Governor Newsom’s 2020-2021 budget proposal continues to move California school funding in the right direction and begins to address critical issues impacting students and districts across our state. We believe that focusing on funding for teacher recruitment and training, special education, mental health services, and nutrition addresses some of the many needs of our educational communities. We also support increased transparency and accountability for funding under the local control of our districts, to ensure that students with the most urgent needs are seen and served.
 
But the fact remains, our students deserve more and our school districts need more in order to do the important work of educating the six million students of California.
 
Data shows that California must significantly increase education spending above current levels to ensure that students have the resources and supports required to meet the state’s own standards and academic goals. One estimate¹ shows that funding schools to meet these goals would require a 38 percent increase in spending, or approximately $25.6 billion. This is well short of the increases of the past two years under Governor Newsom or any funding that might be generated by ballot measures currently scheduled to be in front of voters.

We need big change. And we need it to begin now.
  
Our Coalition of students, parents, teachers, classified employees, superintendents, and school board members is growing stronger and even more committed to ensuring that California public schools have access to full and fair funding. We continue to support legislative and ballot measure efforts that drive public education funding to levels that the students of Alameda County and the entire State deserve.

To demonstrate our commitment to this fight, the Coalition is hosting Fund Education Now Week (February 3-7), an awareness campaign aimed at educating the East Bay community about the ongoing issues with school funding and creating advocacy opportunities.² Join us as we raise our voices in support of full and fair funding.