As a result of heavy CTA opposition, a bill that would create a longer year for middle schools has been heavily amended. Nevertheless, CTA is continuing to urge legislators to vote against the extended year provisions remaining in Senate Bill 1020.
The bill introduced by Sen. Martha Escutia (D-Los Angeles) would implement Gov. Gray Davis' controversial plan to lengthen the school year at middle schools by 20 days. Some of the measure's appropriations are now earmarked for two new grant programs for the state's schools of greatest need (defined as schools falling in the bottom two deciles on the state's Academic Performance Index ).
CTA is urging legislators to allocate the bill's funding for instructional improvement efforts, including class size reduction, at schools of greatest need. CTA would like for the appropriations to be sent out to these schools as block grants with few or no restrictions.
SB 1020 has cleared the Senate Appropriations Committee, where it had been placed on the suspense file pending more information about the amount of money available to implement it.
The panel has co-joined four low-performing schools bills, meaning that none of them can become law unless all of them are enacted.
The other measures are SB 508 by Sen. John Vasconcellos (D-San Jose), an omnibus measure dealing with low-performing schools [CTA has a watch position on the bill]; SB 466 by Sen. Deborah Ortiz (D-Sacramento), which among other things provides incentives for teachers in schools of greatest need [CTA supports the bill]; and SB 33 by Sen. Nell Soto (D-Ontario), which would implement a parental involvement plan [CTA supports the bill].
CTA members should direct their communications to their state Senators.
For up-to-date information on the bill's progress, check CTA's Web page [www.cta.org].
Len Feldman