WALNUT CREEK – Lieutenant Governor John Garamendi, a University of California regent and California State University trustee, today continued his issues-based campaign by releasing a podcast highlighting his perspectives on education. Earlier today, Garamendi attended an East Bay educators rally sponsored by the California Teachers Association and California School Employees Association highlighting the education community’s support for Garamendi’s candidacy in the California’s 10th Congressional District.

“All of my six children have gone to public schools and so do my grandchildren, and I know that our public education system simply isn’t what we must have if we are going to be able to meet the challenges of today and tomorrow,” said Garamendi in the podcast. “I’m also a regent at the University of California and a trustee at the state university system, and I must tell you, what’s happening in those systems is a terrible terrible disaster for California. We’re starving the entire education system, eating our seed corn for the future.”

Added Garamendi, “As a member of Congress, I’m going to fight for the federal government to rewrite the No Child Left Behind legislation in such a way as to encourage education, not hold it at risk. And must important of all, provide the funding that’s needed. […] We cannot allow our education system, the most important investment any society can make, to continue to be on a starvation diet.”

A link to the podcast is here: http://www.garamendi.org/sites/default/files/Podcast%20Education.mp3

The campaign previously released podcasts on Garamendi’s early career, the importance of Travis Air Force Base, and veterans issues. For more information on Garamendi’s education platform, please visit http://www.garamendi.org/issues/education.

“John Garamendi is a proven friend of public education who believes in investing in our students and schools and will act on his beliefs in Congress,” Eric Heins, a teacher in Pittsburg Unified School District and a member of the 340,000-member California Teachers Association’s Board of Directors, said at today’s rally. “CTA is recommending John for Congress because he believes that educators hold the key to opening the door for a better future for our children and our society. With public schools suffering $18 billion in cuts statewide the last two years, families know they can count on John for fighting for more resources.”

After members of the state legislature and Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger approved more than $18 billion in cuts to education, California is now ranked 47th in per pupil spending. More than 17,000 teachers and thousands of education support professionals lost their jobs this year. Adjusted for inflation, student fees have more than doubled in the UC and CSU systems and more than tripled at the community college level since 1990. Due to budget cuts, close to 50,000 qualified students were denied admission this year to a UC or CSU.

Garamendi is endorsed by President Bill Clinton and Vice President Al Gore.

The education coalition endorsing Garamendi includes the California Teachers Association, California Federation of Teachers, California School Employees Association, National Education Association, CSU Employees Union, and United Auto Workers (representing graduation student instructors).

UC Berkeley Professor George Lakoff, UC Student Regents D'Artagnan Scorza and Ben Allen, California State Student Association State Chair Dina Cervantes, and UC Student Association President Louise Hendrickson have also endorsed Garamendi for Congress.

A special primary election will be held on September 1st. For more information, please visit http://www.garamendi.org.

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