January 14, 2019
EDCAL 1
Education California | The official newspaper of the Association of California School Administrators
Volume 49 | Number 13 | January 14, 2019
Updated School Dashboard launched
The California Department of Educa-
tion and the State Board of Education have
launched the second version of the Califor-
nia School Dashboard, a website that gives
parents, students and educators access to
valuable school and district data.
The 2018 Dashboard includes two new
metrics for evaluating school and district
performance and a new, user-friendly look
that makes complex data easier to under-
stand. The Dashboard is now fully acces-
sible on smart phones and tablets, is easier
to navigate and has improved graphics. The
new Dashboard also has the most current
data available, including 2018 test scores
and graduation rates.
“The Dashboard helps schools identify
strengths and weaknesses in many different
areas that measure success,” said outgoing
Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom
Torlakson. “I urge educators, parents, and
communities to turn this data into positive
action by using it to target resources where
improvement is needed and to share prac-
tices where success is demonstrated.”
The Dashboard is a key component of
California’s five-year overhaul of the state’s
school accountability system. It displays
statewide data based on status (how each
school or district performed) and change
(how much they have improved or declined
over time). School and district performance
See DASHBOARD, page 2
Bill introduced
on facilities
bonds
Tony Thurmond, left, poses with ACSA Executive Director Wes Smith when he visited the ACSA
offices in Sacramento during his campaign.
Thurmond takes office as new SPI
Tony Thurmond took his oath of
office as California’s 28th Superinten-
dent of Public Instruction last Monday,
saying that it is an honor to lead the
state’s 6.2 million students and more
than 10,000 schools.
He said his own life story under-
scored the vital need for all students,
regardless of income, race, ethnicity,
disability, sexual orientation or im-
migration status, to have a first-class
education.
“I grew up in poverty and without
my parents,” he said. “But I was raised
by a cousin, an amazing woman, who
made certain that I got a great edu-
cation. That’s what got me where I
am today, and that’s what I want for
my two daughters and all students. I
pledge to devote all my energy, talent,
experience, and all the powers of my
office to ensure all students get a great
education.
“But I need help. I’m asking every-
one to join me. Help with your local
schools. If you can, find a way to be a
mentor, a volunteer or contribute to a
fundraiser.”
Thurmond, a former Assembly
member, was a social worker who
worked in nonprofits and served on
the West Contra Costa County school
board and as a member of the Rich-
mond City Council.
He said that schools face many
difficult challenges.
“As I traveled the state this past year,
I saw many good things happening in
schools, and I saw that many educators
and students are working very hard.
But we must do better,” Thurmond
said. “We must reduce the achieve-
ment gap and supply social services to
children whose needs outside of the
classroom are not being met. We can-
not rest when so many of our students
are falling short of meeting our high
academic standards. We have to work
harder and smarter for every student.”
Thurmond’s plan for improving
schools includes lifting California
from the bottom end of per-student
spending to the top end. “Providing
more money to our schools helps our
students, our communities and our
economy. But most of all it helps create
a bright future for our state,” he said.
His plan also includes the following:
• Keeping schools safe by reducing
gun violence.
See THURMOND, page 6
Periodicals
Dated Material
Assembly member Patrick O’Donnell,
chair of the Assembly Education Com-
mittee, has introduced Assembly Bill 48
to place a K-12 and community colleges
school facilities bond on both the 2020 and
2022 ballots.
“The state has a responsibility to ensure
that students are housed in safe facilities
that meet educational needs,” O’Donnell
said. “AB 48 will continue the state’s part-
nership with local school and community
college districts by providing state match-
ing funds for construction. As a teacher, I
know firsthand that the conditions of our
schools affect student health, performance
and motivation.”
The last school bond, Proposition 51,
was passed by voters in November 2016.
Funds for the construction of K-12 school
projects from Prop. 51 have already been
spoken for in unfunded approvals, but the
state has only approved the sale of a small
amount of those bonds.
“California’s skills gap is widening,” said
Assembly member Jordan Cunningham, a
co-author of the bill. “While we have been
successful in securing permanent funding
to start new Career Technical Education
programs, our schools still need dedicated
funding to build state-of-the-art technical
facilities.”
Researchers estimate the need for school
facilities construction and modernization
at more than $100 billion over the next
decade.
Prop. 51 passed funding for $7 billion,
and ACSA has been advocating for the
state to sell the bonds ever since. In the
post-recession era, facilities projects have
languished badly. Even as the economy
recovered, former Gov. Jerry Brown had
been reluctant to commit the state to any
new debt.
Mid-state conference.
The 4th
Annual ACSA Mid-State Conference
will take place March 8-10 in San Luis
Obispo. The three-day conference will
feature renowned general session
speakers, such as Pedro Noguera,
Edwin Javius and Steve Ventura, along
with expert breakout session present-
ers. The theme of this year’s confer-
ence is Growing Leadership with an
Equity Focus. Registration is available
at http://bit.ly/2FeftJc.
Janus resources. ACSA has a
number of resources available on our
website regarding the Janus Supreme
Court decision, including a joint Q&A
released with CTA. You can find the
resources at www.acsa.org/advocacy.
Youth summit.
Deadlines are
approaching for registering for the 2019
Youth Action Summit of California. The
program will bring California students
to the Ontario Gateway Hotel Feb. 15-
17. Experts from various field will share
their knowledge and inform students
about projects that they can undertake
at their own school. Each delegate will
leave with a detailed plan for their own
project. The registration form can be
found at www.casc.net. Please en-
courage outstanding students to apply.
Science input.
The CDE is re-
cruiting California science educators
to help develop new items, define
achievement level descriptors, perform
standard setting, and evaluate the
alignment of the CAST with the NGSS.
Additional opportunities for participat-
ing in the development of the science
assessments include reviewing items
and item data for both the CAST and
the CAA for Science and scoring con-
structed response items for the CAST.
Applications are now open.
Further information about these
activities as well as other science as-
sessment development opportunities
can be found on the online CAASPP
Content Reviewer Application at http://
bit.ly/2zqs1Js.
Predicting the future for our kids
The following article was written by Shel-
don Smith, assistant superintendent, Business
Services, San Luis Obispo COE
Perhaps one of the most difficult aspects
of being a Chief Business Official is the
balancing act of gazing into a crystal ball
as one crafts educated assumptions about
future revenues, while also remaining
completely aware of current-year demands
on existing dollars. Anyone who has gazed
at his bank balance trying to figure out how
to replace the car that was just wrecked can
perhaps understand how CBOs feel when
faced with a new collective bargaining
agreement or large expenditure.
Making these types of fiscal decisions
is tough, and not all district CBOs and
management teams get it right. During the
1980s, 27 California school districts found
themselves with no cash for monthly pay-
roll and other legal obligations requiring
the Legislature to loan California treasury
dollars to these bankrupt districts. Sub-
sequently, in 1991, the Legislature passed
Assembly Bill 1200 requiring numerous
fiscal oversight actions. Every California
school district and COE now is required
to make budget revisions at least two times
a year, and include multi-year projections
two years into the future. Since AB 1200’s
enactment, only nine loans have been
afforded to school districts in the last 25
years.
There is no question that school busi-
ness is complex. From the days of the one
room schoolhouse, the utilization of public
moneys for educating our children brings
layers of complexity and accountability that
are particularly endemic to school business.
The intricacies are not going away, but the
See CBO, page 3