The fight to protect education funding continued to take center
stage in March. Five statewide elected constitutional officers
joined me in public appearances calling for opposition to ballot
initiatives now in circulation to eliminate the constitutional
protections for kindergarten through community college (K-14) education funding and give Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger power
to make unilateral cuts. Lt. Governor Cruz Bustamante, Attorney
General Bill Lockyer, Treasurer Phil Angelides, Controller Steve
Westly, and Insurance Commissioner John Garamendi, along with
Assembly Speaker Fabian Núñez, joined me in opposition
to ACA1x4, sponsored by Governor Schwarzenegger. A similar initiative
backed by the Governor would also gut Proposition 98 protections
for education spending and give the Governor power to make unilateral
"robo-saw" cuts in case of a budget impasse. These proposals
would allow a small minority in the Legislature to force cuts
to schools and other important public services in order to pursue
an ideological agenda. I trust you are doing all you can to make
clear to the Governor that California puts student success, NOT
robotic budget gimmicks, at the top of its priority list.
While urging full funding of Proposition 98 and protection of
the stability and growth that is so critical to the success of
our schools, I am also calling for the lowering of the voter-approval
threshold for school parcel taxes from a two-thirds super majority
to 55 percent. If that threshold had been in effect during the
March 8 parcel tax elections, 19 of the 22 ballot measures would
have been successful. Because of the current two-thirds requirement,
only eight of the 22 measures passed.
The majority of voters approved 11 of these measures, in some
cases by more than 60 percent, yet the measures failed because
of the two-thirds super-majority requirement. It is clear that
Californians want to support and improve their local schools.
This support is especially critical today when so many of our
schools are struggling to make ends meet after four years of budget
cuts.
Also this month, following extensive negotiations with the federal
government, we were able to limit to 150—still an unacceptably
high number—the number of school districts placed under
program improvement (PI) under the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act.
Under the new agreement, California is allowed to average the
grade spans two through five, and six through nine. Grade ten
continues to be the sole indicator for high school to determine
achievement levels that might deem that a district should be in
PI.
I remain concerned that NCLB's limited flexibilities tie California's
hands when it comes to truly helping our most-challenged schools
improve. I will continue to call on the U.S. Department of Education
to give all states true flexibility. I will also continue to approach
all NCLB issues with an eye toward balancing its positive accountability
measures with an honest recognition of the need to target limited
resources.
Fact Book 2005 Now Posted Online
The new Fact Book 2005 is now posted on the Fact Book Web page. This is a useful resource providing a wealth of statistics and information about schools and education programs in California. Please let your communications officers, parent groups, and others know about this helpful handbook.
Charter School Grants Awarded
California was recently awarded $81 million through the 2004-2007
Public Charter Schools Grant Program, the largest grant award
ever awarded under this federal program. At its March 2005 meeting,
the California State Board of Education (SBE) approved 95 grant
awards in the first of three distribution cycles of these funds.
Two hundred ninety-one applicants submitted applications read
by 22 panels of charter school experts from throughout the state
and across the nation. Only the highest scoring applications in
each of the grant categories were recommended for funding:
- Fifty start-up grants will provide funding to charter school developers to develop charter petitions for new charter schools and to assist with the costs of starting schools.
- Thirty-two implementation grants will assist in the initial operation of new charter schools in the first two years of operations.
- Eleven dissemination grants will assist high-quality charter schools to distribute the best practices that they have developed in their schools to charter and traditional public schools.
- An additional 53 applicants received scores within the funding range and could have been awarded grants had there been available funding. The second grant cycle will begin on June 1, 2005, and awards will be announced at the November 2005 SBE meeting.
For more information regarding charter school grants, please contact Carol Barkley, Director, Charter Schools Division, at 916-322-6029.
Diane Levin Honored
At its recent national conference in Washington, D.C., the National
Association of Federal Education Program Administrators awarded
the California 2005 State Leadership Award to Diane Levin, administrator
of the new NCLB Implementation and Coordination Office.
The service award's program stated: "In her effort to seek
district perspectives and recommendations for improved state support
and direction, Diane regularly seeks input from the California
Association of Administrators of State and Federal Education
Programs (CAASFEP) Board. In addition, Diane keeps the Board apprised
of emerging issues. CAASFEP appreciates her openness to input
from the field and her gallant efforts to positively shape state
direction and support for our California school districts and
students."
Staff Development and Training in Autism
The Central California Diagnostic Center, located in Fresno, serves as one of three regionally based programs operated by the California Department of Education (CDE) to provide assessment services for special education pupils and technical assistance to local education agencies throughout the state. The center has been offering a variety of staff development and training programs in the area of autism during the 2004-05 school year. As a follow-up to these training programs, diagnostic center staff members have met with teachers to individualize programs and provide support for the application of training materials and ideas in social skills development, sensory issues, and communication skills for pupils with autism. The Diagnostic Center plans to expand these trainings in autism during the 2005-06 school year to include a strand for parents of children with autism. For more information, please call Ron Kadish, Director, State Special Schools and Services Division, at 916-327-3850.
Warning on School Bus Radio Thefts
The California Department of Justice (DOJ), in cooperation with the
California Department of Education (CDE) and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, has been investigating
a series of school bus radio thefts. The thefts began in March
2004 and have escalated through the fall and winter months of
2004-05. School districts, private school bus contractors, and
private trucking companies in California and Nevada have experienced
the thefts of more than 1,800 Kenwood and Motorola digital/programmable
VHF two-way radios.
The perpetrators enter a vehicle compound at night, preferably
on long holiday weekends although not exclusively. They enter
vehicles, which are unlocked, and if locked, enter causing little
or no damage to the vehicle. They methodically remove the radios
only taking those that are digital and leaving behind all those
that are of analog design. The perpetrators take only the desired
radios leaving behind all other items of value such as stereo
radios, CD players, and personal property. The perpetrators often
strike a second time when they believe sufficient time has passed
for the replacement of the stolen radios to be completed.
School district administrators are advised to contact local law
enforcement agencies for assistance in increasing vehicle compound
and bus yard security. In addition, school administrators should
increase the security of their vehicle compounds and bus yards
by making sure that all entry points are locked and secured, adequate
lighting and video surveillance are provided, and increased law
enforcement presence is requested. Further incidents should be
reported immediately to local law enforcement and the DOJ State Terrorism Threat Assessment Center at 916-227-2447.
For further information on this subjec, please contact the Office of School Transportation, at 916-375-7100.
Teacher of the Year
Beginning this month, each issue of California Department of Educaiton CDE Highlights will profile
a state or county Teacher of the Year, spotlighting the diverse
talent and inspiring stories of some of California's best and
brightest teachers. To begin this series, March Highlights focuses
on Stanley W. Murphy, California's nominee and one of four finalists
for the 2005 National Teacher of the Year.
Stanley Murphy, a 27-year veteran social studies teacher at San
Diego High School, has appreciative fans as far away as Russia,
where the vice-principal of Moscow School # 23 credits him for
"creating a positive image of American people and culture
in our school after the cold war."
"He helped transform the lives of many Russian students
and teachers by facilitating the process of democratization in
our school," says the vice-principal, Fira Vainer.
He's also broadened the horizons of his San Diego students, most
of them low-income, many of them considered at-risk, by nurturing,
challenging, and motivating them to succeed to the highest of
expectations.
Murphy's philosophy is that all students can and must excel.
"My goal in teaching history is to help students understand
that democracy is a journey and not a destination," he says.
He instills his students with the belief that each has an important
role to play in shaping our world. Murphy cites his family as
an inspiration to him to succeed despite the fact that neither
of his parents went beyond junior high school. Yet their influence
was so powerful that, he says, being in his class is a little
like "being with my mother."
Murphy sees teacher accountability as being the core of much of
his work. Teachers should be accountable to clearly identifiable
standards, he says.
"It is reasonable to expect teachers to be well prepared
and highly qualified. If we are going to close the achievement
gap, it is important to recruit an army of exemplary teachers
of diverse backgrounds."
In Murphy's view, it is crucial in a democratic society that history
and civic education teach students the habits of the mind that
promote judgment. Determining importance enhances reading comprehension.
After modeling his own process for determining importance, Murphy
will shift to lessons that allow students to share thoughts about
what is most important in a given reading.
On his own initiative, Murphy developed sister school programs
with Russia, Argentina, and Austria and has taken his students
to those countries. Murphy developed the very first secondary
educational exchange program between the Soviet Union and the
United States, and it's a program that continues to thrive today.
He served on the Adolescence and Young Adults Social Studies-History
Standards Committee of the National Board for Professional Teaching
Standards. Through the UCLA National Center for History Education,
he worked with teachers to develop lesson plans, which were distributed
nationally. He led an effort in his department to improve test
scores. The plan included an academic competition for every eleventh
grade class. His "at-risk" senior students tutored elementary
students in reading through a service-learning project he supervised.
Each year Murphy takes two busloads of juniors on a five-day trip
to visit colleges. Former San Diego High School students give
campus tours and report on their achievements.
Murphy acknowledges teaching is not always easy, yet says his
training in conflict resolution has demonstrated how people can
change in a short period of time. Teachers who maintain a belief
in all possibilities can get past the struggles and progress beyond
them, says Murphy. "It is important for me to keep in mind
the words of Frederick Douglass: 'If there is no struggle, there
is no progress."
Support for Students' Mental Health Needs
County offices of education's participation in the expansion
and redesign of mental health services under Proposition 63 is
critical. The measure, passed by voters last November, authorized
a 1 percent increase in personal income tax for California citizens
with adjusted gross incomes over $1 million. The proposition established
the Mental Health Services Act (MHSA) to expand mental health
services to children and youth, including transitioning youth,
adults, and older adults.
With students in continuation schools, court and community schools,
juvenile court schools, and opportunity programs, county offices
of education have a stake in ensuring accessibility and improving
the quality of mental health services for these students. Also,
many students at high-risk, e.g., those in foster care or transitioning
from foster care or from juvenile justice, are not identified
and go unserved. Often these children and youth suffer serious
emotional disturbance or mental illness that can lead to homelessness
and worsening mental health, disability, and/or suicide. Superintendent
O'Connell encourages you to take advantage of this opportunity
to advocate for these students and appoint at least one representative
from your county office of education to work with district staff
and participate in the county mental health planning process.
County departments of mental health are currently designing the
second of six plan components, the Community Services and Supports
component. The MSHA requires each county department of mental
health to develop and submit a three-year plan for expanding mental
health services for unserved and underserved populations.
For more information regarding this opportunity to ensure improved
services for children and youth, please visit the Department of Mental Health Web site (Outside Source).
Also, call your county's mental health services representative
to arrange to participate in the planning meetings currently being
held in your county area.
Reminder: Providing School Meals to Charter Schools
Please remember that California law requires that charter schools
have access to all programs and services available to kindergarten through grade twelve (K-12) public
schools and county offices of education. Since 1999-2000, "direct
funded" charter schools could participate in the National
School Lunch Program (NSLP) and the School Breakfast Program (SBP)
under their own agreement. However, districts with "locally
funded" charter schools are responsible for providing meals
to those charter schools - if the charter schools are interested
in participating in the (national school lunch and/or breakfast
programs). This is because locally funded charter schools are
not recognized as a separate fiscal agent and California Education
Code (EC) Section 47636(a)(2) requires locally funded charter
schools to participate in categorical programs via their authorizing
district. Therefore, if locally funded charter schools want to
participate in the programs, their administering district must
add them to their State NSLP/SBP Agreement and site list.
Please also note that Part 27, Chapter 9, Article 11 of the California
Education Code (commencing with section 49550; hereafter
Article 11) requires each school district and county superintendent
of schools maintaining any kindergarten or grades one through
twelve to provide each needy pupil one nutritionally adequate
free or reduced-price meal during each school day.
We bring these regulations to your attention because it is vitally
important that your district join CDE in our commitment to ensure
that all California students are provided access to the nutritious
meals they need to be healthy and ready to learn.
For more information, please contact Carol Barkley, Director, Nutrition Services Division, at 916-445-0850.
