Here's a look at the Improving Classroom Education Act:
How it works:

- Raises the property tax rate on commercial property from 1 percent of assessed value to 1.55 percent, raising about $7 billion.

- Of the money raised, 90 percent, or about $6 billion, would go to public education. Two-thirds of that would go to public K-12 schools and one-third to create and operate a universal preschool system.

- About 10 percent of the money will go for a tax break for small businesses.

Who supports it:

- The initiative was crafted by the California Teachers Association and director and activist Rob Reiner, who also led the drive to raise tobacco taxes to pay for early childhood programs.

- Many child care organizations support the initiative, including the California Association for Education of Young Children, which represents more than 12,000 child care providers, and the California Head Start Association.

- The campaign has raised $1.8 million, with the National Education Association, the national teachers union, giving $1 million of that. The California Teachers Association, the state's largest teachers union, gave $750,000 to the campaign.

Who opposes it:

- The Howard Jarvis Taxpayer Association, the Small Business Action Committee and the California Taxpayers Association oppose the initiative saying it erodes taxpayer protections granted under Proposition 13.

- The California Charter Schools Association is opposed, saying that charter schools that do not have all credentialed teachers wouldn't be eligible for the additional money raised by the tax hike.

- The California Council of Churches also opposes the initiative because all staff at faith-based child care centers would have to become school district employees.

What's next:

- Supporters are collecting signatures to qualify the initiative for the November ballot. CTA president Barbara Kerr says about 900,000 signatures have been collected and she expects the campaign to reach its goal of one million soon.

Read the proposed initiative at the secretary of state's Web site: http://www.ss.ca.gov