Alliance Blog

This week has brought a great deal of budget analysis, which will continue for the foreseeable future. It appears that Local Control Funding Formula (LCFF) base grants will remain at 2019-20 amounts, and there will be very few direct cuts to categorical programs. Though there is no Cost of Living Adjustment (COLA) for 2020-21, the significant cuts to LCFF base amounts outlined in the Governor’s May Revise have been avoided by all accounts.

In addition to budget news, we share updates on an Assembly Constitutional Amendment (ACA-5), Assemblymember Weber’s measure that addresses affirmative action, which will be placed before voters in November (referenced in last week’s blog post).

California’s Legislature met the June 15 Constitutional deadline for passing a balanced budget, but negotiations with the Governor are still in process, Assemblymember Shirley Weber’s Constitutional Amendment (ACA5) also appears to be headed for the general election ballot, which would allow voters to reinstate affirmative action in state employment, plus an opportunity to participate in a "Closing the Digital Divide Task Force Update" session.

Local Educational Agencies (LEAs) across California are considering how schools will be structured in the fall given the impacts of COVID-19. With lots of decisions to make, LEAs can now look to guidance from the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) and the California Department of Education (CDE). Here we provide links to those resources, along with an overview of some of the salient themes they address.

Wednesday and Thursday were big days for California’s budget process. On Wednesday, the state legislature put forward a joint budget package, a show of Senate and Assembly solidarity in their pursuit of protecting education funding. On Thursday, the Assembly Budget Subcommittee discussed the nuances of the plan, and laid out several specifics regarding funding they think should be made available for educational purposes. The Legislature’s preK-14 budget rejects direct cuts to LCFF, Career Technical Education, and other categorical programs. The final budget details are now being hammered out. We’ve captured all of that and more below.

Last week, the Linked Learning Alliance in partnership with Envision Learning Partners had the opportunity to sit down with two educators from Pasadena Unified School District to learn more about the virtual portfolio defense process taking place at their schools. We were joined by Sara Scribner, librarian at Marshall Fundamental School and Jim Goffred, librarian at Blair High School.

The Capitol was abuzz this week, with meetings on Memorial Day and a full convening in the Assembly chambers on Tuesday, to continue to find a way forward on the state budget given the looming June 15 deadline. Read on for updates about action taken on federal funds distribution, legislators’ response to proposed Career Technical Education cuts, and plans for the University of California, the California State University, and the California Community College systems’ approach to engaging students in learning this Fall.

Students, teachers, and administrators are preparing for year-end assessments. Amid the coronavirus pandemic, assessments have become even more top of mind for those in education. In Pasadena Unified School District, students are still able to demonstrate their knowledge and skills thanks to the district’s commitment to transitioning their senior defenses to virtual settings.