California's education chief says schools face a fiscal emergency

[alp227]

Source: CNN

(CNN) -- California's schools are in a state of financial emergency, according to the state's education chief, Tom Torlakson.

The state superintendent of public instruction spoke to reporters about the challenges facing California's schools at a press conference in Sacramento on Friday, surrounded by officials from numerous education-oriented groups and agencies.

"The law won't let me call out the National Guard," he said. "So I'm saying to every Californian: 'Your schools need your help. And they need it now.'"

Torlakson said that $18 billion in cuts over the last three years have taken a heavy toll on the state's schools. He said that a California Department of Education survey conducted last year found that 58% of school districts have cut educational material, 48% have cut nursing and counseling staff and 35% have increased class size while reducing the number of teachers.

Read more: http://www.cnn.com/2011/US/01/07/california.education.emergency/index.html

[msongs]

1. fortunately the welfare military industrial complex is funded for the next billion years nt

[Iwillnevergiveup]

2. My family and I

and all our friends voted for this guy. Hope he can get us out of the swamp.

[alp227]

3. I voted for Larry Aceves though because he was from my hometown

I do hope that Torlakson can do a good job though.

[notesdev]

4. Gee... how did that ever happen?

Perhaps spending nearly $600 million on the construction of a single high school had some impact? Or nearly $400 million on another? And $230 mil on a third?

ref:

http://www.aolnews.com/2010/08/23/half-billion-high-americas-5-most-expensive-public-schools/

They should be calling for heads to roll among responsible parties if this is such a tremendous crisis, no?