Orange County Schools Cut Budgets as Parent Rethinks Public Education

DANA POINT, Calif. - I dreamed about the days my children would begin school since the time they were born. I imagined a time they would grow up to carry their own little lunchboxes while making new friends and learning from insightful teachers who would encourage their budding academic achievements. But never in my wildest dreams did I imagine that elementary school would be filled with so much politics and money disputes. Our public school system in Orange County, Calif., has been rocked by politics, wasteful spending and budget cuts to the point that it may leave public education in total disrepair in my children's lifetime.

As the 2010 school year begins, California is in dire straits and no where is the pain felt more than in public schools. When Orange County first starting feeling the pinch back in 2007, layoffs were announced. Parents were outraged at the budget cuts and, in Capistrano Unified where my children attend, we were asked to donate $400 per student to save certain positions. Some jobs were saved and some were not as Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger made some last-minute adjustments after protests and a call for his resignation were announced.

But in 2008, things got worse as the recession hit harder, forcing education-funding cuts, excessive spending became exposed and the politics of school boards and teachers unions took center stage. The Capistrano Unified School District has faced over 400 layoffs with $27 million in educational cuts each year. During this time the superintendent, A. Woodrow Carter, was fired after he was accused of excessive wasteful spending by the Board of Trustees after only one year on the job. The previous superintendent also resigned after a political controversy. Carter is now suing the district and half of the school board is being sued as well over political infighting. The lawsuits and firings are bankrupting the school district.

The teachers union went on strike during the 2009-10 school year when a 10 percent pay cut was proposed; it included a cut to their benefits and added furlough days. The strike forced children to make huge sacrifices to their school day and parents to pick a side.

How is this affecting my children? During first grade, we were blessed with a small class size of 20, which no longer exists in any grade. The classes are now more than 30 in every grade. Teachers are laid off or moved to other schools in the district each year; some are the better teachers thanks to the tenure system. Each year programs and field trips are eliminated. We are asked to pitch in money to save programs such as physical education. Combo classes are becoming the norm, including a new kindergarten-first grade combo class this year. Students should have their certified teacher dedicated to them at all times of the day, not just during the kindergarten learning times when a parent volunteer will oversee them.

All the politics have forced me to rethink public education. How much more sacrificing can the public school system force our children to make? I have two more children who have yet to enter the public school system; there is a chance that private school will enter the equation if the madness does not stop. It will come down to the academic fallout. I know what my children are capable of and if the public school system cannot provide a runway for their dreams to lift off, then we will have to head to greener pastures.