REPORT CALLS FOR MORE LEARNING TIME; CALIFORNIA DOES WITH LESS
THEMES IN THE NEWS FOR THE WEEK OF JUNE 27-JULY 1, 2011 BY UCLA IDEA | HTTP://BIT.LY/IUKFCY
07-01-2011 - Yesterday, Gov. Jerry Brown signed a budget just in time for the new fiscal year. The new California budget bridges the deficit by relying on an additional $4 billion in revenue, which lawmakers expect from an improved economy. However, if the extra money doesn’t show up, there will be significant repercussions for the state’s classrooms.
If the state does not receive at least $2 billion of the $4 billion projected, officials could be forced to shorten the school year by up to seven instructional days (Los Angeles Times, Educated Guess, San Jose Mercury News).
Many districts have already cut days of school or reduced after-school programs and summer school. For the current school year, the Legislative Analyst’s Office reported that more than half of school districts reduced the number of school days, and 30 percent cut a full week (California Budget Project pdf). IDEA’s latest Educational Opportunity Report Free Fall: Educational Opportunities in 2011 also documented that 65 percent of state high schools reduced or eliminated summer