Leaders of the state Senate and Assembly have promised to conduct a thorough review of the new education bills that have been introduced as part of Gov. Gray Davis' Year 2000 legislative package.
The six measures deal with a wide spectrum of educational issues, ranging from teacher recruitment to merit scholarships.
CTA's State Council of Education has adopted "watch" positions on the proposals so that Association representatives can work closely with Gov. Davis and lawmakers to ensure that the final package more closely conforms to the needs of teachers and students.
Last month, a special CTA task force convened in Sacramento to receive an update on legislative action and provide policy direction on the measures. It will meet periodically as developments warrant.
Three of the six measures are in the Assembly:
AB 1941 by Assembly Member Rod Wright (D-Los Angeles) would expand current professional development programs.
AB 1942 by Assembly Member Sarah Reyes (D-Fresno) would create grants to help high schools without advanced placement courses provide on-line access to such courses for their students.
AB 1943 by Assembly Member Antonio Villaraigosa (D-Los Angeles) would create student institutes for science and innovation.
Three are being considered on the Senate side:
SB 1503 by Sen. Richard Polanco (D-Los Angeles) would implement the governor's Merit Scholarship proposal and provide $1,000 scholarships for students in grades 9-11 who demonstrate achievement on the Standardized Testing and Reporting (STAR) exams.
SB 1504 by Sen. Martha Escutia (D-Montebello) would create Advanced Placement Challenge Grants to help high schools provide college-level coursework to interested students.
SB 1505 by Sen. Richard Alarcon (D-Van Nuys) would create a Teacher Recruitment and Incentives program to help meet the state's need for as many as 335,000 new teachers over the next decade.