BILL ANALYSIS Ó AB 943 Page 1 GOVERNOR'S VETO AB 943 (Travis Allen) As Enrolled August 26, 2015 2/3 vote -------------------------------------------------------------------- |ASSEMBLY: |74-0 |(May 22, 2015) |SENATE: |38-0 |(August 20, | | | | | | |2015) | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | -------------------------------------------------------------------- -------------------------------------------------------------------- |ASSEMBLY: |78-0 |(August 24, | | | | | | |2015) | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | -------------------------------------------------------------------- Original Committee Reference: ED. SUMMARY: Requires the fiscal agent of the California Collaborative for Educational Excellence (CCEE), when contracting with an individual, local education agency, or other organization to provide assistance to a charter school, to consider whether the contractor has a record of success in working with charter schools in improving pupil outcomes. AB 943 Page 2 The Senate amendments strike the requirement that the CCEE give priority to a contractor with success in working with charter schools, provided all other requirements are met, and instead require the CCEE to consider whether a potential contractor has such experience. EXISTING LAW: 1)Establishes the CCEE to advise and assist school districts, county superintendents of schools, and charter schools in achieving the goals set forth in their Local Control and Accountability Plans (LCAPs). 2)Authorizes the Superintendent of Public Instruction, at the request of the chartering authority and with the approval of the State Board of Education (SBE), to assign the CCEE to provide advice and assistance to a charter school that fails to achieve the goals set forth in its LCAP. 3)Requires the CCEE to contract with individuals, local educational agencies, or organizations to provide advice and assistance to local education agencies, including charter schools, that have either requested the advice and assistance or have been identified by the SPI and SBE as being in need of it. 4)Requires contractors to have expertise, experience, and a record of success in each of, but not limited to, the following areas: a) The eight state priorities that must be addressed by the LCAP; b) Improving the quality of teaching; AB 943 Page 3 c) Improving the quality of school district and schoolsite leadership; and d) Successfully addressing the needs of special pupil populations, including, but not limited to, English learners, pupils eligible to receive a free or reduced-price meal, pupils if foster care, and individuals with exceptional needs. FISCAL EFFECT: According to the Senate Appropriations Committee, pursuant to Senate Rule 28.8, negligible state costs. COMMENTS: The purpose of this bill is to help ensure that a contractor that is assigned by the CCEE to provide assistance to a charter school has successful experience in working with charter schools. As it left the Assembly, this bill required the CCEE to give priority to a contractor with charter school experience, provided the contractor met all of the other requirements of a contractor. The author amended this bill in the Senate to require the CCEE instead to consider whether a potential contractor has charter school experience. According to the author's office, this amendment is intended to give the CCEE more flexibility to select the highest qualified contractor. GOVERNOR'S VETO MESSAGE: This bill explicitly directs the California Collaborative for Educational Excellence to contract with a fiscal entity that has a "record of success" in working with charter schools to improve pupil outcomes. AB 943 Page 4 The Collaborative is already directed under current law to contract with individuals with expertise, experience and a record of success. I am confident that the Collaborative, which began meeting in February and is composed of five appointees including two appointees from the Legislature, can handle it. Moreover, this bill strikes me as a bit of micromanagement that might well constrain the Collaborative in the exercise of its responsibilities. Analysis Prepared by: Rick Pratt / ED. / (916) 319-2087 FN: 0002527