Editor: Public schools are in danger. Teachers do not have adequate funds from the state to complete their important work and Measure H addresses this financial shortfall. Public schools were founded on the ideas that talented people emerge from every strata of society, and that all children deserve to be educated to the full measure of their abilities. These basic premises are being undermined by a state government that is unwilling to set a guaranteed minimum working budget for our schools.
The circumstance of public school teachers is akin to that of a builder asked to construct a house with half the necessary budget. The builder can promise a foundation, siding, and windows, but no sheetrock, paint, or cabinets. Our schools are being subjected to the same unreasonable demands to produce excellence, without the adequate funds to complete the job properly. Money can solve problems that stem from a lack of essential resources and this is the case with public schools. Measure H funds will keep primary class sizes small, keep library doors open, and computer labs up-to-date.
Sacramento’s inability to solve its policy deadlocks has gone beyond a fiscal crisis. If children in every corner of our valley cannot receive a complete education, then the basic egalitarian principles that ignited this country’s reason for being are at serious risk. This is a moment when we must ask ourselves if we believe in every child’s right to an equal chance at success. We must ask if we believe that educated people make better decisions at the voting booth that serve the best interests of their communities. If the answers are yes, then we can act to improve the situation. You can make an enormous difference in children’s lives in just a couple weeks. Please vote for equal opportunities for every child in our valley by voting YES on Measure H.
Craig Madison, Teacher
Glen Ellen
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