Crystal Brown / commentary
October 10, 2012

Crystal Brown, president of Educate Our State

Crystal Brown

As a parent, I've learned a few effective strategies over the years for those moments when chaos reigns in my house. 

Now, however, I would like to apply one of the onetime "effective parenting techniques" to the political circles of both Molly Munger and Gov. Jerry Dark-brown: "Fourth dimension OUT!"

Delight terminate poking holes in each other's efforts! Have you forgotten for whom yous are advocating? Take you forgotten who loses if you both lose? Let me remind yous: our kids! 

As the November election nears, I am absolutely appalled and heartbroken every bit I watch the teams behind Ms. Munger's Proposition 38 and Gov. Brown's Proposition 30 campaigns continue to accept aim at each other in print  and on tv.

I wish they would focus on the very important fact that if neither of these measures passes, the event volition be that everyone loses, with devastating cuts to the budgets, programs, and campuses of every school in California. 

I will acknowledge that I am not as politically "seasoned" as these campaigns; perhaps that explains why I am able to permit common sense to rule when I say that the 2 campaigns – both aimed at helping to better fund schools and meliorate our children's education – should work in partnership, hand in paw, to do better by our kids.

Parents get it. From one terminate of California to the other, parents and concerned citizens working with Educate Our Country have been setting up tables at farmers markets, weekend fairs, town hall meetings, and in front of their schools to explain that voting Aye on both thirty and 38 is the best option for our children. These dedicated volunteers (mostly parents and students) lay the truth bare: either measure out will be difficult to pass, then a yes vote on both isouth critical; and if both measures exercise pass – it would take a miracle – the one with the most votes will prevail. Fran Shimp, a leader and lath fellow member with Educate Our Country, created this compelling video, "Why Yous Should Vote Aye on 30 and 38," to bulldoze the point dwelling house. The California Schoolhouse Boards Association has also endorsed a Yeah on 30/Yes on 38 position, which is proficient news for California.)

So, as I spotter 2 very powerful, influential, and progressive campaign teams attacking each other with our children's futurity on the line, I wonder: Accept the two sides forgotten their real competition? If so, let me remind them: There is a very vocal, and often powerful and wealthy, group of Californians who believe that our schools are OK, and because of this are opposed to any new taxes. They believe if the doors are open, educational activity must exist going on but as information technology has for decades.

Well, every bit a mother of three school-age children in an urban public schoolhouse commune, I can tell you this is absolutely not the case. Not even close. Since my oldest daughter, now 11, began elementary school, budget cuts take been severe, and our school has lost programs like fine art and music, days of schoolhouse, dedicated teachers, funding for field trips, the PE program, and our school nurse – and this has happened despite the fact that parent-driven financial support has increased to hundreds of thousands of dollars and parent volunteer hours are now measured in the thousands (possibly fifty-fifty tens of thousands).

When I hear the "waste, fraud, and abuse" statement, my blood boils. Of course there are always going to be tales of mismanagement – as is the example about every day in almost every company, programme, and institution in our land; but that does not begin to justify the hundreds, thousands, and millions of dollars and volunteer hours that parents (those who are in the lucky position to do so) pour into their schools to make up the deficit. Nor does information technology begin to discuss the $ten billion in deferrals that our country owes to schools, or the resulting interest (never reimbursed) that our school districts have to pay on money they now take to borrow to pay their bills each year.

Here's an eye-opening statistic that puts the event into proper perspective: 180 school districts in our state are on the lookout list for insolvency (in districts that have already declared "defalcation," course sizes have ballooned higher up 40 as fiscal decisions dramatically outweigh educational decisions).

And so, delight, I beg you lot, Gov. Brown and Ms. Munger: Put down your shovels and your pails (and your heavy arms), and play nice in the sandbox. If y'all don't, every denizen in this state who cares about education will be putting you in a "Fourth dimension Out!"

Crystal Dark-brown is a founding member and President of the Board of Directors of Brainwash Our Country, a grassroots, parent-led organization working to improve funding, resources, and educational quality for all California students. She has 3 daughters attending San Francisco public schools, has been an active PTA member, and has worked on numerous civic date projects. Crystal is a recipient of the 2022 Women Making History award.

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