News Impacting CA School Districts Through January 1
Federal News
Facing a $21 billion shortfall through June 2011, California leaders want billions of dollars in budget relief from Washington that could head off deep cuts expected to state programs. Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger will ask the White House to waive rules that require the state to spend its own money on certain programs to receive federal funds, according to California officials briefed on the Republican’s coming budget proposal.
At least 20 of Orange County’s 28 school districts have tentatively committed to implementing a series of controversial education reforms outlined under President Obama’s competitive Race to the Top grant program for schools. Here is a statewide list of 780 school districts that have applied as of December 31.
Reforming State and Local Governance
In recent weeks, nearly 90 proposed initiatives have been in the pipeline, elbowing to become the latest entrants in the state’s century-old tradition of direct democracy or proving California’s system of governance is broken.
Perhaps the only growing segment of voting population will decide who the next Governor will be.
School District Impacts
Sources have confirmed that Lodi Unified will look eliminating prep periods as a way to save as much as $7 million. Catherine Pennington, assistant superintendent of elementary education, described teacher prep periods as 35- or 40-minute segments for teachers to prepare assignments, grade work or handle other classroom duties. During those periods, their students typically are taken out of the classroom by a physical education or music teacher.
As school districts bleed programs and services to cope with education funding cuts, some are looking into extra revenue streams, such as parcel taxes. Modesto City Schools officials are in the early discussion stages of asking voters to approve a parcel tax, which would levy a fee on all property owners within the elementary and high school districts’ boundaries, including Modesto, Salida, and parts of Empire and Riverbank.
With the decade coming to a close, the San Bernadino Sun reviewed the years 2000-2009 for public education.
P.S. Have not made any New Year Resolutions? Try this site for help. Happy New Year and may this decade be the decade where California decides to reinvest in public education.
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