Deal reached after CA teachers union takes aim at Newsom's budget proposal: report
SAN FRANCISCO -- Governor Gavin Newsom's office and the California Teachers Association have reached an agreement about the state education budget after the CTA paid for a TV attack ad on the governor.
According to the Governor's Office, California's students, educators and families will not be impacted by cuts to the classroom this year.
The ad blasts the governor and warns against bigger class sizes and thousands of teacher layoffs because of the cuts the governor made to fill the deficit.
"California classrooms face a monumental crisis," the advertisement narrator said. "Tell lawmakers and Gov. Newsom, to pass a state budget that protects public schools for our students and communities."
RELATED: Teachers criticize Newsom's budget proposal, say it would 'wreak havoc on funding for our schools'
The ad comes just after the powerful labor union contributed $250,000 to Newsom's Yes on Prop 1 committee in February. It also contributed $1.8 million to Newsom's anti-recall campaign in 2022.
Lance Christensen is vice president of education policy for the California Policy Center. He is a critic of the CTA and a former candidate for California Superintendent of Public Instruction.
"The kind of alarmism that they have in the ad is over the top," Christensen said. "It doesn't reflect the budget realities for California."
The governor's budget calls for cuts of $150 per student compared to the January proposed budget.
It delays $8 billion in cuts to the future - a move the California Legislative Analyst's Office calls an accounting trick.
The ad made its debut this week. The California Teachers Association has also threatened to sue over the school cuts.
The Governor's office has said a revised May budget proposal for 2024-2025 would ensure the budget is balanced over the next two fiscal years, tighten the belt and stabilize spending after the pandemic.
ABC7 News contributed to this story.
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