Perspectives on Governor Brown's budget

The following are excerpts from statements issued by education leaders or from comments made in interviews with EdSource

K-12 Schools

I strongly support the student-weighted formula for determining how much money school districts should receive. Under this proposal, our district will receive new funds that allow us to address our structural deficit. While this may not allow any increases to programs, I believe this will help preserve the instructional calendar and continue the strides we are making in producing college- and career-ready students.  – Los Angeles Unified School District Superintendent John Deasy

California State PTA supports the objective to improve the school funding system so that it is more rational, transparent, accountable, and provides additional resources for the students who need them most. We appreciate the governor’s recognition that those closest to schools should have an increased say in school funding decisions. – California State PTA President Carol Kocivar

California schools have been beating the drum for resource flexibility for a number of years, and we are encouraged that the governor’s ‘Local Control Funding Formula’ will go a long way to fix the inequity and nonsensical components of California’s current funding formula. – Rebecca Sibilia, StudentsFirst Chief Financial Officer

The governor’s budget released today for the 2013-14 fiscal year is in many ways the best we have seen for education in years, with increases in funding and local flexibility, decreases in deferrals, and exciting new reforms proposed to go along with the expansion of existing ones. Unfortunately flaws in the centerpiece of the proposal – remaking the public school finance system – are in our opinion significant enough to cast something of a pall over an otherwise “good news” package. – Bob Blattner, education consultant and lobbyist, Blattner & Associates

California educators are pleased that Governor Brown’s budget reflects the will of voters and includes additional funding for students, public schools and colleges as approved in Proposition 30 … We appreciate the recognition that it costs more money to educate students with higher needs, but there are currently many unknowns in this plan, including how it will impact funding for all local schools over time.  – California Teachers Association President Dean Vogel

Governor Brown’s budget acknowledges the basic fact that students who enter school with additional needs require additional resources in order to close opportunity and achievement gaps. … As the governor refines his proposal, we encourage him to stay committed to ensuring that the additional funding generated by high-need students is used to support their needs. His plan should require districts to be transparent about school- and district-level spending, provide mechanisms for parent and community involvement (including maintaining school site councils), and hold districts accountable for improved academic outcomes. – The Education Trust-West

Growing up in Richmond and Compton is not like growing up in Beverly Hills and Piedmont … To the extent that we can offset that by putting more money into those districts, we will do that. – Gov. Jerry Brown

Higher education

We share Gov. Brown’s interest in stabilizing tuition, and will explore every opportunity to do so while continuing to press forward with efficiencies under our Working Smarter initiatives and pursuing new sources of revenue. In the end, however, the university must always work to assure that its fundamental attribute remains intact, and that is the quality of education, research, health care and public service that the state has come to expect from its university. – Patrick Lenz, UC vice president for budget and capital resources

We had an unprecedented level of conversation with the governor’s office and the Department of Finance this year. That doesn’t mean that they did what we asked them to, but they certainly listened carefully to our input. I can’t be more pleased with the relationship between the community college system, the governor’s office and the Department of Finance.  – Brice Harris, Chancellor, California Community Colleges

The budget proposal includes significant policy reforms to preserve funding for our colleges and universities, stabilize tuition costs and preserve financial aid for students in the coming years. These are big steps in the right direction.  – Michele Siqueiros, Campaign for College Opportunity executive director

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