California Educator

November 2013

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Advocacy Legislation Governor acts on signing bills before Oct. 13 deadline Issues include increased school funding, student safety and transitioning to Common Core standards BY CLAUDIA BRIGGS C TA M E M B E R S C A N claim victory on several pro-education bills that do great things for California's students, which were enacted during the first year of the 2013-14 legislative session. At the same time, we worked hard to defeat or stall a number of bad bills that would have impaired or hurt educators and students. Gov. Jerry Brown had until Oct. 13 to decide whether to sign education, fiscal and pro-labor bills that reached his desk, ultimately signing more than 80 CTA-supported bills. The increase in school funding, no doubt, is the issue you've heard about the most. The passage of the Local Control Funding Formula (LCFF) marks a monumental shift in the way California's schools are funded. Over the past 40 years, the California public school finance system became complex and costly to administer, and created an inequitable funding structure. The LCFF addresses the fact that districts throughout the state have different and unique needs. And the simplified format and increased local control allows those closest to students to decide how to best invest resources to support student success. While school districts across the state will see their funding increase under the formula, those districts with the greatest numbers of low-income students, English learners, and foster youth will benefit from the largest increases. "The LCFF gives us — local educators — an opportunity to be right in the middle of school improvement conversations," says CTA President Dean E. Vogel. "Through the LCFF, communities and parents are looking to us for guidance on what's best for their kids." This historic shift in how California public schools are funded is happening at just the right time, Vogel adds, "because it'll help us in transitioning to and implementing the Common Core State Standards. The standards put teachers back in control of crafting and tailoring the education of their students just as the LCFF gives parents, educators and communities the local control to decide what's best for their students." An important component to the transition is CTA-supported AB 484, which allows schools flexibility in testing while students and teachers become more familiar with the new standards and become technologically ready to take the new state assessments. Here are a few of the bills CTA worked on this session. Find a complete list at cta.org/legislation2013. Gov. Jerry Brown, shown speaking at CTA's State Council meeting in October, signed more than 80 CTA-supported bills. 38 Educator 11 Nov 2013 v2.1 int.indd 38 NOVE M B E R 2013 PHOTO BY SCOTT BUSCHMAN 11/13/13 6:31 PM

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