What took them so long? California schools have been "underfunded" for years in comparison to other schools! With the additional pressure/needs that immigrants (legal and illegal) place on our schools/teachers, etc. Do they think they will accomplish anything? Or is it just to get us, parents & the community, off their backs about the constant flow of fundraisers/requested donations? Or is it letting us think that they are finally concerned about the sub-standard funding our public eduational system has been operating under? Or, is it that the parents' pockets are now empty and they have no other option but go back to the State?

Whatever the reason, you can't get blood from a stone. Nice to know that the "deep pockets" of the California PTA, which have enough money to contribute to political campaigns, won't be affected. Thank goodness lawyers and legal experts, some not all, will be volunteering their time, etc. That's just what we need...more litigation....

And who is suing the parents who are responsible for the majority of the failing results of kids listed in the lawsuit? Or does everyone really believe that it is the school system that causes the >30% dropout rate, etc.? The abandonment of parental responsibility and overshelming entitlement thinking in this lawsuit is outright depressing and does not bode well for the next generations. Or is the real intent of this lawsuit to create a basis for dedicating a greater percentage of the state budget allocated to education? And then ultimately to raise taxes/revenues in order to pay for it? There is so much in this lawsuit that is just plain wrong.

WOW! What a surprise...who else can we blame?

Web Link

So... where exactly do they think the state would GET the money, even if they won? The economy is lousy. Everyone's cutting back. It's the same song and dance it's been for a year or two now. I don't get this mentality. As soon as we boot every single illegal from schools and deny them FREE benefits, we'll talk about this. Until then, this is just stupid.

Well said, Maya 7!

I find it offensive that someone's response on here was "who else can be blame?". How in the world can you not agree with school districts and the PTA when California brings in more money than any other state (CA would be the 6th richest nation in the world), and yet we are bottom in spending on education? And Tea Partiers, don't get ridiculous and tell me it's the illegal immigrants fault. When my husband's company, one of the largest in the state, is based in Silicon Valley and yet has an address in the Bahamas to avoid state taxes, you KNOW the entire system is corrupt.

We know it's not about allocating more to the education part of the budget...there wouldn't be anything left for anything else.
Do teacher 'pensions' come out of 'education'?

We need such suits to force the politically unpopular work that needs to get done. While communities are passing parcel taxes in an attempt to band-aid the situation, the root of the problem is not being attacked by the State government. The big picture is California's poor education finance system. They get plenty of money. They just waste it when they're not aligning funding with goals. That is what this suit seeks to address.

Until PUBLIC UNIONS (not firing bad teachers), and ILLEGALS are dealt with....NO MORE TAXES OR BUDGET ALLOTMENTS.
Not everybody should go to college or beyond community. Unions & remedial illegals, ESL bonus pay, suck $$ that could go to several types of SHOP classes, quality financial classes, helping honors achieve THEIR potential, etc. Most districts are not providing adequate basics.

Yes, Budget, teachers salary include pension payments come out of education...where do you think it comes from? But the state does not pay pensions, the teachers and the district both pay into the CalSTRS during employment and CalSTRS pays the pensions upon retirment (not the state). The state does kick in a little money annually, but does not directly pay for pensions. In the recent past, the state actually has borrowed money from the teacher pension (Cal STRS) to try to pay for other programs.

Budget - so are you ok with unions if they fire bad teachers? I'm not sure what your point is...how would firing bad teachers help the budget situation?

letsgo ~ frankly your too dumb to understand any point made so just put a sock in it

Horace-
Learn how to spell you're please before you make a comment about someone being dumb.

I'm curious how we can blame unions when other states who have unions find ways to fund their education. We bring in more money yet we don't fund our schools properly. It has nothing to do with unions and state pensions. Teachers do not get state pensions. In fact, teachers don't get social security as well.

How in the world can other states bring in less money and still be successful? Do people on this blog really think that the other 49 states do not have teacher unions?