New campaign in support of more restrictions on LCFF spending
By Tom Chorneau
Friday, November 01, 2013
Advocates for low-income families and English learners have launched a letter-writing campaign aimed at getting the California State Board of Education to reject plans to give schools wide discretion over the use of new state grant money.
Next week, the state board is scheduled to consider regulatory language that would implement key provisions of the Local Control Funding Formula, the state’s landmark restructuring of school finances. Although the new program, negotiated between Gov. Jerry Brown and legislative leaders last summer, clearly gives local school boards authority over the lion’s share of the education budget, civil rights groups have argued the state board could impose greater assurances that additional grant money targeting disadvantaged students is spent appropriately.
Proposed language that appears to have the support of the governor would allow local officials to decide how to meet legislative benchmarks for increasing or improving services to low-income students, English learners and foster youth.
Bill Lucia, president of EdVoice – an influential, Sacramento-based non-profit – is promoting a letter-writing campaign
An agriculture education program with ties going back almost a century faces potential elimination under budget scenarios being considered by Gov. Jerry Brown’s administration.