This is a sampling of The Education Report, Katy Murphy's Oakland schools blog. Read more at www.IBAbuzz.com/education. Follow her at Twitter.com/KatyMurphy.
March 16: It's been a confusing few months for families with children who are turning 5 in November -- kids who, until this year, would have been eligible to start kindergarten.
First, they hear that a new California state law requires their local district to offer a two-year kindergarten program for children whose birth dates fall between the new kindergarten cutoff date (Nov. 1 this year, and eventually Sept. 1) and the old date, Dec. 2.
Then, they learn the governor wants to overturn that law.
But legislative analysts say that even if Gov. Jerry Brown succeeds in revoking the mandate, school districts that choose to offer transitional kindergarten will be able to receive state funding to educate those 4-year-olds. And if the law stands, of course, districts will have to provide it.
Jeff Bell, who directs management consultant services for School Services of California, told me this: Whether