BILL NUMBER: SB 837 AMENDED
BILL TEXT
AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY AUGUST 4, 2014
AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY JULY 2, 2014
AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY JUNE 18, 2014
AMENDED IN SENATE MAY 28, 2014
AMENDED IN SENATE APRIL 22, 2014
AMENDED IN SENATE APRIL 2, 2014
INTRODUCED BY Senator Steinberg
JANUARY 6, 2014
An act relating to early childhood education.
LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST
SB 837, as amended, Steinberg. Early childhood education:
professional development.
Existing law authorizes a school district or charter school to
maintain a transitional kindergarten program and defines transitional
kindergarten as the first year of a 2-year kindergarten program that
uses a modified kindergarten curriculum that is age and
developmentally appropriate. Existing law requires the Superintendent
of Public Instruction to administer all California state preschool
programs. Existing law requires those programs to include part-day
age and developmentally appropriate programs designed to facilitate
the transition to kindergarten for three- 3
- and four-year-old
4-year-old children. Existing law requires the county
board of supervisors and the county superintendent of schools to
select members of a local planning council. Existing law requires a
local planning council to conduct an assessment of child care needs
in the county no less than once every 5 years.
Of the moneys appropriated in the Budget Act of 2014, this bill
would allocate certain of those moneys for purposes of professional
development stipends, to be administered by local planning
councils, for teachers in transitional kindergarten and
teachers in the California state preschool program, as provided.
By imposing a new duty on a local planning
council, the bill would create a state-mandated local program.
The bill would require the State Department of Education to consult
with various entities, including the California Community Colleges,
for purposes of administering the above provisions.
Funds allocated by this bill would be applied toward the minimum
funding requirements for school districts and community college
districts imposed by Section 8 of Article XVI of the California
Constitution, as provided.
The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local
agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the
state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that
reimbursement.
This bill would provide that, if the Commission on State Mandates
determines that the bill contains costs mandated by the state,
reimbursement for those costs shall be made pursuant to these
statutory provisions.
Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: yes.
State-mandated local program: no yes .
THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
SECTION 1. (a) Of the moneys appropriated in Item 6110-196-0001 of
the Budget Act of 2014, the sum of fifteen million dollars
($15,000,000) shall be allocated to the State Department of Education
to be used to fund professional development stipends for
teachers , to be administered by local planning councils
established pursuant to Chapter 2.3 (commencing with Section 8499) of
the Education Code . The funds shall be allocated as follows:
(1) (A) First priority shall be for professional development
stipends for transitional kindergarten teachers.
(B) For purposes of this paragraph, professional development
stipends shall include, but shall not be limited to,
all of the following:
(i) Stipends
stipends for credentialed teachers to
complete at least 24 units in early childhood education or childhood
development, or a combination of both, pursuant to paragraph (1) of
subdivision (g) of Section 48000 of the Education Code.
(ii) Strengthening teacher knowledge of the California Preschool
Learning Foundations, as developed by the department.
(2) Second priority shall be for professional development
stipends for teachers in the California state preschool
program, pursuant to Article 7 (commencing with Section 8235) of
Chapter 2 of Part 6 of Division 1 of Title 1 of the Education Code
for the costs of credit bearing coursework in early childhood
education, child development, or both .
(b) Of the moneys appropriated in Item 6110-196-0001 of the Budget
Act of 2014, the sum of ten million dollars ($10,000,000) shall be
allocated to the State Department of Education to be used for other
professional development projects, not described in subdivision (a),
for transitional kindergarten and California state preschool program
teachers, as determined by the department , including, but not
limited to, professional development that strengthens teacher
knowledge of the California Preschool Learning Foundations, as
developed by the department .
(c) The State Department of Education shall consult with the
California Community Colleges, the California State University,
resource and referral programs, the California Children and Families
Commission, local planning councils, school
administrators, and teachers in administering this section.
(d) For purposes of making the computations required by Section 8
of Article XVI of the California Constitution, the allocations for
professional development activities pursuant to this section are
"General Fund revenues appropriated for school districts," as defined
in subdivision (c) of Section 41202 of the Education Code, for the
2014-15 fiscal year, and included within the "total allocations to
school districts and community college districts from General Fund
proceeds of taxes appropriated pursuant to Article XIII B," as
defined in subdivision (e) of Section 41202 of the Education Code,
for that fiscal year.
SEC. 2. If the Commission on State Mandates
determines that this act contains costs mandated by the state,
reimbursement to local agencies and school districts for those costs
shall be made pursuant to Part 7 (commencing with Section 17500) of
Division 4 of Title 2 of the Government Code.