Re: Greg Stratton’s Oct. 21 letter, “Doomsayers speak out”:

Simi Valley Unified School District trustee Stratton holds an interesting perspective in his role as a public education advocate.

In his letter, he asked our community to support Propositions 74, 75 and 76, supposedly to stick it to the “government employee labor unions” — the people who teach our children, nurse us, fight our fires and patrol our communities.

His argument seems to be based upon some idea that our state needs these “reforms,” financed and essentially written by big business and wealthy fanatics, to silence the voice of teachers, nurses, firefighters, and police.

Ironically, Stratton did not seem to mind accepting campaign money and an endorsement from the Simi Educators Association when he was running for school board. He is also going against his own “association,” the California School Boards Association, and its opposition to Propositions 74 and 76, as well as the rest of his colleagues on the school board.

So what is school board “trustee” Stratton suggesting we support? Proposition 74 would make new teachers wait five years without any job security. Additionally, it effectively eliminates any due process for releasing veteran teachers.

Proposition 75 would silence the public voice of teachers, nurses, firefighters, and police — the very people who advocate quality public services.

Proposition 76 would eliminate minimum funding levels for our schools, and make it possible for the governor to take back funding from our school district up to three times in a school year. I have sat in numerous school board meetings where every penny is stretched to the limit to allow us to provide a quality education to the children of Simi Valley. Is “trustee” Stratton really advocating less money for Simi’s schools?

Concerned citizens of Simi Valley, join with your nurses, firefighters, police, and, yes, your teachers and vote no on Proposition 74, 75 and 76.

— Luke Bannon, President, Simi Educators Association, Simi Valley