...CTA and United Teachers Los Angeles have donated $5,000 to help victims of a recent freak storm that brought hail and flooding to residents of South Los Angeles. The contribution went to Los Angeles Neighborhood Housing Services Inc., an organization handling the rehabilitation of houses in the Watts area. "Between fires and floods, Southern California children have had more than their share of trauma these past few weeks," says CTA Board member Mignon Jackson. "With the holidays approaching we're glad to do anything we can to help."...
...As state leaders meet to address California's continuing budget challenges, EdSource has produced a document that provides background about the school finance system and information about the current education budget. "School Finance 2003-04: State Budget Woes Reverberate Through K-12 Education" costs $6 [http://www.edsource.org/]....
...A Public Policy Institute of California report, "High Expectations, Modest Means: The Challenge Facing California's Public Schools," provides background information on the state's academic standards, resources and funding mechanisms. Its findings point to relatively low levels of school spending in California, a large gap between academic standards and school resources, and a finance system based on previous funding levels rather than actual school costs. The report can be downloaded for $15 [http://www.ppic.org/]....
...A specialty license plate depicting a brilliant orange sun over a coastline lined with palm trees has generated more than $5.6 million in revenue since 1994 for arts education efforts supported by the California Arts Council. Now that the state has slashed funding for CAC from $18 million to $1 million, the money has taken on new significance. For information visit the CAC website [http://www.cac.ca.gov/]....