CA School Finances News Through May 29
Federal Stimulus Monies
The California Department of Education has published the reporting requirements for Local Education Agencies who receive ARRA funds. There will be quarterly reporting requirements.
Here is the webpage for applying for funding to support an increase in the enrollment of additional children as well as create new teaching and other positions in Head Start programs
While not specifically related to Federal stimulus this news report covers the rally for Social Security fairness for California teachers.
Sacramento News
While there are no specifics, the Sacramento Bee is reporting the May 29 Governor’s announcement of additional cuts to education.
The recession is bad. How bad is it? The California Budget Bites has the answer.
The Legislative Analyst Office has published their analysis of the Governor’s May Revise. Starting on page 12, the LAO reviews the impact on K-14 education including a flexibility proposal to reduce the school year by 7.5 days.
While not likely to occur in 2009/10, the State Teachers Retirement System may need additional assessments to make up for poor investment returns in the past 18 months. Of course that would be the opposite of what former Assemblyman Keith Richman is proposing: A one-year “holiday” on contributions to pension funds, saving about $4.6 billion
San Francisco Assessor Philip Y. Ting filed documents this week with the secretary of state’s office to create the “Close the Proposition 13 Loophole” committee, which now can begin soliciting donations
Another step is taken towards convening a Constitutional Convention as State Senator DeSaluliner authored a constitutional amendment, SCA 3, that would let voters decide in November 2010 whether to call a constitutional convention.
CSBA Legislative Alert: Increase local control and allow local investment in schools
School District Headlines
L.A. Unified School District cancels bulk of summer school programs
SLO Teachers To Receive Raises if Property Tax Increase
Mt Diablo Board to Consider $9 Million in Cuts
Evaluation of the Theory of Action
The prior few posts have been dealing with our role as a Board member in overseeing student achievement in our district. We covered the basic tenets of our involvement in planning, implementing and evaluating an action plan to raise student achievement. We discussed a more specific approach of using a Theory of Action and ways that we can infuse our core beliefs into a unique plan for our districts. In this post, we finalized our discussion by examining role as Board members after the Theory of Action has been agreed upon.
After you have reviewed your customized Theory of Action, the Board needs to establish goals/success indicators in the planning phase. A good way to remember how to establish a goal statement is the old S.M.A.R.T. acronym used by many experts in goal setting, which stands for Specific, Measurable, Acceptable, Realistic, and Time-specific:
| Specific | State clearly what you want. |
| Measurable | How will you know you will have accomplished your goal? |
| Acceptable | Do the necessary stakeholders agree with the goal? |
| Realistic | Is it realistic for your abilities and the given time period? |
| Time-specific | How are you going to track your progress? |
The final step is assigned the goal/success indicator to the Superintendent, staff or the Board.
During the Implementation phase the Board is encouraged to support the Superintendent and staff by attending events and activities that are related to the goals. For example, visit school sites with your Superintendent and focus on assessing the implementation of the goal(s). During the year when goal related agenda items are presented for our review and we need to revisit the goals/success indicators from the planning phase to gain a deeper understanding of the connection between the agenda item and the Theory of Action.
In the Evaluation phase, we need to focus on what we have learned about changing our district practices to improve student achievement. Certainly whenever the outcomes meet or exceed the goals, we need to celebrate. However, the opportunity for learning lies in asking why the outcome met the goal. In fact, using “the 5 Whys ” as a question-asking method to explore the cause/effect relationships underlying the outcome could be even more beneficial than the outcome.
Ultimately, our primary responsibility to oversee student achievement is an ongoing process that can not be isolated to a set of goals and outcomes. This ongoing process defines another role for us as board members to be leaders of the change process within our district.
CA School Finances News Through May 22
May 19th Special Election
The election results were no surprise as Props 1A-Prop1E all failed with only Prop 1F to reduce legislators salaries passing. The reaction from the supporters of failed propositions indicated they heard the voters loud and clear.
Federal Stimulus Monies
Citing a track record of innovative ideas with rapid and effective implementation, U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan announced that Joanne Weiss will lead development of the “Race to the Top Fund” to catalyze innovation and restore America’s global leadership in public K-12 education.
Something to watch over the course of the Obama administration is the call for greater transparency is school budget data reporting.
As California budget woes get worse due to May 19 Special Election results, California begins to test the waters for federal assistance in terms of loan guarantees. While it is unlikely for the Federal government to tell California to “drop dead” is not necessarily going to be easy either. Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner said Thursday it will require an act of Congress to have the federal government guarantee emergency loans for California, complicating the state’s efforts to find a way to pay its bills. While California has a large presence in Congress, they are known for being divided.
Sacramento News
After voters rejected ballot measures that would have restored state funding for schools, educators across California on Wednesday braced for $5.3 billion in cuts over the next 13 months. State and district officials predicted increased class sizes, additional teacher layoffs, more school closures and fewer arts and music offerings. Some districts could face insolvency.
The Bay Area Council and several good-government groups held a press conference calling for two ballot measures for a constitutional convention to overhaul the state’s guiding document and review decades of voter-approved amendments that have constrained the Capitol.
An initiative can begin circulating that imposes additional annual taxes on California residents who receive income in excess of $40,000 from pension distributions, social security, and the cash value of health care benefits.
School District Headlines
Corona-Norco’s school district sets furlough dates
Entire Groveland School Board Recalled
Board Input to the Theory of Action
Last week we discussed a broader framework for the Board’s role in oversight of your District’s student achievement. The broader framework involved using a Theory of Action to guide the Board. This week we can review a process for the Board to influence the Theory of Action.
Once again, a “theory of action” builds on our beliefs and educational research about how children learn, the conditions that best promote learning, and the policies, management systems, and culture that best promote the commitments and high performance of our employees to serve an economically and demographically diverse student population. It also reflects our commitment to exceed accountability standards at state and federal levels.
Some of the key points for individual Boards to focus on are: your beliefs about how children learn and the policies that promote commitments and high performance of your employees.
When examining your beliefs about how children learn here are some areas to discuss:
1. Active involvement
2. Social participation
3. Meaningful activities
4. Relating new information to prior knowledge
5. Being strategic
6. Engaging in self-regulation and being reflective
7. Restructuring prior knowledge
8. Aiming towards understanding rather than memorization
9. Helping students learn to transfer
10. Taking time to practice
11. Developmental and individual differences
12. Creating motivated learners
The challenge and opportunity for your Board is to develop a consensus around those key beliefs that you want incorporated into the Theory of Action for your school district. With this direction your Superintendent can refine the Theory of Action to represent the unique aspects of your local community. Next we will discuss how the Board develops accountability process for the Theory of Action.
CA School Finances News Through May 15
May 19th Special Election
While CTA has been a major contributor to the Yes and Prop 1A, local teacher unions in Los Angeles and Oakland have taken a No position on Prop 1A.
The California Federation of Teachers (CFT) have taken a No position on Prop 1A and Prop 1B because they believe the State can be sued to recover the disputed $9 billion in Prop 1B. On May 8, CFT filed their lawsuit.
Federal Stimulus Monies
With the new May Revise proposing additional cuts to education, are Federal stimulus dollars at risk?
Republican leader Hollingsworth suggest California apply for a waiver to allow greater reductions to education funding than allowed in the Federal Stimulus legislation.
The Finance Department believe they made an accounting error so they can cut even more monies from education and still meet guidelines in Federal Stimulus legislation.
Sacramento News
The Governor issued two scenarios in his May revise issued on May 14. Either scenarios includes additional cuts to education funding including an one billion dollars to 2008/09 school year if the Legislature acts before June 30.
The Sacramento Bee captured the reaction from legislators and special interests to Governor’s May Revise issued on May 14.
School District Headlines
Parent donates portion of salary to Fremont school district — asks others to do same
More than 50 Newark teachers to lose jobs
Mt. Diablo school board votes to lay off more than 400 teachers
Poway district voids 190 layoff notices to teachers
Oceanside trustees stick with 73 teacher layoffs despite federal infusion
Theory of Action – Improving Student Achievement
In the last post we discussed the simplistic process of PIE as a framework for overseeing student achievement. In the Evaluation process, I pointed out that the nature of student achievement is hard to pinpoint based on a simple cause and effect basis. As a result as board members we need to work with our Superintendent to develop a “theory of action” to deal with the multiple aspects of overseeing student achievement. In this post I will cover the components of a “theory of action” and in future posts we will discuss how the Board interacts with the theory of action.
A “theory of action” builds on our beliefs and educational research about how children learn, the conditions that best promote learning, and the policies, management systems, and culture that best promote the commitments and high performance of our employees to serve an economically and demographically diverse student population. It also reflects our commitment to exceed accountability standards at state and federal levels.
The work of developing a theory of action usually starts with the Superintendent presenting their thoughts/ideas/concepts on improving student achievement in a Board planning workshop setting. The theory of action is a coherent set of strategies that should ensure academic rigor and maximize student learning at all levels by shaping management goals, policies, strategic planning and budgets. This begins with a review of content standards, performance standards, assessments, and consequences with two primary objectives:
(1) to align the curriculum and materials, instructional strategies, assessment and data, and professional development around the curriculum to ensure that teachers have the necessary supports and empowerment
to make effective instructional decisions for the full range of students they serve; and
(2) to ensure that all students have access to a rigorous academic program in every school.
Performance Standard s – defines what students are expected to know and be able to do, and the quality of student performance needed to meet those standards.
Curriculum and Materials – presents what is to be taught at each grade level and in each course in order for students to meet the performance standards. The curriculum must be coherent, aligned, and detailed down to individual lesson plans, teaching materials, and sample assessments, all of which must be available to teachers for easy and timely access.
Instructional Strategies – describes the way in which the curriculum is presented; focused on the needs of students and is, therefore, differentiated because of a student’s background knowledge and experience, learning style, and personality. The maintenance of a workforce of effective instructional leaders and teachers is essential. Human resource policies, structures, and practices must support this objective. Interventions by child, by teacher, by subject, and by school must be carefully calibrated,
appropriate, and timely.
Assessment and Data – designed to provide teachers, schools and districts the information necessary to improve teaching as well as to provide directed instruction and intervention for students.
Periodic formative and summative assessments of student achievement must be conducted, and the results must be disaggregated by classroom, subject, ethnicity, gender, poverty level, teacher, or in any other way useful to drive continuous improvement. This will require the establishment of a comprehensive student information system.
Professional Development – focuses on standards and strategies as well as the ability of personnel to use the assessment and data systems, and apply the knowledge gained through instruction to ensure access and rigor for all students. A comprehensive professional development system that
centers on the curriculum and effective ways to teach it, based on the best evidence-based research is needed. This system may include curriculum coaches in the schools, daily monitoring (including observation) of teaching, and just-in-time professional development to support teachers in the classroom.
CA School Finance News through May 8
May 19th Special Election
The PPIC’s latest poll mirrors previous surveys showing strong resistance to all but Proposition 1F on elected officials’ pay raises.
Here are the numbers. The rest told pollsters they haven’t made up their minds.
- Proposition 1A: 52 percent no, 35 percent yes
- Proposition 1B: 47 percent no, 40 percent yes
- Proposition 1C: 58 percent no, 32 percent yes
- Proposition 1D: 45 percent no, 43 percent yes
- Proposition 1E: 48 percent no, 41 percent yes
NEA & CTA Campaign Contributions Updated : Revised numbers from the Secretary of State shows $8.5 million from CTA will be used for ads supporting Props 1A and 1B on top of the $3 million from NEA.
Scare Tactics: This week’s ad features public safety workers telling California voters that if Prop 1A fails their jobs will be lost. Is Education next?
Federal Stimulus Monies
Title I and IDEA Funds Details Released: Spreadsheets of Title I and IDEA projected disbursements have been published.
Sacramento News
LAO Cash Flow Report: The LAO issued a report in part because state revenue collections have been weaker than expected since passage of the February budget package, major cash flow difficulties loom for California in the summer and fall of 2009.
Education Cuts of $3.6 Billion Possible: Sacramento Bee is reporting that State Finance officials did not tie the reduction to the May 19 ballot measures but said $3.6 billion is the amount in allowable school cuts under Proposition 98 assuming the LAO’s projection of $8 billion in lower revenues proves accurate, said Dennis Meyers, assistant executive director for the California Association of School Business Officials
School District Headlines
Los Angeles USD Request Change Teacher Firing Process: The Los Angeles Times is reporting the LAUSD Board is asking the Legislature to change teacher firing practices related to tenure. LAUSD has 160 teachers being paid without teaching costing $10,000,000.
San Ramon Passes Parcel Tax, Still Concerned
Board’s Role in Student Achievement
One of our main responsibility as school board members is the oversight of student achievement in our community. It is a large responsibility and sometimes gets overlooked when we are faced with the day to day issues of our school districts. To maintain a focused effort we must establish a framework between the board and the Superintendent that allows us to revisit this important responsibility on a consistent basis.
Simple as PIE
One of our roles as board members involves setting the direction for the school district. While there are many methods for setting direction it usually boils down to some variation of the PIE approach. PIE stands for Plan Implement and Evaluate. As board members, we contribute in planning portion, let staff primarily implement and then we are involved in the evaluation of results.
Planning
While some of us rely on the annual goal setting for the Superintendent Evaluation as our total planning effort, planning for oversight of student achievement requires more effort. Ideally, your Board and Superintendent have developed and published a Mission Statement along with a commitment to oversee student achievement as one of your top priorities. With that commitment you are ready to work on the identifying the plan for overseeing student achievement that will have clear and measurable goals with multiple success indicators. The oversight of student achievement is a multiple year process so your timeline can reflect that.
Implement
During the implementation phase, our role as board members is to support the staff. We can support staff with public recognition of student achievement progress as well as being visible at key events that promote student achievement.
Evaluation
Regardless of what the data shows in terms of results, nothing in education is simple to evaluate. Much like research into health, simple cause and effect is hard to pinpoint. As a result, using a long term approach of constant and never ending improvement is the preferred method. By making the commitment to consistently oversee student achievement we will begin to understand the deeper issues involved in improving student achievement.
CA School Finances News Through May 1
As a new feature of Effective Governance Teams, I will be creating a weekly recap of news stories related to public education funding in California that will track political, legislative and economic trends. If you have any suggestions to make this recap better, please leave a comment or send an EMail to mike.mcmahon@yahoo.com .
May 19th Special Election
NEA & CTA Campaign Contributions : Expect a lot of commercials in the next two plus weeks as total contributions from NEA of $3 million $5.3 million from CTA will be used for passage of 1A and 1B.
Democratic Party Fails to Endorse Prop 1A and Prop 1B : Falling short of 60% requirement to garner endorsement, monies from the state Democratic party will not be used for passage of Prop 1A and 1B.
PPIC Poll shows Mixed Results for School Funding : While Californians are split on whether to raise taxes for public education, over 70% feel current monies are not being spent effectively .
Federal Stimulus Monies
ARRA Grant : $12.8 million in 2009 Equipment Assistance Grants stemming from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) of 2009 http://www.cde.ca.gov/fg/fo/r9/arraeg08rfa.asp
Pomona School District Rescinds Layoffs Based on Stimulus Funds : This school district used federal stimulus monies to rescind layoffs .
Orange County Office Education Claims Federal Stimulus Not Enough at Avert Layoffs : The Orange County Superintendent holds a press conference about the impact of federal stimulus monies.
Sacramento News
Legislative Analyst Office deficit projection on out years : The LAO appeared at the April EdSource meeting and shared his projections of future deficits even if Prop 1A through Prop 1E passes.
Taxes Receipt Information : As of April 30th, the State Controller’s Office is showing 2009 Year to Date Personal Income Tax Revenues is $7.2 billion behind 2008 YTD tax revenues.
King City Joint Union High School Financial Rescue : State senators Wednesday gave initial approval to a financial rescue plan for the troubled King City Joint Union High School District.
School District Headlines
Martinez Trims $2.1 million , Eliminates Class Size Reduction
San Diego Restores Funding for Principals and Busing for Magnet Schools
West Contra Costa Eliminates Class Size Reduction
Poway Teachers OK Pay Cut