Issue link: http://educator.cta.org/i/458422
During 2015, the first year of a two-year session, here are a few issues legislators are expected to consider. • School facilities funding. Districts across the state are reporting unmet needs for new classrooms and for repairs and modernization to existing ones. While voters have reduced the threshold required to approve local bond measures to 55 percent, many dis- tricts hope to move through the Legislature another statewide bond issue for the 2016 ballot. The gover- nor has said he believes local bonds are more cost- effective than statewide bonds for school facilities. • School district reserves. Last year, lawmakers and the governor approved budget provisions that re- strict the amount of funds school districts can keep in reserve funds. Teachers and other instructional staff noted a number of districts had allowed their "reserves to swell to unconscionable" sizes. Most of the overly large reserves stem from funds that came through voter-approved Proposition 30, funds voters earmarked for classroom use. Nonetheless, some school districts and statewide management organiza- tions are pressing lawmakers to eliminate the restric- tions on budget reserve padding. • Proactive education agenda. CTA is proposing a legislative agenda to support students and educa- tors. Possible legislation includes quality induction and real mentoring programs for beginning teach- ers; reintroduction of a state teacher evaluation bill informed by CTA's Evaluation Framework; support for Peer Assistance and Review programs to put edu- cators in charge of the profession; resources to help educators implement the new state standards; and an overhaul of accreditation standards for teacher and administrator preparation programs to improve quality, clinical training sites and university partnerships. • Educator rights. Emboldened by the wrong-headed ruling in the Vergara v. California case, enemies of education labor unions are reportedly considering legislation that would undermine the ability of edu- cators to speak out on behalf of their students. CTA will continue to stand up for due process rights for all educators, as the proposed changes have a chilling effect on academic freedom. For example, currently charter school teachers in Redding are fighting layoffs that came in the wake of their advocacy for their students that led them to form a local union for the first time. Key elements of the new spending proposal The governor is proposing: • To continue empowering local teachers, parents, and school districts to make collaborative decisions about local students' education, the key element of the governor's policy of "sub- sidiarity." • To use $998 million to pay off the outstanding deferred debt owed to public education. This represents the final payment needed to restore more than $10 billion to schools. • To allocate another $1.1 billion to continue the implementation of the Common Core State Standards. • To provide $106.9 million to help community colleges enroll another 45,000 students, $92.4 million in cost-of-living adjust- ments, and $125 million to cover expenses related to facilities, retirement benefits, professional development, and the conver- sion of part-time to full-time positions. • To boost funding for the CSU and UC systems by $762 million. The release of the budget proposal marks the beginning of fiscal deliberations in Sacramento that will reach a frenzied pace in May after the governor unwraps the May Revision, his updated budget. Lawmakers have until June 15 to send the governor their final budget bill, and the governor has until June 30 to sign the legislation into law prior to the July 1 start of the new fiscal year. Download the full budget summary at the CTA website (www.cta. org/budgetsummary2015). Issues to watch this session: funding, pro-education agenda, teacher due process Carleen Maselli of Benicia is in the team of educators who talk with lawmakers in Sacramento about issues like adequately funding public schools. Advocacy 31 V O L U M E 1 9 I S S U E 6