News Impacting CA School Districts Through August 14
Federal News
The Wall Street Journal is reporting the U.S. Education Department is engaged in a high-pressure campaign to get states to lift limits on charter schools through a $4 billion education fund, Race to the Top, that encourages more charters as one of the criteria for states to qualify for a piece of the pie. A total of 40 states and the District of Columbia permit charter schools.
The press continues to cover the issue regarding California’s eligibility to receive Race to the Top federal grant dollars due to existing legislative language prohibiting the use data to measure teacher effectiveness.
Sacramento News
State textbook adoption cycles are suspended as a result of the recent passage of the State budget. However, 10 electronic textbooks for high school have been approved.
On the budget front, July revenues are actually above forecast. Do not celebrate too much. A revision to July forecast and low revenue month means the impact is very small.
Sacramento Bee cartoonist Rex Babin take on Crowd Control.
Reforming State and Local Governance
Will unsustainable pension benefits force the Legislature to reexamine CALPERS?
Los Angeles Times George Skelton writes on polarization in the State Legislature is paralyzing the State.
School District Impacts
The Santa Rosa school district is examining allowing corporate naming rights for school properties to raise revenues.
The elimination of class size reduction is beginning to show with schools opening. In Manteca, the first day impacts was glaringly with 42 students in one classroom.
Another school district decides to go to the voters for a parcel tax extension.
Local school districts in the North Coast area are using federal stimulus monies to make through 2009/10. What happens in 2010/11 is another question.
Raising $2.8 million in six weeks seems ambitious to save programs from cuts implemented in March.
As local school budgets get smaller, inter-district transfer recruiting is becoming a sore point in the North Coast area.
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