News & Press

Reforming Our Schools To Make A Difference For Our Kids

As a matter of principle, Republicans believe that we can improve our schools and get more dollars into the classroom without creating new programs, increasing government spending or creating new government programs we can’t afford.

There is no doubt that lawmakers must make some difficult budget choices this year as we work to eliminate California’s $16 billion deficit. Parents, students and teachers are rightly concerned about how the deficit could impact money for the classroom and efforts to improve our schools.

To answer these concerns and meet the challenge, Assembly Republicans formed an Education Reform Task Force, of which I was proud to have been appointed a member. Our Task Force has been working hard to craft education reforms that will strengthen public education and ensure every child receives a quality education, without growing the deficit.

Last week, I joined with Assembly Republican Leader Mike Villines, Assembly Education Committee Vice-Chair Martin Garrick and members of our Education Reform Task Force to announce a package of common-sense reforms we believe will make a difference in our local schools despite the deficit. These bills will help untie the hands of local teachers and administrators and allow them to utilize their expertise for our children’s benefit, not spending their days fulfilling the demands of Sacramento bureaucrats.

At the suggestion of Assemblyman Garrick, I have sought the input of those who are most important and most instrumental in preparing our kids for the future – the teachers and administrators who run our local schools. In recent weeks, I sent letters to every school superintendent in my district, asking them for their ideas for how we can reform education finance in California, to give them some relief from our budget problems and let them better address local needs.

Their answer was the same and resounding – “just let us do our job!” What they want is the power to do their job, and not have Sacramento do it for them. No two counties, cities, schools or students are the same—why would we try to run them all in the same way? Those on the ground, the local officials who know them the best, should make the decisions, not some bureaucrat or legislator.

Their comments echo the findings of two landmark education reports released over the past year – one by the Warren Institute at U.C Berkeley and the other by Stanford University’s Institute for Research on Education Policy and Practice. These reports came to the same conclusion, that the state’s school finance system was “fundamentally unfair.” They criticized the complicated funding formulas that don’t allow schools to cater to the individual needs of their students.

Our reforms would free districts from having to comply with costly mandates when the state doesn’t fully pay for them, and let them spend maintenance and categorical funds in other areas during the state’s budget emergency.

I am especially troubled that districts have little flexibility to invest in meeting their students’ needs because the state gives them little freedom.

That’s why I have introduced Assembly Bill 2890 to give school districts more flexibility in how they spend education dollars from Sacramento. Because academic excellence takes place in the classroom and not in a bureaucrat’s office, it only makes sense to give districts the discretion they need to invest in areas that affect student achievement, such as support for low performing students and classroom technology.

Right now, more than 30% of education funding is tied up in 62 rigid categories that handcuff the ability of schools to address critical needs that fall outside the box. They are forced to spend these dollars in a one-size-fits-all approach mandated by Sacramento, not the needs of their kids.

AB 2890 would change that by reducing the 62 categories down to 7 broad categories, giving local officials more freedom to target the money where it is needed most.

We must also empower parents to take a greater role in their child’s education and give them more information about what’s going on in their school. That’s why I have introduced Assembly Bill 2955, to give parents more information about how their local schools are performing. With this information, parents will know if their child’s school is adequately preparing them for the future and demand improvement if necessary.

Republicans also believe parents and taxpayers should demand nothing less than excellence in the classroom and high standards in our schools. Another of our reforms would require schools to keep parents updated on their child’s reading progress by providing a “reading report card” when students graduate the third grade. We are also working to ensure more transparency to taxpayers in how local schools spend our tax dollars education our kids.

But our reforms don’t stop with our package of bills. As we work to craft next year’s education budget and protect dollars for the classroom, Republicans are also fighting for funding fairness, to ensure limited funds are not gobbled up by schools in Los Angeles and San Francisco. Rural and suburban schools have their own challenges and must be given their fair share of dollars to meet their needs.

Our children are our future, and it is crucial that we invest in them—but we must invest prudently. Making sure that locals have the tools they need to prepare our children for success is extremely important. We know that how and where we spend education dollars is far more important how much we spend. Working together, I know that we can improve our schools despite our budget problems, and I hope Democrats will join with us to do the right thing and make a difference for our kids.

Assembly Republican Education
Reform Task Force Reform Proposals

Providing Relief for Local Schools During California’s Budget Crisis
Assembly Bills 2831 and 18xxx, by Assemblywoman Jean Fuller, R-Bakersfield

With the state’s budget problems impacting critical dollars for public education, AB 2381 and AB 18xxx would allow local schools to spend carry over funds from categorical block grants they have received for other programs funded by categorical block grants in the coming budget year. This will help local schools cushion the budget uncertainty they may face next year.

Assembly Bills 2832 and 19xxx (Fuller)

AB 2832 and AB 19xxx would allow school districts to spend funds set aside for school maintenance on other critical needs, except to expand existing programs or increase salaries. This will give local schools the funding flexibility they need to stretch every dollar they receive to the fullest to protect classroom funding during these difficult budget times.

Letting Local Schools Make Decisions In the Best Interests of Our Kids
Assembly Bill 3008 (Villines)

Handcuffed by one-size-fits-all mandates for too long, AB 3008 would set aside many of the costly mandates imposed by Sacramento when the state fails to provide full funding for them. These have forced schools to spend critical dollars complying with requirements that may not be in the best interests of students. Parents and teachers know better than bureaucrats how to teach our kids.

Assembly Bill 2890 (Duvall)

Providing greater flexibility in how local schools spend categorical block grant funds, AB 2890 would reduce from 62 to just 6 the number of categorical programs in the state, which represent over 30 percent of education funding in the state. Under the current system, local schools must adhere to rigid requirements in spending the funds, with little flexibility. Reducing the number of categorical areas to just 6, will let schools better use these funds to meet their needs.

Giving Parents and Taxpayers More Information about Local Schools
Assembly Bill 2955, by Assemblyman Mike Duvall, R-Yorba Linda

To ensure neighborhood schools are held accountable and provide more transparency in how they are spending limited education dollars, AB 2955 would require the state to make all school data available to the public in an easily accessible format.

Holding California’s Schools to Higher Standards
Assembly Bill 2406, by Assemblyman Republican Leader Mike Villines, of Fresno

Assembly Bill 2406 would give parents a “reading report card” as their children prepare to graduate the 3rd grade, letting them know whether they are reading at the appropriate grade level. This will help parents’ better judge whether their local schools are making the grade in educating their kids.