April 23 , 2018 EDCAL 1
Periodicals Dated Material
Education California | The official newspaper of the Association of California School Administrators Volume 47 | Number 27 | April 23 , 2018
SBE adopts ESSA state plan for fed funding
The State Board of Education has unanimously approved revisions to California ’ s Every Student Succeeds Act state plan , a document that outlines the use and management of $ 2.4 billion in federal assistance to the state ’ s neediest students . California ’ s revised plan now moves on to the U . S . Department of Education for approval .
Every state that receives funding under ESSA is required to submit a plan to the federal government that meets federal statutory requirements .
More Legislative Action Day photos on page 5
During Legislative Action Day , some meetings even took place in the Capitol hallways .
ACSA hits Capitol for Legislative Action Day
More than 400 school leaders walked the halls of the state Capitol on April 16 to bring ACSA ’ s message to legislators . It was all part of Legislative Action Day , which is designed to give legislators and their staffs an opportunity to hear from school leaders face-to-face on the impact of key issues on schools and districts .
ACSA ’ s message this year focused on two areas : school funding and teacher probationary periods . The related bills in these areas are Assembly Bills 2808 and 1220 , respectively .
California ’ s ESSA state plan has been in development for more than two years with input from thousands of Californians . The revised plan affirms California ’ s commitment to the state ’ s broad overhaul of school funding and accountability ushered in by the Local Control Funding Formula , which provides an extra $ 10.1 billion annually to districts that serve low-income students , English learners , and foster youth . LCFF also gives local communities the authority to decide for themselves how best to
AB 2808
There is no debate that California school funding ranks anywhere on the scale from anemic to pathetic . Unfortunately , many non-educators seem to be under the impression that now that the targets for the Local Control Funding Formula have been reached , schools are awash in money .
The problem is , the public has not grasped yet that the LCFF goals were simply to get schools back to the level they were at before the big recession hit in 2007 and schools suffered draconian cuts in funding . Even prior to those cuts , California per-pupil funding ranked somewhere in the bottom 20 percent nationally . So getting back to 2007 levels in funding comes nowhere close to adequately funding schools .
ACSA ’ s position is that the total dollar amount allocated in the California state budget for education is too low to provide the comprehensive and constitutionally required education that all California students deserve . As we near the 30 year anniversary of the passage of Proposition 98 , the state is still far from prioritizing California public education funding .
The overarching goal of LCFF is to improve academic outcomes by directing additional funding to school districts that serve high-need students . The intent of the LCFF was for individual school districts to have more authority over their spending decisions , while also holding each district accountable for their student
See LAD , page 4 allocate funding to address local needs with the goal of closing achievement gaps .
“ Because California is on the right track , it was important to work with the federal government to develop an ESSA state plan that complements our state system but doesn ’ t drive it ,” said State Board President Michael Kirst . “ I am pleased that we have achieved that balance .”
Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson agreed .
See ESSA , page 2
Black caucus states positions on legislation
The California Legislative Black Caucus is undertaking 2018 legislative and budget priorities that include adding an African American subgroup to those prioritized in the Local Control Funding Formula .
By adding this subgroup , as proposed in Assembly Bill 2635 by Assemblywoman Shirley Weber , D-San Diego , it is projected that $ 360 million would be redirected to schools that serve Black students . The proposal has a great budgetary demand , which qualifies it for both budgetary and legislative priority .
“ The needs , desires and priorities of Black Californians are reflected in the legislation the Caucus is leading this year ,” said CLBC Chair Chris Holden , D-Pasadena . “ The CLBC is proclaiming victories in education , economic advancement , and overall quality of life . I am committed to the caucus ’ objectives of social , economic , and educational justice .”
Second Vice Chair Sen . Steven Bradford , D-Gardena , said he is currently working on legislation to reverse the damaging effects of some of the state ’ s “ outdated , overly punitive and ineffective ” sentencing laws , which have disproportionately impacted African Americans .
“ Similarly , it is a priority of mine to ensure that those returning to our communities are not set-up for failure and have a pathway to become contributing members of society ,” Bradford said . “ As Californians have overwhelmingly voted to legalize the recreational use of cannabis , it is important to me that this burgeoning industry reflects the diversity of California , and in particular , includes those who have fallen victim to our nation ’ s failed war on drugs . I look forward to announcing legislation related to equity in the cannabis industry soon .” CLBC members have voted unanimously to champion the following bills and
See
CAUCUS , page 3
San Leandro Unified School District has been named a College Board Advanced Placement District of the Year for being the national leader among medium-sized school districts in expanding access to Advanced Placement Program courses while simultaneously improving AP Exam performance .
San Leandro USD was one of 447 school districts across the U . S . and Canada that achieved placement on the annual AP District Honor Roll . From this list , three AP Districts of the Year were selected based on an analysis of three academic years of AP data . SLUSD was chosen for the “ medium ” district population size , which is defined as having between 8,000 and 49,999 students . SLUSD was the only
Title 1 workshop proposals .
The California Department of Education is now accepting workshop proposals for the 2018 California Title 1 Conference , Oct . 9-11 in Los Angeles . They are seeking experienced , engaging and passionate presenters . Interested individuals are invited to submit a workshop proposal for review . Workshop topics should be of interest to the greater Title 1 community . The completed Workshop Proposal Form must be submitted electronically by May 6 . Each workshop will be grouped into at least one of the following strands : Assessment and Planning , Equity and Access , Implementation and Evaluation , and Technical Assistance and Compliance ( CDE staff only ). For more information , go to http :// bit . ly / 2HAd0rK .
Golf and learn . Play and raise funds to benefit middle school mentoring programs during the Center for Leadership Equity and Research Golf Tournament June 1 at Belmont Country Club in Fresno . This is an opportunity to learn more about the CLEAR mission , meet fellow golfers , and show off your golf skills . Learn more at http :// clearvoz . com / fifth-annual-golf-tournament-2 .
Literacy leaders . Discussing topics ranging from mindset to biliteracy , thought leaders in literacy education are set to share the latest in research findings , offer practical tips for elevating instruction , and demonstrate best practices in action through Houghton Mifflin Harcourt ’ s Lead the Way to Literacy . Join Elena Izquierdo May 3 and Tyrone Howard May 8 . Visit https :// bit . ly / 2Jc0tuV .
NAESP election results . NAESP Executive Director L . Earl Franks announced the principals association ’ s electorate has selected Kimbrelle Barbosa Lewis of Cordova Elementary School in Tennessee for the position of vice president . Keith Conley of Geneva Elementary School in Utah was elected director for Zone 9 , which includes California .
CA district awarded National AP District of the Year honors
district in the state and one of only three in the nation that were honored with this recognition .
“ We are extremely proud to have earned this distinction , which is a testament to the dedication of our teachers and the hardwork of our students and the families that support them ,” said district Superintendent Mike McLaughlin . “ This award underscores our commitment to ensuring each and every student has the opportunity to succeed in their goals toward college and career readiness .”
From 2015 to 2017 , San Leandro Unified School District :
• Simultaneously and continuously increased the number of students taking
See SLUSD , page 6