As we enter the new fiscal year (again without a budget), I am more than disappointed that restoration of the $3.1 billion in Proposition 98 funding our schools now deserve seems to have fallen by the wayside in bargaining between Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger and the Legislature over the budget and initiatives on the November special election ballot.
An argument can be made that education's first priority must be to defeat the so-called Live Within Our Means Act, which would subject school districts to perennial budget instability and the prospect of funding cuts during the school year. However, I am fighting not only against that autocratic, auto-pilot approach to state budgeting but for school funding that lives up to the promises both of Proposition 98 and the deal struck—then broken—by Governor Schwarzenegger last year. Whatever the final details of the budget deal that is enacted, it is clear that those of us committed to investing in California's public schools and students will have to continue making our voices heard throughout the noisy campaign season and again next year as the budget process begins anew.
I have focused this month not only on the overall education budget but, in particular, on the Governor's egregious proposal to shift nearly $500 million in State Teacher Retirement System (STRS) contribution costs from the state to school districts. As I have traveled around the state, many of you have told me this proposal would do the most harm to school budgets, requiring immediate cuts to classroom programs. I am still hopeful this proposal will be eliminated in budget negotiations, returning to the state an obligation it has honored since 1913, and sparing classrooms from more serious cuts.
Also in June, Educational Testing Service (ETS) released a poll that underscores the need for California's educators to stay the course with high standards and to work to increase rigor in our high schools. Nearly 67 percent of Californians say that America's ability to compete in the world would be weakened if in 25 years from now high schools have not changed and still operate the same as they do now. Only 10 percent said they believe that most high school students are being challenged by their schoolwork. The results were from the California component of "Ready for the Real World? Americans Speak on High School Reform," ETS' fifth annual "Americans Speak" public opinion poll. The poll was conducted by Democratic pollster Peter Hart and Republican pollster David Winston.
Californians' views on high school reform largely mirror those across the nation. The survey showed a broad range of support for various high school reform measures:
- 69 percent of Californians strongly favor measures to ensure teachers are experts in the subjects they teach.
- 80 percent strongly or somewhat agree we should increase teacher salaries to hire and retain more well-qualified teachers even if it means increased taxes.
- 55 percent strongly favor emphasizing real-world learning opportunities in high school through work-study, community service, and vocational courses.
- 79 percent favor requiring students to pass a statewide graduation test before they can receive a diploma.
All groups surveyed overwhelmingly favor a rigorous course of study that all students should undertake before graduation. This includes support for computer science (92 percent), four years of English (86 percent), three years of history and civics (81 percent), four years of mathematics (74 percent), at least three years of science (73 percent), and two years of foreign language (69 percent). These poll results support what I've long believed and underscore the necessity of pursuing high school reform.
I was pleased to announce this month that 29 local education agencies serving 94 schools will share $24 million in Enhancing Education Through Technology (EETT) Competitive Program Grants. Each of the 29 grantees will receive awards ranging from $11,000 to $5,850,000 based on $300 per student in grades four through eight. These education technology grants will help students learn about the importance of technology in the classroom and how it fits into their education and future jobs. The money will be used to integrate technology into their curriculum that in turn will prepare students for high school, college, or jobs in the future that will be much more technologically oriented. For a list of the grantees and more information about EETT and other federally funded education technology programs, please visit the Education Technology Grant Winners for 2005 Web page.
Although the work of school administrators and many teachers is year-round, I wish you all an enjoyable summer with some time off to replenish yourselves for the hard, ongoing work of fostering student success.
No Child Left Behind Paraprofessional Requirements Change
The U.S. Department of Education has revised the time frame within which all paraprofessionals working in Title I-funded programs must meet certain qualifications.
The law states that all teachers and paraprofessionals must be highly qualified and that teachers must demonstrate their competency by the end of the 2005-06 school year. Paraprofessionals must show competency no later than four years after the law's enactment, or January 8, 2006, which is in the middle of the school year.
Deputy Secretary of Education Ray Simon acknowledged, "It's unusual to have a deadline in the middle of the school year, and we believe that the paraprofessional and highly qualified teacher provisions should be consistent." Accordingly, he said, the Department will "align its monitoring and enforcement efforts of states for both the highly qualified teacher and paraprofessional provisions of the law."
To implement this federal guidance, the California Department of Education will consider adjusting timelines in the Coordinated Compliance Review process, as well as in the data collection instruments, where appropriate and necessary.
Honoring California Teachers of the Year
This month's Highlights profiles California Teacher of the Year Ray Williams of Huntington Beach, a sixth-grade teacher and science mentor at Steve Luther Elementary School in La Palma, Orange County.
"'I can accept failure, but I cannot accept not trying!' This quotation greets my students as they enter my door," Williams wrote. "Life skills are what I endeavor to furnish my students with, as well as building their self-confidence and teaching them to trust in their own abilities. They must build on what they believe is positive about themselves. I want to instill a love of learning, not just knowledge of subject matter. Students are required to set high goals for themselves and develop the self-discipline they need to realize that any goal may require hard work."
Despite having been a teacher for nearly 39 years, Williams is regarded by his peers as innovative, energetic, and committed. Williams' success can be seen in the fact that two of his teacher-colleagues at his school are former students of his who credit his influence in their decisions to become educators. He's also had second-generation students, whose parents had him as a teacher and requested that their child have the same experience.
"He prods, cajoles, and uses his wit to motivate students to take advantage of the learning opportunities afforded to them," a colleague wrote of Williams. "If they slip, he is the first to develop strategies to change their attitudes or work habits. Respect emanates from his students, as they clamor for his smile, his touch, or his note of encouragement."
Williams goes the extra mile for students by offering before and after school tutorials for both students and their parents and by seeking to give each student the individual attention he or she needs. One student, for example, is the son of an incarcerated father and a mother who works a low-wage job at nights, and who had been expelled for serious behavior problems. Williams recognized the student as bright and in need of a strong roll model, peer support, and extra assistance with organizational skills. "I've offered for him to come to school 45 minutes early each day to review his work with me," Williams wrote. "This hasn't been successful because he's late most days. To solve this, I received permission to stop by on my way to school to pick him up if this behavior continues. I praise positive behaviors with notes and phone calls. He is tracked on my Star Worker Board where he can move up or down for appropriate behaviors."
After such sustained efforts, the boy's behavior and grades improved enough for him to attend sixth grade Science Camp.
Williams earned his master's degree in education systems management from Chapman College in 1971 and his bachelor's in biological sciences and mathematics from McMurray College in 1966. He has received 10 awards including several local teacher of the year awards.
School Facilities Projects, Funding Underway
Propositions 47 and 55, approved by the state's voters in 2002 and 2004 respectively, provided funds for districts to use, in conjunction with other community funds, to build libraries, gymnasiums, multi-purpose rooms, child care, and teacher education facilities.
The California Department of Education has approved plans for 44 of these joint-use projects. The State Allocation Board, of which State Superintendent of Public Instruction Jack O'Connell is a member, will fund eligible projects during the summer, and provide much-needed facilities that can be used by schools and other community groups.
It is estimated that funds will still be available to accept applications for next year. If you have any questions regarding he program, please contact Diane Day, Associate Governmental Program Analyst, School Facilities Planning Division, at 916-324-5858 or by e-mail at dday@cde.ca.gov.
Program Advisory on Medication Administration
A new program advisory on medication administration has been posted on the Health Services and School Nursing Web page.
This advisory provides non-binding guidance and describes "best practices" for handling and administering medications to students.
Proposed Legislation for Health Education Standards
State Superintendent of Public Instruction (SSPI) Jack O'Connell is co-sponsoring legislation (Assembly Bill 689) that would enable the development of standards for health education. This legislation would implement one of the actions described in his 2005 health initiative and is consistent with the recommendations of his Task Force for Childhood Obesity, Type 2 Diabetes, and Cardiovascular Disease. The white paper describing the SSPI's health initiative, "Healthy Children Ready to Learn," is on the Healthy Children Ready to Learn Web page.
SacJoaquin Coordinated School Health Leadership Institute
The California Department of Education and the American Cancer Society recently convened a leadership institute for education, health, and community teams from Sacramento and San Joaquin counties. The teams explored organizational change needed to promote the health and academic success of their students, including developing school health councils and wellness policies, as recommended in State Superintendent of Public Instruction Jack O'Connell's 2005 health initiative and the white paper, "Healthy Children Ready to Learn."
Service-Learning State Advisory Committee
On June 21, 2005, the California Department of Education (CDE) convened a 25-person Service-Learning State Advisory Committee to suggest recommendations for the continued success of the CalServe Initiative. A cross-section of California's service-learning educators, administrators, non-profit organizations, and private industry supporters met for an all-day planning session to make recommendations that address such issues as policy, teacher education, professional development, and youth voice. The recommendations will be used to guide the 2006-2009 CDE application to the Corporation for National and Community Service.
After School Programs
The After School Partnerships Office is in the process of renewing state-funded After School Education and Safety Program grants for providers of high quality before and after school programs. These grant programs support and are aligned with regular day learning activities. Of the 104 grantees eligible for renewal in Cohorts I and IV, 97 completed an application to renew, and will be granted a total of approximately $67.5 million.
Also being renewed are After School Education and Safety (ASES) Program Regional Lead Technical Assistance awards. These grants support full time regional lead positions, to provide support to after school program grantees, districts and school sites. The Regional Lead functions within a regional system that facilitates and provides technical assistance and field support for continuous program improvement among after school programs throughout California. Eleven local educational agencies within the 11 respective California County Superintendents Educational Association regions will receive the renewed awards, for a total statewide figure of approximately $1,350,030. The grant period is three years, beginning July 1, 2005, and ending June 30, 2008.
The After School Partnerships Office is working collaboratively with the U.S. Department of Education and its contractor to provide technical training in the completion of web-based annual performance reports required of 21st Century Community Learning Center (CCLC) grantees. These annual performance reports support the federal department's evaluation of the 21st CCLC Program.
Services for Blind and Visually Impaired Students
The California School for the Blind (CSB) in Fremont serves all school districts in California by providing instructional programs and assessment services for blind and visually impaired students. In addition, the school offers a variety of technical assistance and staff development services to local school districts. This summer, the CSB is filled with many activities and program offerings including: (1) an extended school year for CSB students continuing to work on their individualized education program (IEP) goals and objectives; (2) two assistive technology academies for students not enrolled at the CSB but who attend programs for the visually impaired operated by their local education agency; and (3) a summer transition experience program for blind and visually impaired clients served by the Department of Rehabilitation.
In addition, assistive technology classes offered through San Francisco State University and California State University, Los Angeles for future trainings will be held at the CSB and taught by CSB teachers. Ten CSB teachers are working to align the school's curriculum with state standards, especially the new Braille Reading Standards that are aligned with California's English Arts Content Standards. For further information on any of these programs and activities please contact Dr. Stuart Wittenstein, Superintendent, CSB Fremont, at 510-794-3800.
California State Championship School Bus "Roadeo"
On Sunday, May 29, 2005, the California Association of School Transportation Officials (CASTO), in partnership with the California Department of Education, held the 16th Annual State Championship School Bus Roadeo in West Sacramento. The California State Championship School Bus Roadeo is an annual competition of the top school bus drivers in the state. The roadeo course consists of eight demanding driving events followed by a challenging written test.
The competition is open to both public and private sector school bus drivers who must first qualify at one of two state regional roadeos. The top competitors from both the public and private sector will move on to the national competition at the "35th School Bus Driver International Safety Competition" to be held in Washington, D.C. on July 16 and 17.
The 2003 California State Championship Roadeo winners are: Tony Peregrina, Los Angeles Unified School District, and Jose Torres, Student Transportation of America , San Jose Division.
If you have any questions regarding the bus roadeo, please contact John Green, Manager, Office of School Transportation, at 916-375-7108.
Nutrition Bulletin
As outlined in a management bulletin sent in June, the CDE will begin monitoring school districts for compliance with federal policy on the sale of foods of minimal nutritional value (FMNV). In general, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) prohibits the sale of FMNV (e.g., carbonated beverages, with some exceptions, water ices, chewing gum, and candies made predominantly from sugar and corn syrup) during meal periods anywhere reimbursable meals are sold or eaten. To the extent that schools lack a cafeteria or students eat their reimbursable meals anywhere on campus, FMNV may not be sold anywhere on the campus during the meal period. USDA policy also prohibits districts from using funds in the nonprofit school food service account to purchase FMNV for service in the food service area during meal periods.
The USDA requires state and local educational agencies to establish rules and regulations to control the sale of FMNV in competition with school meals.
As you know, California has enacted legislation that prohibits schools with students in kindergarten through sixth grade from selling carbonated beverages regardless of the time of day, and middle/junior high schools from selling carbonated beverages anywhere on campus for one-half hour before to one-half hour after the school day.
This federal policy requires that California schools also must restrict the sale of all FMNV during meal periods where reimbursable meals are sold or eaten in all grade levels in order to comply with the USDA policy. Please note that the local school wellness policy, required to be developed by each school district and implemented by the school year beginning July 2006, must include the district's plan for complying with the USDA's FMNV requirements.
If you have any questions regarding this policy, please contact Phyllis Bramson-Paul, Director, Nutrition Services Division, at 916-323-7311.
From the Charter Schools Division
The California Department of Education (CDE) Charter Schools Division administers the $81 million federal Public Charter Schools Grant Program (PCSGP), which awards funds to charter school developers and charter schools that are most likely to succeed in establishing high-quality charter schools, and to disseminate best practices of existing high-quality charter schools across both traditional and other charter public schools.
Grant applications are scored competitively by charter school experts from across the nation and competitive preference is given to applicants seeking to start a new charter school that is targeting students currently attending low-performing, traditional public schools in Program Improvement (PI) Years 1-4.
In the last funding cycle, 84 grants were given to start new schools and 11 dissemination grants were awarded. Currently, the second funding cycle has commenced with more than 500 Letters of Intent to Apply received. Successful grant recipients will be recommended for approval of funding to the State Board of Education at its November 2005 meeting. Approximately 60 grants will be awarded.
If you have any questions regarding the PCSGP, please contact Greg Geeting, Interim Director, Charter Schools Division, at 916-322-6029.
