The Assembly Appropriations Committee is poised to act on a measure that would undercut the authority of locally elected school boards.
CTA is opposing AB 2764 by Assembly Member Patricia Bates (R-Laguna Nigel), because it could allow the proliferation of charter schools without sufficient supervision. It could also hand the governance of certain K-12 schools over to higher education institutions, despite constitutional prohibitions.
A so-called "pilot measure," AB 2764 would undermine the governance of the K-12 public education system by giving higher education entities the right to authorize charter schools. The bill would allow a combined total of 60 such charter schools under the auspices of UC, CSU and community college campuses, but that number could rise quickly if lawmakers decide to expand the pilot program.
The Association of California Administrators (ACSA) and the California School Board Association (CSBA) also oppose the bill.
Higher education representatives joined CTA and other organizations in expressing concern about the measure at a recent meeting of the Assembly Higher Education Committee. Nonetheless, lawmakers approved it. The bill has also cleared the Assembly Education Committee. Approval by Appropriations would move the measure to the Assembly floor.
Bill would lift caps
Another charter school expansion bill has cleared the Senate Education Committee over CTA's objections.
SB 1531 by Sen. Pete Knight (R-Bakersfield) would remove the current caps that allow no more than 100 additional charter schools to be authorized in any single year. CTA opposes the measure because it could allow a rapid increase in the number of charters beyond the abilities of agencies to monitor them effectively. The cap is intended to maintain stability among the state's schools. Current law allows 650 charters, but there are only 471 open. In 2005, the cap will rise to 750.