Abraham Challenges Public Schools to Close Budget Gap with Common Sense Solutions

Friday, February 26, 2010

Anger and frustration simmered among the people in a standing-room-only crowd Thursday night at a town hall meeting at San Francisco's Marina Middle School, as parents demanded solutions rather than explanations for the severe cuts to staff and programs at their children's schools....full article

Abraham's quote was: "Here are three real solutions for reducing in the long term the impact of the State budget cuts to schools in San Francisco: First, use the hundreds of millions of dollars of surplus property that currently is being wasted. Do not sell the properties, lease them as SFUSD currently does the ground under Nordstrom?s at Market and 5th Streets. Second, increase the amount SFUSDreceives in funding from the state by more than $10 million by reducing elementary school truancy. The 2003 Grand Jury found that modest increases in attendance would result in a $10 million/year increase. The fixes will pay for themselves many times over. And finally, renegotiate the deal made with the Union for the purpose of passing Prop. A 2008. Nothing in the language of the proposition requires that the amount going to teacher salaries be limited to 40%. Currently, the other 60% is not really the?Teacher Compensation? we voted for anyway. The administration is not efficiently using the money, so put the money into salaries that will save teacher jobs."