Thanks to CCA and CTA’s perseverance, three measures designed to make management and governance of the community colleges more accountable are wending their way through the state Legislature -- but they will need the support of faculty to get to the governor’s desk.
It’s up to members
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Newly elected CCA President Ron Norton Reel is flanked by Vice President-elect Lynette Nyaggah, Secretary Corina Soto and retiring CCA President Carolyn Inmon. All have worked diligently on behalf of CCA’s sponsored legislation. |
“We’ve worked hard on these bills from the very beginning, but now it’s up to our members to contact their legislators and let them know how you feel,” says CCA President Carolyn Inmon. “It just won’t happen without you.”
Taken together, the three measures would require audits to ensure that instructional funds are being allocated properly, that salaries are paid equitably, and that staffing ratios meet state requirements.
The first measure, AB 906 by Assembly Member Mike Eng (D-El Monte), would establish a program of random audits at community colleges to ensure that – as required by state law – they are using 50 percent of their expenses of education on instructor salaries and benefits. The bill cleared the Assembly Higher Education Committee on April 18 on a 5-1 vote and is expected to be heard next in the Assembly Appropriations Committee.
Fighting favoritism
The second measure would fight favoritism by requiring that all community college salary schedules be uniformly and fairly applied. It would prevent college administrations from placing instructors on the salary schedule without reference to their experience and education. The bill is CTA-sponsored AB 1423 by Assembly Member Mike Davis (D-LA). This measure gained a 4-1 approval by the Assembly Higher Education Committee on April 18.
The third bill would help guarantee that each community college would have the required contingent of full-time faculty able to provide out-of-classroom assistance and flexible office hours for their students. Specifically, the measure would prohibit colleges from securing waivers to existing law that requires the colleges to fill 75 percent of their teaching slots with full-time instructors. The measure is CTA-sponsored AB 1305 by Assembly Member Charles Calderon (D-City of Industry). The bill gained a 4-1 approval by the Assembly Higher Education Committee on April 24 and is also headed to the Assembly Appropriations Committee.
“Districts are sitting on double-digit reserves. That is downright deplorable when so many programs need help at the community college level,” says Toni Trigueiro, CCA’s legislative consultant in Sacramento.
Contact legislators
She urged CCA members not only to contact their legislators but to urge their friends and colleagues to do the same. Becoming acquainted with the staff person in the legislator’s office is also critical since that is often the person who responds to constituents.
Trigueiro encouraged CTA members to send her their email addresses so she can contact them with updates on the bill and alert them to contact their legislators. Trigueiro can be reached at Ttrigueiro@cta.org, or she can be called at 916-325-1500.
