March 18, 2002 

Members of the Joint Committee:

My name is Phillip Escamilla. I am here today representing CSBA—the California School Boards Association. CSBA represents approximately 1,000 school districts from all over the state, from small, rural districts to large, urban districts. I have four main topics I would like to address with you today with regard to the Emerging Modes of Delivery, Certification, and Planning Report: Charter Schools, Shared Use of Facilities, Technology, and State Funding.

Charter Schools

The report calls for charter schools to be "standards-based and evaluated rigorously." Under current law, which allows for the granting or operating of charters outside of the jurisdiction of the charter granting agency and the establishment of "satellite charters" while providing districts little latitude in denying a petition, the rigorous evaluation of charters called for in the report in not possible. With regard to charter school oversight, CSBA opposes the ability of charter schools to operate in a district other than the district that approved the charter. We also support greater flexibility with regard to the ability of a school board to deny a petition on the grounds that the charter may have a negative impact on other students in the district. A change in law to reflect these oversight issues would enable districts to meet the report’s goal of ensuring that charter schools are standards-based and evaluated rigorously.

The report also calls for districts to "encourage innovative emerging organizational forms, including charter schools." Current law already has intent language calling for charters to "encourage the use of different and innovative teaching methods." Codifying this intent as one of several explicit requirements for which petitions must contain a reasonably comprehensive description would help encourage innovation in the early stages of the petition review process. 

Shared Use of Facilities

The report recommends that the state and communities establish incentives for joint development and use of school facilities with cities and counties, including libraries, classrooms, and recreational and community space. The report goes on to state: "joint development and use of facilities is a sensible, cost-effective solution to the facilities problem facing California." We agree that the joint use of facilities is one of several possible solutions to the facilities problem facing the state, with the caveat that school districts are in the best position to manage the use of the facilities in their schools. Partnerships and joint agreements for school facility use need to be formalized and approved by the district in order to address terms of agreement including, but not limited to: security, shared equipment, maintenance, and building code compliance. 

Technology

The report suggests that to the extent that technologies are made available to students, they should be made available to all students. The report goes on to say that technology "must be available to all students, including new newcomers with language issues and other special needs, those who are economically disadvantaged, those with disabilities, and those in rural areas." We agree.

CSBA also agrees that the state should support ongoing professional development in technology applications for teachers and administrators. These supports should be aligned with the Commission on Teacher Credentialing standards for teachers pursuant to SB 2042 (1998, Alpert/Mazzoni), including but not limited to: the Standards of Quality and Effectiveness for the Subject Matter Requirement for the Multiple Subject Teaching Credential and Standards of Quality and Effectiveness for Professional Teacher Preparation Programs. Supports should also be aligned with the provisions of the Principal Training Program pursuant to AB 75 (2001,Steinberg).

State Funding

The state should fully fund any new programs involving the use of technology, including the costs of equipment and professional development. Funding for innovations, including targeted incentives for districts with particular characteristics (e.g. rural schools), must not come out of money currently set aside for K-12 education.