Why People Are Lying Down on Freeways

Despite the fact that thousands of people marched and protested on behalf of education yesterday, most people I speak to still levy either misunderstood or baseless criticisms of the movement. To address some of these concerns, I would like to clarify just a few of the missteps in education over the past few years, and explain some of what could be done to address these issues.

1. One of the main criticisms I hear is "What's your solution?" Meaning that while many people are protesting, they have no solutions to solve the problem, or the ill-thought solutions they do propose like taxing oil or eliminating Prop. 13 are untenable.

Two protester demands would provide some immediate relief. You may have seen the signs: "Democratize the Regents," and "Budget Transparency." The first is an issue that has arisen since Gov. Schwarzenegger began appointments to the Board of Regents, the governing body of the UC system.  Since 2004, he has appointed eleven Regents. Five regents have been investment bankers or advisors, two are corporate attorneys, and two have run property investment firms.

There are several problems with this, beginning with the fact that these people are appointed, rather than elected. They also serve twelve year terms. Beyond this, the main issue is that the Regents has become a corporate board of directors, whose goals are obviously not in line with campus communities or the California Master Plan. I can't and haven't seen these bankers and investors lining up in the capital to advocate for students. Why would people who run property investment firms advocate abolishing Prop. 13, the main source of California's financial ruin? They wouldn't, not now, and not ever. This is a direct conflict of interest. The UC needs who Regents who are interested in raising revenue from sources other than increased fees, and not singularly focused on cutting costs from the bottom-up. A democratically elected body would do exactly this.

The second complaint, budget transparency, stems from the fact the UC System does not publish the budget. It is impossible for anyone to provide any alternative ideas if they cannot see the numbers. The published information is limited to billions of dollars being divided into six sections on a pie chart. The vagueness of criticisms levied at the Regents is then a direct consequence of the vagueness of the information provided by the Regents. Transparency is necessary for any governing body, especially one that is controlling the education and careers for tens of thousands of people.

2. The other main criticism is that California just doesn't have the money.  In reality, a look at the budget reveals that it isn't necessarily that there isn't enough money, it is simply that education has become less of a priority.  From 2007-2010, the general fund for the state was reduced by $16 billion, mostly from the economic downturn. Education spending, which accounts for about half the expenditures in the general fund was has decreased by $9 billion in that same time frame.

Also, if you look at the history of California general fund expenditures over the last thirty years, education spending has risen as proportion of  general fund spending during each recession. Historically, education spending has been seen as an investment in the future, rather than a burden on the present. During this recession however, education has bitten off more than its fair share (from 52% of expenditures to 48%). This is also not adjusted for growth in the student population, which has been steadily increasing.

California's education systems have been hijacked by corporate interests and a governor who attempts to run the state like a business. The problem is "students aren't widgets" that can be churned out en mass by focusing on efficiency and cost reduction. Education is the heart of any democracy and the most important determinant of economic productivity. It is important looking forward that people realize than education spending is not just another wasteful government program; it is the most important factor in the future of California's economic and political success.