BILL ANALYSIS                                                                                                                                                                                                    Ó



                                                                     AB 943


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          GOVERNOR'S VETO


          AB  
          943 (Travis Allen)


          As Enrolled  August 26, 2015


          2/3 vote


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          |ASSEMBLY:  |74-0  |(May 22, 2015) |SENATE: |38-0  |(August 20,      |
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          |ASSEMBLY:  |78-0  |(August 24,    |        |      |                 |
          |           |      |2015)          |        |      |                 |
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          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.








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          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;








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             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.









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          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