New Online Waiver System - Year 2012 (CA Dept of Education)

New Online Waiver System - Year 2012 (CA Dept of Education):

State Schools Chief Tom Torlakson Announces
New Web Tool to Save Schools Time and Money

Waiver Request System, 

SACRAMENTO—State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson today announced the California Department of Education's (CDE) Waiver Office has created a new Web tool that allows local school administrators to submit state waiver applications online.

"This move to online waiver applications will save paper, save money, and save time, both for local school districts and the state," Torlakson said. "It's one more step we can take to work more efficiently with local school districts. And when you consider that we process more than 1,000 waivers a year, the savings will be substantial."

The CDE receives about 1,000 requests each year from districts seeking an alternative to the requirements of the stateEducation Code, including those related to class size, instructional time, and testing.

Until now, applying for a waiver often required school administrators to gather a great deal of information and fill out multiple forms that had to be mailed and emailed to the CDE. Now, school administrators can go online to the Waiver Request System, submit a password and start submitting information, greatly reducing the time involved.

The CDE's Web site also offers school administrators updated guidance to help move the waiver submission process along. This includes Web pages on frequently asked questions, the State Board of Education's waiver calendar, waiver contacts, data elements necessary for a waiver, list of requirement attachments, and examples of Education Code that administrators seek to strike. The new Web guidance also contains links to waiver reports that are submitted annually to the State Board, Governor, and Legislature; as well as links to the most current State Board of Education waiver policies.

For more information on these new developments, please visit the CDE Web page on Waivers.

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Tom Torlakson — State Superintendent of Public Instruction