unequivocally holding steadfast to firm positions, as if relinquishing them would be tantamount to treason.

Gov. Brown's speech speaks to the urgency of dealing with the budget deficit, regardless of predisposition. He knows that slaying that "predisposition" beast, or at the very least taming it, is the most logical, powerful, sensible tool he has at his disposal. As such, he turns to the public, allowing for a more direct measure of public sentiment, possibly changing and shifting staunch legislative orientation. It also relieves lawmakers of some of the burden of being the sole culprits for unpopular, difficult, painful decisions that cause political "brain freeze." It is one thing to make an unpopular decision for a family of four, it is yet another when a single person feels responsible for an unpopular decision made for a "family" of thousands.

Unfortunately, the timing of Brown's proposed June tax vote will wreak havoc for schools. School districts are held by mandates that stipulate notice be given by March 15 to credentialed employees (teachers) who may be laid off from their jobs in the coming year. Furthermore, the timeframe is so tight between the election and the beginning of school that an attempt to reconcile the situation will be unwieldy at best.  School districts must plan for the worst case scenario: reduced funding.

There needs to be a galvanizing point.  We need a frank discussion as to the role education plays in today’s society.