Vote ‘No’ on 38





Teachers will join other supporters of public education on Election Day to vote ‘‘No’’ on Proposition 38.


This initiative is a deceptive "bait and switch" tactic that will siphon funding away from public schools in order to subsidize private and parochial schools.


Prop. 38 would use tax dollars to support private schools that are not accountable for how they spend our money.


Private schools are exempt from the state’s new curriculum standards, minimum performance standards, and the newly required high school exit exam.


This voucher initiative is sponsored by Tim Draper, a Silicon Valley venture capitalist whose real goal is to create a publicly funded, unregulated, privatized education system. Draper has vowed to spend up to $40 million of his own money to pass the initiative.


Draper created a campaign Website that offered a Hawaii vacation, computers and a shopping spree to people who gathered addresses of potential Prop. 38 supporters.


If passed, the Draper initiative exempts voucher schools from provisions of the state building codes. Under this initiative, private schools are allowed to discriminate against students on the basis of gender, religion, IQ, ability to pay, and physical or mental disability. This kind of discrimination can result because private schools decide to accept or reject kids on almost any basis — voucher schools — not parents — will choose which students can attend.


If passed, the voucher system could cost California taxpayers in excess of $3 billion.


Money for the vouchers would come from the state’s general tax funds. If passed, this initiative would wipe out the guaranteed level of funding for community colleges, adult education, and most child care programs. Funding for public education would mean either a tax increase or cuts in vital programs like law enforcement, fire protection, health care and public transportation.


That’s why many of these organizations have joined with the teachers to oppose Prop. 38. That’s why the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association opposes Prop. 38.


There’s nothing in Prop. 38 that deals with improving education. In fact, Prop. 38 takes money from local public schools, making it harder for them to reduce class size and to hire qualified teachers. The track record for voucher schools in other states shows that they don’t produce significant increases in student performances.


Public dollars should go to improving public schools not on risky schemes that subsidize private education.


Please support education by voting ‘‘No’’ on Prop. 38.


Sandra Pope,


President, Las Virgenes


Educators’ Association



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