Contact: Sandra Jackson (916) 325-1550 or cell (916) 801-4776 or Jonathan Goldman (650) 552-5320 or cell (415) 509-1654
Sacramento --The California Teachers Association supports ABx5 8, an Assembly bill that is the state's best opportunity to qualify for up to $700 million in federal "Race to the Top" grant funding, it announced this morning.
"The Assembly bill will put California in the best position to qualify for the federal funding program," said CTA President David A. Sanchez. "We commend Assembly Speaker Karen Bass for working with parents and educators to draft legislation that will build upon California’s already rigorous education standards and accountability system, and create a coherent system of school reform."
ABx5 8 by Assembly member Julia Brownley improves the state's assessment and testing system by using multiple measures of student achievement, shrinking the achievement gap, as well as improving instruction and school leadership. The bill also offers greater fiscal and performance accountability for California's charter schools.
State Race to the Top applications will be judged based on a 500-point scale, with points awarded in the categories of State Success Factors, Standards and Assessments, Great Teachers and Leaders, Turning Around Lowest Achieving Schools, and a "General" category that includes accountability for charter schools. Legislation crafted before the final Race to the Top guidelines were released is incomplete, lacks coherence and fails to provide adequate legislative guidance.
ABx5 8 will be heard in the Assembly Education Committee today.