Students and faculty members continue to protest the 32 percent fee increase expected to be approved by the University of California Board of Regents today.
UC police have arrested 14 people associated with the on-campus protest.
If approved, undergradute fees would soar above $10,000.
UCLA's student-run newspaper, the Daily Bruin, has live streaming video of the UC Board of Regents meeting.
Unprecedented funding cuts hitting California have had wide-spread ramifications on the state's public school system, including increased class sizes, fewer resources for students and more canceled classes, according to a report released Tuesday by the Education Coalition.
According to the press release, although education only represents 40 percent of the state budget, California public schools have been subjected to 60 percent of the cuts.
Today's report comes from Rosewood Middle School in Goldsboro, North Carolina. Parents at the school, frustrated with the lack of money for student programs, came up with a new idea to raise funds after last year's chocolate sale flopped: The school would sell test points to children. For example, 20 points could be bought for $20 and students could add 10 points to two tests of their choice.
"Last year they did chocolates, and it didn't generate anything," Principal Susie Shepherd said.
Perhaps not surprisingly, the idea was nixed after a report of the proposed fundraiser was published in the The News & Observer.
Here's more on the cash-for-grades fundraiser.
And the nations largest public university system is looking to cut more. Spring admissions have already been eliminated and university officials are expected to ask Sacramento lawmakers to restore $804 million in lost funding. The California State University Board of Trustees is expected to vote on an annual budget Nov. 17. If funding is not restored by the state, fee increases, program cuts and more faculty furloughs could be implemented.
Overall, university officials said they are looking to trim enrollment by 40,000 students across the 23-campus system.
Here's an article about how students are responding at Cal State Dominguez Hills.
And here's the press release from the Chancellor's Office.
From the San Francisco Chronicle: A San Francisco judge refused Monday to block a 20 percent fee increase for California State University students immediately, but scheduled a hearing in two weeks on whether to overturn the new charges.
With schools facing deep cuts due to Sacramento's budget mess, students may not be getting new textbooks for several years.
But don't worry, says the governor. Thanks to the "Digital Textbook Initiative," California math and science teachers can choose from 10 free online textbooks. All of them, you can be assured, meet state standards.
Although Schwarzenegger has said the online textbooks will save the state millions, educators have argued that many aging school facilities lack the technology needed to give students access to the new digital books.
The online textbook idea is just gaining momentum. If you're a college student and have an iPhone, there's a good chance you can take a couple pounds out of your backpack by downloading an eTextbook.
Today, I received a lengthy email from an anonymous "South Bay Pollyanna" who identifies herself as a local elementary school teacher. (Or "himself"? We'll just say herself since the writer chose a female fictional character as a pseudonym.)
This writer is asking South Bay residents to donate $5 to each of the area's 12 public school districts.
Can you afford to donate $60 in total to this one time cause? If just 10% rose to the call, it would be an impressive $430,000 for EACH district! If every man, woman, and child took action, we would raise over $4.3 million for EACH of these districts.
She describes what she calls "chaos" caused by state budget cuts and beseeches South Bay residents to take action in support of students' education.
I'm not endorsing the writer's views (or anyone else's) or vouching for all the data she cites, of course. Nor am I suggesting that I would in future post anything sent to me by readers. But someone obviously put a lot of effort into this, so here it is.
The letter is posted below.
Los Angeles Unified Superintendent Ramon Cortines has not ruled out teacher layoffs as the school district seeks to close a nearly $900 million budget gap through the next school year.
Cortines spoke to board members at a special meeting today that focused on the district's dire financial situation. LAUSD faces a $894 million budget deficit for this year and the 2009-2010 school year.
"We are doing everything we can to minimize the impact of these cuts on classrooms but the severity of the current situation requires us to look at everything," Cortines said in a statement issued by the school district after the meeting.
CFO Megan Reilly said the district was "in survival mode."
Cortines said he would cut from administration first, with a planned 30 to 50 percent cut to Beaudry (the district's downtown headquarters) and the eight local district offices. Maintenance, custodial services and transportation could also be cut.
In a list of possible cuts, Cortines offered this final bullet point: "Potential reduction in some educational programs."
The superintendent said earlier this year that the district would not cut teaching staff, but that was before state legislators passed a budget that cuts more than $10 billion from education. Districts are struggling to respond, both in the South Bay and across the region and state.
Federal stimulus funds won't be enough to fill budget holes, education officials say.
The Board of Education will vote on layoffs and cuts March 10.
The California State University system announced today that it will put off sending bills to students whose state-backed scholarship funding is delayed due to the budget crisis in Sacramento.
The state has told California universities and colleges that there may be a delay in sending out Cal Grants in the coming spring semester, CSU said in a press release today.
CSU will not seek payment for the State University Fee ($3,048 for the 2008-09 school year) until the Cal Grants are released.
One variety of state funding to students -- called Cal Grant B's -- provide a stipend to students. Cal State will seek to provide " short-term emergency loans to needy students on a case-by-case basis," the release said.
CSU is not in a position to automatically cover these cash stipends to students until the (California Student Aid Commission) actually distributes the funds.
About 65,500 CSU students -- about 14.5 percent of the student population at the 23-campus system-- get Cal Grant funds, the release stated.
