VOTE YES ON PROPOSITION 30

By Guest Blogger, Jennifer Peck, Executive Director of the Partnership for Children and Youth

Jennifer Peck

It is very rare that the Partnership for Children and Youth formally weighs in on ballot measures, but we believe Proposition 30 is so important to the schools, families and students that we serve, that it is essential for us to speak out.

If Proposition 30 fails, a huge number of California school districts will have no choice but to cut two weeks from the school year.  The Partnership invests a great deal of time and energy building quality summer programs for low-income children, because we know that long summers have staggering impacts on student achievement and health.  A shortened school year would mean more summer learning loss, more health and safety risks for children, and growing economic challenges for working parents.

Proposition 30 would provide revenue for schools and local government to combat these threats and keep the school year intact.  Proposition 30 is an important step in the right direction towards rebuilding essential services and confidence in our public systems.  To learn more, go to: www.yesonprop30.com.
                      
The school year matters, summer matters, and so does your vote.  We at the Partnership strongly urge you to go to the polls on Tuesday and vote Yes on Proposition 30.  

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Jennifer Peck was a founding staff member of the Partnership For Children and Youth in 2001 and became its Executive Director in 2003. Jennifer leads a coalition of California organizations advocating for new federal policies to improve the effectiveness of after-school and summer-learning programs. She was also one of our speakers at the How Kids Learn Conference in January 2012. Jennifer was recently honored by the Afterschool Alliance as an Afterschool Champion