In This Moment (9/3): Legislature Adjourns
The California Department of Education (CDE) has released two Requests for Application (RFA): one for the Career Technical Education Incentive Grant and another for the Specialized Secondary Program Grant. The due date is right around the corner for both RFAs.
In other news, this week the State Legislature adjourned its 2019-2020 session. While a number of bills stalled, several others passed the Legislature and are now waiting for the Governor's action. Among those waiting for the Governor’s signature is AB 1835 (Weber) which would require that unspent supplemental and concentration funds be spent on the pupils who generated those funds.
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CTEIG/SSP
The CDE released RFAs for the Career Technical Education Incentive Grant (CTEIG) and Specialized Secondary Program (SSP) Grant, both of which have due dates that are rapidly approaching.
CTEIG is designed to provide K-12 students with “…the knowledge and skills necessary to transition to employment and postsecondary education.” The CTEIG RFA is due on Thursday, September 17, 2020. For more information on the application process, visit the CDE’s CTEIG RFA webpage.
SSP provides start-up funding to establish “…new specialized programs in grades nine through twelve in California high schools.” The SSP RFA is due on Friday, October 30, 2020. For more information on the application process, visit the CDE’s SSP RFA webpage.
California Legislature Adjourns
Early Tuesday morning, the California Legislature adjourned the 2019-20 Legislative Session with many bills stalling. Below are two examples of key education bills that passed the Legislature during the final days of Session.
Unspent Supplemental and Concentration Dollars
AB 1835, authored by Assemblymember Shirley Weber (D – San Diego), restricts unspent supplemental and concentration grant dollars and makes it clear that these dollars are required to be spent to increase and improve services for the “unduplicated pupils” (low-income, English learners, or foster youth) regardless of what year in which the dollars are spent.
Ethnic Studies
AB 331, authored by Assembly Member Jose Medina (D – Riverside), adds the completion of a semester-long course in ethnic studies to the list of state high school graduation requirements. Amendments to this bill, which address several concerns that were raised when the bill came up last year, include delaying implementation until the 2025-26 school year, putting safeguards in place to ensure the appropriateness of the curriculum, increasing local flexibilities, and making implementation dependent upon an appropriation in the State Budget.
Governor Newsom has until midnight on September 30th to act on these legislative measures. The Legislature will readjourn the first week of December to gavel in the 2021-2022 legislative session.
Governor Signs Flavored Tobacco Ban
While the two bills noted above are awaiting the Governor’s action, he has already signed SB 793, the Stop Tobacco Access to Kids Enforcement (STAKE) Act. This bill prohibits selling or otherwise furnishing tobacco products, as defined, to a person under 21 years of age. Current law also prohibits the use of tobacco products in county offices of education, on charter school or school district property, or near a playground or youth sports event, as specified. This bill will also prohibit a tobacco retailer, or any of the tobacco retailer’s agents or employees, from selling, offering for sale, or possessing with the intent to sell or offer for sale, a flavored tobacco product or a tobacco product flavor enhancer.