Dear EOPS/CARE Family;
Since my last email update regarding the Governor’s January Budget proposal, your association has been actively involved advocating on behalf of our students and programs at all levels in Sacramento. The following is a quick summary of the activities that your association members have been involved in the past couple of months.
Regional Visits
One of my goals as your Association President is to be more visible AND hear from you-the staff, faculty and directors that work in EOPS across the state. I have had the great privilege of attending Region I, III, IV, VII and VIII meetings. I am humbled by the many comments of encouragement from our diverse family who serve the most vulnerable students at the California Community College system. I am taking your messages to our association’s board meetings and to Sacramento. Thank you for everything you do.
Advocacy Efforts
Back in December 2014, our Association merged the Advocacy Committee with the Association Board. We scheduled monthly meetings to focus primarily on advocacy efforts. As a result, our membership, which includes YOU, successfully reached out to many local state assembly members and senators via office visits. Many of you have taken the message to your local state representatives on how EOPS/CARE has been overlooked in the Governor’s January Budget proposal. I want to report back that your visits are making a difference and PLEASE continue taking students to talk to your local representatives regarding the importance of restoration.
AB 490 Alejo/Gatto
First, it is important to applaud Governor Brown for his support of the California Community College System. The funding is much appreciated. However, none of the dollars for SSSP and Student Equity were specifically earmarked for EOPS. Therefore, the Board voted on moving forward to seek a restoration bill. After a very quick turnaround and with the assistance of our wonderful legislative advocates Jonathan and Andrea, AB 490 Alejo/Gatto was written. See bill at: http://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billStatusClient.xhtml
AB 490 by Assembly-members Alejo and Gatto calls upon the state legislature to restore funding to the California Community Colleges Extended Opportunity Programs and Services (EOPS) and the Cooperative Agencies Resources for Education (CARE). Our association’s message is that EOPS and CARE, while identified by the system as successful student success and equity model programs, cannot continue to provide the quality of services that our students deserve on a scarce budget. We have thousands of students knocking at our doors seeking services and we can no longer stall the success of more low-income students. We can no longer continue to ask our students to wait, EOPS/CARE funding needs to be restored immediately. Our time is NOW.
We are calling upon you to help us pass AB 490 by scheduling visits to your state representative’s office and asking them to make a commitment to support our low-income students at the community college level by restoring EOPS/CARE. EOPS/CARE moves students on to careers that help California’s economy. Before you leave your respective state representative’s office, please make sure you have his/her support for AB 490. A vote for AB 490 is an investment in California’s future!
In Unidad,
Fabio R González
CCCEOPSA President