Issue link: http://educator.cta.org/i/1400485
AB 101 (Medina): Adds the com- pletion of a one-semester course in ethnic studies to the state high school graduation requirements, beginning with students graduating in the 2029– 30 school year, and requires all local educational agencies to offer an ethnic studies course to students commenc- ing with the 2025–26 school year to satisfy the requirement; students would complete one of four course options. Update: Passed the Assembly in May (58-9), scheduled for hearing by Senate Appropriations Committee on Aug. 16. AB 388 (Medina): Requires that a certificated employee of any local educational agency who completes two consecutive school years and is then rehired is classified as a permanent employee. Many CTE and adult educa- tion teachers do not have a pathway to permanent status, while educators in some districts have been inappropri- ately classified year after year to deny them permanent status. Update: Passed the Assembly in June (52-17), referred to the suspense file on July 15. AB 438 (Reyes): Revises pro- visions related to the layoff of ESP employees to require notices and opportunities for a hearing when a classified employee's services will not be required for the ensuing year due to lack of work or lack of funds, in efforts to establish parity between the layoff processes for classified and certificated school employees. Update: Passed the Assembly in May (57-14), referred to the suspense file on July 15. AB 545 (Quirk): Requires the completion of a comprehensive assess- ment of major tax expenditures by July 1, 2023, and a report to be delivered to the Legislature on this data by Jan. 1, 2024. This will provide greater oversight over some of the costliest tax credits that impact General Fund revenues. Update: Passed the Assembly in June (58-20), scheduled for hearing by the Senate Appropriations Committee on Aug. 16. AB 563 (Berman): Requires the California Department of Education to establish an Office of School- Based Health Programs to improve the operation of and participation in school-based health programs. Update: Passed the Assembly (76-0), failed to receive a hearing by the Senate education and health committees. SB 294 (Leyva): Removes the 12-year limitation for CalSTRS or CalPERS service credit earned on an employer-approved compensated leave. This cap unfairly impacts edu- cation employees, harming the ability of elected leaders to take a leave of absence to represent their union with- out losing benefits. Update: Passed the Senate (29-7), awaiting third reading by full Assembly. Legislative Update T H E D E C A D E S - L O N G struggle for parity for part-time com- munity college faculty will continue after a bill sponsored by CTA and the Community College Association (CCA) stalled in the Assembly Appropriations Committee in late May, effectively ending its chances of becoming law. AB 1269 by A ssembly Memb er Cri stin a Garci a (D-B el l Gardens) would have required the California Community Colleges Chancellor's Of fice to conduct a comprehensive study of part-time faculty and identify specific policy recom- mendations to achieve pay equity by 2027. The bill cruised through the Assembly Committee on Higher Education before getting unexpectedly held up in Appropriations and moved to the inactive file. Though disappointing, the setback is not the end of the righteous fight for part-time parity. "We knew that righting the wrongs of decades of inequity and exploitation would be a heavy lift, and we are resolved to con- tinue the fight," CCA Vice President Randa Wahbe says. While it's difficult to tell why AB 1269 was held in commit- tee, the only public opposition to the bill disappointingly came from the Chancellor's Office, whose own analysis outlining why they opposed it highlights that part-time faculty are paid half as much as full-time faculty with little to no movement to address the issue. CTA and CCA are working with Garcia, the bill's co-sponsors and other supporters to determine the next steps. "e California Community Colleges Chancellor's Office rec- ognizes that inequity exists for 70 percent of the faculty in the system yet opposed legislation that aimed to address the issue," Wahbe says. "CCA and CTA cannot allow the status quo in the California Community Colleges system to continue harming our faculty and our students." CTA-Co-Sponsored Bill Updates Part-Time Faculty Parity Bill Stalls in Committee 39 A U G U S T / S E P T E M B E R 2 0 21 A By Julian Peeples