CAHPERD Action Alerts

I know you understand that the current California state budget crisis could have severe effects on all of the education community and we will need to tighten our belts. The CAHPERD Legislative Committee has two major concerns:

1) That HPERD programs will be given an unequal burden of the cuts, for example: possible class size increases, (already above other disciplines in most California schools), and

2) with even greater long term effects, that consideration is being given to removing the restrictions on categorical funds, allowing local school districts the flexibility to transfer those allocations to their general fund to use any way they choose.

Two major areas of the categorical funds that concern us are the Physical Education Teacher Incentive Program (PETIP) and the Arts, Music and Physical Education block grants. We recognize that funds may be short this year, but we do not want to lose these programs entirely, for now or especially for all future funding, when the economy improves and school funding returns. Please contact your legislators immediately, because these decisions will be made soon -- possibly this week. Let them know that you do not want to see the shift in categorical funding that could severely hurt physical education, arts and music programs -- programs that are essential to the health and learning of California school children.

To contact your state senator or assembly member, click here. Enter your zip code to obtain names and contact information. Then call or email (because these are the fastest) your legislators to tell them you would like them to vote against greater flexibility over categorical funds by LEA, because that can only hurt physical education. We urge you to contact both your senator and assembly member! Please advise your staff members, colleagues and friends to do the same.

One more favor, please copy the CAHPERD office at membership@cahperd.org so we will have an idea how many contacts were made and how effective we can be. Remember, it is important that you make these contacts this week. After the 13th of February it will be too late and have little impact.

We do not want to see any of the modest gains made in legislation undermined for the long term. The budget crisis might delay moving them forward, but we do not want to see them lost because of short-sighted budget decisions.

Thank you for your help! If you have any questions please contact me, at kjohannes1@cox.net or 949-496-4345

Keith Johannes, Chair
CAHPERD Legislative Committee

Back to Action Alert #1