SAN MARINO NEWS
By Mitch Lehman

San Marino Unified School District Superintendent Gary Woods flew to Sacramento this past Sunday night to march on the State Capitol in protest of the governor’s proposed cuts to education funding which could reach the $5.5 billion mark, if early estimates are accurate.
The perpetually optimistic Woods reported that the action sent “a great message, a message of hope,” but railed against a state system that could soon drop to a dead-last 50th in the nation in state spending per student and 50th in class size.
“This is not about money, it’s about priorities,” Woods thundered. “Until California steps up and takes care of California, we cannot claim that we are a state that places education as a priority.”
Woods said that if Gov. Schwarzenegger’s proposed cuts in the education budget become a reality – reductions that could trim as much as $2.5 million from the SMUSD – California, a state that has the eight largest economy in the world among rival nations, would drop to last place in spending and class size, two key indicators of program health.
“There are some countries that literally view their children as their national treasure – Norway, Sweden, Denmark – they educate their children, they have tremendous vocational and educational programs for their children,” Woods continued. “All of that is to educate their kids for the future. They really train them. Look at us. Can you really, honestly say that in California our children are our state treasures? Based on the current funding and the decline of funding over the past 10-15 years, one would be hard-pressed to make the claim. Compared with the rest of the nation, California employs 30% less teachers, 50% less administrators and 80% less counselors than the average state. California was in the top ten for decades. We are in danger of being 50th. There is something that is alarming about this. There is something that should cause concerns among all of us.”
Woods also decried the fact that the state has imposed higher standards but provided decreasing funds with which to try and achieve them.
“We were telling our legislators that we have made progress, we have done better, with less and less funding,” Woods said. “We are now cutting into the muscle, not into the fat of the organization. The bottom line is that when it is all said and done, it is going to hurt the kids.”
Woods was among the 500 people including 100 superintendents, at the march. Keynotes speakers included State Superintendent Jack O’Connel; and LAUSD Superintendent David Brewer.
Woods was most impressed by two parents from Vacaville who walked thirty-five miles to the capitol steps to protest cuts in their local school’s athletic programs. Woods was also interviewed by NPR.
“We are all disappointed,” Woods said. “Even if the state honors the constitutional spending guidelines (Proposition 98), we are still not where we are supposed to be. It’s really a discussion about priorities. As I was standing on the steps of the capitol, I thought about our kids, our teachers, our staff and our families and I was proud that we were there.”
Woods also attended a ‘Legislative Action Day’ event in Sacramento and spoke with local State Representative Mike Eng.