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Alert 07/03/07

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Efforts Needed to Defeat Testing, Power Grab

Over the past week, CTA has won some important victories in the state Capitol – including two crucial ones. CTA defeated new attempts to reduce retirement funding in the budget and to add funding to the spending plan to reinstate the counterproductive second-grade STAR exam.
But your help is needed now to keep the second-grade testing from gaining reinstatement and to defeat a CTA-opposed measure that would put schools of greatest need in new jeopardy.

Background

On Friday, the six members of the Budget Conference Committee approved a version of the 2007-2008 state budget bill – SB 70 – that includes full funding to provide a Cost-of-Living Adjustment (COLA) and to cover student enrollment growth.
The conferees successfully resisted pressure from the governor’s office to cut $75 million annually from the CalSTRS purchasing protection program in the Supplemental Benefits Maintenance Account (SBMA). The conferees also rejected the governor’s call for $2 million to bring back to life the second-grade STAR exam.
Your help will be vital to securing these victories and to defeating a county superintendents’ power grab in Fresno and Tulare counties. The last issue involves CTA-opposed AB 1403 (Arambula) that is scheduled for a July 11 hearing in the Senate Education Committee.

Second Grade Testing Issue

• The governor continues to push to reinstate the second-grade STAR. Now’s the time to let him know directly his reinstatement plan is a bad idea.
• The second grade testing is costly, requiring $2 million or more annually in funds better spent on other instructional elements.
• The second-grade STAR also puts California out of compliance with federal law. The Elementary and Secondary Education Act (NCLB) requires students to be tested in Grade 3 and above. A full 42 states have already rejected second-grade testing!

AB 1403 Arambula: Power Grab

AB 1403 is a power grab that would give county superintendents of Fresno and Tulare enormous power over local schools and districts that do not meet the state Annual Performance Index (API) and/or the federal Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) standards.
Currently, these powers reside in the state superintendent of public education, the state Board of Education, and the local school board. The bill would create a pilot program that could be expanded to all counties in the state later on – if the bill is not stopped on July 11.

CTA Members; Here’s How to Help

On second-grade testing: contact the governor’s office and urge him to abandon his efforts to reinstate it. Use the arguments included in the sample paragraphs available in the Legislative Action Center.

On AB 1403: Mobilize members to get in touch with the Senate Education Committee and urge them to reject AB 1403 when it comes before them on July 11. 

Check out the Legislative Action Center, where you can send faxes and e-mails directly to these officials.

For more information, contact CTA Legislative Advocates Estelle Lemieux (budget), Lori Easterling (SBMA), Isabelle Garcia (AB 1403) or GR Communications Consultant Len Feldman at 916.325.1500.

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