News Impacting CA School Districts Through April 23
Federal News
The Obama administration plans drastic measures for underperforming schools. But school systems are being asked to implement these changes just as cash-strapped states nationwide are considering major teacher layoffs. Secretary Duncan explains his proposed path forward in an NPR interview.
Sacramento News
Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger threw his weight behind state legislation that proposes to give school administrators the ability to assign or fire teachers based on their effectiveness and to streamline the dismissal process.
School District Impacts
The Sacramento Bee recaps the impact of budget cuts on class size in the Sacramento area.
While school districts were issuing layoff notices to classified employees, teacher strikes at Oakland and Capistrano school districts loom.
News Impacting CA Schools for the Week Ending April 16
Federal
U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan urged Congress to pass new aid to preserve education jobs. He testified before the Senate Appropriations subcommittee that deals with education spending.
In December, the House of Representatives approved a measure that would also allocate $23 billion in job aid to schools, but the Senate has yet to consider such legislation.
Reforming State and Local Governance
As state budget woes continue, attention toward public sector compensation, particularly pensions get more scrutiny. A newly established website www.calstrsbenefits.us from a Stanford study is quickly responded to by the administrators of CALSTRS with a website of their own www.CalPERSresponds.com.
School Districts Impacts
Entering their second or third year of budget reductions, school districts are now out of options. The only option left is salary reduction. With school districts like Lodi and Lake Elnisore getting tentative agreements at the bargaining table, it is only matter of time (this time next year) when a majority of school districts will be sitting down at the table to get salary reductions. However, there will be significant resistance among the rank and file as witnessed by Lodi rejection of the tentative agreement and many districts going into impasse or fact finding in Oakland.
In the meantime, the furlough option is now creeping out of the non-student days into shortening the upcoming school year. In the case of the largest school district in the state, Los Angeles Unified School District is shortening this school year.
Social Media
Leaders at all levels face challenges as they search for ways to tackle cyber issues. Recent conflicts in schools pertaining to search and seizure of technological devices have brought attention to these issues. For school administrators, this struggle exists on a daily basis and continues to expand as the capability and availability of technological devices grow.
News Impacting CA Schools for the Week Ending April 9
Federal
California stands to lose out on up to $700 million in federal education money because of two entrenched problems in the state’s public schools: a contentious relationship with the teachers union and a weak data system for tracking student performance according to the reviewer’s scorecard.
The New Teacher Project prepared a report on the Lessons from Round One of Race to the Top that offers analysis of the winning first-round applications while also suggesting changes to “scoring deficiencies” that might lead to less-qualified states winning the second round. By scoring 337 (out of a possible 500), it is unlikely California will be able to secure second round monies.
Sacramento
A March 30 letter from the state Department of Finance says districts collectively should expect three one-time deferrals of $2.5 billion next school year. July’s payment will be 60 days late, October’s payment 90 days late and the March payment 30 days late – unless the Legislature decides to pay even later. As a result, many Districts are force to borrow monies to make payroll that generates unneeded interest expense.
School Districts Impacts
In one of the few agreements reached with their employees groups. Lodi Unfied reached tentative agreement on a pay cut. Details include a 2 percent pay cut, 20 furlough days over four years, an early retirement incentive and a wage freeze in 2011-12.
News Impacting CA Schools for the Week Ending April 2
Federal
After the Department of Education named only two states (Rhode Island and Tennessee) as round one winners of the Race to the Top funding, one has to wonder if states should be making policy changes based on promises of federal funding is a good idea.
Sacramento
The official list of candidates for Superintendent of Public Instruction has published by Debra Bowen, Secretary of State. On the June 8th ballot the following candidates will appear:
* Larry Aceves
* Karen Blake
* Alexia L. Deligianni
* Lydia A. Gutierrez
* Diane A. Lenning
* Leonard James Martin
* Grant McMicken
* Daniel M. Nusbaum
* Gloria Romero
* Faarax Dahir Sheikh-Noor
* Tom Torlakson Nonpartisan
* Henry Williams, Jr.
Reforming State and Local Governance
While Proposition 14 (The open Primary Initiative) will generate the most debate about its impact on the changing the election process, Proposition 15 (California Fair Election Act) also promises to reform the election process.
School Districts Impacts
After increasing class size or eliminating programs, the major tool left to reduce expenditures is lowering employee compensation. While many school districts like Los Angeles, San Diego and others have initially requested pay reductions at the bargaining table, unions have resisted .
A temporary year to year measure is to negotiate agreement for furlough days. This week, Los Angeles Unified School District announced an agreement subject to employee vote to reduce five school days in 2009/10 and seven school days in 2010/2011. The announcement was met with anger and relief .
As school districts cut back on instructional days, issues about practices such minimum days for teacher collaboration come into question.
As you may recall Hawaii approved a state budget reducing instructional days from 180 to 163. On Wednesday,the Hawaii teacher union approved a deal with Hawaii Board of Education to restore the 180 day school year. It remains be seen if the Republican governor will approve the legislation needed to fund the additional costs.
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