A measure that would cut fees for Community College students and guarantee funding levels for community colleges would seem to be an issue everyone in the teaching community could get behind.
The cost of Community Colleges has risen sharply in recent decades and Proposition 92 would lower the fees from the current $20 per unit to $15 per unit. It would also set aside a percentage of the state's budget for community colleges.
However, the measure has divided the state's two largest teachers' unions. The California Federation of Teachers is the biggest financial backer of Proposition 92. Meanwhile, the largest teachers' association in the state, CTA, is a strong opponent.
Why? Because the measure would tinker with the basic funding formula for Proposition 98. Proposition 98 was passed by the voters in 1988 to lock in K-12 money at 40 percent of the states general fund. The CTA and other opponents fear that by locking in money for community college funding, money would be taken away from the K-12 schools. The CTA claims to support more money for community colleges, however they oppose the manner in which Proposition 92 would accomplish this.
Scott Lay, a Davis resident and president of the Community College League of California is a strong backer of the measure. In a November interview with the Sacramento Bee he said:
Each of them apparent are fearful that more money for community colleges translates into less money for them.
Spokesman Paul Browning from CSU told the Sacramento Bee:
On the Yes on Proposition 92 website, they quote Marco Realmonte, President of the Cabrillo Student Senate:
The reality though is that education is a necessity not a luxury.
Matt Mahood, President & CEO of the Sacramento Metro Chamber is quoted saying:
What would be nice is if the educational community could come together and figure out some sort of solution here. As it stands, we are looking at a bloody battle that no one will really win as it pits one part of our educational system against another.
---Doug Paul Davis reporting
The cost of Community Colleges has risen sharply in recent decades and Proposition 92 would lower the fees from the current $20 per unit to $15 per unit. It would also set aside a percentage of the state's budget for community colleges.
However, the measure has divided the state's two largest teachers' unions. The California Federation of Teachers is the biggest financial backer of Proposition 92. Meanwhile, the largest teachers' association in the state, CTA, is a strong opponent.
Why? Because the measure would tinker with the basic funding formula for Proposition 98. Proposition 98 was passed by the voters in 1988 to lock in K-12 money at 40 percent of the states general fund. The CTA and other opponents fear that by locking in money for community college funding, money would be taken away from the K-12 schools. The CTA claims to support more money for community colleges, however they oppose the manner in which Proposition 92 would accomplish this.
Scott Lay, a Davis resident and president of the Community College League of California is a strong backer of the measure. In a November interview with the Sacramento Bee he said:
"Everybody loves community colleges right now. I've never heard so many people say community colleges need more money. We've tried for 20 years to play the game in Sacramento, and what it has meant is fewer Californians being able to go to college."Meanwhile the ruling bodies of California's two-tiered four year college system have also opposed the measure--the CSU Board of Trustee and the University of California Regents.
"There's a sincere debate about the future of higher education. We are trying to have a system that will be accessible and affordable and the other universities have a different agenda, talking about their fee increases and executive pay this week. ... We believe we are going the direction the people want."
Each of them apparent are fearful that more money for community colleges translates into less money for them.
Spokesman Paul Browning from CSU told the Sacramento Bee:
"The CSU is worried that the passage of the proposition could mean leaner times by shrinking the pool of discretionary money available for higher education from Sacramento, which of course would impact CSU."The sad part of this fight is that there seems a real need for more consistent and reliable support for community colleges. Community Colleges represent a crucial avenue by which students are prepared for four-year colleges in addition to provisions of workplace skills and other key skills that can be applied directly to vocations.
On the Yes on Proposition 92 website, they quote Marco Realmonte, President of the Cabrillo Student Senate:
“Lowering the fees will allow thousands of California students who have a difficult time paying for college in the face of unpredictable fee increases and high housing costs. In 2003, more than 300,000 students were forced to drop out when fees increased to $26. This initiative means stability for students like me. It’s important for every student to have the ability to go to college.”Unfortunately, the budget realities in this state are such that anytime you feed Peter, you do so at the expense of Paul.
The reality though is that education is a necessity not a luxury.
Matt Mahood, President & CEO of the Sacramento Metro Chamber is quoted saying:
“In order to keep California’s competitive edge over the next 20 years, almost 40 percent of the workforce will need to be college educated. Unfortunately, today we are well below that percentage. Our community college system is this region's lynchpin to ensuring we produce the highly skilled workers required to meet the demands of the next technological era. Passing the Community College Initiative will offer more affordable and accessible academic and vocational education for both recent high school graduates and those returning to school. And the initiative does this without raising taxes.”It is of course that last sentence that sparks the controversy here because in order to provide money to Community Colleges without raising taxes, it has to take money from somewhere else.
What would be nice is if the educational community could come together and figure out some sort of solution here. As it stands, we are looking at a bloody battle that no one will really win as it pits one part of our educational system against another.
---Doug Paul Davis reporting
