K-12: On The Edge
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California educates one in every eight public school children in the United States. But, our educational system continues to be jeopardized by billions of dollars in state budget cuts: 30% fewer teachers than the U.S. average, 90% fewer counselors and, in elementary schools, nurses have been replaced by the “boo boo lady”. California is 47th in the nation in funding for grades K through 12.
In the KCLU documentary K-12: On The Edge, KCLU Special Projects Reporter John North reveals the back-story of the funding crisis through interviews with school superintendents, teachers, students, the head of a teacher’s union, a member of the legal team suing the Governor and Legislature for violating the State Constitution and others involved in what educators are calling “The Lost Decade of Education”.
You’ll hear how some K-12 districts have gone bankrupt because of a loss of state revenue, results of a recent survey that tested the public’s attitude on the funding issue, how some teachers are spending several thousands of dollars a year of their own money to keep the classrooms afloat and how K-12 districts are now conducting marketing campaigns to entice students from other districts to increase enrollment!
Through it all, educators continue to bite the state budget bullet, move on with their mission of education and students, in many districts, continue to excel in grades and achievement awards, but with no light at the end of the tunnel how will this ultimately affect the future of our students?