BILL ANALYSIS                                                                                                                                                                                                    �



                                                                  AB 917
                                                                  Page  1

          Date of Hearing:   April 10, 2013

                        ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS
                                  Mike Gatto, Chair

                AB 917 (Bradford) - As Introduced:  February 22, 2013 

          Policy Committee:                              Education  
          Vote:6-1

          Urgency:     No                   State Mandated Local Program:  
          No     Reimbursable:              No

           SUMMARY  

          This bill amends the charter school petition process to include  
          permanent classified employees.  
          Specifically, this bill: 

          1)Requires at least 50% of the total number of teachers and  
            classified employees projected to work at the charter school  
            to sign a petition to establish a new charter school, as  
            specified.  

          2)Requires at least 50% of the total number of teachers and  
            classified employees currently employed at a public school to  
            sign a petition converting the school into a charter school.  

          3)Requires a charter school petition to include a signature of a  
            classified employee indicating he is or she is meaningfully  
            interested in working at the charter school.  

           FISCAL EFFECT  

          Minor absorbable costs, likely less than $80,000 Statewide, to  
          school districts to implement this measure.  Current law  
          requires school district governing boards to consider the level  
          of support for the charter petition by teachers and other  
          employees of the district.     

           COMMENTS  

           1)Purpose  .  A charter school is a public school that may provide  
            instruction in any of grades K-12. It is usually created or  
            organized by a group of teachers, parents and community  








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            leaders or a community-based organization.  A charter school  
            may be authorized by an existing local public school board,  
            county board of education, or the State Board of Education.  
            Specific goals and operating procedures for the charter school  
            are detailed in an agreement (charter) between the sponsoring  
            board and charter organizers.  A charter school is generally  
            exempt from most laws governing school districts, except where  
            specifically noted in the law.

            In order to establish a new charter school or convert an  
            existing public school into a charter school, a petition must  
            be submitted to the potential charter authorizer (i.e., local  
            governing board).  Existing law requires a petition for either  
            a new charter school or conversion charter school to be signed  
            by a minimum number of teachers.  For a new charter school, at  
            least one-half of the number of teachers estimated to be  
            employed at the school during its first year of operation must  
            sign the petition.  For a conversion charter school, statute  
            requires 50% of the permanent teachers employed at the  
            existing charter school to sign the petition.  Likewise, a  
            teacher's signature must be included in the charter petition,  
            indicating his or her meaningful interest in teaching at the  
            charter school.  

            This bill, sponsored by the Service Employees International  
            Union, requires charter school petitions to include the  
            signatures of permanent classified employees, as specified.   
            Classified employees include custodial staff, teachers' aides,  
            and clerical staff.  This measure also changes the term  
            "teachers" to nonsupervisorial certificated staff.  

           2)Number of charter schools  . In 2011-12, there were 1,018  
            charter schools enrolling 438,474 students.  These schools  
            employ 19,724 full-time teachers.

           3)Previous legislation  .  AB 86 (Mendoza), similar to this  
            measure, was vetoed by the governor in September 2011 with the  
            following message: 

            "Charter schools are a small but important part of the  
            California public school system. They vary by size, mission,  
            governing structure and educational philosophy. Their purpose  
            is to allow parents, teachers and other interested citizens to  
            form public schools outside the more detailed regulatory  
            framework of the regular school system.








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            They are profoundly difficult to establish and even more  
            difficult to maintain and grow in excellence. Having started  
            two myself, I know whereof I speak.

            Notwithstanding the important contributions classified staff  
            make to the operation of a school, this bill would  
            unnecessarily complicate an already difficult charter school  
            petition process.

            I believe the existing law is tough enough."


           Analysis Prepared by  :    Kimberly Rodriguez / APPR. / (916)  
          319-2081