ACSA GR Speaks on State Budget, LCFF, State Ballot Initiatives and Advocacy

ACSA Superintendents Symposium Portola-De Anza Ballroom Monterey, CA

January 29 , 2014

Today’s Moderator & Presenters

• Sherry Griffith, Director Governmental Relations

• Adonai Mack, Legislative Advocate

• Kimberly Rodriguez, Legislative Advocate

• Laura Preston, Legislative Advocate

• Sal Villasenor, Legislative Advocate

What We Will Cover Today

• State Budget Elements and Impacts

• LCFF and the LCAP

• State Ballot Initiatives

• Advocacy Local and State

2014-15 State Budget: K-12 Proposal - Overview

• K-12 overall Prop 98 funding of $61.6 billion

• $5 billion in ongoing funding for categorical programs outside LCFF

• K‐12 Deferrals - $5.6 billion to eliminate remaining inter-year funding deferrals

• LCFF - $4.5 billion for school district and charter implementation and $25.9 million for COE implementation (fully funds COEs)

• COLA Increases - provides .86% increase to LCFF base grants and some remaining categorical programs

2014-15 State Budget: K-12 Proposal - Overview

• Prop 39 energy efficiency - $316 million for the second of a 5-year program

• $46.5 million increase for state testing programs

• Independent study reform

• School facility finance - funds shifts and reform

• Special Education - adjustments for growth and COLA

• Emergency Repair Program - increase of $188.1 million (one‐time)

Proposed Constitutional Amendments

• Governor proposes to strengthen Prop 58 (2004) and ACA 4 (Nov 2014) Rainy Day Fund

– Deposits into account when capital gains are more than 6.5% of total General Fund revenues

– Doubles maximum size of fund to 10% of revenues• Prop 98 reserve

– Also tied to variations in capital gains

Something’s Missing

• No funding for Common Core Implementation

• Adult Education Consortium

• MOE for CTE/ROCP

• STRS Unfunded Liability

• California Collaborative for Education Excellence

• Special Education Taskforce

LCFF and LCAP

• SBE unanimously approved emergency LCFF spending regulations and the LCAP template.

• Regulations allow districtwide and schoolwide expenditures of supplemental and concentration grant funds, provided school districts explain these expenditures in their LCAP.

– The level of detail in your explanation depends on the number of unduplicated pupils enrolled districtwide or schoolwide.

• The LCAP is a district-based document. Unique schoolsite services and goals must be included.

Next Steps in LCFF Implementation

• Over the next year, the SBE will conduct a permanent regulatory process and begin designing the evaluation rubric. The following are issues for consideration as part of this process:

– Better alignment between the LCAP Template and other state/federal planning requirements.

– Creating a “user-friendly” LCAP Template. – Elements of the evaluation rubric.

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Next Steps in LCFF Implementation

• California Collaborative for Education Excellence (CCEE) - $10 million allocated in the 2013-14 Budget Act

– What is the mission/goal? – What should the governance structure be?

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2014 State Ballot Initiatives

• Numerous ballot initiatives circulating impacting various policy matters including state pensions, charter schools, teacher evaluations and education funding.

• Many of them have sponsors and resources for qualifying and making it to the ballot while others will likely not qualify.

• Millions of dollars required to circulate for signatures and passage.

2014 State Ballot Initiatives

• Public Employees. Pension and Retiree Healthcare Benefits. Initiative Constitutional Amendment. Cleared for Circulation (Mayor Chuck Reed SJ)

• State School Funding. Timing of Distributions to Schools. Initiative Statute. Cleared for Circulation

• School Employees. Dismissal or Suspension for Egregious Misconduct. Initiative Statute. Cleared for Circulation (Ed Voice)

2014 State Ballot Initiatives

• Protection of Local School Revenues Act of 2014. Pending Review by Attorney General.

• The Stop Corporate Exploitation of Charter Schools Act. Pending Review by Attorney General. (CTA)

• High Quality Teachers Act of 2014. Pending Review by Attorney General. (Students First)

• The Highly Qualified Charter School Administrator and Teacher Act. Pending Review by Attorney General.(CTA)

2014 State Ballot Initiatives

• The Safe Neighborhood and Schools Act. Pending Review by Attorney General.

• Stop the $100 Billion Dollar High-Speed Rail and Reinvest in Education Act. Pending Review by Attorney General.

• Referendum to Overturn Non-Discrimination Requirements for School Programs and Activities (Repeal of AB 1266) Signature Verification Due Feb. 24, 2014

Major Policy Implications Within These State Ballot Initiatives

• CalSTRS

• School Funding

• Charter Schools

• Teacher Evaluations

• Tenure and Seniority

• Dismissals

• Student Gender Rights

Advocacy Regional & Statewide

• ACSA One Voice Initiative Areas

– Improving Student Outcomes by Implementing Common Core and 21st Century Learning Schools

– Creating Human Resource Processes that Support Meeting the Needs of Students

– Creating a Stable Funding System

Advocacy Across Regions and The State

• Use ACSA and its resources to build relationships and influence local and state policy– Legislation ACSA is supporting/Capwiz– ACSA PAC – Candidates & Issues– Legislative Action Day– Advocate in your local community– Participate in local media events – Special Lobby Days– Testify in Sacramento

• Effective advocacy is a year-round job

• Make a habit of advocacy

Questions?

For copies of this presentation: www.acsa.org