From State Supt. desk:

 State Superintendent of Public Instruction Jack O'Connell today announced the public is invited to participate in Deaf Awareness Week activities at the California Department of Education (CDE) in Sacramento.

           "Throughout my career as a teacher, I have found that every child has the ability to learn no matter whether they are tall or short, rich or poor, Deaf or not," said O'Connell. "Being aware of every child's potential helps all children flourish. That's why I invite everyone to learn more about Deaf education and participate in the free activities at the California Department of Education during Deaf Awareness Week."

           Deaf Awareness Week is usually observed during the last full week of September in commemoration of the first observance in 1951 by the World Congress of the Deaf. CDE currently serves more than 13,000 Deaf or hard of hearing students throughout the state's public school system and the California Schools for the Deaf in Riverside and Fremont. The California Schools for the Deaf are part of CDE's State Special Schools and Services Division. Each school provides a comprehensive residential and nonresidential educational program composed of academic, nonacademic, and extracurricular activities that are designed to prepare students to achieve their full academic, social, and career potential.

           The Deaf Awareness Week activities were coordinated by Andrew Laufer, an Education Administrator with CDE's Special Services and Support Branch that houses the State Special Schools and Services Division. The free activities this week at CDE include a poster contest, lobby displays, a student skit developed by Deaf students, panel discussions, and a film about Deaf culture.

           For more information on the Deaf Awareness Week activities, please contact the Communications Division at 916-319-0818 or visit http://www.cde.ca.gov/nr/re/et/. For more information on the California School for the Deaf, Riverside, please visit http://csdr-cde.ca.gov/ or for the California School for the Deaf, Fremont, please visit http://www.csdf.k12.ca.us/.

From State Supt. desk:

State Superintendent of Public Instruction Jack O'Connell issued the following statement regarding a new report by the Center for the Future of Teaching and Learning that shows that California has made great progress in reducing the number of underprepared teachers:

            "I am hearted that California is moving in the right direction toward having a well- prepared teacher in every classroom. Good teachers are at the heart of student academic success and are key to closing the achievement gap between our poor and minority students, and their peers who are more affluent or are white or Asian. Teachers who are appropriately credentialed have a deep understanding of the content they teach and have been trained in a variety of instructional strategies and are needed to help California students reach academic proficiency.

            "The California Department of Education is committed to ensuring that well prepared teachers are available for all students, regardless of ethnicity or socioeconomic status, and we developed policies that have helped us get to this point.

            "However, while appropriate teacher preparation is important, we have always known that effectiveness is even more important than credentials. We must now turn our focus to finding ways to increase effectiveness in the classroom and ensure that all students have a truly effective teacher - particularly those traditionally low-performing students who are most in need of an effective teacher."

            For more information on the Center for Teaching and Learning report, please visithttp://www.cftl.org/pressroom_relview.php?release=sept_14_09.php.

Secretary of Education Glen Thomas today issued the following release regarding the 2008-09 Accountability Progress Report:

"I am pleased to see that California's students continue to make marked academic gains, which is a testament to the good work being done by our state's students, teachers and schools.  However, it's critically important that we work together to ensure that more schools can reach their federal Adequate Yearly Progress targets by replicating effective teaching practices that help students make progress toward proficiency and by taking bolder action to turn around our state's persistently lowest-performing schools.  Besides making California eligible and highly competitive for the Race to the Top, Governor Schwarzenegger's education reform package includes a growth assessment model that will also help us better track student and school progress from year to year.  This proposal, along with his other education reform measures, will help ensure that California can make continual improvements to our education system so that all our students can reach our state's high academic expectations."

This release from the West End Chapter of the Gangs and Drugs Task Force is also on the OntarioNow blog  :

The West End chapter of the Gangs and Drugs Task Force will hold its quarterly meeting on Sept. 21 at 3:30 p.m. at the Hill Auditorium at Chaffey High School, 211 W. Fifth St.  

Judge Marsha Slough will speak about the Gangs and Drugs Task Force's plan to continually provide regional leadership and action in reducing the negative influence of drug and alcohol abuse, as well as gang violence in the West End of San Bernardino County. Anyone interested in joining or learning about the Task Force is encouraged to attend. Following Slough's comments, participants will have the opportunity to join work groups to advance the Task Force's vision into an action plan for the West End communities. 

The Task Force is comprised of community members, schools, law enforcement, businesses, clergy, local government, plus local parents and youth all interested in reducing negative influences of substance abuse, violence and gang activity in the county. 

The West End Gangs and Drugs Task Force is part of the countywide San Bernardino Gangs and Drugs Task Force. The Task Force was established in 1989 as a community response to increase awareness and to ensure the safety and development of local youth.  

The West End Gangs and Drugs Task Force held its inaugural meeting on Feb. 23 in Ontario. Supervisor Gary Ovitt and County Superintendent Gary Thomas challenged the 150 attendees to seize this opportunity and reach out to strengthen the community. Since that first meeting, members met monthly to define a community action planning process that resulted in the formation of two work groups:  the Drug & Alcohol group and the Gang and Violence group.  The focus of the groups is to encourage a spirit of action in the community and achieve viable results.  

For more information about the West End Gangs and Drugs Task Force please contact Richard Hernandez at Reach Out at (909) 560-6644.  

From the State Supt. desk:

State Superintendent of Public Instruction Jack O'Connell today announced the California Department of Education is collaborating with The Walt Disney Company and the K-12 Alliance of state and federal agencies on the Disney's Planet Challenge contest.

"California has a legacy of leadership on the environment, science, and technology, that have made the state one of the most hypercompetitive economies in the world," said O'Connell. "This contest will offer teachers a new science tool and a fresh way to motivate their students' creativity about how to protect their environment. I urge all schools to challenge themselves and participate in this nationwide competition."

            Disney launched the nationwide project-based environmental competition last week for fourth through sixth grade classrooms. The goal is to empower students to make a difference in school, at home, and in their local communities. Disney developed the new competition in response to a growing demand across all 50 states. The entertainment company has more than 15 years experience running highly-acclaimed classroom environmental competitions in regional markets including California and Florida as the Disney's Environmentality Challenge®. Contest collaborators are the California Department of Education, National Science Teachers Association (NSTA), U.S. Department of Fish & Wildlife, K-12 Alliance, and other state and federal government agencies. This collaboration ensures the highest environmental standards and excellence in science education that adheres to the specific educational standards of each state,

The Disney's Planet Challenge Web site provides tailored lesson plans customized to reflect the curriculum standards of each state for fourth through sixth grade levels. Teachers can easily find and download relevant lessons to help them link their class project to their state standards. The Web site also includes a range of multimedia features that allow students to tap into their digital creativity and create an online portfolio by uploading class work, videos, photos, charts, news articles, and other documents. Classrooms that choose to maintain digital portfolios have the environmentally-friendly option of submitting their paperless projects via the Web site. 

Students are asked to identify an environmental issue for the project in their local community and come up with a solution that they manage and document from start to finish. Past examples range from implementing campus-wide water conservation programs and electronics recycling drives to protecting local habitats. Classrooms will develop a portfolio that will be evaluated on environmental-relevance; student learning; changes in practices and attitudes; community involvement; lasting benefits to students, school, and/or community; and originality. Participation in the program is free.

Prizes will be awarded to all students and teachers who submit a project regardless of their rankings. National, regional, and state winners will receive a variety of Disney prizes including a class celebration at Disneyland® for the national grand prize champion. The winning class will also have a chance to meet a Disney Channel star, and the class and its winning project may be featured on the Disney Channel. Other prizes include thousands of dollars in classroom grants and more. Additionally, winning teachers will receive a one year NSTA membership. The grand-prize winning educator will also receive an expense paid trip to the national 2011 NSTA conference where the teacher will be recognized at the NSTA awards banquet. 

The deadline to enroll in the contest is December 18, 2009. The portfolio submission deadline is February 26, 2010. Winners will be announced in April 2010. The grand prize celebration will occur in May 2010. For more information about the Disney Planet Challenge, please visit www.Disney.com/planetchallenge.

Eight years ago today our seniors were in 4^th grade and our freshmen were just starting the 1^st grade - but they still remember.  They remember seeing those brave men and women on television as they entered the Twin Towers to save those who were still inside.  They remember hearing of crowded stairwells with people determined to get downstairs to safety while firefighters, police officers and other emergency personnel were headed in the opposite direction - running upstairs toward danger, determined to save lives.  We all remember that 343 members of the New York City Fire Department lost their lives - but not a single one died in vain.  Their courage, selflessness and professionalism saved more than 25,000 lives on September 11, 2001 - making it the most successful rescue operation in our nation's history. 

And, on that same morning, we remember the courage and optimism that drove the passengers on Flight 93 to rush their enemy to save lives on the ground.  You may recall that they were led by a passenger whose last words were the "Lords Prayer" and "Let's roll..."  He didn't' know that he had signed on for heroism when he boarded the plane that day.  Yet, had he and his fellow passengers not acted, September 11^th 2001's death toll could have been much higher. 

These individuals and many more, were true American Patriots.  They gave their lives in defense of our liberty and today is a day to remember them.

The United States Congress, by a joint resolution, designated September 11th of each year as "Patriot Day." It is a day for all Americans to share in remembrance and pay respect to those who lost their lives in those tragic events, as well as their families and loved ones. The Chaffey Joint Union High School District will share in this remembrance.  We will lower flags on all sites to half-staff, as called for by Presidential Order, to honor the victims of September 11, 2001. As we pay our remembrances and respects, let us be reminded of the freedoms and values for which our nation stands.

Today we will honor and continue to remember those who died by keeping our faith in tomorrow.

Mat

This press release just came in from Huff's desk.

Senate Bill 680, a bipartisan bill authored by Senator Bob Huff (R - Diamond Bar) and Senator Gloria Romero (D - Los Angeles) was passed out of the Legislature today and now moves to the Governor's desk for his signature.  SB 680 will extend the 17 year running School District of Choice program, which fosters public school choice by allowing parents to transfer their children to participating school districts without a transfer agreement.

"This bill says parents know what is best for their kids," said Senator Huff.  "If you think we should give parents the freedom to choose the best public school for their kids, then you should support the District of Choice program."

The bill has been the center of a heated debate this year on the benefits of public school choice.  And with over 5,000 students currently depending on the program, the issue has highlighted just how restrictive the current K-12 system has become.

"Currently we allow 18 year old students to choose which community college or which public 4 year university is best for them, but we tell those same people they are utterly unqualified to choose what primary school is best for their child," said Huff.

"The program brings a market mentality to the public education system," continued Huff.  "When schools know parents can leave, it puts healthy pressure on them to perform their best and serve parents like a business serves a client."

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has included the District of Choice program in his recent education reform package to make California eligible for federal Race to the Top funds and, as such, is expected to sign SB 680.  Otherwise all participating students will be obligated to leave their district of choice and move to unfamiliar schools, no matter how long students have attended their current school.

Last month, Sen. Bob Huff introduced comprehensive legislation (SBX5-1) in conjunction with Governor Schwarzenegger and key members of the Senate Education Committee which will make California fully eligible and competitive for the Race to the Top funds.

State Superintendent of Public Instruction Jack O'Connell today watched President Obama's back-to-school message with students at Sequoia Elementary School in Sacramento. O'Connell issued this statement following the President's address to students:

"I would like to commend and thank President Obama for taking the time to address our nation's students. These are trying times for America as millions of people continue to cope with the effects of the global economic downturn. Unfortunately, our students and educators are not immune to this phenomenon, and cutbacks in education funding across the country - especially here in California - illustrate this reality all too well. But the President's message today is just the sort of infusion of inspiration and confidence that I believe can propel our schools to do even more, even better with fewer resources. Furthermore, the President could not be more right in encouraging students to set their educational goals high and commit themselves to reaching and even exceeding those benchmarks. President Obama also discussed an important idea that all Americans must come to understand: the future of our country is inextricably linked with the future of our students. They are very much one and the same. This is a President who understands this concept and is prepared to do all that he can to positively affect it; and I stand in strong support of his efforts.

"I would like to strongly encourage parents and teachers to further discuss the importance of the President's speech with students. And for those students, parents, and teachers who have not seen it, please take a moment to read, listen, or watch it.  It has never been more important for us, collectively, to rally behind our students and in support of education. The President's address today represents a tremendous opportunity for us to achieve this."

Cal Poly Pomona has announced a multimillion-dollar bequest from a donor who asked not to be named.

Currently valued at $12 million, the bequest will establish endowments to expand the university's research capabilities for faculty, staff and students, as well as provide scholarships for promising students.

"We are deeply grateful to this individual, who is clearly a passionate believer in Cal Poly Pomona and its contributions to the state's workforce and economy," said university President Michael Ortiz. "Now more than ever, we need support from those who believe in higher education. This bequest will assist generations of future students as well as advance important research."

The donor's generosity will help bolster numerous academic programs at Cal Poly Pomona, ranging from the sciences to the arts. With new research capabilities, faculty will guide students through more hands-on learning opportunities while tackling the latest issues in their fields.

A bequest is the easiest and most popular deferred gift plan used by alumni and friends.  Donors may name the Cal Poly Pomona Foundation in their will or trust as a percentage beneficiary, as the recipient of a specific dollar amount or specific assets, or as a residual or contingent recipient.  Assets can be designated to support the university for purposes the donor documents.

President Obama Challenges States to Pursue Innovative Strategies to Reform Public Education

The $4.35 billion Race to the Top program provides an opportunity for California school districts to choose to partner with the state and receive federal grant funds to implement innovative strategies to improve public education.  Education Secretary Arne Duncan is seeking applications from eligible states with ambitious and comprehensive plans to implement systemic reforms at the local level.  The overarching goal is to improve academic achievement among all students and especially to provide new hope and opportunity to high-poverty communities with the lowest-performing schools, highest dropout rates, least support for effective teaching, and most challenging learning environments.  Secretary Duncan has discretion to award grants to states based on 19 selection criteria related to a state's current progress and plans for implementing reforms.

California is a leader in certain reforms, such as using data for continuous improvement in student learning, with Secretary Duncan recognizing data systems that Garden Grove and Long Beach have implemented in collaboration with their teachers and school communities.  These and other districts could join in the state's application and get funds to replicate the success of similar reforms aimed at improving student learning.  But to meet eligibility requirements and match up against other states on the 19 competitive criteria, California must make several changes in state law to provide a statutory framework for the state to develop a comprehensive plan with partnering school districts that choose to participate.

SBX5 1 Makes California Eligible AND Competitive for a Race to the Top Grant

SBX5 1 would make the necessary changes in state law to ensure that California is both eligible and competitive for a Race to the Top grant.  This bi-partisan measure not only removes the so-called "firewall" prohibiting use of student data in teacher evaluations, but also provides for turning around California's historically low-performing schools, authorizes greater use of data to improve instruction and student performance, removes the cap on the number of charter schools, authorizes open enrollment options for students stuck in low-performing schools, and requires a state plan to implement other reforms that greatly increase California's chances for a grant.

SBX5 1 Maximizes Federal Dollars for California

SBX5 1 positions California to get the maximum amount of federal funding to support school districts that agree to implement reforms early, such as improving use of data to support instruction, developing a system to use student growth asone of multiple measures of teacher effectiveness, and directly intervening to turn around the persistently lowest-performing schools.  Without changes made by SBX5 1, California risks losing not only $500 million or more in a Race to the Top grant; the Legislative Analyst predicts that other federal funds under the stimulus bill and possibly billions in ongoing federal funds for public education are likely at risk if California does not make real progress toward implementing these reforms.  Most recently, new proposed regulations for School Improvement Grants require states to adjust policies and set priorities to distribute funds to school districts that commit to turning around the lowest-performing schools using the same strategies that also are required in Race to the Top. 

SBX5 1 Provides New Public School Options for Students in the Lowest-Performing Schools

In order to build on the public school options for students and parents already established in federal law and by the state's  District of Choice program, SBX5 1 would provide students in the state's lowest-performing schools the option to attend another public school outside of their district's ZIP code assigned school.  This enhances California's competitive position for a Race to the Top grant and, most significantly, ensures that no California child is denied access to a quality education based on his or her ZIP code.

Additional Information

SB X5 1 - For the full text of the bill, click here.

Race to the Top Guidelines -- For an Executive Summary of Race to the Top guidelines and what states should do to be competitive for a grant, click here.  Additional information is available here.

Federal Funding at Risk -- For a report by the Legislative Analyst's Office on how billions in federal dollars for California's K-12 schools are likely to be linked to the state's progress in implementing the President's education reform priorities, clickhere.

School Improvement Grants Require Race to the Top Strategies -- Proposed federal rules for distributing School Improvement Grants require the same strategies for turning around the lowest-performing schools that also required in Race to the Top.  For the proposed rules, click here.

Linking Reform Progress to Federal Funds - Proposed rules for Phase 2 of State Fiscal Stabilization Funds require states to collect and report data on 33 measures of progress in implementing education reforms, which the federal government claims it will use when allocating federal education funds. To see the data requirements, click here.

The Four Reforms -- To review speeches by Secretary Duncan on the four education reforms, click below. Secretary Duncan has spoken on the need to:

• Adopt rigorous standards that prepare students for success in college and the workforce (2009 Governors Education Symposium)
• Recruit and retain effective teachers, especially in classrooms where they're needed most (National Education Association annual conference)
• Build data systems to track student achievement and teacher effectiveness (ED's Institute of Education Sciences annual conference)
• Turn around low-performing schools (National Alliance for Public Charter Schools Conference

Secretary of Education Glen Thomas today issued the following statement regarding the release of the 2009 California High School Exit Exam results:

"California has some of the most rigorous academic standards in the nation, and our students have proven time and time again that they can meet and exceed the high expectations set for them.  Today's report reflects the good work underway in California's classrooms to help ensure our students are equipped with the skills necessary for success after graduation; I applaud our young people for the important academic progress they're making, as well as the parents, teachers and administrators who have supported them along the way."

State Superintendent of Public Instruction Jack O'Connell today released the latest results for the California High School Exit Examination (CAHSEE) that show the state's public high school students continue to make steady progress.

            "I am pleased to see that these results show that California's high school students are continuing to meet the challenge of higher expectations," said O'Connell. "It is vitally important that young people know and understand the subject matter tested on the high school exit exam whether they are heading to college or directly into the workforce. The CAHSEE helps us ensure that each student is prepared with the critical basic skills needed for future success."

            By the end of their senior year approximately 90.6 percent, or 432,900 students, in the Class of 2009 successfully passed both the English-language arts and mathematics portions of the CAHSEE. The passage rate for the graduating class of 2009 is slightly higher than the 90.4 percent passage rate for the Class of 2008 at the same point in time. In addition, 56.6 percent of students receiving special education services in the Class of 2009 have successfully met the graduation requirement, an increase of 2 percentage points over the Class of 2008 at the same point in time (See Tables 1 and 2).

            The latest data indicate that an increasing percentage of students are passing the exam on their first opportunity in the tenth grade: 79.2 percent of the Class of 2011 has already passed the English-language arts portion, compared to 77.1 percent of tenth graders in the Class of 2008. In mathematics, the passage rate for first-time test taker has increased to 79.8 percent, an increase of 4.3 percent over the Class of 2008 (See Tables 4 and 5).

             When examined by subgroup, the results show the persistence of the achievement gap. The estimated cumulative passage rate for the Class of 2009 indicates that African American and Hispanic students continue to pass the exam at lower rates than Asian and white students. By the end of their senior year, the cumulative passing rate for African American students was 81.4 percent; Hispanic or Latino students, 86.6 percent; Asian students, 95.3 percent; and white students, 95.9 percent (See Table 1).

            The CAHSEE data do show a slight narrowing of the achievement gap. When comparing the first-time test takers in the Class of 2008 to the first-time test takers in Class of 2011, the achievement gap between Hispanic and white students has decreased in English-language arts by an estimated 3.6 percent and in mathematics by an estimated 5.2 percentage points (See Table 10). The achievement gap between African American and white students on the English-language arts portion of the test is estimated to have decreased over the same time span by 2.2 percentage points and in mathematics by 5 percentage points (See Table 11).

            "I am encouraged by the results that show a narrowing of the achievement gap," O'Connell said. "However, we must persevere until every student is prepared with the skills and concepts that are needed to pass this exam and be successful in life after high school." 

            Students who have failed one or both parts of the CAHSEE by the end of their senior year are eligible to continue to take the test and earn a high school diploma. According to the Human Resources Research Organization (HumRRO), CDE's independent evaluator, an estimated 658 additional students from the Class of 2006 (the first graduation class that was required to meet the CAHSEE requirement) persisted in taking the test and successfully met the CAHSEE requirement between July 2008 and May 2009; an estimated 1,113 additional students from the Class of 2007 passed the exam by May 2009; and an estimated 5,233 additional students from the Class of 2008 passed by May 2009.

            For the Class of 2009, approximately 45,015 (See Tables 2 and 3) students have not yet met the requirement. Although state funding intended for intensive remediation for these students was included in the list of categorical programs that can be used for any general educational purpose, O'Connell has urged schools to continue to focus additional instructional services on these students to help them master the skills measured on the CAHSEE and meet the graduation requirement.

            An agreement between the Governor and the state Legislature during July's budget negotiations suspended the CAHSEE as a graduation requirement beginning this current school year for eligible students with disabilities who have individualized education plans or Section 504 plans. For additional information please visit:http://www.cde.ca.gov/ta/tg/hs/cahseeABx4.asp

            "This action represents an irresponsible and shortsighted shift in education policy that threatens to shortchange the quality of education for our students with disabilities," O'Connell said. "Eliminating this requirement for students with disabilities who are on a diploma track does nothing to help prepare them for success after high school. The CAHSEE requirement has pushed our system to better serve students with disabilities, and thousands of students with disabilities have been successful on this test. When given the appropriate support, students with disabilities who are on a diploma track can meet the CAHSEE challenge, which will better prepare these students for meaningful employment and higher education." 

            The suspension of the CAHSEE requirement for students with disabilities will remain in effect until the State Board of Education determines that a potential alternative is not feasible and/or that an alternative means are implemented. O'Connell has formed an advisory committee to examine alternative options for students with disabilities.

Senator Gloria Romero, Chair of the Senate Education Committee, released the following statement in response to the 2008-2009 California High School Exit Exam (CAHSEE) results showing that 45,015 students from the class of 2009 will not graduate high school:

"Today's CAHSEE results underscore the importance of California meeting President Obama's challenge to Race to the Top and transform education.  As we embark on this journey we must remain diligent in our efforts to close the achievement gap, particularly with our African American, Latino and English-Learner students who continue to fall behind."

"This path of incremental progress leaves thousands of kids behind--45,015 to be exact.  That's 5,015 more students than the 40,000 prisoners the federal government is requiring California to release from prison or 30 percent of our current prison population.  We know that children who do not graduate from high school are more likely than any other group to end up incarcerated.  

"To reach our goals we must set ambitious targets for closing this achievement gap that has persisted for decades.  I am encouraged by the progress we have made towards preparing more students for graduation, but today California continues to leave too many behind."

State Superintendent of Public Instruction Jack O'Connell  announced assistance is available for students, schools, and the communities affected by the wildfires in Los Angeles and Placer counties.

 "Thankfully, we have not heard of any deaths or injuries of students or school staff, nor damage to any school structures," said O'Connell. "However, I want to assure school districts whose operations have been affected that they will not lose funding if their facilities are closed by wildfires or used as emergency shelters."

           In natural disasters, school districts will not lose Average Daily Attendance (ADA) funding if their facilities are used as community shelters or forced to close because of wildfires. The California Education Code allows the State Superintendent to authorize ADA credit for the days that schools are closed. Districts may also receive ADA credit for all purposes and instructional time credit for the days and minutes lost due to an emergency closure. ADA credit and approval of school closures may be obtained by submitting three copies of Form J-13A. To download the form, please visit http://www.cde.ca.gov/fg/sf/aa/documents/formj13a.doc.

Also, if school facilities are used as evacuation centers, they may be designated as community feeding sites, and serve meals at no charge to students rendered homeless. Since 1990, the California Education Codeallowed school districts that participated in the National School Lunch Program the ability to obtain reimbursement for losses sustained during a state or federally proclaimed disaster. This recognizes that schools have fixed costs even when forced to close in the event of a disaster. For more information on school meal disaster relief policies, please visit http://www.cde.ca.gov/ls/nu/sn/disaster.asp.

 "I also want to express my deepest condolences to the families of Captain Tedmund Hall and Specialist Arnaldo Quinones who valiantly fought the wildfires and died in the line of duty," added O'Connell. "Our thanks go out to all the firefighters who are fighting to keep us safe from wildfires that are a constant threat to our communities and school systems during these hot, dry summers."

A total of eight schools and/or school districts in Los Angeles County have been closed, used as emergency shelters, or have curtailed outdoor student activities as a result of the so-called Station Fire. Because of the summer recess, some of the schools were not in session yet or delayed opening until further notice. For the latest details on each school, please visit the California Department of Education's (CDE) new Web page, "California Wildfires 2009" at http://www.cde.ca.gov/nr/re/ht/yr09wildfires08.asp. This Web page will be updated frequently.

Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger did proclaim states of emergency in Placer and Los Angeles counties, as well as other counties affected by wildfires. This may pave the way for the state to request that President Obama declare the same counties federal disaster areas, thereby authorizing the Federal Emergency Management Agency to provide federal funding assistance.

Senator Gloria Romero, Chair of the Senate Education Committee, announced she is prepared to introduce urgency legislation in order to correct a budget funding loss to the state's lowest-performing schools.  The funding loss, caused by a complicated funding swap in the recently enacted education budget, affects 139 school districts in California that receive Quality Education Investment Act (QEIA) state funding.

"The budget has resulted in negative unintended financial consequences for our lowest-performing schools," said Romero (D-East Los Angeles).  "We must work as expeditiously as possible to rectify the problem."

The intent of the budget writers was for federal Title I funds to offset the $402 million in QEIA funding cut from district budgets. However, the funding formulas for QEIA and Title 1 are different, and now most of the state's QEIA schools are ineligible for the Title 1 funds.

QEIA funds were shifted in the education budget to cover health-care programs and CalWorks.  As many as 488 schools in the state are affected by the QEIA funding loss, many located in some of the largest districts in the state, such as Los Angeles Unified,Santa Ana and Sacramento City.

"Schools need us to work together so they do not suffer additional cuts in an already horrendous budget crisis," said Romero.  "The Legislature, together with the Administration and Department of Education must resolve this issue immediately."

Last week, Senator Steinberg convened a special session on California's application for federal Race to the Top funds, which includes developing a plan to address the state's lowest-performing schools.