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Below are documents referenced in recent CATESOL Advocacy emails.
California High School Exit Exam (CAHSEE)
Economic Impact Aid (EIA)
CATESOL and other organizations work together to oppose appointment of Rae Belisle to CA State Board of Education: Letters
ESOL Credential
AB540 Scholarships
Federal Stimulus Information
As some of you may know, TESOL has been a member for several years of the Coalition on the Academic Workforce, an advocacy group focused on the issue of equity for part-time and adjunct faculty. The Coalition released an issue brief on this topic earlier this year that TESOL co-signed. The brief, and more information about the Coalition, is available on their web site at http://www.academicworkforce.org/.
TESOL also has several position statements relating to part-time and adjunct faculty. TESOL’s position statements are available online at http://www.tesol.org/PositionStatements.
Regards,
John Segota
Director of Advocacy and Professional Relations
Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages, Inc.
Knowing more than one language is an asset in the global economy. Schools should be helping all students, English learners as well as English-only speakers, expand beyond one tongue.
By Laurie Olsen
Learning more than one language is a 21st century skill. It provides students with economic opportunities across the globe and at home. Many students enter our schools fluent in a language other than English. They speak Spanish, Chinese, Japanese, Farsi, Arabic, Khmer and dozens of other languages important in international trade. They come with a resource.
The complete article can be viewed at: http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/commentary/la-oe-olsen-english-20100711,0,698032.story
With the decision by the legislative leaders to allow legislators to begin summer recess, there does not appear to be any urgency in resolving the looming $20 billion budget shortfall. However, a couple of positive signs have occurred. The Democratic leaders appear to have come to some agreement on how to achieve additional revenue that will help to balance the budget. For weeks, the Democratic caucuses in the two houses have been unable to agree on how to increase revenues. After significant discussions, a plan has been put into place.
Attached is the outline of the Democratic plan. The summary that ahs been made public is incredibly vague, but does state that the plan will “provide the highest level of funding possible…” While not the strongest pledge to support full Prop 98 funding it is better than some of the alternatives. This agreement will now allow the budget conferees to begin working and to finalize some form of budget. The interesting thing is that new Speaker John Perez ahs stated that he will not put a budget up before his members “as a drill,” and will only seek an actual budget vote when there is reason to believe that an agreement has been reached that will get the needed 2/3 vote.
This illusive 2/3 vote seems a long way off. While the Democrats have been working toward a budget plan, the Republicans have been stating more loudly that it will not support any level of new revenue and that both caucuses support the Governor’s May Revision. It seems that no common ground has yet been reached.
Frustrated by the stalemate, the Governor Ahs sought to up the ante. As a way to put pressure on both sides, the Governor has called for all state employees to be paid minimum wage until there is a budget. Needless to say, this demand ahs caused shockwaves in Sacramento. Controller John Chiang has refused to comply and has indicated that his computer system is too antiquated to reformulate all pay structures. A state trial court ahs sided with the Governor and Chiang has indicated he will appeal. Senator Darrell Steinberg and Assembly member Roger Neillo, both Sacramento representatives, have indicated that such an action – while abhorrent – will not cause them to vote for a “bad budget.” I presume each defines that term differently.
It is not clear when the conferees will return to work, but the Big Five meetings have begun, which is a positive sign. Given the size of the shortfall and the sheer lack of options available, this is likely to be a protracted and painful budget gap to fill. We continue to believe that the Governor’s May Revise Prop 98 funding level is an appropriate target for all districts to work from.
As more information becomes available we will let you know.
Jeff
Jeff Frost has provided an update on current legislation of interest to CATESOL members. The update is available in PDF format.
The CATESOL Board of Directors has voted to support AB 1741. A copy of the letter of support is available in PDF format. AB 1741 requires a petition to establish a charter school that will serve at least 15% English learners (ELs) to include specified information related to the instructional program for these pupils and makes findings and declarations relative to interventions for schools identified as persistently lowest-achieving schools for purposes of implementing the federal Race to the Top (RTTT) program and absence of data about the success of ELs in charter schools.
Here is some additional information on the common core standards. On June 10, in Sacramento, PACE (Policy Analysis for California Education) held a forum to explore these issues and open discussion with members of the state’s Academic Standards Content Commission, the commission charged with making a recommendation on whether or not to adopt the standards.
Podcasts and accompanying slides for this meeting are now available online.
California State Board of Education President Ted Mitchell and Board Member Benjamin Austin issued the following statements regarding the Board's unanimous vote this week to stand up for student civil rights by supporting the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU)/Public Council lawsuit against the Los Angeles Unified School District’s (LAUSD) teacher layoff practices that are disproportionately hurting low-income and minority schools:
"The State Board of Education voted unanimously to support this landmark ACLU lawsuit because it is what's right for the students of California," said Board President Mitchell. "We must take action to ensure that all students have equal access to quality education."
"By supporting the ACLU lawsuit, the State Board of Education unanimously sided with the parents and children of Los Angeles and California against the defenders of the status quo," said Board Member Austin. "This decision sends a powerful signal to every single parent in California that we stand with you in your struggle to make our public education system about children, not grown-ups."
Comment from Jeff Frost: The thing that this press release does not say is that the Governor has also entered this suit on behalf of the plaintiffs and the ACLU. The formal action of the SBE was to support the suit and to agree to use the Governor's lawyers. Additionally, Senator Steinberg has weighed in and has plans to seek a legislative remedy to the suit by making changes (as yet to be determined) in the Education Code that will ensure that the rights of all students to a full and complete education are upheld. The ACLU suit is focused on the issue of seniority in that the least senior teachers in the lowest performing schools in LAUSD have taken the largest number of layoffs due to reduction in force (RIF) needs. The question is how or whether specific changes to California's seniority laws in the areas of hiring, reassignment, teacher preparation and professional development can address the concerns of the ACLU. Senator Steinberg held the first of several meetings last Friday to discuss these issues. There will be more to this story as the year progresses.
Jeff Frost has shared with CATESOL his overview of the Governor's latest budget. The first section of his report is pasted below. However, due to the length of his report, the complete text is available as a separate PDF document. (updated 05.20.10)
Closing the Budget Gap
On May 14th the Governor unveiled his May Revision to the 2010-11 State Budget. The Governor continues to project a $19.9 billion overall shortfall which is the same as the January level. To put this budget in context, this budget is proposed to be lower than state General Fund spending in 1998-99. The proposal also would not raise any taxes.
The May Revision proposes additional solutions to close the budget gap. Various fund shifts, alternative funding, and other revenues, including a $650 million loan of excise taxes on gasoline, account for $3.4 billion. Federal funds account for $3.4 billion in solutions, a reduction from the Governor’s January Budget proposal. Proposed federal funds include $1.7 billion from the extension of the temporary increase in the Federal Medical Assistance Percentage (FMAP), $125 million from the extension of other enhanced federal funding provided under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, and $1.6 billion in additional federal funds for health and human services and for the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation. In total, the May Revision proposes additional solutions to close the budget gap. Various fund shifts, alternative funding, and other revenues, including a $650 million loan of excise taxes on gasoline, account for $3.4 billion. Federal funds account for $3.4 billion in solutions, a reduction from the Governor’s January Budget proposal.
The budget makes limited cuts to Proposition 98 beyond the January level with a total cut of $2.8 billion from the current year. The May Revise maintains higher education funding levels at the January level. However, the budget does propose to make a wide array of reductions including the following: 1) The elimination of CalWORKS ($1.1 billion); 2) Medi-Cal reductions related to drug benefits ($523 million); 3) Targeted savings in the In Home Support Services program ($750 million); 4) Corrections savings by move prisoners to county jails ($243 million); 5) Reductions in corrections health care program ($811 million); 6) A decrease in Healthy Families due to lower caseloads ($15 million); Decrease in mental health funding for services to children with disabilities related to educational benefits ($52 million); Decrease in regional center funding for Intermediate Care facilities ($14.5 million).
Last week the Department of Finance released its monthly report on General Fund (GF) revenues and cash through March. Continuing the encouraging news from recent months, the report provides further evidence of a strengthening economy.
Providing revenue data that is slightly better that what was reported last week by the Controller, the DOF reports that, for March, overall revenues were up by $650 million. For all of 2009-10, total revenues are now $2.68 billion ABOVE the estimates included in the Governor's January budget. Year-to-date revenues are now 4.8% above the expected $56.372 billion. The "big three" GF revenues in March were reported as follows:
> Personal income tax revenues in March to the General Fund were $132 million above the month’s forecast of $2.252 billion. Withholding receipts were $423 million above the estimate of $3.112 billion and other receipts were $137 million higher than the projected level of $465 million. The gain in significant gain in receipts was offset by refunds, which came in $425 million over the estimate of $1.285 billion. The DOF points out that April will be a critical month for this tax as final returns or extension requests for the 2009 tax year are filed. Year to date, General Fund income tax revenues are now $1.047 billion (3.7%) above estimate.
> Sales and use tax receipts were $32 million below the month’s forecast of $2.059 billion. March cash includes the second prepayment for first quarter sales and use tax liabilities. Year-to-date, sales tax cash is now $583 million (3.0%) above expectations.
> Corporation tax revenues were $486 million above the month’s estimate of $1.026 billion. Prepayments were $297 million above the forecast of $332 million and other payments, which include the final payments for 2009 calendar year corporations, were $103 million higher than the $888 million that was anticipated. The DOF points out that gain in final payments "suggests that underlying profits in 2009 were stronger than expected". Total refunds for the month were $86 million lower than the estimate of $194 million. Year-to-date, revenues are now $861 million (17.3%) above estimate.
What about the April revenues? Everyone is waiting to see how far the current economic recovery – if indeed there is one – will boost revenues. The four-month-long trend of state revenues that has exceeded projections, totaling well over $2 billion, could be the result of accelerated payments that will be offset by lower-than expected revenue in April which are by far the largest single source of revenue for the state.
As we get hints about the may Revision we will keep you informed.
Jeff
A new PACE policy brief (PDF) summarizes the findings from a study investigating the impact of the California High School Exit Exam (CAHSEE) on California’s lowest performing students. Utilizing longitudinal data from four large urban school districts, Sean Reardon from Stanford and Michal Kurlaender from UC-Davis compare students scheduled to graduate just before (2005) and after (2006-07) the exit exam became a requirement for graduation from California high schools. They find that the CAHSEE requirement had no positive effects on students’ academic skills, and a large negative impact on graduation rates that fell disproportionally on minority students and on female students. The authors conclude that policymakers should reevaluate the utility of the high school exit exam in California’s accountability system.
Here is the entire packet of data from CDE related to the recent STAR test scores (DOC). This is helpful in light of the press release sent out from Education Trust - West. I share legitimate concerns about a lack of progress in the scores of minority and poor students, but I am disappointed that the Education Trust - West leaders do not acknowledge the incredible loss of Prop 98 revenue over the last several years, culminating in the multi-billion dollar cuts from 2008-09 and 2009-10, and the resulting educational upheaval that has resulted.
The Northern California (Bay Area) CBET Consortium has provided two reference documents. The first document contains the updated Talking Points. The second document is a recap of the recent legislative changes to CBET programs and updated CDE and LPLO (Language Policy and Leadership Office) program administration information. This information isn't new, but it is important to share as much information we can.
Support the DREAM Act by asking your members of Congress to co-sponsor the DREAM Act!
Click here to take action now
The Tomas Rivera Policy Institute has released a new policy brief, "Are English Language Learning Students Remaining in English Learning Classes Too Long?" You can access the brief at the TRPI website.
The study by Tomas Rivera Policy Institute at the University of Southern California showed 29 percent of English learners in the Los Angeles Unified School District were still in these classes in the eighth grade. More than half of these students were born in the United States and were in classes for English learners for more than eight years. The study has recently been covered by EdWeek.
Read CATESOL President Cadiero-Kaplan's Response to "Proposal Revives Bilingual Education Debate," an article from the August 11, 2006, LA Times by Carla Rivera