Archive for June 2013
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June 28, 2013
Brown’s line-item vetoes eliminate equalization money for special ed
Among the line-item vetoes imposed on the final state budget by Gov. Jerry Brown is one that will eliminate what was hoped to be a first step in equalizing funding among special education programs statewide.
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June 26, 2013
Next steps in common core will cost state tens of millions’ of dollars
The $1.25 billion set aside in next year's budget to help schools transition to new testing and instruction based on common national curriculum standards might seem like plenty of money to get the job done. But new analysis suggests the Legislature will be responsible for tens of millions more before the entire program has been implemented.
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June 26, 2013
CA’s SIG schools show some improvement, but still struggle
Despite an unprecedented investment of federal funds, 92 of California's lowest performing schools continue to struggle to improve student performance since the 2009 relaunch of the School Improvement Grant program.
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June 25, 2013
Inactive school districts face losing millions in state support for construction
Time is running short for a number of California school districts with approval to build or upgrade facilities but which have yet to claim the millions set aside for their projects under the state's school construction program.
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June 25, 2013
Budget detail shows almost all districts returning to prerecession funding levels
Gov. Jerry Brown's finance department has released estimated payment amounts for districts based on the new education funding system adopted earlier this month by the Legislature as part of the 2013-14 state budget.
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June 25, 2013
SBE rejected just 3 percent of district waivers in 2012
Last year, the state board of education approved 75 percent of 499 waiver applications from districts lookign for relief from various elements of the education code. Meanwhile, the SBE rejected just 3 percent; 12 percent of the requests were withdrawn. The board took no action on the remaining 10 percent.
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June 24, 2013
Tier parcel tax relief will take another year
Earlier this month, the state Supreme Court let stand a ruling invalidating a tiered parcel tax measure put before voters in 2008 by Alameda Unified. The move also held open an invitation to the Legislature to weigh in on the question of rational classification' of tax rates.
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June 24, 2013
STEM advocates call pedagogy out of touch’ with K-12 classrooms
As work begins on the first comprehensive evaluation of the state's teacher preparation system in more than a decade, a widely respected math and science advocacy group is calling for sweeping change in support of STEM instruction.
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June 20, 2013
$1b in common core money comes with lots of flexibility, some strings
While California school districts will have wide discretion in spending the additional $1.25 billion in this year's budget to help them integrate new academic content standards, they must first adopt spending plans showing how the money will be used and then follow that up with detailed expense reports to the state.
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June 20, 2013
Compromise in the works for bill restricting schools use of long-term bonds
Stakeholders battling over legislation that would restrict schools from using long-term bonds appeared Wednesday to find compromise on amendments that would make the bill more palatable to districts.
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