May 20, 2013
Legislation

 
 
Election 2012

As customary every 10 years after the census, all legislative districts have been redrawn.   Ballots for the November 6, 2012 will reflect these new boundaries, which will officially take effect on January 1, 2013.  Maps of the new boundaries are attached and were distributed at the September 7, Legislation Team/Child Advocate team meeting.  You will notice changes in the School Board trustee, State Assembly, State Senate and Federal Congressional districts.

 

CUSD Trustee Elections  

On November 6, four CUSD trustee seats will be up for election.  This election is unique because it is the first election that will be held by trustee area.  This means that only voters residing within a specific trustee area will vote for the representative of that area.  Voters within trustee areas 1, 2, 3 & 5 will have CUSD trustee candidates included on their ballot.  In addition, as a result of trustee area realignment, which occurs every 10 years after each census, the trustee boundaries have been redrawn.  It is important to note that the trustee areas do not align with school attendance boundaries.  The following are the candidates running in each CUSD trustee race that will appear on the November 6 ballot.  They are listed in the order presented on the OC votes website.

 

Candidates Trustee area 1:

AMY HANACEK
KARIN SCHNELL

Candidates Trustee area 2:

MICHELE TAYLOR-BIBLE
CAROL L. MCCORMICK
DON FRANKLIN RICHARDSON
JIM REARDON
Candidates Trustee area 3:

JOHN ALPAY
YOLANDA MCNAMARA
STEVE R. LANG

Candidates Trustee area 5:

WILLIAM "BILL" PERKINS
GARY PRITCHARD 


State Assembly 

 In the past, CUSD has been split into three Assembly Districts; however, after the redistricting, all CUSD voters now reside within Assembly District 73.    In November, voters will elect a representative for Assembly District 73. 

Candidates State Assembly District 73: DIANE HARKEY  & JAMES CORBETT.

 
State Senate 

 In the past, CUSD was split into three state Senate Districts, in the future all of CUSD will fall within a single state Senate District 36.  There will be no State Senate elections within CUSD boundaries in 2012.  In an interesting twist, State Senator Mark Wyland whose term ends in 2014 no longer lives within the boundaries of his elected District 38.   Senator Wyland will remain in the senate through his term and has indicated a willingness to continue to be available to constituents in the new District 36. 

 
US Representatives

Congressional districts:  CUSD will be divided into 3 Congressional Districts: 45, 48, and 49.  All 3 seats will be on the ballot on November 6.

Candidates Congressional District 45:  JOHN CAMPBELL  &  SUKHEE KANG

Candidates Congressional District 48: RON VARASTEH  & DANA ROHRABACHER

Candidates Congressional District 49: DARRELL ISSA  & JERRY TETALMAN


Federal Senate 

One federal senate seat will be on the ballot with candidates DIANNE FEINSTEIN  & ELIZABETH EMKEN

Election information is available at: http://www.ocvote.com/voting/candidate-info/candidate-filing-log-with-statements/

 

LOCAL UPDATE

CUSD Budget Update

At the June 27th school board meeting, the board voted to approve a budget in the amount of $331M for the 2012/2013 school year.  The budget represented a reduction of approximately $31.2 M from the prior year with a contingency plan to bridge potential approx.. $21M in additional mid-year cuts which are expected to take effect in the event that voters fail to approve the Governor’s tax initiative, Proposition 30 on November 6. 

To bridge the anticipated shortfall, the district implemented the following reductions: 

Approximately $11M was identified in reductions that the district could make unilaterally, which included layoffs and reduction in services.  Approx. $20M in additional reductions was accomplished through negotiated reductions in compensation with employee groups.  In addition, a contingency plan was approved to bridge anticipated mid-year cuts should the Governor’s initiative fail in November.

 Negotiated decreases include:

 Certificated Employees: 1.2 percent salary reduction, delayed salary schedule advances for 6 months, three non-instructional furlough days and five instructional furlough days with commensurate reduction in salary. Also, class-size will increase by 1.5 students on average district wide. 

Classified Employees: 3 non-instructional and 5 instructional furlough days with reduction on pay and salary scheduled advances delayed until July 1, 2013.

CUMA: 1.2% Salary roll back and 8 furlough days a ½ year salary schedule freeze and reduction in management positions.

Superintendent and Deputy Superintendent have both implemented the same reductions as CUMA.

 Teamsters: 5 instructional furlough days with offsetting reduction in salary. 

If Proposition 30 fails in November and the Governor implements the mid year cuts proposed, the District will add an additional 10 instructional furlough days and an additional 1.5% salary schedule reductions for certificated employees.  Classified employees will have an additional 10 furlough days and 1.6% salary schedule reduction. Teamsters will add 9 additional furlough days and salary schedule freeze.  The Superintendent, Deputy Superintendent and CUMA will take an additional 10 furlough days with commensurate salary reductions.

 The last day of school is scheduled for June 11, 2013 with 175 instructional days.  In the event mid year cuts are implemented an additional 10 instructional furlough days will be implemented at the end of the school year resulting in 165 instructional days.   Should Prop. 30 not pass in November, the state will allow as few as 160 instructional days.

 Please contact your principal to learn how your campus has been impacted by the budget cuts.

“JUST THE FACTS”

The CUSD website has an informative link in a question and answer format, giving information about the current state of the CUSD budget, school calendar and issues regarding teachers.  Communications Director Marcus Walton prepared this.  For complete information, please go to:

http://capousd.ca.schoolloop.com/cms/page_view?d=x&piid=&vpid=1294471264166 

·       There will be five instructional furlough days if the Governor's tax proposal passes in November and 15 instructional furlough days if it doesn't. Teachers have an additional three non-paid furlough days that are not school days.

·       Even under the worst-case budget scenario, the District will still provide five instructional days above the state minimum. In 2010-2011 and 2011-2012, the District provided 180 instructional days, above the 175 required by the state. In 2012-2013, the district will provide 175 or 165 instructional days, still surpassing the state requirements by at least five days.

·       Teachers are taking a salary reduction of 12.9 percent for the 2012-2013 school year in the worst-case scenario. Any COLAs the district is supposed to receive are offset by what’s called a “deficit factor.”

 

California Preparatory Academy (Cal Prep)

California Preparatory Academy is the new independent study high school established through Capistrano Unified School District.  California Preparatory Academy has the benefits and flexibility of virtual curriculum blended with face- to-face instruction with highly qualified Capistrano Unified teachers.  Students at California Preparatory Academy will have the opportunity to select high-quality, rigorous, UC/CSU approved coursework. 

California Preparatory Academy will be accepting 9th and 10th grade students starting in the Fall of 2012.  Cal Prep students will have numerous class offerings to choose from including Advanced Placement and accelerated courses.  Students can also “dual enroll” at their home high school and take courses at both campuses.  

For more information: http://www.calprep.org/cms/page_view?d=x&piid=&vpid=1303901100255

 
Mandarin Immersion Program

The Mandarin Immersion Program has begun at Marian Bergeson Elementary School for Kindergarten and First grade.  There is also a fee-based Preschool and Pre-K program.  There is a maximum of 24 children in both the 2-day and 3-day class with one teacher and two instructional assistants. The sessions run from 8:30 to 2:30 at Bergeson Elementary.  Fees for the 2-day class is $405/month; for 3-day is $580/month, plus a non-refundable registration fee of $105.

For more information: http://bgnes.capousd.ca.schoolloop.com/cms/page_view?d=x&piid=&vpid=1219889066161

Preschool info at: http://childed-capousd-ca.schoolloop.com/cms/page_view?d=x&piid=&vpid=1235692443637

  

STATE UPDATE

California State PTA Advocacy Goals for 2012-13

California State PTA is an association of nearly 1 million members throughout California working to improve the lives of all children and families with the motto, “every child, one voice.” Membership is open to everyone.

The California State PTA has adopted the following advocacy goals for 2012-13.

•                 Adequate funding for education to ensure every child has the opportunity to meet his or her full potential.

•                 Prevent bullying and cyber-bullying.

•                 Access to a full curriculum for every student that includes physical education, arts and STEM (science, technology, engineering and math).

•                 Support children’s health by promoting healthy lifestyles and putting health and support services within reach.

•                 Support the needs of vulnerable children.

•                 Promote greater and more meaningful family engagement.

 The California State PTA has listed the 2011-13 Legislative Priorities on their website.  Please see them at: http://www.capta.org/sections/advocacy/downloads/LegislationPriorities.pdf

 

November Ballot Initiatives

The California State PTA Board of Managers has taken actions and positions on the following November statewide ballot measures.

•                 PROPOSITION 30, Temporary Taxes to Fund Education.  Guaranteed Local Public Safety Funding.  Initiative Constitutional Amendment.  NEUTRAL

•                 PROPOSITION 35, Human Trafficking, Penalties.  Sex Offender Registration.  Initiative Statute.  SUPPORT

•                 PROPOSITION 37, Genetically Engineered Foods.  Mandatory Labeling.  Initiative Statute.  No position taken yet – study group formed for additional research.

•                 PROPOSITION 38, Tax for Education and Early Childhood Programs.  Initiative Statute.  SUPPORT

 Eleven statewide initiatives qualified for the November ballot.  Based on the resolutions and position statements, the PTA does not have the authority to take positions on any of the remaining ballot measures.

With regard to Propositions 30 and 38:  California State PTA previously endorsed and continues to support Proposition 38, the Our Children, Our Future education initiative.  PTA helped to write this measure, which guarantees additional funding for every local school and authorizes greater parent and community input in the decision-making process.

Based on conflicting authorities in our resolutions and position statements, a "neutral" position was taken on Proposition 30, sponsored by the Governor.  This initiative proposes to help address the state's budget deficit, which impacts overall school funding, but it does not guarantee new, additional funding for schools, since the legislature may supplant existing funding for schools with monies raised by Proposition 30.

According to the PTA Toolkit, a neutral position means, "The initiative may be relevant to the welfare of children and youth, but after careful analysis, the California State PTA has chosen to neither support nor oppose this particular initiative due to either lack of existing specific authority or conflicting authorities."  PTA will not support or oppose passage of the initiative.

 

Prop. 38

Prop. 38 (Our Children, Our Future) will be the primary focus of PTAs throughout California this fall.

The initiative would raise about $10 billion per year, to be allocated directly to K-12 public schools, early childhood education and paying off school bond debt.

An Orange County Campaign Kick-off Event is scheduled for September 11 with training.  Location: Teacher Created Materials at 5301 Oceanus Dr. in Huntington Beach.

Recent polls have shown that the more people know about Prop. 38, the more likely they are to support it.  Every PTA member can be involved in educating voters about the need for more school funding and the dramatic opportunities this proposition provides.

The Fourth District PTA Advocacy Team offers a Speakers Bureau, with knowledgeable presenters on a variety of legislative topics, including Prop. 38. If you would like a speaker at your PTA meeting or program, contact Shereen Walter at speakers@fourthdistrictpta.org.

For more information about the initiative, including a calculator that shows how much your school would receive, go to www.prop38forlocalschools.org.

State Legislative Bills

·       Gov. Jerry Brown signed into law AB 2040 (Swanson), a California State PTA-supported bill that helps sexually exploited minors make a fresh start. PTA supported the measure as part of the association's focus on supporting the needs of vulnerable children and implementing the "Child Trafficking in California" resolution approved by convention delegates in 2010. ? ?AB 2040 makes it easier for a minor with a prostitution offense to have those records sealed. Under the old law, once a person turned 18, he or she could petition a court to have juvenile records sealed if he or she was not subsequently convicted of a felony or misdemeanor and could establish rehabilitation. ? ?According to the bill's author, Assembly member Sandré R. Swanson (Senate District 16 - Oakland), these conditions are unreasonable in cases of victims of human trafficking charged with prostitution offenses. “It doesn’t make sense to require a person who was forced into prostitution as a minor to demonstrate rehabilitation in order to clean up his or her records,” he said. ?According to Swanson, “Between 100,000 and 300,000 children — some as young as five years old — are prostituted in the United States every year. (This law) makes it a little easier for these former victims to clean up their records once they turn 18, increasing their ability to integrate back into society and a safe environment."? "AB 2040 is an important bill for children and minors who are victims of human trafficking” said California State PTA Vice President of Community Concerns Kathy Rabun. "It gives them a chance to seal their records and move forward in their lives without making them jump through hoops. We commend Assembly member Swanson for introducing this measure and the governor for signing it."?

·       In the last year, legislation was passed that protects our students’ health and welfare.  On Oct. 9, 2011 Governor Jerry Brown signed important legislation to protect students from bullying and harassment. The California State PTA sponsored the bill, AB 1156, by Assemblymember Mike Eng.  “PTA was a powerful and essential partner in this bill’s success,” said Assemblymember Eng. “Having the voice of so many parents behind this legislation raised public awareness of the need to take action. Working together, we made a real difference for the children of California.”

·       AB23 (Dickinson) PTA has taken a SUPPORT position and urges the Governor to sign this bill that would create a Children’s Coordinating Council to focus on increasing efficiency and improving service delivery across California’s many child-serving agencies.

·       AB5 (Fuentes) Teacher evaluation.  The PTA previously took a SUPPORT position on this bill in it’s original state, but after further consideration, in light of the recent LAUSD decision, the Stull Act, the uncertainty about whether or not the provisions of AB 5 would meet federal requirements for an NCLB waiver, and the less-than-ideal funding scheme that would make AB 5 operative only in some schools and districts – PTA moved to an OPPOSE position along with many other advocacy groups.  At this time, the bill has been pulled and is considered DEAD.

·       AB1575 (Lara) Pupil Fees.  ENROLLED.  This bill prohibits a pupil enrolled in a public school from being required to pay a pupil fee, as defined, for participation in an educational activity, as defined, as specified. The bill would provide that this prohibition is not to be interpreted to prohibit solicitation of voluntary donations, voluntary participation in fundraising activities, or school districts, schools, and other entities from providing pupils prizes or other recognition for voluntarily participating in fundraising activities. The bill would specify that these provisions apply to all public schools, including, but not limited to, charter schools and alternative schools, are declarative of existing law, and should not be interpreted to prohibit the imposition of a fee, deposit, or other charge otherwise allowed by law.

·       AB1172 (Mendoza) Charter Schools. DEAD This bill would have included the finding that the charter school would have a negative fiscal impact on the school district, as specified, among those findings upon which a school district may base denial of a petition for the establishment of a charter school

·       AB1500/1501 (Pérez) The proposal to raise taxes on out-of-state firms for college scholarships is dead for this year after Assembly Speaker Pérez met with Gov. Jerry Brown and Senate President Pro Tem Darrell Steinberg.  The speaker wanted to tighten a corporate tax formula to generate $1 billion, most of which would go toward reducing tuition at California State University and the University of California.

See: http://www.capta.org

Legislative Schedule:

August 31 - was the last day for each house to pass bills.

Adjournment until September 13

September 30 - is the last day for the Governor to sign or veto bills passed and in his possession on or after September 1.

October 2 - Non-urgency bill enacted on or before this date will take effect January 1, 2013

November 6 - General Election

  

California State STAR Testing

Student performance on California’s achievement tests in almost every subject at almost every grade level by every ethnicity has risen — despite recent cutbacks to education funding, according to 2012 STAR (Standardized Testing and Reporting) results released by the California Department of Education.

But a substantial achievement gap persists between low-income and higher-income students, and between African American and Latino students and their white and Asian peers.

The percentages of students proficient and advanced in English language arts have improved steadily over the past decade.

Over the past few years, more students in special education have been taking the California Modified Assessments (CMAs) instead of the California Standards Tests (CSTs), which are the regular STAR exams. To be eligible to take the modified assessments, students must have scored below basic or far below basic on the standards tests the year before. The modified assessments did not exist in 2003.

There has been substantial improvement in the number of students who take Algebra I in 7th or 8th grade, as well as the number of those middle school students who test proficient or advanced. In 2012, 68 percent of students had taken Algebra I by 8th grade, and 53 percent scored proficient or advanced – a large increase since 2003, when 32 percent of middle school students took it and 39% tested at least proficient.

A press release from the California Department of Education includes summaries of the data and charts, including breakdowns by ethnicity and income. The full test results are available on the California Department of Education’s Standardized Testing and Reporting (STAR) website. http://star.cde.ca.gov. Under the STAR program, students can attain one of five levels of performance for each subject: advanced, proficient, basic, below basic, and far below basic. 

Federal Update

The 2012 National PTA Legislative Priorities are outlined below.

In 2012, PTA will work with U.S. Congress and the Administration to advance the following policy recommendations to ensure that all children reach their highest potential. 

 A QUALITY EDUCATION FOR EVERY CHILD: PTA continues to advocate for family engagement and overall improvements to general, special, and early childhood education. Additionally, PTA is a strong advocate for increased education funding.

CHILDREN’S HEALTH AND NUTRITION: PTA prioritizes the health and well being of every child through implementation of and improvements to nutrition laws.

JUVENILE JUSTICE AND DELINQUENCY PREVENTION: PTA fights to protect the rights of children and youth involved in the justice system.

 

Federal Budget: Congressional Leaders Agree to Work on Continuing Resolution

On July 31 congressional leaders, House leader John Boener and Senate leader Harry Reid, announced that they came together to agree on a six-month continuing resolution (CR) that would fund the federal government through March 2013.  While there is little detail about the agreement, comments from both sides indicate that a vote is set to occur sometime in September, after Congress returns from its August recess.  The new CR would be funded at $1.047 trillion, $4 billion more than fiscal year (FY) 2012 spending levels. 

This agreement was reached after members of Congress expressed concern over the prospect of another fight over a potential government shutdown and its political impact on the November elections.

A six-month CR, as opposed to one that just carries through the election, prevents government funding from being tied to legislation on sequestration and the expiring Bush-era tax cuts, providing Congress with the ability to focus its efforts after the November elections on these more controversial fiscal issues.

Differences between the political parties over appropriations and federal spending continually cause gridlock on appropriations legislation.  As a result, for the past several fiscal years Congress has funded federal programs through CRs, which have traditionally received more than enough support for passage. The CR process could prove just as difficult as other appropriations legislation.  In addition to political differences, there are policy considerations.  For example, another factor that could impact the CR is whether different factions will attempt to attach ideological policy riders to the bill.

A statement issued by the White House declared President Obama’s support for the CR agreement at the funding levels agreed upon by Congress and the desire to not include any ideological policy riders.


PTA’s Advocates Mobilize for Report on Sequestration

During the week of June 18, 2012, PTA advocates had their voices heard on Capitol Hill when members contacted their Senators in support of an amendment that would evaluate the impact of sequestration on defense and non-defense programs in 2013, including critically important education programs.

During early consideration of the Senate Bill 3240 (S. 3240), Senator John McCain offered an amendment to direct the Department of Defense (DoD) to issue a report on the potential impact of sequestration on defense programming, while Senator Patty Murray offered an amendment directing the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to issue a report on the impact of sequestration on all non-defense and defense programs in 2013. In a bipartisan compromise, Senators McCain and Murray agreed to pull their respective amendments and offer a joint amendment (S. Amdt. 2455) that will result in reports on both defense and non-defense sequestration.

The full Senate passed the bipartisan amendment by voice vote on June 21, 2012. Sens. Patty Murray (D., Wash.) and John McCain (R., Ariz.) won unanimous support on for an amendment to the farm bill that would require the White House and Pentagon to issue reports on the impact of looming spending cuts that are set to begin in January if lawmakers can’t reach a deal to reduce the deficit. The spending cuts, which will equal about $1.2 trillion over 10 years, beginning in January, were put into law by last year’s Budget Control Act. Several budget experts have labeled the cuts, combined with looming tax increases, as a “fiscal cliff,” that could push the country back into a recession.

The Murray/McCain amendment would require the Department of Defense to release a report by Aug. 15 on the impact of Pentagon spending cuts. It would also require the White House’s Office of Management and Budget to release a report on the impact of the spending cuts within 30 days. The White House would have to issue a separate report within 60 days on the aggregate impact of all the spending cuts.

The reports won’t be authorized until they are approved by lawmakers in the House of Representatives.  

Since this amendment is tied to an appropriations bill and it appears that Congress may be inclined to pass a continuing resolution instead of appropriations bills, the eventual outcome for this amendment is unclear.

For more: http://www.pta.org/5191.htm

Office of Management and Budget  (OMB) to Help Agencies Prepare for Sequestration

Federal agencies have been reluctant to provide any information about how sequestration – automatic across-the-board budget cuts scheduled to go into effect on January 2nd – will be implemented.  But in a memo, the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) stated that it would soon begin working to calculate cuts and help agencies prepare to address "issues raised by a sequestration of this magnitude."

In the memo, OMB director Jeffrey Zients told agency heads that OMB would soon begin to consult with them to calculate cuts, determine which programs are exempt from cuts, and prepare to provide information as required by Congress.  Still, Zients said, "agencies should continue normal spending and operations since more than five months remain for Congress to act."  Though Zients emphasized the importance of preparation, he also noted that such preparations "do not change the fact that sequestration is bad policy, was never meant to be implemented and should be avoided through the enactment of bipartisan, balanced deficit legislation."

The administration has thus far only provided small pieces of information on the programs that will be exempt from sequestration – Secretary of Education Arne Duncan noted during Senate testimony that Pell grants would be exempt, but did not name any other programs.  The OMB memo also noted that military personnel accounts would be exempted from cuts – a move that has drawn criticism from Republican Senators John McCain (R-AZ), Lindsey Graham (R-SC), and Kelly Ayotte (R-NH) because they say it would result in even steeper cuts to other defense spending.  

Fore more: www.cde.ca.gov/re/lr/ga/documents/aug032012fedupdate.doc
 

July National PTA Comment on Fiscal Year 2013 Education Funding Vehicle Sees Movement on Capitol Hill


On Thursday, June 14 2012, the Senate Appropriations Committee passed the FY2013 Labor, Health, Human Services, Education and Related Agencies (Labor-H) Appropriations bill, which contains education program funding.  PTA worked hard to prioritize family engagement in school turnaround efforts – securing language report language directing the U.S. Department of Education to expend funds on research-based family engagement programming to boost student achievement and turnaround struggling schools in the School Improvement Grant (SIG) program.  To view the report language, visit http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/CRPT-112srpt176/pdf/CRPT-112srpt176.pdf and scroll to pages 159-160.

Following elimination of Parental Information and Resource Center program funding in FY2011, no dedicated federal funding stream for family engagement in education remains intact.  While PTA continues to advocate for retention and improvement to the PIRC program in reauthorization efforts, the FY2013 report language directing focus from the Department of Education is a step in the right direction.  

While Senate appropriators are adhering to the $1.047 trillion appropriations cap established in the Budget Control Act (PL 112-5), enacted in August of 2011, House leadership has decided on a lower overall appropriations cap of $1.028 trillion.  The Senate Labor-H (Labor, Health, Human Services and Education) bill reported out on June 14 is nearly $9 billion more than the House allocation for the same subcommittee.  This will make final agreement between the Senate and House more difficult.  It is unlikely that final agreement on any appropriations vehicle will take place until after the November election, which will likely force Congress to approve a short-term funding mechanism to kick off the 2013 fiscal year.  (See article Federal Budget: Congressional Leaders Agree to Work on Continuing Resolution above.)

Senate Labor-H advanced out of Committee without a single Republican vote, and will likely be one of the most difficult to negotiate in the coming months.  The House has not yet acted on the Labor-H bill.  With the Supreme Court decision on constitutionality of the Affordable Care Act looming, House leadership objected to inclusion of dollars for implementation within the Labor-H language.  We will likely see House action on Labor-H for FY13 in mid-late July.

While some PTA priority programs, including Title I and IDEA received modest increases from Senate appropriators, the fate of such programs remains uncertain without House action.  Additionally, no increase(s) discussed would be enough to offset the negative impact of sequestration, should across-the-board cuts go into effect in January of 2013.   


Stay tuned to PTA Takes Action for updates on the FY2013 appropriations process.  For more: http://www.pta.org/5178.htm

 

Champions of Change Ceremony

More than 150 PTA members from around the country visited the White House August 10 for a briefing with top-level policy members from the White House and Department of Education. Officials also answered questions live with Betsy Landers. You can view the video and share it with your state and local PTAs or read excerpts and reprint them in newsletters or on websites.

Also, in a special event after the briefing, the White House honored 12 PTA members as Champions of Change, for their work to improve the lives of children. The Champions of Change program was created by the White House more than a year ago and recognizes ordinary Americans across the country that are doing extraordinary work in their communities. During the last year they have held more than 40 Champions of Change events, honoring more than 500 Champions from all 50 states.


Nearly 900 Districts Set to Compete for New Race to Top

With $400 million up for grabs, 893 school districts or groups of districts have told the U.S. Department of Education that they plan to compete in the latest Race to the Top competition, which is designed to spur improvements at the local level.

This includes nearly 200 large districts that are eligible for the top awards of between $30 million and $40 million. Another 433 small districts plan to compete for $10 million to $20 million, the smallest awards. The rest are somewhere in between.

The nearly 900 districts made yesterday's deadline of letting the department know that they want to compete. Filing a "notice of intent to apply" wasn't mandatory, but more of a courtesy so the department can plan things such as how many peer reviewers will be needed to judge the competition. It's important to note that just because a district filed such a notice doesn't mean it has to apply; in fact, the final list of applicants is usually quite a bit shorter.

Applications are due Oct. 30 for this contest, which asks districts to devise personalized learning plans to tailor teaching and learning to the individual needs of students. Between 15 and 25 awards are expected, which means competition will be very, very stiff.

The list of "intents to apply" includes 80 districts from California and 64 from Texas, two large states that have not benefited much (if at all) from previous Race to the Top contests.

Per Marcus Walton, CUSD is not eligible for these grants because less than 40% of CUSD students receive free/reduced lunch.

For more: 

National PTA Board Amends Resolution on Charter Schools

On August 9, 2012, the National PTA Board of Directors voted to amend the National PTA Position Statement on Public Charter Schools, originally enacted in 1995. The amended statement reflects National PTA’s diversifying membership and affirms PTA’s position in support of rigorous quality standards for public charter school authorizing and operational activities. National PTA volunteers and staff will be hosting a series of virtual trainings and conference calls to discuss the amended statement with state PTA leadership.

National PTA Public Charter Schools Position Statement

National PTA supports public school choice and acknowledges public charter schools as one of many avenues to improving student achievement. National PTA supports public charter schools provided the authorizing bodies and schools reflect the positions and principles of National PTA in charters granted and implemented. National PTA values all PTA units within or affiliated with public charter schools.

National PTA supports legislation or policy decisions relating to charter schools that meet the following conditions:

Charter Authorizing Bodies must:

  • Meet the highest level of accountability;
  • Ensure transparent charter application, review, and decision-making processes;
  • Meaningfully engage parents (any adult who has primary responsibility for the education and welfare of a child) in transparent authorizing, review, and decision-making processes, including the involvement of at least one parent on each charter school board;
  • Engage in ongoing, comprehensive charter school data collection and evaluation processes, and make that information available to the public in a manner that complies with applicable state and federal laws; and
  • Require performance-based charter contracts.

Public Charter Schools must:
  • Be open to all students and free of both tuition charges and fees that exceed state or federal laws;
  • Be supported by specifically allocated public funds in amounts that do not exceed and do not divert funding from non-charter public schools;
  • Be legally organized as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization not affiliated with non-public sectarian, religious, or home-based school organizations;
  • Adhere to all federal and state laws that protect the health and safety of children, prohibit discrimination, ensure access for all children, and comply with the Freedom of Information and Open Meetings Act;
  • Comply with federal and state laws governing public schools that require fiscal transparency, responsibility and accountability;
  • Provide all education stakeholders, including parents, with absolute transparency concerning both non-public funding sources and any external organization(s) with which the charter school enters into fee-for-service contract(s);
  • Ensure that professional staff is certified for the position(s) they hold;
  • Work collaboratively with parents to ensure meaningful family engagement in student learning and school success, including the presence of at least one parent on the charter school board; and
  • Adhere to mechanism(s) for periodic, independent data collection and evaluation to determine alignment with provisions of the stated charter and ability to meet or exceed expectations required of non-charter public schools.