California Educator

February/March 2022

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G O V . G A V I N N E W S O M continues to live up to his commitm ent to n eighborhood public school s and colleges with a record $102 billion in Proposition 98 guaranteed funding — $8.2 billion more than last year's historic level — in his proposed 2022-23 state budget, released in January. Th e budget includes an ad ditional $3.3 billion in Local Control Funding For mul a (LC F F) di scretion ar y fun d s to provide a 5.33 percent cost-of-living adjustment (COLA), and increases Prop. 98 per-pupil funding to $15,261. " T h e u n p re c e d e n t e d i nv e s t m e n t s prioritized in today 's budget proposal w i l l b e i n str u m e n t a l i n th e l e a r n i n g re si li enc y and re c over y of our 8 mi l- lion students," says CTA President E. Toby Boyd. "The pandemic has made clear that living in the state with the fifth-largest economy in the world doesn't mean all students in our schools and communities have the resources and services they need to succeed." The budget proposal provides resources for learners from cradle to college, with $639 million to expand transitional kindergarten, as well as $12.7 billion for California Community Colleges, an increase of $560 million from last year. "Access to early childhood education and transitional kindergarten for all students is essential to giving our youngest learners the strong start they need," says Boyd. "We appreciate the governor's commitment to ensure learning readiness, and the significant funding for higher edu- cation will help ensure more students can afford college." Other highlights of the budget proposal: Special Education: Provides an additional $500 mil- lion in ongoing funding for special education. College and Career Pathways: Proposes $1.5 billion in one-time funding over four years to support the devel- opment of pathway programs focused on technology, health care, education and climate-related fields. School Nutrition : Provides $596 million to fund universal access to subsidized school meals. Beginning in the 2022-23 school year, all public schools will be required to provide two free meals per day to any student who requests a meal, regardless of income eligibility. Educator Workforce: Proposes $54.4 million to enhance schools' ability to hire qualified teachers and substitutes. Early Literacy: Proposes $500 million in one-time funding to train and hire literacy coaches and reading specialists to guide produc- tive classroom instruction, and to offer one-on-one and small-group intervention for struggling readers. Includes $200 million in one-time Governor Proposes Record Education Funding Budget proposal includes $102 billion in Prop. 98 funding By Julian Peeples Gavin Newsom 36 cta.org Advocacy

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