Two years ago, the California PTA made a disastrous decision to ally themselves with a California billionaire against our Governor.

This year, the smaller Educate our State parents group (which has done some good work in the past but has also previously missed the mark) has made what I think is another political mistake. They’ve decided to become the face of the opposition to one of the Governor’s pet projects, the creation of a “rainy day” fund to put aside a portion of tax revenues in reserve.

The California Teachers Association is neutral on the ballot measure and, instead, is focusing all its efforts to re-elect Tom Torlakson as state Superintendent of Public Instruction in the face of an onslaught of attacks from so-called “school reformers.”

It’s clear the ballot measure is going to win, and if Educate Our State really wants to effectively support public education, I’d suggest they follow CTA’s lead. Another parents group opposing an enormously popular governor (who has been a huge supporter of public education) on an issue they are sure to lose is not the ticket to political power or credibility. The California PTA learned that lesson the hard way, and are just beginning to rebuild their stature.