Speaking Out in Sacramento To Ensure Funding for Our Jobs, Student Services

Local 99 members Noemi Bravo, a Special Education Assistant at Middleton Elementary and Theresa Aguilar, a Custodian at South Gate Middle School spoke before the California Board of Education on January 16 to ensure that regulations for the new funding formula for California’s schools does not exclude the work of classified employees (watch the video below). The Board met to decide on regulations over how school districts can spend the new money they will receive as a result of Proposition 30 and the Local Control Funding Formula (LCFF). The LCFF is a plan created by Governor Brown to make sure that school districts with high concentrations of low income, English language learners and students in foster care receive additional resources.  The LCFF, however, does not guarantee that the money can be used for the services Local 99 members provide to all students such as clean classrooms, healthy meals, and teaching assistance. But thanks to our efforts, including testifying at hearings and reaching out to legislators, the State Board of Education approved regulations that allow Districts to spend the money on staffing and services that meet the needs of both disadvantaged students and all other students. But this is just the first step. In the coming months, LAUSD will be putting its budget together.  The District will have more flexibility on how to spend new state dollars and it will be up to us to ensure that they understand the critical role we play in student learning.