Dear John,

Proposed 10% cut to K-12 schools, community colleges, and UC will hurt students and threaten California’s economic recovery

Yesterday Governor Newsom introduced his updated state budget, which included a proposed 10% cut to K-12 schools, community colleges, and the University of California.

In a statement released following the Governor’s announcement, CFT President Jeff Freitas urged the Governor and lawmakers to show resolve to protect students and schools from the proposed cuts, which threaten their future.

“A 10% cut to our schools will hurt our students and endanger the economic recovery of the state,” said Freitas. “All available solutions, from federal stimulus dollars to expanding California’s revenue streams, must be considered.”

CFT urges Congress and the President to immediately pass the HEROES Act, a proposed second COVID-19 recovery bill that would invest nearly $1 trillion in state and local governments, including $100 billion in public schools and colleges.

We also urge our elected leaders in Sacramento to look at every possible avenue to avoid the proposed cuts. At the community college level, instead of cutting essential services to students, lawmakers should instead look to cutting duplicative programs such as Calbright College.

Urge Governor Newsom to close Calbright College

Part-time faculty from across the state are being told that their classes are going to be cancelled in the fall. If allowed to go through, these cuts will devastate not only the jobs and futures of these valuable educators, but the ability of our community colleges to meet the needs of our students and the newly unemployed workers who desperately need our community colleges to help them re-enter the workforce.

Please sign this letter now, urging Governor Newsom to close the misguided and mismanaged Calbright College, and invest the critical resources back into our traditional community colleges. Our colleagues’ jobs may depend on it!

K-12 leader to join CFT President Jeff Freitas on Facebook Live today at 3:00 p.m.

CFT President Jeff Freitas will be joined by Nelly Vaquera-Boggs, President of the Pajaro Valley Federation of Teachers, on Facebook Live today at 3:00 p.m. to discuss how her members are finding innovative ways to support their communities during the COVID-19 pandemic. Tune in on CFT’s Facebook page.