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CAPTA LEGISLATION

CAPTA LEGISLATION. Brian Bonner Legislative Advocate California State PTA. Tonight’s Topics. California State PTA Legislative Program (short edition) CAPTA School Finance and Education Reform Priorities Recommendations from Governor’s Committee on Education Excellence

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CAPTA LEGISLATION

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  1. CAPTA LEGISLATION Brian Bonner Legislative Advocate California State PTA

  2. Tonight’s Topics • California State PTA Legislative Program (short edition) • CAPTA School Finance and Education Reform Priorities • Recommendations from Governor’s Committee on Education Excellence • CAPTA Positions on ESEA-NCLB

  3. 4.2 ‑California State PTA Legislative Program • 4.2.1 PTA Legislation Team • 4.2.2 Legislation Program • 4.2.2a ‑Specific PTA legislative activities • 4.2.2b ‑Action on Legislation • 4.2.3 ‑California State PTA Legislative Bill Positions

  4. 4.2.1 PTA Legislation Team • Director of Legislation & Legislative Advocates: Education (3); Parent Involvement (1); Community Concerns (1); Health (1) • Responsible for identifying legislation for discussion with commissions • Legislation Action Committee takes positions on bills • Legislation team is responsible for all further actions on the legislation

  5. 4.2.2 Legislation Program • 4.2.2a ‑Specific PTA legislative activities • 4.2.2b ‑Action on Legislation • 4.2.2c ‑Authority for PTA Action on Legislation

  6. 4.2.2a ‑Specific PTA Legislative Activities • Analyze legislation or initiatives. • Take PTA positions on specific bills and ballot measures based on position statements, resolutions or platform. • Advocate for passage or defeat of selected measures. • Inform members about PTA positions on current legislation and on statewide ballot measures, and encourage local actions when needed. • The nonpartisan policy of the PTA is a requirement of federal law as a condition of PTA’s 501(c)(3) tax-exempt status. The nonpartisan policy permits action on issues. PTA supports or opposes issues but never candidates or parties (Nonpartisan Policy 1.3.3).

  7. Sources of Authority for PTA Action on Legislation • The Legislation Platform principles and planks; • Convention resolutions adopted by California State PTA convention delegates; • Position statements and resolutions adopted by the California State PTA Board of Managers; • National PTA convention resolutions; • National PTA Board of Directors position statements and legislative directives; • Previous PTA action on the same issue; and • Purposes of the PTA.

  8. Bill and Initiative Positions • 4.2.3 ‑California State PTA Legislative Bill Positions • Support • Oppose. • Oppose Unless Amended. • Support if Amended. • Seek Amendments. • Approve. • Watch. • 4.2.3a ‑Positions on State Initiatives and Propositions • Support. • Oppose.

  9. CAPTA School Finance and Education Reform Priorities Systemic Reform • California’s public education system must be focused on student needs, rather than being “compliance-driven.” • The definition of a quality education must include breadth and depth far beyond the 3 “R’s.” • Quality education must be individualized. • Any reforms must be funded at levels that ensure successful implementation.

  10. CAPTA School Finance and Education Reform Priorities Funding • Increase the overall per-pupil allocation of funding to improve outcomes for all children. • All funding must be used wisely. • The state budget process must be stable and provide adequate resources. • The school finance system at all levels must be more transparent. • The school finance system must account for differences in the needs of children and local communities.

  11. CAPTA School Finance and Education Reform Priorities High Quality Staff • Quality education depends above all on quality staff. • Teachers must be expertly trained in interdisciplinary approaches. • Leadership development must include training in the evaluation and coaching of staff. • Additional investments must be made to raise staffing levels of school support personnel. • Considered more flexibility in the compensation of staff .

  12. CAPTA School Finance and Education Reform Priorities Parent and Community Engagement • Strengthening the connection between families and schools must be a priority. • Staff development at all levels must include strategies to increase parental and community engagement. • Allow maximum collaboration between local agencies and entities that deliver programs and services for children and families.

  13. CAPTA School Finance and Education Reform Priorities Governance • Decision-making authority must be moved closer to the district and/or school site. • The state should establish standards and maintain and support the state accountability program. • Whenever it is in the best interests of children and families, local schools and locally elected school boards that are accountable to the local communities who elect them, must have maximum ability to set policies and make decisions to ensure all students meet the standards.

  14. CAPTA School Finance and Education Reform Priorities Data • School and state data systems must be accessible, and comprehensive. • Measure student performance across time. • Assessments must be accurate, timely and student-focused.

  15. Governor’s Committee on Education Excellence • Focus on four issues: • the distribution and adequacy of education funding; • the functioning and effectiveness of governance structures; • teacher recruitment and training; and • the preparation and retention of school administrators. • www.everychildprepared.org

  16. 9/6 Committee Town Hall Meeting • Guiding principle — Students need to be at the center of the enterprise • Create a cycle of continuous improvement driven by • data • focus on professionals, reward their success, incentives • more flexible finance system sensitive to students individual needs • local control, few rules and regulations, less interference from Sacramento • More rigorous accountability, if not successful state takes control with news state appointed management.

  17. Students • need to start with youngest children • high-quality preschool, beginning with children in poverty with long-term goal of universal preschool- but not one provider • all-day kindergarten, September birthday eventually moving back one month each year, money savings would be allocated to preschool • need more time than what is currently given for language development • expand slowly so teachers can be adequately trained

  18. Teachers & Administrators • High quality teachers biggest factor in improving student achievement • existing mismatches and recruitment and training (current programs exist; e.g. There are para-professionals — mostly parents — who can move into teaching and be paid during their training) • Create more opportunities for more potential teachers to enter the field • process of certifying teacher training institutions needs to change • evaluation should include how long in field how successful with students • Wary of blunt instruments like merit pay but believe an incentive system needs to be a place that includes: peer observation, administrator evaluation, student success

  19. Teachers & Administrators • Current system of testing not adequate for evaluating student success • Need financial and other incentives encourage most experienced and excellent teachers to work and stay in disadvantaged areas • All of the above applies to administrators (not only principals) • Ane of the things that currently is lacking is transparency to parents and other stakeholders

  20. Finance • New system — student based finance system • Base plus add-ons for needs such as English language learners and poverty • Districts will decide how to allocate their funds • Provide appropriate resources • Districts will be held harmless

  21. Finance • Projections are that student populations will flatten or decline — Proposition 98 calculation will change to Test I — more funding per pupil • The committee will acknowledge the need for more investment in education • Current system allows administrators to blame the state

  22. Governance • Need better data system to track student learning • High “collective” standards, but local control • Need to reward high performance and sharing of best practices • New developmental services for struggling districts, intervention coming from county offices of education

  23. Governance • Committee likes the British School Inspector system — may recommend it • Recommending that State Board of Education become and advisory board — send more decision make authority to local districts • Need a student identifier that crosses agencies — could track students after they leave school [did they go to workforce or penal system]

  24. ESEA-NCLB • Per NPTA Washington Office — • Markup not likely to happen on 9/24 as scheduled in House Education and Labor Committee • House Draft is over 1000 pages long — Title I is 435 pages alone [100’s of comments submitted] • Very controversial not likely to get it off the floor if bill leaves Committee • Senate action in mid-October at earliest • Would be surprised if anything passed • NPTA is focusing on parent involvement sections

  25. CAPTA Positions on ESEA-NCLB Parent Involvement • PTA supports strong parent involvement programs in all public schools. The parent involvement provisions of NCLB, based on the “National PTA Standards for Parent /Family Involvement “, are meant to strengthen parent participation.

  26. ACCOUNTABILITY-ASSESSMENT • PTA believes that accountability is a continuous process involving parents, teachers, administrators, students and community members. The focus of accountability should be on student learning and approached with an attitude of collaboration, correction and encouragement. • PTA believes assessment must be an integral part of the instructional process and that the overall goal of any assessment program should be to identify what students know and how well they can apply that knowledge.

  27. School Choice & Supplemental Education Services • PTA supports parental choice within the public school system. • Parental choice in both school attendance and supplemental education services should be based on the educational needs of each student.

  28. Teachers-School Safety • Highly Qualified Teachers • PTA believes that all students must have access to well prepared and highly effective teachers. • School Safety • PTA believes every child is entitled to a safe and positive school climate that provides for the emotional and physical safety of each student, recognizes the efforts of each student to reach his or her full potential, and provides the social and cultural acceptance every student needs for high self-esteem.

  29. Funding • PTA believes public schools must be financed at levels sufficient to provide optimum educational opportunities for all students. PTA is concerned about the consistent lack of funding for full implementation of the No Child Left Behind Act.

  30. CAPTA LEGISLATION Brian A. Bonner Legislative Advocate California State PTA bbonner@capta.org

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