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THE LATEST PICO NEWS

PICO Leaders Rally in Support of Healthy Families, Tells Governor: Don’t Leave Us Out in the Rain!

More than 200 PICO youth and parents from across the state marched to the State Capitol on Wednesday, June 16 to urge Governor Schwarzenegger to withdraw his proposal to cut or eliminate the Healthy Families Program. Youth speakers described how they cope with serious medical conditions and how their Healthy Families coverage has saved their lives.

Noting that it would only take 8% of the state's rainy day fund to pay for the entire Healthy Families Program, speakers urged the Governor not to hurt kids. Immediately following the event, youth leaders delivered banners created by children from cities throughout California to Governor Schwarzenegger's office.

Click here to view photos from the rally.

Governor Proposes to Eliminate Healthy Families, Would Result in 942,000 Children Losing Health Coverage

More than 940,000 children would lose their health coverage if the Healthy Families program were eliminated. Governor Schwarzenegger proposed last month to eliminate the Healthy Families program to balance the state budget, which would result in 942,000 California children to lose coverage. Previously, the Governor had proposed to drop the income eligibility limit for Healthy Families from 250 percent to 200 percent of the federal poverty line.

California gets $2 for every dollar it invests in Healthy Families. If the program were eliminated, California would lose approximately $460 million in federal matching funds.

More Information
Deep Cuts Threaten to Reshape California, The New York Times, May 30, 2009
'Shock and Awe' Over California Cuts, CNN, May 28, 2009
Governor's Budget Ax Poised Over Children's Health Programs The Sacramento Bee, May 28, 2009

Click here to see how many children would lose coverage in your county and how much state and federal funds would be lost.

New Reports Details Economic Loss of Dropouts

New reports from the California Dropout Research Project detail the economic costs of dropouts to the State and to 17 cities throughout California. Compared to high school graduates, research documents that dropouts have: higher rates of unemployment; lower earnings; poorer health and higher rates of mortality; higher rates of criminal behavior and incarceration; and increased dependence on public assistance. These generate substantial economic losses to the nation, to the state, and to local communities.

Throughout California, PICO affiliates are organizing to increase graduation rates and to create safer communities that provide hope and opportunities for youth. These new reports make clear that everyone suffers when students drop out of school.

Click here to read the report and click here to see city-specific data.
Click here to read news coverage of Oakland and San Jose PICO affiliates organizing work to increase graduation rates.

Six-Year Study Finds Oakland Community Organizing Led to Improved Educational Outcomes, School Safety, and Equity

Oakland Community Organizations (OCO) and the Annenberg Institute for School Reform at Brown University released a new report April 2 that credits OCO with being the catalyst for launching the city's successful small school reform effort and for creating the political will to sustain this reform for nearly a decade.

The report -- entitled "Building a Districtwide Small Schools Movement: Oakland Community Organizations" -- documents how parents, teachers and concerned community members from OCO launched a campaign to improve the overcrowded, unsafe, and underperforming schools in the city's flatlands that, 10 years later, has resulted in the creation of 48 small schools, serving primarily low-income students of color.

You can find more information about the report, as well as watch the release event at www.piconetwork.org/ocosmallschools.

Click here for the press release.
Click here for the report.