Torlakson, Duncan Urge Congress to Act Swiftly to Prevent Looming Sequestration Cuts

State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson sent a letter on Tuesday urging Congressional leaders to work together and immediately pass legislation that would repeal drastic budget cuts set to take effect Friday under sequestration.

“Without Congressional intervention, automatic budget cuts from sequestration will take effect on March 1,” said Torlakson in a letter to Congressional leaders. “After years of extensive state and federal budget cuts to education, these cuts will devastate communities across California…. These automatic cuts will cause long-lasting and irreparable harm.”

Sequestration cuts could represent a $262 million funding reduction to California’s federal education program. These include estimated cuts of:

· $91 million for Title I of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, intended to improve education for disadvantaged students;
· $72 million in special education funding for programs that serve the needs of students with disabilities;
· $2.8 million for public charter schools;
· $6.9 million for Career and Technical Education;
· $9.6 million in funding for English learners; and
· $3.7 million in Impact Aid affecting students in federally impacted school districts in California, including children of active duty service members.

Read more of the EdBrief post HERE.

Calif. District Still Fighting Special Ed. Case; Feds Ask Supreme Court to Decline

When a student in the Compton Unified School District in California was in 10th grade, her teachers found that her work was "gibberish and incomprehensible" and that she had failed every class. The school district referred the girl to a mental health counselor, who recommended that the student be evaluated for learning disabilities. The district didn't follow the recommendation, and it promoted the girl to the 11th grade, according to court papers.

Read more of Nirvi Shah's On Special Education article HERE.

Pleasant Hill Elementary Rally in Sacramento

Pleasant Hill Elementary School's PTA is asking you to join them in standing up for public education. Meet them and our local legislators on the East steps of the State Capitol on Tuesday, May 25 at 9:30 a.m. Click on the image to enlarge.

Join the California Special Education Advisory Committee

Did you know that there is a Special Education Advisory Committee that advises the California Department of Education's Office of Administrative Hearing? The committee provides non-binding recommendations to the Office of Administrative Hearings for improvements to the special education hearing and mediation process. Examples of areas the committee advises on are: revisions to the OAH website, forms, documents, scheduling procedures, staff training, training materials, the parent procedure manual, the consumer brochure, outreach to families, and proposed revisions to laws and rules.

The Office of Administrative Hearings is now accepting applications to join the Advisory Committee. Membership on the committee is voluntary and each committee member serves a one year term. New applications are accepted each May. To apply for Advisory Committee membership, please submit the completed and signed application, as well as a statement of interest outlining your experience and other reasons why you wish to serve as a member of the Advisory Committee. Applications are due by the close of business on May 28, 2010.

The Advisory Committee is composed of two regions, the Southern California Region and the Northern California Region and meets twice per year. One meeting is held in each region in October and April. Advisory Committee members are expected to attend their regional meeting in October and April and may be consulted between meetings. All meetings are open to the public and a period of public comment will be included at each meeting. Our regions' meetings are held held in Sacramento at the California Department of Education, 1430 N Street, Room 1101.

Further information on the role of the Advisory Committee is contained in the Scope of Work between the California Department of Education and the Office of Administrative Hearings. Information on past activities of the committee can be found HERE. Meetings are also broadcast by live webcast.

PTA Rally in Capitol

Rally to support children! Everyone is invited to join PTA rally at the Capitol!

WHAT: 9 Million Reasons To Speak Up rally in support of investing in children and youth in California

WHEN: 2-3:30 p.m., Thursday, April 29

WHERE: North steps of the Capitol

WHY: This rally is part of the California State PTA's ongoing 9 Million Reasons To Speak Up campaign to let our elected leaders know that we must invest in the more than 9 million children and youth of our state, rather than repeatedly cutting funding for education and other critical children's services. The rally is taking place during the California State PTA's 111th Annual Convention, being held in Sacramento, April 29 - May 2.

MORE INFORMATION: For more information about our 9 Million Reasons To Speak Up campaign, click HERE. The California State PTA has nearly 1 million members throughout the state working on behalf of public schools, children and families, with the motto, "Every child, one voice." The PTA is the nation's oldest, largest and highest profile volunteer organization working to improve the education, health and welfare of all children and youth. The PTA also advocates at national, state and local levels for education and family issues. The PTA is nonprofit, nonsectarian and noncommercial. For more information about the California State PTA, visit www.capta.org.

Pink Slipped CA Teachers Wooed for Special Education Jobs

The Oakland Tribune had an interesting article on a new, statewide push in California to bring laid off general education teachers into special education, an area with chronic staffing shortages. Read the article HERE. Read the CA Dept. of Education press release HERE.

PTA Legislative Events Coming Up

Contra Costa PTA's are promoting several legislative events, open to all! The Sacramento sessions are packed with legislator speakers, briefings and opportunities to walk the Capitol halls.

SCHOOL FINANCE 101
WHEN: January 25 at 7 p.m.
WHERE: Las Lomas High School

ADVOCACY 2010
This is a one day trip bus trip to Sacramento departure points are Danville and Lafayette, lunch included
WHEN: February 17
COST: $65 (non-refundable). After Feb. 1 registration is $70.
REGISTER: HERE

CONNECTING THE DOTS
From issues to advocacy, a two day Legislative conference
WHEN: February 21-22 (noon to noon)
WHERE: Embassy Suites Hotel, Sacramento, within walking distance from the Capitol.
COST: Conference: $135 (includes dinner and handouts) Hotel: $159 a night with breakfast
REGISTER: HERE

GOT PINK SLIPS? HELP STOP CUTS TO OUR SCHOOLS!
An evening packed with information and advocacy tools. Free dinner provided with early RSVP.
WHEN: March 22 ·
WHERE: Location in MDUSD will be announced late January.

School Finance 101

WHO: 32nd District PTA presents

WHAT: School Finance 101

WHEN: Monday, January 25

TIME: 7pm - 8:30pm

WHERE: Las Lomas High School Cafeteria

RSVP: By January 22, nmvandell@comcast.net

MORE INFORMATION: HERE

Read MDUSD School Board member, Sherry Whitmarsh's letter on the MDUSD budget HERE.

Budget Discussion Tonight

At tonight's Board of Education Meeting our school board members will be discussing significant reductions to the MDUSD budget. The proposed reductions amount to over $17 million and are are intended to close the revenue gap caused by the continuing California budget crisis. Please note that this agenda item is marked for discussion only. The board expects to be voting on it in January.The proposed reductions include:

• reducing $1 million dollars per year from special education and eliminating all special education services not mandated by law or IEP.
• reducing librarians for middle and high schools
• closing schools starting August of 2011

View the proposed budget reduction list HERE.
View the BOE agenda HERE.
Read the Contra Costa Times article HERE.
Read the MDUSD Parent blog post HERE
Read BOE President, Gary Eberhart's post on the California budget HERE.
View the BOE meeting ONLINE.

MDUSD Board of Education Meeting
Tuesday, December 8 at
7:30pm in the
District Office Board Room

Town Hall Meeting on Government Reform

WHAT: State Senator Mark DeSaulnier's Town Hall Meeting on Government Reform

WHEN: Wednesday, November 18

TIME: 7pm - 9pm

WHERE: Danville Veteran's Hall, 400 Hartz Ave, Danville, CA

More information HERE

Creative Solution to the Education Crisis

PRESENTED BY: CAPA Community Education Fund

WHO: Anybody with an interest in education

SPEAKERS:
Tom Torlakson , California Assembly member
Judy Walters, DVC President
Nancy Vandell, California State PTA
Michael Beseda, St. Mary's College
Vice Provost
Bill Clarkson, San Ramon Valley School Board President

TOPICS
Education and Budget
Solutions to our Current Education Crisis
College Admissions

WHERE: Assembly Hall,Walnut Creek Civic Park Community Center, 1375 Civic Drive, Walnut Creek , CA 94596

WHEN: Sunday, November 8, 2009

TIME: 2 pm - 4:30 pm

REGISTER: HERE by November 2 or 925-945-1901

Kids Sing for Their Schools

People have been trying all kinds of strategies to get through to our government in Sacramento. Unfortunately it has taken a true crisis to get all of us actively involved; fortunately people are participating in government again. You can see the kids' video message here. Our government should work for us, and when it does not, we have a right to redress a grievance. If these kids can, so can we! Contact your legislators and governor today and every day until schools are funded (links are on the right). You can vote only once in each election, but you have an unlimited number of phone calls, letters and emails!

DeSaulnier calls for Constitutional Convention

Senator De Saulnier, representing the 7th District and the MDUSD community, has called for a Constitutional Convention. Whether you have been watching the growing budget crisis in Sacramento for the last few years or have become more aware of it now because of the dangers posed to our own children and schools, you know that several structural problems in our state legislature make budgeting nearly impossible in California. Visit the senator's site, then let him know what you think.

Sacramento holds budget hearings!!

We received this urgent information from Linda Mayo, member of the Board of Education.  Budget Hearing June 1 Please come to speak up for children if you can

On Monday, June 1, the Legislative Conference Committee on the Budget will hold a hearing on the latest proposed state budget cuts to education. Based on past experience,this may be the only public hearing on the budget. It is vital that we communicate how united we are in opposition to these cuts.   We are asking any PTA members who can to come to Sacramento on Monday to attend the hearing.  Bring your families and bring your children as well, if you'd like. This is your opportunity to share your story, or just to support other parents who will testify. Please forward this email to anyone who cares about children.   We will hand out California State PTA buttons outside the hearing room to help you show your support.     Here are the details for the hearing:   What:  Legislative Conference Committee on the Budget When:  10:30 a.m. Monday, June 1. The K-12 education portion is slated to begin at 11:30 a.m. Plan to arrive early to get into the room. Where: State Capitol, Room 4203, in Sacramento.   Please come, if you can! Background   During this past state fiscal year, our schools have already been cut by $11.6 billion.  Recently, the Governor proposed an additional $5.4 billion in cuts to schools, including $1.6 billion more in this year that is about to end.   On top of this, the Governor proposed this week to drastically cut or eliminate entire programs that serve children and families, like Healthy Families, CalWorks and Cal Grants.   This cuts-only approach is an assault on just about every program we hold dear.  California State PTA is working on a legislative and media strategy to mobilize our members. We understand that some additional cuts will need to be made by the state to address the deficit, but the state must also come up with additional revenue sources to balance the budget. How much deeper can they cut? We must protect programs for children as much as possible. We must have a balanced approach to solving the budget crisis, one that includes revenues. The California State PTA believes that investing in children is the best way to prepare for prosperity in the days ahead. The latest cuts are shortsighted and will shortchange an entire generation of Californians - and the entire state's future.

Talk to Washington

U.S. Education Secretary, Arne Duncan, is on a listening tour through the country to seek out ideas on complete and competitive education. Yesterday he was in San Francisco. What would you say to him? Do you think California can compete in Race to the Top? What is on your education priority list? Talk to him.