Facts:

California was once a national leader in public education - consistently ranking in the top 10 nationally in education funding in the 1960s and 1970s. Today California ranks in the bottom five in staff-to-student ratios for teachers, principals, assistant principals, guidance counselors and student support staff.

• California schools have the most overcrowded classrooms in the nation, ranking 50th for teachers per student with 23:1. The national average is 16:1.

• California ranks 44th in the nation in per-pupil funding.

• 49% of California students do not have access to after school programs.

• California ranks 50th in the nation for librarians per students. To close the gap and reach the national average ratio, we need 4,909 more librarians.

• California ranks 48th in the nation for counselors per student with 681 students for one counselor. The national average is 455:1.

• California schools are suffering from chronic teacher shortages. California has 1 million more students than Texas, but 42,000 fewer teachers.

• 12% of California seniors drop out of high school every year, costing our economy $22 billion every year.

• In 2016 alone, there were 430 revenue measures on the ballot across California.

• PTA's and private foundations raise over $600m every year for schools in order to make up for the loss of state funding.

Despite boasting the 5th largest economy in the world, California ranks 44th in the nation in per pupil funding and near the bottom in the number of students per teacher, guidance counselor, and librarian.