Brown vetoes bill aimed at TK teaching standards
By Tom Chorneau
Monday, September 24, 2012
Despite the concerns that teachers have not been properly prepared to handle the new transitional kindergarten program, Gov. Jerry Brown late last week rejected a bill that would have taken the first steps in creating new teaching standards in early education.
Brown, who earlier this year cast doubt over the transitional kindergarten program by failing to provide any funding for it as part of his January budget, said in a veto message that AB 1853 wasn’t needed.
“This bill would require the Commission on Teacher Credentialing to create a committee to do the preliminary work that would be required to create yet another teaching credential – something we don’t need,” the governor said.
The bill, authored by Democratic Assemblywoman Susan Bonilla of Martinez, would have convened a work group comprised of transitional kindergarten experts to develop program standards and to work with the state department of
Non-profit’s STEM strategy catching on across the state
By Kimberly BeltranMonday, September 24, 2012
When a small, non-profit group in a remote Southern California town won a prestigious national award for innovations in STEM education, Marcella Klein Williams knew her organization’s work was paying off.
As chief educational officer for the California STEM Learning Network, Williams and her colleagues strive to create partnerships between schools, colleges and business to expand access to science, technology, engineering and math programs, both for teachers
Hoping taxes will pass, preparing school boards if they don’t
By Tom Chorneau
Monday, September 24, 2012
By Tom Chorneau
Monday, September 24, 2012
Solidly supporting the two tax measures on the November ballot but bracing for the fallout if both fail – the California School Boards Association has initiated a campaign to prepare local officials for what might be an unprecedented collision with fiscal insolvency.
Using webinars and policy briefs as well as direct outreach, the CSBA is pushing school board members to take a critical look at spending right now with an eye not only on next year but also