Governor Newsom Signs Bill for $15B to Build New and Fix Older Schools At a Failing Sacramento School

16Oct
by Leticia Chavez-Garcia

When the current state of affairs in education is such that we have hundreds of failing schools sans accountability, we should not build more.  

Governor Gavin Newsom signed a bill on Monday, October 7 to ask voters to consider giving the state $15 billion dollars to build new schools and fix older schools. Not one penny has been offered or requested to address the fact that thousands of kids fall through the proverbial cracks in the hundreds of failing schools that will apparently continue to be ignored.  

AB48 by Patrick O’Donnell (you might remember him upsetting charter school parents over anti-charter AB 1505) says this about the bill:

“Our school facilities at all levels across this state are in subpar condition and need a major investment,” said Assemblyman Patrick O’Donnell, the Long Beach Democrat who wrote the bill. “It’s a good chunk of money for a huge challenge.”

I mean…wow.  So the guy does care about sub-par conditions.  Just not when it has to do with people, specifically with teacher union people. Failing schools are fine, and our kids can be condemned to terrible learning conditions, but what if we can up the ante by also giving our trade union folks jobs while we continue to short change kids in these schools? And hey, while we are at it, let’s also create new dungeons of educational doom so we can create even more opportunities to kiss CTA’s ass while screwing over kids!  

Ironically, the Governor signed this bill at Ethel Baker Elementary School in Sacramento. One of, if not, the lowest-performing schools in Sacramento. Chronically and persistently low performing. Comadres, friends, haters…I cannot make this up! And, I don’t have to. When we keep saying #fixourfailingschools, this is what we mean.  

But they won’t be fixed.  We have seen these schools continue to be ignored. Blame charter schools. Blame lack of funds. Blame parents. All but the true problem. Why is it that there are three high achieving schools just 2.68 miles away? Same funding…

Take a look at Phoebe Hearst Elementary School:

That is a big difference, right? Ask yourself why this is acceptable.

Here’s a hint: 

But what about the demographics and teacher/student ratio at Ethel Baker Elementary School? Here it is:

Do we really need more of this? No. We do not. We need to figure this out for these kids. 757 kids at Ethel Baker Elementary School in Sacramento need us to think of them first!  
I seriously hope the people of California do not fall for this madness! And by the way, who is running against O’Donnell? 

What do you think?
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Leticia Chavez-Garcia

Leticia Chavez-Garcia is a Mother, Grandmother, former Middle School Teacher, former Member of a School Board of Education and an Education Advocate for hundreds of parents and students in the Inland Empire. Having become a mother at 15, Leticia knows what it’s like to be a single mother trying to navigate the education system. Leticia received her Bachelor of Science Degree in Political Science and Public Administration from California Baptist University and a Masters’ Degree in Education Technology from Cal State Fullerton in her 30’s. Leticia has used her knowledge and experience to help hundreds of families as an Education Advocate in the Inland Empire and currently works as an Education Specialist.

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