Source:
CNN(CNN) -- California's schools are in a state of financial emergency, according to the state's education chief, Tom Torlakson.
The state superintendent of public instruction spoke to reporters about the challenges facing California's schools at a press conference in Sacramento on Friday, surrounded by officials from numerous education-oriented groups and agencies.
"The law won't let me call out the National Guard," he said. "So I'm saying to every Californian: 'Your schools need your help. And they need it now.'"
Torlakson said that $18 billion in cuts over the last three years have taken a heavy toll on the state's schools. He said that a California Department of Education survey conducted last year found that 58% of school districts have cut educational material, 48% have cut nursing and counseling staff and 35% have increased class size while reducing the number of teachers.
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http://www.cnn.com/2011/US/01/07/california.education.emergency/index.html