California Teachers Association (CTA) President David B. Goldberg has responded to Governor Gavin Newsom’s proposed 2026-2027 state budget, raising concerns about a potential reduction in public school funding. The CTA claims that the governor’s proposal would withhold $5.6 billion in funds guaranteed by Proposition 98, a measure passed nearly forty years ago to secure constitutional funding for California’s public schools.
“In his State of the State address yesterday, Gov. Gavin Newsom promised to make the most significant investment in California history to public schools. Unfortunately, that promise is plagued by a shell game. In the detailed release, it is clear that the governor is proposing to withhold $5.6 billion in school funding guaranteed by Proposition 98,” said Goldberg.
He added: “California voters passed Prop. 98 nearly four decades ago to enshrine funding for public schools into our constitution. The governor’s proposal violates this promise by failing to provide the full amount of funding the Constitution demands. It withholds $5.6 billion from schools to cover up the State’s ongoing budget deficit. This is money that, under the Constitution, should be going to classrooms this year. Unless corrected by the Legislature, this shell game will result in larger class sizes, even less mental health support for students and further deepen the escalating recruitment and retention crisis of public school teachers.”
Goldberg stated that CTA members and their allies are committed to defending Proposition 98 through all available resources and legal actions: “The 310,000 members of CTA, our allies and our local communities remain resolved to protect Prop. 98 with every resource and legal remedy at our disposal.”
He also expressed concern over how such budget proposals may influence local decisions: “While this proposal is merely the first step in the budget process, school districts often weaponize these announcements to issue unnecessary layoff notices, justify cutting programs and the closure of beloved neighborhood schools, and refuse to make investments to recruit and retain educators. Public school teachers and California communities deserve better. We demand that school districts hold steady and commit to providing stable learning environments to students.”
Goldberg pointed out previous underfunding issues: “This chaos is not new and underscores the need for robust funding and increases in our revenues as a state. Just last year, the 2025-2026 approved state budget underfunded Prop. 98 by $1.9 billion, and students and teachers are still grappling with the devastating impacts of those cuts.” He noted broader national pressures on education budgets as well.
Regarding economic conditions referenced by Governor Newsom during his address—specifically claims about a booming economy—Goldberg said: “Gov. Newsom also spoke about the state of our economy yesterday and proclaimed that it is booming. While the economy is definitely booming for the wealthy and corporations, the rest of us are struggling to make ends meet.” He called for more stable revenue sources for core services like education.
Goldberg concluded: “We call on the governor to stand with educators and communities and protect funding promised by Prop. 98. We call on our Legislature to have the courage to increase revenue in our state… It’s time for lawmakers to stop protecting corporations and the wealthy and do the necessary work of raising the revenue needed to fully fund schools, healthcare, and all public goods.”
