Balancing the budget of the eighth-largest economy in the world should be done by a visionary leader who can make fundamental connections between today's actions and the future — a leader who understands that shortchanging our children today will create a domino effect, resulting in a bleak tomorrow for our state. When it comes to education, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger is not a leader with vision. He wants to cut education funding to California's schoolchildren by $4.8 billion. How can a visionary leader believe that cutting valuable educational programs and services to our children is good for California?

Public education is a sacred foundation in our country, but, in just four short years, this is the second time Schwarzenegger has hacked away at it, essentially robbing our students of the opportunities and support they need to realize their goals and become productive members of society.

Are we willing to continue to allow the dismantling of public education? School districts and students are forced to do more, achieve more and jump through more hoops with fewer resources and even less respect. To propose even further education cuts in a state that trails the national average in per-pupil spending by nearly $2,000 per student is absurdly offensive. Such budget reductions will be disastrous to our future and they are fundamentally inconsistent with California's goal of improving student achievement.

In the Ventura Unified School District, this budget proposal would result in a $4 million reduction in the 2008-09 school year, affecting class sizes, counseling and health services, special education, summer school, equipment, technology, child nutrition, after-school programs, athletics, child care, teacher support and adult education. Our children did not create this budget problem and their education and future should not be threatened because of it.

As parents and educators, we teach our children and students to take responsibility for their actions. Our governor should take responsibility for his actions by explaining to every student how eliminating essential programs and services will help us to continue making gains in academic achievement. Maybe he can also explain how he expects California's students to outperform all other students in the nation with a budget that will give them less one-on-one time with their teachers; or maybe he has a formula that explains how our students will feel more connected and safer in our schools with fewer counselors, mentors and health services.

Many of the challenges and deficiencies inherent in a culture that fails to prioritize and properly support children and education lie at the doorstep of our schools. Public education is then required not only to fix the wrongs created by the failures of shortsighted legislators, but to reach higher standards with fewer resources. It is only through the incredible dedication, hard work and vision of educators, administrators and staff that a system set up for failure is doing as well as it is.

We must come together as communities across the state to support and defend our children and public education. Write to your legislators and tell them that the proposed budget is bad for our children and our future. Come to the Ventura Unified School District Rally for Education April 18 at 4 p.m. at Buena High School so that we can make our voices loud and clear: Balancing the budget on the backs of our kids will not be tolerated.

— Mary Haffner is a Ventura Unified School District trustee.