Issue link: http://educator.cta.org/i/1208082
CTA-backed charter bills take effect this year, offer new charter resources Major reforms in charter school oversight and operations are now taking place, thanks to CTA-backed legislation that became law, taking effect this year: • AB 1505 by O'Donnell (D-Long Beach) gives local school boards more authority over charters within their district boundaries, allows them to consider the fiscal and academic impact of a charter on the rest of the district, and ensures that charter school teachers are fully credentialed and have passed a state background check. It takes effect in July. • AB 1507 by Smith (D-Santa Clarita) ends a loophole that allowed charters to operate outside of their authorizing school districts. The law took effect Jan. 1. • SB 126 by Leyva (D-Chino) and O'Donnell requires charter schools to follow the same open meeting and records requirements as traditional public schools. The law took effect Jan. 1. This legislation goes a long way in curtailing decades of waste, fraud and abuse that have plagued too many California charter schools. CTA offers resources about the new laws and other charter school information, including a hotline for educator questions, at cta.org/charters. California Primary Election on March 3 YES on Prop. 13: Bond measure would bring $15 billion to California schools and colleges Despite its potentially confusing ballot number, Proposition 13, the School and College Facilities Bond on the March 3 primary ballot, will authorize $15 billion for new facilities and modernization, including $9 billion for preschool and K-12, $4 billion for universities, and $2 billion for community colleges. The state has run out of matching funds for districts since the last school bond measure was approved by voters in 2016, so it's critically important Prop. 13 passes. More information about the Proposition 13 school bond measure, as well as a complete list of CTA-recommended March primary candidates, can be found at cta.org/campaign. For CTA's positions on current bills (updated throughout the legislative session), visit cta.org/legislation. This Prop. 13 is not to be confused with the Prop. 13 property tax measure approved by voters in 1978 (see page 40). 38 cta.org Advocacy L E G I S L A T I V E U P D A T E