California’s schools are in a state of fiscal emergency, according to Tom Torlakson the Superintendent of Public Instruction.
Torlakson said cuts to education must stop, but the state is facing a $28 billion budget deficit. So, Torlakson is hoping that California voters will look kindly on a proposition to extend taxes that help pay for school funding.
"Putting in front of the voters of California a choice as to go worse than we are in the emergency state we are in, to the very, very bottom in every way you could measure California schools, I believe California voters will rise to the occasion and put it as a priority and vote yes on a ballot measure," Torlakson said.
Torlakson said cutting $18 billion over the last three years from education has hurt the state’s overall performance. He said states like Massachusetts that spend thousands more per pupil than California, also perform better on nationwide testing.
