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Californians Together

Championing the Success of English Learners

Legislative Updates

AB 2735 (O’Donnell) is signed into law, ensuring access to a full curriculum for English Learners

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When all of our voices are heard, English Learners and their families win.  Friday, September 7, 2018, Governor Brown signed AB 2735 (O’Donnell) into law prohibiting English Learner students from being denied enrollment in core curriculum courses, courses required for high school graduation or courses for purposes of recognition for college admission, such as advanced placement or honors courses.

With the Governor’s signature, we’ve reached an important step in ensuring all English Learners have access to a full curriculum.  The law takes effect on January 1, 2019.  We will keep you posted as to how information on these new requirements will be disseminated.  Thank you for taking the time to respond to our Action Alerts.

Another Victory for Accountability for English Learners

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The State Board of Education voted unanimously yesterday to include the State Seal of Biliteracy to qualify for the Career and College Indicator without the additional criteria of scoring “met standards” on the SBAC math assessment.  Now students will not only be recognized by the state for their proficiency in English and another language but also as College and Career ready.

Your advocacy by sending a letter to Dr. Michael Kirst, SBE President and Tom Torlakson, State Superintendent of Public Instruction, made all the difference.  Hearing from educators and EL advocates across the state was critical.  Thank you for taking the time to send a letter and securing the votes needed to promote good state policy.

Our Latest – California Budget Update

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We want to thank all of you who sent emails, wrote letters, influenced others to write letters and shared our Action Alerts with colleagues and family.  There is much to be thankful for in the state budget that went to the governor on June 15, 2018.
Great News – The Budget
  • Maintains $2 million in federal Title III funding to be allocated to the 11 regional county offices of education, as currently allocated. Adopted Budget Bill Language requiring the 11 county offices of education to meet specified metrics in order to be held accountable for improving performance for English learners within their respective regions
  • Includes $5 million for Licensed Child Care Teacher Professional Development targeted for Bilingual Teachers working with Dual Language Learners in Preschool
  • Provides $437,000 in one-time federal Title III carryover funding to develop a tool/metric for teachers to use when giving input to reclassify a student.
  • Includes $75 million one-time Proposition 98 for the Teacher Residency Grant Program. It specifies that $50 million is set aside for special education and $25 million for other teacher shortage areas, including Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) and Bilingual Education.
To Watch:
  • Approves $300 million in one-time Proposition 98 funding to allocate for low- performing students.
  • Includes funding for the redesign of the Local Control Accountability Plan template and for the development of a budget summary for parents to improve transparency of LCFF funds.
Concern:  
The language attached to maintaining the Title III funds with the 11 Regional County Offices which requires evaluation attached to improved performance for English Learners.  No other project or entity is attached to the development of a metric tied to improved English Learner performance. We will ALL need to be involved in defining what that means.
Disappointment:
  • Does not include $5 million for year two funding of the Bilingual Teacher Professional Development Grants.
  • Does not include funding for AB 2514 (Thurmond) for new and expanding dual immersion and developmental bilingual programs.
Ongoing work:
  • We will continue to move AB 2514 (Thurmond) through the legislature and hope to get the Governor’s signature.  Next year we will seek funding in the budget for this program.
  • Work on the interpretation of Title III language.
We are committed to working with all of you to move all the items forward and to be involved in the implementation of any new and continuing initiatives.  Our advocacy saved the Title III money and won the $5 million dollars for the state preschool and Dual Language Learners.
Stay tuned for future Action Alerts, we need you to respond quickly and share them with others.

New Regulations for growing Multilingual Programs are now available

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In November 2016 California voters overwhelmingly (73.5%) supported the passage of Proposition 58 (also known as California for a Global Economy Initiative, or CA Ed.G.E)  to promote and encourage multilingual programs for all students.

The final implementation regulations have been released.  You can find them here.   You can find the education code that authorizes them here. .

Call on the Budget Conference Committee to ensure funds for ELD and Bilingual Teacher Shortage are included

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Budget Item 6110-125-0890 Issue: 816

 

It’s that time again! The legislative Budget Conference Committee is at work reconciling differences in actions taken by the Assembly and the Senate Budget Committees specific to the May Revision State Budget 2016-17.

Your help is needed NOW!! Please call and click on the link that say “Click here to Email Legislator” at the bottom of this action alert to send the letter Senate Members on the Budget Conference Committee to:

  • Support the Assembly version of allocating $1.246 million of Federal Title III carryover funds to the California Department of Education for the development of professional development video series specific to: ELD (integrated and designated) across content areas & designing courses for the middle and high school grades that are also ELA courses that would allow EL pupils to accrue credit toward graduation.
  • Include addressing the bilingual teacher shortage in the budget trailer bill specific to the proposed Center on Teaching Careers language.

These requests are made in order to provide to teachers and school districts critically necessary resources so that EL pupils can be given quality ELD instruction and the opportunity to graduate and graduate on time!!

Call or fax:

Senator Mark Leno, Vice-Chair; State Capitol, Room 5100;

Sacto CA 95814. Capitol Office: 916-651-4011 Fax: 916-651-4911

Senator Ricardo Lara, Member; State Capitol, Room 5050;

Sacto CA 95814.Capitol Office: 916-651-4033 Fax: 916-651-4933

Senator Loni Hancock, Member; State Capitol Room 2082

Sacto CA 95814. Capitol Office: 916-651-4009 Fax: 916651-4909

For those of you who prefer to fax a letter, attached is a sample letter. PLEASE CONTACT THEM NOW!!

 

Support SB 750 (Mendoza) for accurate identification of LTELs for appropriate instructional services

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Senate Bill 750 (Mendoza) English Language Education is finally on Governor Brown’s desk! He will determine the fate of SB 750 (Mendoza), to sign (and make law) or to veto.

Your continued support and advocacy is needed NOW to show Governor Brown how much support there is for this bill. Click on the link below to send the letter to the Governor.

SB 750 (Mendoza) revises current law specific to the definitions of a Long Term English Learner and pupils At Risk of becoming a Long Term English Learner in order for the California Department of Education to more accurately identify these pupils for the purpose of providing appropriate instructional services to these students by their school districts.

Please forward this Action Alert to other interested persons or entities. Our challenge is to get as many letters as possible to Governor Brown!! Governor Brown has until October 11, 2015 to decide.
Please click below to email a letter of support to the governor with a copy to the author of our bill Senator Tony Mendoza.

Mil gracias for your continued support of SB 750 (Mendoza) English Language Instruction!!

 

SB 750 Sample letter