Your children need your help.

The Governor of California is about to make a huge mistake that will affect hundreds of thousands of children for years to come.

After promising that 2008 will be the year of the schools, Gov. Schwarzenegger is trying to cut almost $5 billion from California schools next year. K-12 education, which normally receives about 40 percent of general fund tax money under Proposition 98 guarantees approved by the voters, would take the biggest hit under the budget plan. Our district will lose 446 million dollars at a minimum which could result in art and music program cuts, and change in class size reduction to either 23 to 1 or 29 to 1 in primary grades and a return to 29-36 to 1 in upper grades. Each school will also lose approximately 10% of its operating budget, which helps to pay for things such as a school nurse and janitors to keep the school clean.

How are the children going to learn to read? How are teachers supposed to meet the needs of all of their students and still increase test scores that are so vital to our funding? The Governor is setting the teachers up to fail and the children are the ones who will suffer.

In addition, thousands of teachers will be laid off--teachers who have dedicated their lives to helping students; teachers who make little money and work extremely hard to enrich their student's lives.

Below I have listed key representatives who can be contacted in regards to this very important issue. If you have or know a child in a California public school, know a teacher, or can simply see just how wrong the Governor is on this issue, please take a moment to email your state representative. The only way we can make a change is if we use our voices collectively! For the sake of your children, please make the time to send a letter, make a phone call, or send an email and help fight to save our schools in California.

Thank you for listening and taking a stand!

To comment on the governor's proposed budget, contact:

• Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger: Sacramento office (916) 445-2841; San Francisco office (415) 703-2218; e-mail from the governor's Web site at gov.ca.gov
• Assembly Speaker Fabian Nunez, D-Los Angeles: Sacramento office (916) 319-2046; e-mail speaker.nunez@assembly.ca.gov
• Assembly Majority Leader Karen Bass, D-Los Angeles: Sacramento Office (916) 319-2147; e-mail Assemblymember.Bass@assembly.ca.gov
• Senate President Pro Tem Don Perata, D-Oakland: Sacramento office (916) 651-4009; district office (510) 286-1333; e-mail senator.perata@sen.ca.gov
• Senate Republican leader Dick Ackerman of Irvine (Orange County): Sacramento office (916) 651-4033; e-mail senator.ackerman@sen.ca.gov
• Assembly Republican Leader Mike Villines of Clovis (Fresno County): Sacramento office (916) 319-2029; e-mail assemblymember.villines@assembly.ca.gov
• State Senator Mark Ridley-Thomas, D-Los Angeles: Sacramento Office (916) 651-4026; e-mail Senator.Ridley-Thomas@senate.ca.gov
• Senate Majority Leader Gloria Romero, D-Los Angeles: Sacramento Office (916) 651-4024; e-mail Senator.Ridley-Thomas@senate.ca.gov